SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

Just after noon Friday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrants Unit executed a felony arrest warrant in the 2200 block of SE 21st Terrace in Topeka, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Deputies took&nbsp; 21-year-old Pete V. Hernandez Jr. of Topeka into custody for a felony warrant out of Shawnee County for requested charges of Rape, Aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child under 14 years of age. Hernandez is being held in Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628340717534.png" alt="Hernandez photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Hernandez photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.Just after noon Friday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrants Unit executed a felony arrest warrant in the 2200 block of SE 21st Terrace in Topeka, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Deputies took&nbsp; 21-year-old Pete V. Hernandez Jr. of Topeka into custody for a felony warrant out of Shawnee County for requested charges of Rape, Aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child under 14 years of age. Hernandez is being held in Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kansas man jailed for alleged child rape 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate moved closer to passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-1e9f1160f5ec2131a1d76a62b2c75529">$1 trillion infrastructure package&nbsp;</a>Saturday after lawmakers from both parties came together and voted to clear a key procedural hurdle. More votes will be needed before Senate passage of one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities.

The measure would provide a massive injection of federal money for a range of public works programs, from roads and bridges to broadband internet access, drinking water and others. In a rare stroke of bipartisanship, Republicans joined Democrats during the weekend session to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to advance the measure toward final votes. The vote was 67-27. Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the measure. Missouri Senator Roy Blunt was a yes vote.

If approved, the bill would go to the House.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the first of Biden’s two infrastructure packages. The administration and congressional leaders will soon turn to a second, larger package that is expected to draw only Democratic support.

After the key vote Saturday, passage of the bipartisan plan could wrap up quickly or drag on for days if opponents try to slow it.

“We can get this done the easy way or the hard way,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said as the Senate opened. He said he would keep senators in session until they finished the bill and sent it to the House.

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived on Capitol Hill for meetings on the legislation, which Biden said offered a potentially “historic investment,” on par with the building of the transcontinental railroad or interstate highway system.

Overcoming the 60-vote hurdle was a sign that the tenuous alliance between Republicans and Democrats could hold on the public works package. At least 10 Republicans had to join all Democrats to advance the measure past&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-filibusters-gun-politics-government-and-politics-93c53b3aa8d2b91d3c2d5884f3cdf139">a filibuster</a>, setting up more votes later.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has so far allowed the bill to progress, and his vote — “yes” — was closely watched. “This is a compromise,” he said before the vote.

For senators who have been slogging through debate — and months of give-and-take negotiations — the bill is a chance not only to send federal dollars to their states, but also to show the country that Congress can work together in a bipartisan way to solve problems.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the needs in her state were obvious — including money for water systems in remote villages without running taps for handwashing during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as one of the negotiators, she also wants to demonstrate that lawmakers can unite.

“I’m really worried that everybody believes that we’re as dysfunctional as we appear to be, and so to prove otherwise, it’s kind of important,” she said. “The Senate needs some demonstrated acts of bipartisanship.”

Congress is under pressure to make gains on the president’s infrastructure priorities — first with the bipartisan bill and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-825739838a790668b2d2855a72821d56">Democrats’ more sweeping $3.5 trillion budget blueprint&nbsp;</a>they plan to shoulder on their own.

If senators wrap up work on the bipartisan bill, they immediately will turn to the much more partisan undertaking on Biden’s agenda, the outline for the $3.5 trillion proposal. That plan would provide billions in what the White House calls human infrastructure — child care support, home health care, education and other expenditures that are Democratic priorities that Republicans have pledged to reject. Debate on that will extend into the fall.

For some Republicans, that back-to-back voting schedule is what they are trying to delay, hoping to slow or halt what appears to be a forward march by Democrats to achieve the president’s infrastructure goals.

Former President Donald Trump weighed Saturday with a statement criticizing Biden, senators of both parties and the bill itself, though it’s not clear whether Trump’s views hold sway over the lawmakers.

Senators have found much to like in the bill, even though it does not fully satisfy liberals, who view it as too small, or conservatives, who find it too large. It would provide federal money for projects many states and cities could not afford on their own.

