BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas harvester Mike Keimig is growing increasingly anxious about whether the foreign seasonal workers he needs to run his nine combines and drive his grain trucks will arrive in time for the start of the winter wheat harvest, which is just weeks away.

His regular crew mostly comprises farm kids from South Africa who return to work for him every year, but they are stuck overseas. The paperwork for about half of the 20 agricultural worker visas he has applied for remains in limbo at the shuttered U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg.

The closure of embassies and consulates due to the coronavirus pandemic is not the only obstacle to bringing in seasonal workers. Governments have closed their borders. Overseas workers who have visas cannot get on a flight. And once they arrive, they would face weeks of quarantine before they could work.

“It will definitely have a big impact on our finances ... if we can’t get help to run our equipment,” Keimig said.

“It would even have an effect on the farmers. Well, maybe they can find somebody besides us to do it, I don’t know?” he said. “But I think it would be a little tough because there are a lot of us in the same situation.”

Harvester crews typically traverse the nation with their combines and grain trucks taking on work where the crops are ripening. They usually work the same farms every season, saving the farmers the cost of investing in harvester equipment.

About 30% of U.S. harvest operations use foreign workers on their crews, according to Mandi Sieren, operations manager for the industry trade group U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc.

Temporary agricultural worker H-2A visas have been largely spared from immigration rollbacks because agriculture is an essential industry, but the workers can’t travel to the U.S. right now because of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Sieren said.

As for hiring locally, harvesters “would absolutely love to hire Americans but there are not very many Americans who would leave home for six to nine months at a time,” she said.

As many as half of the workers who harvest U.S. wheat and other grain crops are seasonal foreign workers, said Ryan Haffner, a Kansas harvester and board member for U.S. Custom Harvesters.

“We are always looking for American workers. I mean, that is a constant search,” Haffner said. But many Americans are “disconnected from agriculture” and lack interest or the skills required to work in farming.

“There are more people overseas really that have an interest and still a working knowledge of agriculture,” he said.

Modern harvesting machines are computerized and sophisticated, so it’s not easy for the city-dwelling unemployed to just pick up, adapt and learn to operate them, Haffner said.

Typically, a third of Haffner’s crew of up to 20 workers is American, while the rest come from South Africa, Europe and South America. He has the agricultural worker visas for his foreign workers for this harvest season, but was only able to get a few of them into the U.S. before coronavirus restrictions effectively shut the others out.

The harvest season begins in mid-May in north-central Texas, before moving into Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Montana and North Dakota. In the summer, they cut mostly wheat. In early fall, they harvest peas, canola, soybeans, grain sorghum and corn. Haffner can’t afford to miss a season.

“I have got $5 million worth of equipment — I can’t not be there,” Haffner said. “So we are going to be there. We are going to get to our customers. It is just going to be much more difficult than usual. We intend to get through it.”

Some harvesters are turning to relatives and friends to work for a few weeks or more until the foreign workers can arrive. Some have been able to hire Americans for the whole season. Others are trying to do as much as they can themselves.

Don Kotapish, a 72-year-old farmer who also does a bit of cutting for others on the side, usually brings in a couple of workers from South Africa to help him on his 6,500-acre property in Blue Rapids, Kansas. He said he has been working from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. or later every day because he hasn’t been able to hire any help.

“Not only are we short on help, but we aren’t getting anything for our products,” Kotapish said. “The cattleman and the grain farmers are all in the same situation. That adds more stress.”

Texas harvester Shorty Kulhanek usually hires fewer than five seasonal workers, and he has been able to pick up some workers from Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconsin and Washington this season. He said it was easier to find Americans to join his crew because so many people are out of work.

Furthermore, Kulhanek’s applications for seasonal agricultural worker visas have yet to be approved, and he was told that might not happen until July 15.

“I can’t wait that long,” he said. “I have to proceed with what I can get.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589039066122.png" alt="Farmer cuts a northwest Kansas wheat field in 2019" />
 <figcaption>Farmer cuts a northwest Kansas wheat field in 2019</figcaption>
 </figure>BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas harvester Mike Keimig is growing increasingly anxious about whether the foreign seasonal workers he needs to run his nine combines and drive his grain trucks will arrive in time for the start of the winter wheat harvest, which is just weeks away.His regular crew mostly comprises farm kids from South Africa who return to work for him every year, but they are stuck overseas. The paperwork for about half of the 20 agricultural worker visas he has applied for remains in limbo at the shuttered U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg.The closure of embassies and consulates due to the coronavirus pandemic is not the only obstacle to bringing in seasonal workers. Governments have closed their borders. Overseas workers who have visas cannot get on a flight. And once they arrive, they would face weeks of quarantine before they could work.“It will definitely have a big impact on our finances ... if we can’t get help to run our equipment,” Keimig said.“It would even have an effect on the farmers. Well, maybe they can find somebody besides us to do it, I don’t know?” he said. “But I think it would be a little tough because there are a lot of us in the same situation.”Harvester crews typically traverse the nation with their combines and grain trucks taking on work where the crops are ripening. They usually work the same farms every season, saving the farmers the cost of investing in harvester equipment.About 30% of U.S. harvest operations use foreign workers on their crews, according to Mandi Sieren, operations manager for the industry trade group U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc.Temporary agricultural worker H-2A visas have been largely spared from immigration rollbacks because agriculture is an essential industry, but the workers can’t travel to the U.S. right now because of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Sieren said.As for hiring locally, harvesters “would absolutely love to hire Americans but there are not very many Americans who would leave home for six to nine months at a time,” she said.As many as half of the workers who harvest U.S. wheat and other grain crops are seasonal foreign workers, said Ryan Haffner, a Kansas harvester and board member for U.S. Custom Harvesters.“We are always looking for American workers. I mean, that is a constant search,” Haffner said. But many Americans are “disconnected from agriculture” and lack interest or the skills required to work in farming.“There are more people overseas really that have an interest and still a working knowledge of agriculture,” he said.Modern harvesting machines are computerized and sophisticated, so it’s not easy for the city-dwelling unemployed to just pick up, adapt and learn to operate them, Haffner said.Typically, a third of Haffner’s crew of up to 20 workers is American, while the rest come from South Africa, Europe and South America. He has the agricultural worker visas for his foreign workers for this harvest season, but was only able to get a few of them into the U.S. before coronavirus restrictions effectively shut the others out.The harvest season begins in mid-May in north-central Texas, before moving into Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Montana and North Dakota. In the summer, they cut mostly wheat. In early fall, they harvest peas, canola, soybeans, grain sorghum and corn. Haffner can’t afford to miss a season.“I have got $5 million worth of equipment — I can’t not be there,” Haffner said. “So we are going to be there. We are going to get to our customers. It is just going to be much more difficult than usual. We intend to get through it.”Some harvesters are turning to relatives and friends to work for a few weeks or more until the foreign workers can arrive. Some have been able to hire Americans for the whole season. Others are trying to do as much as they can themselves.Don Kotapish, a 72-year-old farmer who also does a bit of cutting for others on the side, usually brings in a couple of workers from South Africa to help him on his 6,500-acre property in Blue Rapids, Kansas. He said he has been working from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. or later every day because he hasn’t been able to hire any help.“Not only are we short on help, but we aren’t getting anything for our products,” Kotapish said. “The cattleman and the grain farmers are all in the same situation. That adds more stress.”Texas harvester Shorty Kulhanek usually hires fewer than five seasonal workers, and he has been able to pick up some workers from Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconsin and Washington this season. He said it was easier to find Americans to join his crew because so many people are out of work.Furthermore, Kulhanek’s applications for seasonal agricultural worker visas have yet to be approved, and he was told that might not happen until July 15.“I can’t wait that long,” he said. “I have to proceed with what I can get.”

Harvesters struggle to recruit foreign crews during pandemic

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged attempted kidnapping and have made an arrest.

Just before 4p.m. Saturday police responded to an attempted abduction call at a home in the 2500 block of South Roosevelt in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; 

Upon arrival, officers contacted a 28-year-old woman and her 12-year-old daughter.

The investigation revealed the girl was walking alone in the area of 31st&nbsp;and Clifton when a suspect identified as 28-year Victor Lara-Aguilera approached her on foot and said she was coming with him.&nbsp; 

Lara-Aguilera then grabbed her arm and started to pull her with him, according to Davidson.&nbsp; The girl screamed loudly, pulled away from Lara-Aguilera, and ran to her grandmother's house.&nbsp; The girl notified her mother of what occurred, and the police were called.

Officers obtained a description of Lara-Aguilera from the girl, and he was located in the 2900 block of South Hillside in Wichita and arrested without further incident.&nbsp;

&nbsp;He is being held on requested charges of attempted kidnapping and possession of methamphetamine, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589112915018.png" alt="Lara-Aguilera photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Lara-Aguilera photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged attempted kidnapping and have made an arrest.Just before 4p.m. Saturday police responded to an attempted abduction call at a home in the 2500 block of South Roosevelt in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers contacted a 28-year-old woman and her 12-year-old daughter.The investigation revealed the girl was walking alone in the area of 31st&nbsp;and Clifton when a suspect identified as 28-year Victor Lara-Aguilera approached her on foot and said she was coming with him.&nbsp; Lara-Aguilera then grabbed her arm and started to pull her with him, according to Davidson.&nbsp; The girl screamed loudly, pulled away from Lara-Aguilera, and ran to her grandmother's house.&nbsp; The girl notified her mother of what occurred, and the police were called.Officers obtained a description of Lara-Aguilera from the girl, and he was located in the 2900 block of South Hillside in Wichita and arrested without further incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;He is being held on requested charges of attempted kidnapping and possession of methamphetamine, according to Davidson.

Police: Kan. man attempted to kidnap 12-year-old

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 233 to a total of 6984, the state health department reported Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;

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

Note: Starting May 11, the KDHE will stop releasing daily updates of counts of coronavirus cases and move to releasing the information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

He said department employees need a combined total of 10 hours a day to produce the data and post it on its coronavirus website.

“We can spring free our precious epidemiology staff to do their work, which is actually to push down the disease,” Norman said.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 233 to a total of 6984, the state health department reported Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 157<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/2020/5/1589134712386.png" alt="May 10, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>May 10, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Note: Starting May 11, the KDHE will stop releasing daily updates of counts of coronavirus cases and move to releasing the information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.He said department employees need a combined total of 10 hours a day to produce the data and post it on its coronavirus website.“We can spring free our precious epidemiology staff to do their work, which is actually to push down the disease,” Norman said.

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

Presley comes up with a creative way to teach what is normally a hands-on class

MANHATTAN – Included in her experience as a professor of agronomy for Kansas State University, DeAnn Presley lists work in soil science, cover crops and crop production.

This spring, she added one more: construction equipment operator.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought all in-person classes to a halt at universities across the country, many faculty members were thrust into finding creative ways to teach courses that were more suited to hands-on learning.

For Presley, who teaches a 500-level soils class, that meant bringing out the heavy machinery.

“I dug a hole in my backyard with an excavator,” she said, referring to the large, diesel-powered construction machine with a bucket for digging out large chunks of earth.

“I had never done it myself before and I wanted to learn, so I did it on a day when no one was watching,” Presley said. “It’s not the best soil pit ever, but I feel a lot more confident now.”

The trench, which measures 12 feet wide and four and one-half feet deep, became an online classroom for 12 students enrolled in Presley’s soil science class. From the pit in her backyard, Presley&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/8_kLi8fFgBg">recorded a YouTube video</a>&nbsp;in which she delivered a lecture that normally would have been covered in a three-hour, field-based lab.

“My backyard has really interesting soils,” Presley said. “I have glacial till on top and shale underneath. And there’s no better way to get a good look at that than to dig a hole.”

“I’d rather have the students in the pit with me,” she adds. “But, obviously, that’s not possible right now, so videotaping myself describing soils is as close as I can get.”

Presley’s class provides an important piece of knowledge for the graduate and undergraduate students she teaches. She said knowing where soil comes from, how it is formed and how it varies across landscapes is important for making critical management decisions that affect a variety of land uses – including agriculture and construction.

“As students, the biggest challenge we’ve faced has been not being able to go out in the field to see and touch soil profiles,” said Mikala Postlewait, a sophomore from Shawnee, Kansas. “Dr. Presley does her best at describing the profiles in the video, but I would really like to go out and feel the soil to determine things like color and texture on my own.”

Ordinarily, Presley says the students would take five field trips to various sites around the Kansas Flint Hills. They were able to take one of those trips prior to spring break, but the other four visits have been taught via YouTube videos.

Despite the limitations, sophomore Isaiah Euler says he kind of likes learning about soil from a distance.

“I didn’t feel pressure to just pass the tests, but really got to focus on learning the material well,” said Euler, a sophomore from Overland Park, Kansas.

“I’ve been on the (K-State) soil judging team for two years now and have continued to learn exponentially in this class. I feel like we’ve covered the topics at a great pace and have received a lot of feedback.”

Prior to the shutdown of in-class teaching, Presley said she had never taught an online course, “so I bet I could do a lot of things better.”

But, she adds, “I try to be as accessible as possible. I have been responding to students’ emails, phone calls and texts as quickly as I can because I know they have a lot going on in their classes right now.”

She’d prefer to teach classes in person, but during an unusual time, Presley has found a creative alternative.

“I feel like I’m not teaching them as well as if I was in person,” she said. “When I’m in front of them and if they don’t understand, I can see it all over their faces. When you record and post lectures, it’s convenient for them and for me, but I know there’s stuff that they probably aren’t learning as well as if we were together.”

In addition to videotaping lectures from soil pits, Presley said she has recorded instructions for some homework assignments, and has encouraged the students to do their homework in groups, “because I believe strongly that you learn a subject even better when you teach it to others.”

“A pleasant surprise from teaching online is that when I’ve posted my YouTube ‘virtual soil pits’ on Twitter, I’ve gotten nice comments from other soil scientists,” Presley said.

Presley’s lecture from the soil pit in her backyard&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/8_kLi8fFgBg">can be viewed online</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588859135373.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Presley comes up with a creative way to teach what is normally a hands-on class</h2>K‑State Research and ExtensionMANHATTAN – Included in her experience as a professor of agronomy for Kansas State University, DeAnn Presley lists work in soil science, cover crops and crop production.This spring, she added one more: construction equipment operator.When the COVID-19 pandemic brought all in-person classes to a halt at universities across the country, many faculty members were thrust into finding creative ways to teach courses that were more suited to hands-on learning.For Presley, who teaches a 500-level soils class, that meant bringing out the heavy machinery.“I dug a hole in my backyard with an excavator,” she said, referring to the large, diesel-powered construction machine with a bucket for digging out large chunks of earth.“I had never done it myself before and I wanted to learn, so I did it on a day when no one was watching,” Presley said. “It’s not the best soil pit ever, but I feel a lot more confident now.”The trench, which measures 12 feet wide and four and one-half feet deep, became an online classroom for 12 students enrolled in Presley’s soil science class. From the pit in her backyard, Presley&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/8_kLi8fFgBg">recorded a YouTube video</a>&nbsp;in which she delivered a lecture that normally would have been covered in a three-hour, field-based lab.“My backyard has really interesting soils,” Presley said. “I have glacial till on top and shale underneath. And there’s no better way to get a good look at that than to dig a hole.”“I’d rather have the students in the pit with me,” she adds. “But, obviously, that’s not possible right now, so videotaping myself describing soils is as close as I can get.”Presley’s class provides an important piece of knowledge for the graduate and undergraduate students she teaches. She said knowing where soil comes from, how it is formed and how it varies across landscapes is important for making critical management decisions that affect a variety of land uses – including agriculture and construction.“As students, the biggest challenge we’ve faced has been not being able to go out in the field to see and touch soil profiles,” said Mikala Postlewait, a sophomore from Shawnee, Kansas. “Dr. Presley does her best at describing the profiles in the video, but I would really like to go out and feel the soil to determine things like color and texture on my own.”Ordinarily, Presley says the students would take five field trips to various sites around the Kansas Flint Hills. They were able to take one of those trips prior to spring break, but the other four visits have been taught via YouTube videos.Despite the limitations, sophomore Isaiah Euler says he kind of likes learning about soil from a distance.“I didn’t feel pressure to just pass the tests, but really got to focus on learning the material well,” said Euler, a sophomore from Overland Park, Kansas.“I’ve been on the (K-State) soil judging team for two years now and have continued to learn exponentially in this class. I feel like we’ve covered the topics at a great pace and have received a lot of feedback.”Prior to the shutdown of in-class teaching, Presley said she had never taught an online course, “so I bet I could do a lot of things better.”But, she adds, “I try to be as accessible as possible. I have been responding to students’ emails, phone calls and texts as quickly as I can because I know they have a lot going on in their classes right now.”She’d prefer to teach classes in person, but during an unusual time, Presley has found a creative alternative.“I feel like I’m not teaching them as well as if I was in person,” she said. “When I’m in front of them and if they don’t understand, I can see it all over their faces. When you record and post lectures, it’s convenient for them and for me, but I know there’s stuff that they probably aren’t learning as well as if we were together.”In addition to videotaping lectures from soil pits, Presley said she has recorded instructions for some homework assignments, and has encouraged the students to do their homework in groups, “because I believe strongly that you learn a subject even better when you teach it to others.”“A pleasant surprise from teaching online is that when I’ve posted my YouTube ‘virtual soil pits’ on Twitter, I’ve gotten nice comments from other soil scientists,” Presley said.Presley’s lecture from the soil pit in her backyard&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/8_kLi8fFgBg">can be viewed online</a>.

K-State professor digs hole in backyard to teach about soils

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ top public health official on Friday encouraged medical personnel to sterilize N95 masks for reuse to preserve their supplies as the state prepared to update the public less often about the virus’ spread.

Dr. Lee Norman, the head of the state health department, said it is borrowing massive sterilizing equipment for six months from Battelle, an Ohio-based nonprofit research and development company deploying such equipment across the U.S. Norman said the equipment is based in a state warehouse south of Topeka and can sterilize up to 10,000 masks a day. He hopes that capacity will jump to 18,000 a day.

Norman said he wants hospitals, nursing homes, first responders, local health departments and state agencies to send in N95 masks, which have filtration to block 95% of particles, so they can be used up to 20 times. He said the state had recommended that institutions keep a 90-day supply but is now suggesting larger stockpiles against a possible surge in coronavirus cases later.

“This a free service,” Norman said during a Statehouse news conference with Gov. Laura Kelly. “We have a shortage of the N95s and will continue to.”

The state began gradually reopening its economy this week, with Kelly lifting a stay-at-home order at midnight Sunday. Norman said hospitals have the bed and ventilator capacity to handle a surge of cases but acknowledged that a second wave of the coronavirus could be more intense than the one that began in Kansas in early March.

“I think we need to enjoy the summer in a way, because I think what’s coming is likely going to make what we’ve seen not seem that bad,” said Dr. Beth Oller, a family physician in Rooks County in northwest Kansas. “I think we are going to be called to pull back again.”

The state health department reported Saturday that the state had 6,751 confirmed or probable cases of coronavirus, up 250 from Friday. It reported an additional five COVID-19-related deaths, total of 157 since early March.

A Johns Hopkins University site lists the number of deaths for Kansas as 168, and Norman acknowledged that the number of coronavirus cases is likely higher than the state’s tally because of limited tested early in the state’s outbreak and because people can be infected and show no symptoms.

The state began Thursday to include probable cases in its counts. Those have laboratory blood evidence from people with symptoms or people who have been linked to a confirmed case, or they’re cases in which a person shows symptoms but hasn’t been tested after being linked to a confirmed case.

For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks.

Nursing homes have been hit especially hard, with 22 clusters accounting for 540 confirmed or probable coronavirus cases and 85 deaths, or 56% of the state’s reported total.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-05-07/a-covid-19-hot-spot-in-prairie-village-now-accounts-for-57-known-cases-and-9-death?mc_cid=d355748d5e&amp;mc_eid=45fc700640" target="_blank">KCUR-FM reported</a>&nbsp;that the Brighton Gardens senior living facility in the Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, Kansas, now accounts for 57 confirmed cases and nine deaths.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589025873324.png" alt="Dr. Lee Norman discussed the sterilization during the governor's Friday press conference" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Lee Norman discussed the sterilization during the governor's Friday press conference</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ top public health official on Friday encouraged medical personnel to sterilize N95 masks for reuse to preserve their supplies as the state prepared to update the public less often about the virus’ spread.Dr. Lee Norman, the head of the state health department, said it is borrowing massive sterilizing equipment for six months from Battelle, an Ohio-based nonprofit research and development company deploying such equipment across the U.S. Norman said the equipment is based in a state warehouse south of Topeka and can sterilize up to 10,000 masks a day. He hopes that capacity will jump to 18,000 a day.Norman said he wants hospitals, nursing homes, first responders, local health departments and state agencies to send in N95 masks, which have filtration to block 95% of particles, so they can be used up to 20 times. He said the state had recommended that institutions keep a 90-day supply but is now suggesting larger stockpiles against a possible surge in coronavirus cases later.“This a free service,” Norman said during a Statehouse news conference with Gov. Laura Kelly. “We have a shortage of the N95s and will continue to.”The state began gradually reopening its economy this week, with Kelly lifting a stay-at-home order at midnight Sunday. Norman said hospitals have the bed and ventilator capacity to handle a surge of cases but acknowledged that a second wave of the coronavirus could be more intense than the one that began in Kansas in early March.“I think we need to enjoy the summer in a way, because I think what’s coming is likely going to make what we’ve seen not seem that bad,” said Dr. Beth Oller, a family physician in Rooks County in northwest Kansas. “I think we are going to be called to pull back again.”The state health department reported Saturday that the state had 6,751 confirmed or probable cases of coronavirus, up 250 from Friday. It reported an additional five COVID-19-related deaths, total of 157 since early March.A Johns Hopkins University site lists the number of deaths for Kansas as 168, and Norman acknowledged that the number of coronavirus cases is likely higher than the state’s tally because of limited tested early in the state’s outbreak and because people can be infected and show no symptoms.The state began Thursday to include probable cases in its counts. Those have laboratory blood evidence from people with symptoms or people who have been linked to a confirmed case, or they’re cases in which a person shows symptoms but hasn’t been tested after being linked to a confirmed case.For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks.Nursing homes have been hit especially hard, with 22 clusters accounting for 540 confirmed or probable coronavirus cases and 85 deaths, or 56% of the state’s reported total.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-05-07/a-covid-19-hot-spot-in-prairie-village-now-accounts-for-57-known-cases-and-9-death?mc_cid=d355748d5e&amp;mc_eid=45fc700640" target="_blank">KCUR-FM reported</a>&nbsp;that the Brighton Gardens senior living facility in the Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, Kansas, now accounts for 57 confirmed cases and nine deaths.

Kansas official pushes sterilization of N95 masks for reuse

Foster families have faced extra challenges during the pandemic

By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-07/coronavirus-is-the-latest-strain-on-kansas-foster-families">Kansas News Service</a>

Foster parent Mitzi Monson feels lucky she can stay at home.

Yet since the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-03-18/kansas-becomes-the-first-state-to-end-in-person-classes-for-the-year#stream/0" target="_blank">coronavirus closed schools</a>,
 Monson has had few breaks from the three children in her care. At least
 extra money from the state’s foster care agency, awarded since the 
start of the pandemic, helps pay for groceries.

Monson keeps a consistent schedule for the kids: three meals a day, in bed by 9 p.m., up by 8 a.m. They spend 90 minutes a day going to <a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2020-03-19/the-rest-of-the-school-year-in-kansas-will-be-short-days-with-limited-screen-time#stream/0" target="_blank">school through video conference</a>, and the rest of the day on less conventional lessons, like skipping stones and putting up a hummingbird feeder.

Her
 kids all have special needs and individualized education plans at 
school. Learning from home has been easier because it avoids social 
interactions that can be difficult for them.

But some things are 
harder. Summer camp plans are up in the air, so brand-new sleeping bags 
might go unused. And now that social distancing is in effect, her kids 
see their birth families less frequently.

“Their lives have been 
such chaos, this really isn’t that big a deal. And that’s 
heartbreaking,” Monson said. “They’re just used to going along with 
life.”

Through the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-04-14/updated-regularly-what-kansans-need-to-know-about-the-covid-19-coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID-19 lockdown</a>, foster families have faced extra challenges.

Parents
 and advocates say staying at home has been hard for some kids — but 
good for others who have trouble in traditional school environments. 
Therapy, common for foster children, takes place over video calls rather than with toys in offices.

Like
 all parents, those with foster kids can struggle with working from home
 while taking care of children. But foster children, who come from the 
havoc of unstable families and then get handed off to strangers, often 
need even more attention.

And as Kansas opens up from its 
coronavirus lockdown, the foster system braces for a possible surge in 
reports of child abuse, an even greater shortage of foster parents and 
the unknown consequences of pandemic trauma.

Schools and families 
had little time to prepare for that, said Pamela Cornwell, clinical 
director a St. Francis Ministries, one of the state’s largest private 
foster care contractors.

“Kids know that something big has 
happened,” she said. “There will be some children that will have 
significant traumatic effect from this.”

Many children now fear 
that their families — biological or foster — could die from the 
coronavirus, said Kay Heikes, a child and family therapist who works 
with children in foster care. She typically conducts therapy through 
playing with toys in her office, but she has had to find substitutes now
 that she sees clients through videoconference. She and the children 
play games by drawing on whiteboards and telling stories with puppets 
through the screen.

The abrupt end to school has also contributed 
to a sense of uncertainty among children whose lives were already filled
 with disruptions and separations, she said.

“Now there’s a big 
question of, ‘Is the world safe?’” Heikes said. “It’ll take much longer 
for children to come around … much longer than adults.”

For
 many parents, the challenges of raising foster children have been 
exacerbated by working from home, the closure of day care centers and 
the pandemic’s other drastic changes to daily life.

Foster parents
 can request and receive respite if they need it — a night or weekend 
during which other families volunteer to take care of foster children. 
But it’s been harder to find people willing to offer respite care now, 
Cornwell said.

Foster parents say there’s also been a drop in 
people willing to become parents at all. Jonathan Stahl, a foster parent
 who trains families, said fewer people are showing up to training — now
 conducted online rather than in person.

“People are stressed 
out,” Stahl said. “They’re, like, ‘This is the last thing I want to 
think about, adding one more person to what’s going on right now.’”

Pamela
 Robbins, executive director of the Kansas Foster and Adoptive Parent 
Association, helps conduct support groups for foster parents. She said 
single parents have told her the pandemic has been especially hard on 
them.

“They have no or very little in-person support,” she said. “Some of the stories were just heartwrenching.”

One
 single mother has had to take care of a child with high medical and 
behavioral needs without help from health care providers because all of 
the boy’s appointments had been canceled. Another said she had 
trouble going to the grocery store because she had no one to leave her 
kids with. Many parents in rural areas, Robbins said, don’t have the 
luxury of grocery delivery.

She said many new parents who signed up for virtual training dropped after just a few sessions.

Foster
 parents worry that a lack of people training right now could lead to a 
shortage of parents in the future, especially once the pandemic slows 
down, children return to school and reports of child abuse and neglect 
spike.

Typically, <a href="http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/Documents/FY2019DataReports/CPS/CPSintakereports_ReceivedFY19.pdf" target="_blank">reports to state child welfare services</a>
 decline in the summer, when children aren’t in school, and rise in the 
fall. Reports have gone down during the state’s COVID lockdown as well.

For
 the week of April 19-25, the Kansas Department for Children and 
Families received an average of 149 child welfare reports on weekdays. 
The week before, the weekday average was 137 — lower than 200, the daily
 average for fiscal year 2019.

That’s not because there’s less 
child abuse, Robbins said. In fact, it may happen more frequently 
because children are stuck at home with families who are stressed about 
losing their jobs and social connections.

“They’re not in 
daycares, they’re not in programming, they’re not out in the community. A
 lot of them aren’t even out in their neighborhoods,” Robbins said. “So 
the things that would be reported and seen by others aren’t being seen 
or reported.”

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588947538579.png" alt="Foster parents say virtual learning has been good for some children who have difficulty learning at school, but harder for others. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Foster parents say virtual learning has been good for some children who have difficulty learning at school, but harder for others. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Foster families have faced extra challenges during the pandemic</h2>By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-07/coronavirus-is-the-latest-strain-on-kansas-foster-families">Kansas News Service</a>Foster parent Mitzi Monson feels lucky she can stay at home.Yet since the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-03-18/kansas-becomes-the-first-state-to-end-in-person-classes-for-the-year#stream/0" target="_blank">coronavirus closed schools</a>,
 Monson has had few breaks from the three children in her care. At least
 extra money from the state’s foster care agency, awarded since the 
start of the pandemic, helps pay for groceries.Monson keeps a consistent schedule for the kids: three meals a day, in bed by 9 p.m., up by 8 a.m. They spend 90 minutes a day going to <a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2020-03-19/the-rest-of-the-school-year-in-kansas-will-be-short-days-with-limited-screen-time#stream/0" target="_blank">school through video conference</a>, and the rest of the day on less conventional lessons, like skipping stones and putting up a hummingbird feeder.Her
 kids all have special needs and individualized education plans at 
school. Learning from home has been easier because it avoids social 
interactions that can be difficult for them.But some things are 
harder. Summer camp plans are up in the air, so brand-new sleeping bags 
might go unused. And now that social distancing is in effect, her kids 
see their birth families less frequently.“Their lives have been 
such chaos, this really isn’t that big a deal. And that’s 
heartbreaking,” Monson said. “They’re just used to going along with 
life.”Through the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-04-14/updated-regularly-what-kansans-need-to-know-about-the-covid-19-coronavirus" target="_blank">COVID-19 lockdown</a>, foster families have faced extra challenges.Parents
 and advocates say staying at home has been hard for some kids — but 
good for others who have trouble in traditional school environments. 
Therapy, common for foster children, takes place over video calls rather than with toys in offices.Like
 all parents, those with foster kids can struggle with working from home
 while taking care of children. But foster children, who come from the 
havoc of unstable families and then get handed off to strangers, often 
need even more attention.And as Kansas opens up from its 
coronavirus lockdown, the foster system braces for a possible surge in 
reports of child abuse, an even greater shortage of foster parents and 
the unknown consequences of pandemic trauma.Schools and families 
had little time to prepare for that, said Pamela Cornwell, clinical 
director a St. Francis Ministries, one of the state’s largest private 
foster care contractors.“Kids know that something big has 
happened,” she said. “There will be some children that will have 
significant traumatic effect from this.”Many children now fear 
that their families — biological or foster — could die from the 
coronavirus, said Kay Heikes, a child and family therapist who works 
with children in foster care. She typically conducts therapy through 
playing with toys in her office, but she has had to find substitutes now
 that she sees clients through videoconference. She and the children 
play games by drawing on whiteboards and telling stories with puppets 
through the screen.The abrupt end to school has also contributed 
to a sense of uncertainty among children whose lives were already filled
 with disruptions and separations, she said.“Now there’s a big 
question of, ‘Is the world safe?’” Heikes said. “It’ll take much longer 
for children to come around … much longer than adults.”<h2>Parental hardships</h2>For
 many parents, the challenges of raising foster children have been 
exacerbated by working from home, the closure of day care centers and 
the pandemic’s other drastic changes to daily life.Foster parents
 can request and receive respite if they need it — a night or weekend 
during which other families volunteer to take care of foster children. 
But it’s been harder to find people willing to offer respite care now, 
Cornwell said.Foster parents say there’s also been a drop in 
people willing to become parents at all. Jonathan Stahl, a foster parent
 who trains families, said fewer people are showing up to training — now
 conducted online rather than in person.“People are stressed 
out,” Stahl said. “They’re, like, ‘This is the last thing I want to 
think about, adding one more person to what’s going on right now.’”Pamela
 Robbins, executive director of the Kansas Foster and Adoptive Parent 
Association, helps conduct support groups for foster parents. She said 
single parents have told her the pandemic has been especially hard on 
them.“They have no or very little in-person support,” she said. “Some of the stories were just heartwrenching.”One
 single mother has had to take care of a child with high medical and 
behavioral needs without help from health care providers because all of 
the boy’s appointments had been canceled. Another said she had 
trouble going to the grocery store because she had no one to leave her 
kids with. Many parents in rural areas, Robbins said, don’t have the 
luxury of grocery delivery.She said many new parents who signed up for virtual training dropped after just a few sessions.Foster
 parents worry that a lack of people training right now could lead to a 
shortage of parents in the future, especially once the pandemic slows 
down, children return to school and reports of child abuse and neglect 
spike.Typically, <a href="http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/Documents/FY2019DataReports/CPS/CPSintakereports_ReceivedFY19.pdf" target="_blank">reports to state child welfare services</a>
 decline in the summer, when children aren’t in school, and rise in the 
fall. Reports have gone down during the state’s COVID lockdown as well.For
 the week of April 19-25, the Kansas Department for Children and 
Families received an average of 149 child welfare reports on weekdays. 
The week before, the weekday average was 137 — lower than 200, the daily
 average for fiscal year 2019.That’s not because there’s less 
child abuse, Robbins said. In fact, it may happen more frequently 
because children are stuck at home with families who are stressed about 
losing their jobs and social connections.“They’re not in 
daycares, they’re not in programming, they’re not out in the community. A
 lot of them aren’t even out in their neighborhoods,” Robbins said. “So 
the things that would be reported and seen by others aren’t being seen 
or reported.”Nomin Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and 
social welfare for the Kansas News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.

Coronavirus is the latest strain on Kansas foster families

TOPEKA –The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is working&nbsp; with the University of Kansas School of Engineering (KU) to determine if genetic remnants of COVID-19 can be detected in wastewater.&nbsp;

According to the KDHE, the concept originally tested in Massachusetts and the Netherlands, and now throughout the United States, is that people infected with the virus shed it through their urine and feces. 

The genetic material can be extracted from wastewater and matched against genetic markers keyed to COVID-19. The virus itself does not survive in wastewater, and therefore wastewater is not a significant means of disease transmission.&nbsp;

Detecting the genetic material in wastewater is indicative of COVID-19 being present and may give local health officials knowledge of how widespread it is in their community, allowing them to take proactive measures to mitigate its spread. While drinking water is not part of this ongoing study, it’s important to note disinfection by all Kansas public water suppliers inactivates the virus and drinking water remains safe for consumption.

The Kansas project is still in its preliminary stages. KU collected samples from 12 wastewater plants in Kansas in late April. Some indication of the genetic material was found in the wastewater in 10 of those plants. Results are too variable and uncertain to make actual estimates of the extent of infection in those communities. The results were communicated to officials in cities that participated in the study.

“The initial results do show genetic indications from COVID-19 in wastewater; however, at best, we are at the presence/absence stage of evaluation process,” Tom Stiles, KDHE’s Bureau of Water director, said. “There is much more we need to refine in the methodology to assure quality control and that will start with further testing of samples. We don’t know how quantitative this approach can be, but we are hoping it gives us a means to corroborate our COVID testing of individuals, particularly in counties where positive cases have been low. Additionally, we may employ it as early warning surveillance should the virus come back in the fall or winter to give us a chance to get ahead of it.”&nbsp;

Samples were taken from a large city and a small town, each in five northeast Kansas counties with multiple wastewater facilities and sampled in Lawrence and Topeka. KDHE and KU are still evaluating the results and formulating plans for next steps in using the detection techniques.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588951923813.png" alt="Waste water treatment plant -photo courtesy Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Waste water treatment plant -photo courtesy Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is working&nbsp; with the University of Kansas School of Engineering (KU) to determine if genetic remnants of COVID-19 can be detected in wastewater.&nbsp;According to the KDHE, the concept originally tested in Massachusetts and the Netherlands, and now throughout the United States, is that people infected with the virus shed it through their urine and feces. The genetic material can be extracted from wastewater and matched against genetic markers keyed to COVID-19. The virus itself does not survive in wastewater, and therefore wastewater is not a significant means of disease transmission.&nbsp;Detecting the genetic material in wastewater is indicative of COVID-19 being present and may give local health officials knowledge of how widespread it is in their community, allowing them to take proactive measures to mitigate its spread. While drinking water is not part of this ongoing study, it’s important to note disinfection by all Kansas public water suppliers inactivates the virus and drinking water remains safe for consumption.The Kansas project is still in its preliminary stages. KU collected samples from 12 wastewater plants in Kansas in late April. Some indication of the genetic material was found in the wastewater in 10 of those plants. Results are too variable and uncertain to make actual estimates of the extent of infection in those communities. The results were communicated to officials in cities that participated in the study.“The initial results do show genetic indications from COVID-19 in wastewater; however, at best, we are at the presence/absence stage of evaluation process,” Tom Stiles, KDHE’s Bureau of Water director, said. “There is much more we need to refine in the methodology to assure quality control and that will start with further testing of samples. We don’t know how quantitative this approach can be, but we are hoping it gives us a means to corroborate our COVID testing of individuals, particularly in counties where positive cases have been low. Additionally, we may employ it as early warning surveillance should the virus come back in the fall or winter to give us a chance to get ahead of it.”&nbsp;Samples were taken from a large city and a small town, each in five northeast Kansas counties with multiple wastewater facilities and sampled in Lawrence and Topeka. KDHE and KU are still evaluating the results and formulating plans for next steps in using the detection techniques.

KDHE: Wastewater could hold clues to fighting COVID-19

Police armored vehicle departing the standoff Saturday

By Dewey Terrill, <a href="https://jcpost.com/">JC Post</a>

JUNCTION CITY —Junction City police confirm a subject in a standoff at 124 West Third Street in Junction City was found dead Saturday after authorities entered the residence.&nbsp;

Trish Giordano, Police Captain, stated that Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Junction City police and Riley County swat teams were on the scene. "Gas was deployed several times and then entry was made and the subject was discovered deceased." His identity has not yet been released. Giordano confirmed it appeared the subject shot himself.&nbsp;

The incident began early Saturday afternoon and came to an end about 8 o'clock Saturday evening. Giordano noted the subject had been wanted on warrants in Douglas County. Authorities had surrounded the house in an attempt to arrest him after he brandished a handgun and then fled following an initial stop in the area of South Washington Street earlier in the afternoon. He fled to the residence at 124 West Third and refused to come out.&nbsp;

A multi-block area around the West Third location was evacuated. There were no other injuries.

Giordano also confirmed this incident had no connection to a homicide that occurred early Thursday morning in the area of 800 West 11th Street where two men were found dead. Police continue to investigate that case.

Law enforcement authorities on Saturday surrounded the area around a house at 124 West Third Street as they attempt to arrest a suspect. The standoff has been under way since early afternoon, but no injuries have occurred.

Junction City Police Captain Trish Giordano said officers went out with a subject in the area of South Washington Street earlier Saturday. "He had a warrant and when asked to step out of the vehicle he refused and brandished a handgun, and then took off in his vehicle. After a short chase he was found in the area of 124 West Third Street and got out of the vehicle and ran into the house."

JCPD, Kansas Highway Patrol and KBI are working at the scene. Police crime tape has been put up barricading several blocks near the actual location where the standoff is occurring.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589074361903.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Police armored vehicle departing the standoff SaturdayBy Dewey Terrill, <a href="https://jcpost.com/">JC Post</a>JUNCTION CITY —Junction City police confirm a subject in a standoff at 124 West Third Street in Junction City was found dead Saturday after authorities entered the residence.&nbsp;Trish Giordano, Police Captain, stated that Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Junction City police and Riley County swat teams were on the scene. "Gas was deployed several times and then entry was made and the subject was discovered deceased." His identity has not yet been released. Giordano confirmed it appeared the subject shot himself.&nbsp;The incident began early Saturday afternoon and came to an end about 8 o'clock Saturday evening. Giordano noted the subject had been wanted on warrants in Douglas County. Authorities had surrounded the house in an attempt to arrest him after he brandished a handgun and then fled following an initial stop in the area of South Washington Street earlier in the afternoon. He fled to the residence at 124 West Third and refused to come out.&nbsp;A multi-block area around the West Third location was evacuated. There were no other injuries.Giordano also confirmed this incident had no connection to a homicide that occurred early Thursday morning in the area of 800 West 11th Street where two men were found dead. Police continue to investigate that case.---Law enforcement authorities on Saturday surrounded the area around a house at 124 West Third Street as they attempt to arrest a suspect. The standoff has been under way since early afternoon, but no injuries have occurred.Junction City Police Captain Trish Giordano said officers went out with a subject in the area of South Washington Street earlier Saturday. "He had a warrant and when asked to step out of the vehicle he refused and brandished a handgun, and then took off in his vehicle. After a short chase he was found in the area of 124 West Third Street and got out of the vehicle and ran into the house."JCPD, Kansas Highway Patrol and KBI are working at the scene. Police crime tape has been put up barricading several blocks near the actual location where the standoff is occurring.

Subject in police standoff in Junction City found dead

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a child sex crime and have made an arrest.

Following an investigation by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Fugitive Warrants Unit, deputes made a traffic stop Thursday near the 3400 block of SW Timberlake Lane and arrested&nbsp; Daniel F. Luetje, 46, of Topeka, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.

Luetje was transported to the Law Enforcement Center for further questioning and then transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include 3 counts of rape and aggravated criminal sodomy with a victim under the age of 14.

The alleged incidents involved in this case occurred in the northern part of Shawnee County over a 6 year span from 2006 thru 2011, according to Stallbaumer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588887053207.png" alt="Luetje photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Luetje photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a child sex crime and have made an arrest.Following an investigation by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Fugitive Warrants Unit, deputes made a traffic stop Thursday near the 3400 block of SW Timberlake Lane and arrested&nbsp; Daniel F. Luetje, 46, of Topeka, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.Luetje was transported to the Law Enforcement Center for further questioning and then transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges that include 3 counts of rape and aggravated criminal sodomy with a victim under the age of 14.The alleged incidents involved in this case occurred in the northern part of Shawnee County over a 6 year span from 2006 thru 2011, according to Stallbaumer.

Kan. man under investigation for child sex crimes

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are&nbsp; investigating a drive-by shooting and have made two arrests.

Just before 1:30 p.m. Thursday, an officer was proactively patrolling his assigned area, when he heard multiple shots fired in the area of 3100 S. Davidson in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Police proceeded to the area and contacted a 28-year-old man man who reported suspects in a gold Ford Taurus shooting at his home. 

Officers located gunshot damage to the man's home and two vehicles outside of the home. Shell casings were also recovered on Davidson street. At the time of the drive-by, the home was occupied by the man, his 34-year-old girlfriend, and their 12-year-old daughter, according to Davidson.

Arriving officers began to circulate the area for the suspect vehicle and observed it in the area of Pawnee and Oliver in Wichita.

Police stopped the suspect vehicle and arrested 23-year-old John Tatum and 22-year-old Elijah Branstetter both of Wichita, without incident.&nbsp; Officers recovered shell casings and a handgun.&nbsp;

This was not a random incident as the 28–year-old man and Branstetter are known to each other.&nbsp;

Tatum is being held on requested charges of three counts of aggravated assault drive-by, felon in possession of a firearm, discharge a firearm into an occupied dwelling and vandalism.&nbsp;

Elijah Branstetter is being held on requested charges of aggravated assault drive-by, discharge a firearm into an occupied dwelling, vandalism, and traffic violations, according to Davidson.

Tatum has previously been arrested and convicted of charges that include theft and aggravated robbery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588940134034.png" alt="Tatum photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Tatum photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are&nbsp; investigating a drive-by shooting and have made two arrests.Just before 1:30 p.m. Thursday, an officer was proactively patrolling his assigned area, when he heard multiple shots fired in the area of 3100 S. Davidson in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.Police proceeded to the area and contacted a 28-year-old man man who reported suspects in a gold Ford Taurus shooting at his home. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588940302781.png" alt="Branstetter photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Branstetter photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers located gunshot damage to the man's home and two vehicles outside of the home. Shell casings were also recovered on Davidson street. At the time of the drive-by, the home was occupied by the man, his 34-year-old girlfriend, and their 12-year-old daughter, according to Davidson.No one was injured.Arriving officers began to circulate the area for the suspect vehicle and observed it in the area of Pawnee and Oliver in Wichita.Police stopped the suspect vehicle and arrested 23-year-old John Tatum and 22-year-old Elijah Branstetter both of Wichita, without incident.&nbsp; Officers recovered shell casings and a handgun.&nbsp;This was not a random incident as the 28–year-old man and Branstetter are known to each other.&nbsp;Tatum is being held on requested charges of three counts of aggravated assault drive-by, felon in possession of a firearm, discharge a firearm into an occupied dwelling and vandalism.&nbsp;Elijah Branstetter is being held on requested charges of aggravated assault drive-by, discharge a firearm into an occupied dwelling, vandalism, and traffic violations, according to Davidson.Tatum has previously been arrested and convicted of charges that include theft and aggravated robbery.

Police arrest 2 Kansas men for alleged drive-by shooting

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Operators of food assistance programs across Kansas are serving hundreds of additional families that are struggling financially due to the fallout from the coronavirus.

The increased need comes at a time when donations are down,&nbsp; according to Kansas Food Bank CEO Brian Walker.

The food bank last week began surveying 164 partner agencies across the state. The 104 responses as of Tuesday indicated a roughly 30% increase in need due to the pandemic.

Walker believes the need isn't going away anytime soon, even as businesses begin operating again and some employees return to work.

“We don’t want people to think because the economy has opened back up and you can go to a restaurant that, you know, everybody is going back to work and people aren’t going to need assistance. That’s just not the case," Walker said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589060747964.png" alt="&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSARNG/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARBH73PgYcz7-wVJADkzvb-WMjg7FM5J6TXNInt2hxlZPhalL6RBmMVX5hzcSZyd3EZ2u6ov33CPe70Y&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCnX6dYVLULQsNaMgXm28NxnY_rsxVjuA6Up8DqjS3ASL8ogICaDhNTdd7zyNQ8CzUAUFHj4keQ9IL2S94p-ump4Fn9uTLUuQLKaIgFLy23MdWc4WvzwUOLRcTaXkrjz7kcbUf2e2oBzgFe1MIqJajIhRmEqC1SR_lFnnQYl9NovFAznrz1VxC-Y23jLFMx6HaQ-Yzs0ku-RaX9D1Qj-Den1x86ccuaJchxyDwWM48nUFnd0yl-G3hk8R6N3gfjEYlEtcqyrrA5oY_ZFN44JgoHkKxkROpM7FNSyp4omD5qzrgY6XcbRLKSrrPK6UT23MgdKTAj_b2tvVZbC5mg">Kansas Army National Guard</a>&nbsp;Soldiers from the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion 137th Infantry Regiment (KSARNG) are working in coordination with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasEmergency/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARC__pfr9y6Vf-YH2jFBPeRSaoOOpcDoRuvn8JFMcoLoite7AyHk4gbRqMListcxKqJmNNAhAE_bPJPB&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCnX6dYVLULQsNaMgXm28NxnY_rsxVjuA6Up8DqjS3ASL8ogICaDhNTdd7zyNQ8CzUAUFHj4keQ9IL2S94p-ump4Fn9uTLUuQLKaIgFLy23MdWc4WvzwUOLRcTaXkrjz7kcbUf2e2oBzgFe1MIqJajIhRmEqC1SR_lFnnQYl9NovFAznrz1VxC-Y23jLFMx6HaQ-Yzs0ku-RaX9D1Qj-Den1x86ccuaJchxyDwWM48nUFnd0yl-G3hk8R6N3gfjEYlEtcqyrrA5oY_ZFN44JgoHkKxkROpM7FNSyp4omD5qzrgY6XcbRLKSrrPK6UT23MgdKTAj_b2tvVZbC5mg">Kansas Division of Emergency Management</a>&nbsp;and the Kansas Food Bank to provide food boxes for individuals and families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.-photos courtesy Kansas Food Bank" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSARNG/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARBH73PgYcz7-wVJADkzvb-WMjg7FM5J6TXNInt2hxlZPhalL6RBmMVX5hzcSZyd3EZ2u6ov33CPe70Y&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCnX6dYVLULQsNaMgXm28NxnY_rsxVjuA6Up8DqjS3ASL8ogICaDhNTdd7zyNQ8CzUAUFHj4keQ9IL2S94p-ump4Fn9uTLUuQLKaIgFLy23MdWc4WvzwUOLRcTaXkrjz7kcbUf2e2oBzgFe1MIqJajIhRmEqC1SR_lFnnQYl9NovFAznrz1VxC-Y23jLFMx6HaQ-Yzs0ku-RaX9D1Qj-Den1x86ccuaJchxyDwWM48nUFnd0yl-G3hk8R6N3gfjEYlEtcqyrrA5oY_ZFN44JgoHkKxkROpM7FNSyp4omD5qzrgY6XcbRLKSrrPK6UT23MgdKTAj_b2tvVZbC5mg">Kansas Army National Guard</a>&nbsp;Soldiers from the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion 137th Infantry Regiment (KSARNG) are working in coordination with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasEmergency/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARC__pfr9y6Vf-YH2jFBPeRSaoOOpcDoRuvn8JFMcoLoite7AyHk4gbRqMListcxKqJmNNAhAE_bPJPB&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCnX6dYVLULQsNaMgXm28NxnY_rsxVjuA6Up8DqjS3ASL8ogICaDhNTdd7zyNQ8CzUAUFHj4keQ9IL2S94p-ump4Fn9uTLUuQLKaIgFLy23MdWc4WvzwUOLRcTaXkrjz7kcbUf2e2oBzgFe1MIqJajIhRmEqC1SR_lFnnQYl9NovFAznrz1VxC-Y23jLFMx6HaQ-Yzs0ku-RaX9D1Qj-Den1x86ccuaJchxyDwWM48nUFnd0yl-G3hk8R6N3gfjEYlEtcqyrrA5oY_ZFN44JgoHkKxkROpM7FNSyp4omD5qzrgY6XcbRLKSrrPK6UT23MgdKTAj_b2tvVZbC5mg">Kansas Division of Emergency Management</a>&nbsp;and the Kansas Food Bank to provide food boxes for individuals and families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.-photos courtesy Kansas Food Bank</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Operators of food assistance programs across Kansas are serving hundreds of additional families that are struggling financially due to the fallout from the coronavirus.The increased need comes at a time when donations are down,&nbsp; according to Kansas Food Bank CEO Brian Walker.The food bank last week began surveying 164 partner agencies across the state. The 104 responses as of Tuesday indicated a roughly 30% increase in need due to the pandemic.Walker believes the need isn't going away anytime soon, even as businesses begin operating again and some employees return to work.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589060843617.png" alt="Soldiers packed over 5,000 boxes, each containing multiple meals, that will be distributed across the food banks 85 county service area." />
 <figcaption>Soldiers packed over 5,000 boxes, each containing multiple meals, that will be distributed across the food banks 85 county service area.</figcaption>
 </figure>“We don’t want people to think because the economy has opened back up and you can go to a restaurant that, you know, everybody is going back to work and people aren’t going to need assistance. That’s just not the case," Walker said.

Food pantry demand up sharply across Kansas due to virus

MCPHERSON —This week in McPherson, barber Luke Aichele was threatened with an arrest warrant if he continued to work during virus crisis – even though he had already taken thorough safety measures, First District Congressman Roger Marshall and Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle wrote on social media.

Marshall wrote, “In a time of crisis, our country’s foundation in liberty, and our state’s founding in freedom are more important than ever.

When coronavirus hit our state, Kansans were willing to comply within reason to protect their friends and neighbors. But now, we’re seeing an administration in Kansas who is quicker to scrap our God-given freedoms than finding ways to protect our rights, our livelihoods and our local businesses.

I spoke to Luke on the phone today. It's worth adding that because Luke is self-employed – and is the only breadwinner in his household – he is still not able to access unemployment benefits due to the delay and failures of the current administration in Topeka, even though the federal government made those benefits available a long time ago.

I was raised by a Chief of Police. I was raised to respect the law. But I was also raised with basic common sense. Telling someone they cannot work to feed their family, offering them no help, and then threatening their arrest if they safely try to earn a living is wrong.

MCPHERSON —This week in McPherson, barber Luke Aichele was threatened with an arrest warrant if he continued to work during virus crisis – even though he had already taken thorough safety measures, First District Congressman Roger Marshall and Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle wrote on social media.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I have spoken with a barber from McPherson, Luke Aichele, who received an arrest warrant for opening his barbershop. Luke can’t apply for unemployment and he is simply trying to feed his family. <a href="https://t.co/lBlboiPBbX">https://t.co/lBlboiPBbX</a>&mdash; Susan Wagle (@WagleforKansas) <a href="https://twitter.com/WagleforKansas/status/1259199115931594752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Marshall wrote, “In a time of crisis, our country’s foundation in liberty, and our state’s founding in freedom are more important than ever.When coronavirus hit our state, Kansans were willing to comply within reason to protect their friends and neighbors. But now, we’re seeing an administration in Kansas who is quicker to scrap our God-given freedoms than finding ways to protect our rights, our livelihoods and our local businesses.I spoke to Luke on the phone today. It's worth adding that because Luke is self-employed – and is the only breadwinner in his household – he is still not able to access unemployment benefits due to the delay and failures of the current administration in Topeka, even though the federal government made those benefits available a long time ago.I was raised by a Chief of Police. I was raised to respect the law. But I was also raised with basic common sense. Telling someone they cannot work to feed their family, offering them no help, and then threatening their arrest if they safely try to earn a living is wrong.We are so much better than this.”

Kan. lawmakers offer support for barber who operated amid virus

By GREG DOERING <a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2020/04/29/covid-19-creates-uncertainty-at-kansas-dairies">Kansas Living Magazine</a>

Dan Wiebe and his wife Kerry milk about 100 cows each and every day 
on the last remaining dairy farm in Butler County. The Wiebes have 
watched a “fairly good” milk market fall off a cliff over the past few 
weeks as Covid-19 upended the industry with the closure of restaurants 
and schools.

Still, Dan says Keriel Dairy is fortunate because it has some 
protection through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Margin 
Coverage, a voluntary program that covers some costs if revenue falls 
below the cost to produce milk. The Wiebes signed up for the program in 
the fall, well before the pandemic hit.

“They’re projecting for either April or May that the coverage will be
 paying out $5 per hundredweight (roughly 11.63 gallons of milk,” Dan 
says. “That’s how bad the price is.”

When the year began, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA, the cooperative 
the Wiebes sell their milk through, paid about $18 for every 100 pounds 
of white liquid. The price declined between 20 and 40 percent depending 
on the class of milk produced by early April.

“The problem is that insurance payment is going to lag behind probably 60 days,” Dan says. “There’s going to be a two-month window where we’re getting a third off our normal milk check.”

Freefalling milk prices are the result of sharply reduced demand from
 schools, restaurants and other institutional buyers. The supply chain 
to service those accounts can’t quickly shift to fill retail packages.

One example Dan gave is cheese destined for restaurants is packaged 
in bulk bags or large blocks, both of which are now sitting on packed 
warehouses.

“The price is right,” he says. “The plants would love to buy milk and
 make cheese, but they have no place to put the cheese because it’s not 
going out the door.”

That disconnect has led DFA to dump some milk. While none of the 
Wiebes milk has been dumped, DFA is suggesting dairies consider a 10 
percent reduction in what they produce.

Dan says there are a number of steps dairies can take to reduce their
 milk output, like removing lower-producing cows from the milking 
stream, feeding more to calves than normal, and “drying” cows, or 
increasing the number of days a cow doesn’t produce milk.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act will provide 
help to farmers and ranchers, including those in the dairy industry. The
 details of the package aren’t fully known, but there will be money for 
direct payments and additional funding for Dairy Margin Coverage.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also will partner with regional 
distributors to buy $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat. The 
food products will be packaged in boxes and shipped to food banks, 
community- and faith-based organizations, as well as other nonprofits. 
The goal is to begin shipping boxes as soon as May 15.

The program aims to support those who grow food and those who need it most while minimizing the amount of waste.

At McCarty Family Farms, supply and demand are less of a factor 
because of the dairy’s unique business model. Ken McCarty and his three 
brothers operate five dairies, including three in Kansas. They sell 
their milk on a cost-plus basis to Danone, which turns it into Dannon 
yogurt.

“Basically, our books and our business are fully transparent to 
them,” McCarty says. “We have a guaranteed profit margin, but we work 
collaboratively on things that maybe are important to not only us as a 
company and Danone as a company but society in general.”

Covid-19 hasn’t affected the bottom line at McCarty Family Farms, but it has changed how they and their 200 employees operate.

The McCarty dairies have implemented social distancing policies, restricted access to nonessential vendors, shifted deliveries from essential vendors, limited the number of workers allowed in breakrooms and reevaluated their entire supply chain.

“We have visibility to the direct impact to the team members we see every day,” McCarty says. “We have the good fortune of being able to go to work every day. A lot of people don’t have that.”

McCarty says his teams have had a minimal impact from school 
closures, and there are still plenty of conversations about helping 
workers with spouses who may have lost a job.

McCarty says there’s opportunities for the dairy industry in the form
 of lower input costs for fuel and feed, but he worries that may not be 
enough for some farmers and ranchers.

“The situation in general for the dairy industry and the ag market as a whole is dire,” he says. “We at McCarty Family Farms are very concerned about the long-term implications this will have on rural America.”

McCarty says rural America runs on razor-thin margins in the best of times. He’s worried about how the downturn will affect schools, hospitals and small businesses in the communities where the family milks cows. While McCarty has a guaranteed profit margin, he recognizes many, especially in the dairy industry, are not as fortunate.

“We count our blessings, but we’re still dealing with a tremendous amount of uncertainty even in spite of all the good things we have,” he says. “The stress load is high, and we’re not dealing with a lot of the stress that other people are.”

Kansas Living Magazine is a publication of Kansas Farm Bureau.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588865787208.jpeg" alt="Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash</figcaption>
 </figure>By GREG DOERING <a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2020/04/29/covid-19-creates-uncertainty-at-kansas-dairies">Kansas Living Magazine</a>Dan Wiebe and his wife Kerry milk about 100 cows each and every day 
on the last remaining dairy farm in Butler County. The Wiebes have 
watched a “fairly good” milk market fall off a cliff over the past few 
weeks as Covid-19 upended the industry with the closure of restaurants 
and schools.Still, Dan says Keriel Dairy is fortunate because it has some 
protection through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Margin 
Coverage, a voluntary program that covers some costs if revenue falls 
below the cost to produce milk. The Wiebes signed up for the program in 
the fall, well before the pandemic hit.“They’re projecting for either April or May that the coverage will be
 paying out $5 per hundredweight (roughly 11.63 gallons of milk,” Dan 
says. “That’s how bad the price is.”When the year began, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA, the cooperative 
the Wiebes sell their milk through, paid about $18 for every 100 pounds 
of white liquid. The price declined between 20 and 40 percent depending 
on the class of milk produced by early April.“The problem is that insurance payment is going to lag behind probably 60 days,” Dan says. “There’s going to be a two-month window where we’re getting a third off our normal milk check.”<h2>MODEL INTERUPTED</h2>Freefalling milk prices are the result of sharply reduced demand from
 schools, restaurants and other institutional buyers. The supply chain 
to service those accounts can’t quickly shift to fill retail packages.One example Dan gave is cheese destined for restaurants is packaged 
in bulk bags or large blocks, both of which are now sitting on packed 
warehouses.“The price is right,” he says. “The plants would love to buy milk and
 make cheese, but they have no place to put the cheese because it’s not 
going out the door.”That disconnect has led DFA to dump some milk. While none of the 
Wiebes milk has been dumped, DFA is suggesting dairies consider a 10 
percent reduction in what they produce.Dan says there are a number of steps dairies can take to reduce their
 milk output, like removing lower-producing cows from the milking 
stream, feeding more to calves than normal, and “drying” cows, or 
increasing the number of days a cow doesn’t produce milk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588865861514.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>CARES ACT</h2>The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act will provide 
help to farmers and ranchers, including those in the dairy industry. The
 details of the package aren’t fully known, but there will be money for 
direct payments and additional funding for Dairy Margin Coverage.The U.S. Department of Agriculture also will partner with regional 
distributors to buy $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat. The 
food products will be packaged in boxes and shipped to food banks, 
community- and faith-based organizations, as well as other nonprofits. 
The goal is to begin shipping boxes as soon as May 15.The program aims to support those who grow food and those who need it most while minimizing the amount of waste.<h2>LIFE UPENDED</h2>At McCarty Family Farms, supply and demand are less of a factor 
because of the dairy’s unique business model. Ken McCarty and his three 
brothers operate five dairies, including three in Kansas. They sell 
their milk on a cost-plus basis to Danone, which turns it into Dannon 
yogurt.“Basically, our books and our business are fully transparent to 
them,” McCarty says. “We have a guaranteed profit margin, but we work 
collaboratively on things that maybe are important to not only us as a 
company and Danone as a company but society in general.”Covid-19 hasn’t affected the bottom line at McCarty Family Farms, but it has changed how they and their 200 employees operate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588865893003.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The McCarty dairies have implemented social distancing policies, restricted access to nonessential vendors, shifted deliveries from essential vendors, limited the number of workers allowed in breakrooms and reevaluated their entire supply chain.“We have visibility to the direct impact to the team members we see every day,” McCarty says. “We have the good fortune of being able to go to work every day. A lot of people don’t have that.”McCarty says his teams have had a minimal impact from school 
closures, and there are still plenty of conversations about helping 
workers with spouses who may have lost a job.<h2>BROADER FALLOUT</h2>McCarty says there’s opportunities for the dairy industry in the form
 of lower input costs for fuel and feed, but he worries that may not be 
enough for some farmers and ranchers.“The situation in general for the dairy industry and the ag market as a whole is dire,” he says. “We at McCarty Family Farms are very concerned about the long-term implications this will have on rural America.”McCarty says rural America runs on razor-thin margins in the best of times. He’s worried about how the downturn will affect schools, hospitals and small businesses in the communities where the family milks cows. While McCarty has a guaranteed profit margin, he recognizes many, especially in the dairy industry, are not as fortunate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588865954519.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“We count our blessings, but we’re still dealing with a tremendous amount of uncertainty even in spite of all the good things we have,” he says. “The stress load is high, and we’re not dealing with a lot of the stress that other people are.”Kansas Living Magazine is a publication of Kansas Farm Bureau.

Covid-19 creates uncertainty at Kansas dairies

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 250 to a total of 6751, the state health department reported Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

Editors note:&nbsp;Starting May 11, the KDHE will stop releasing daily updates of counts of coronavirus cases and move to releasing the information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, according to KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman.

"The department employees need a combined total of 10 hours a day to produce the data and post it on the KDHE coronavirus website. We can spring free our precious epidemiology staff to do their work, which is actually to push down the disease,” Norman said.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 250 to a total of 6751, the state health department reported Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 157<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/2020/5/1589044103666.png" alt="May 9, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>May 9, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Editors note:&nbsp;Starting May 11, the KDHE will stop releasing daily updates of counts of coronavirus cases and move to releasing the information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, according to KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman."The department employees need a combined total of 10 hours a day to produce the data and post it on the KDHE coronavirus website. We can spring free our precious epidemiology staff to do their work, which is actually to push down the disease,” Norman said.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting death, have made an arrest and identified the victim as&nbsp;53-year-old Lisa R. Hill of Topeka.

At the scene, police found an a woman dead from a gunshot wound, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.

Information was developed at the scene and a person of interest identified as 47-year-old Charles M. Wilson II.&nbsp;

Police located&nbsp; him inside a house nearby in the 1200 block of NE Quincy Street in Topeka.

Crisis Negotiators arrived on scene and began to communicate with the Wilson. Just before&nbsp;&nbsp;6:30 p.m., police took Wilson into custody without incident and questioned him at the Law Enforcement Center.

&nbsp;Wilson was later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of 1st Degree Murder, according to Lt. Matt Danielson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588936608302.png" alt="Wilson photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Wilson photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting death, have made an arrest and identified the victim as&nbsp;53-year-old Lisa R. Hill of Topeka.At the scene, police found an a woman dead from a gunshot wound, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.Information was developed at the scene and a person of interest identified as 47-year-old Charles M. Wilson II.&nbsp;Police located&nbsp; him inside a house nearby in the 1200 block of NE Quincy Street in Topeka.Crisis Negotiators arrived on scene and began to communicate with the Wilson. Just before&nbsp;&nbsp;6:30 p.m., police took Wilson into custody without incident and questioned him at the Law Enforcement Center.&nbsp;Wilson was later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of 1st Degree Murder, according to Lt. Matt Danielson.Hill is the mother of Joseph R. Hill who is the victim from an April 24 homicide. Whether or not these two incidents are related remains under investigation.------------SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting death and have made an arrest.Just before 4p.m. Thursday, police&nbsp;responded to the 1100 block of NW Central Ave. on a report of a possible shooting.At the scene, police found an a woman dead from a gunshot wound, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.Information was developed at the scene and a person of interest identified as 47-year-old Charles M. Wilson II.&nbsp; Police located&nbsp; him inside a house nearby in the 1200 block of NE Quincy Street in Topeka.Crisis Negotiators arrived on scene and began to communicate with the Wilson. Just before&nbsp;&nbsp;6:30 p.m., police took Wilson into custody without incident and questioned him at the Law Enforcement Center.&nbsp;Wilson was later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a requested charge of 1st Degree Murder, according to Lt. Matt Danielson.Police have not released the identity of the victim.