Senators had hoped to wrap up the 2,700-page bipartisan bill during the week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-mike-enzi-4431842b95cb5fd13c67c0a8c856d2e2">.&nbsp;</a>But the Senate ground to a halt with new problems late in the week as members wanted to consider more amendments and Republican opponents objected to an expedited the process.

An analysis of the bill from the Congressional Budget Office drew concerns, particularly from Republicans. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-38067e7b0076de167c783941c1debd85">concluded that the legislation would increase deficits by about $256 billion</a>&nbsp;over the next decade.

But the bill’s backers argued that the budget office was unable to take into account certain revenue streams — including from future economic growth. Additional analysis released Saturday by the budget office suggested infrastructure spending overall could boost productivity and lower the ultimate costs.

Paying for the package has been a pressure point throughout the monthslong slog of negotiations after Democrats objected to an increase in the gas tax paid at the pump and Republicans resisted a plan to bolster the IRS to go after tax scofflaws.

Unlike Biden’s bigger $3.5 trillion package, which would be paid for by higher tax rates for corporations and the wealthy, the bipartisan package is funded by repurposing other money, including untapped COVID-19 aid, and other spending cuts and revenue streams.

Senators have spent the past week processing nearly two dozen amendments to the bipartisan package, with more possible on Saturday. So far, none has substantially changed the framework of the public works package.

The House is in recess and is expected to consider both Biden infrastructure packages when it returns in September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626283910947.png" alt="Former President Donald Trump weighed in Saturday with a statement criticizing Biden, senators of both parties and the bill itself, though it’s not clear whether Trump’s views hold sway over the lawmakers. President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Schumer met for lunch last month to discuss the bill -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump weighed in Saturday with a statement criticizing Biden, senators of both parties and the bill itself, though it’s not clear whether Trump’s views hold sway over the lawmakers. President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Schumer met for lunch last month to discuss the bill -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate moved closer to passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-1e9f1160f5ec2131a1d76a62b2c75529">$1 trillion infrastructure package&nbsp;</a>Saturday after lawmakers from both parties came together and voted to clear a key procedural hurdle. More votes will be needed before Senate passage of one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities.The measure would provide a massive injection of federal money for a range of public works programs, from roads and bridges to broadband internet access, drinking water and others. In a rare stroke of bipartisanship, Republicans joined Democrats during the weekend session to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to advance the measure toward final votes. The vote was 67-27. Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the measure. Missouri Senator Roy Blunt was a yes vote.If approved, the bill would go to the House.The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the first of Biden’s two infrastructure packages. The administration and congressional leaders will soon turn to a second, larger package that is expected to draw only Democratic support.After the key vote Saturday, passage of the bipartisan plan could wrap up quickly or drag on for days if opponents try to slow it.“We can get this done the easy way or the hard way,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said as the Senate opened. He said he would keep senators in session until they finished the bill and sent it to the House.Vice President Kamala Harris arrived on Capitol Hill for meetings on the legislation, which Biden said offered a potentially “historic investment,” on par with the building of the transcontinental railroad or interstate highway system.Overcoming the 60-vote hurdle was a sign that the tenuous alliance between Republicans and Democrats could hold on the public works package. At least 10 Republicans had to join all Democrats to advance the measure past&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-filibusters-gun-politics-government-and-politics-93c53b3aa8d2b91d3c2d5884f3cdf139">a filibuster</a>, setting up more votes later.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has so far allowed the bill to progress, and his vote — “yes” — was closely watched. “This is a compromise,” he said before the vote.For senators who have been slogging through debate — and months of give-and-take negotiations — the bill is a chance not only to send federal dollars to their states, but also to show the country that Congress can work together in a bipartisan way to solve problems.Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the needs in her state were obvious — including money for water systems in remote villages without running taps for handwashing during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as one of the negotiators, she also wants to demonstrate that lawmakers can unite.“I’m really worried that everybody believes that we’re as dysfunctional as we appear to be, and so to prove otherwise, it’s kind of important,” she said. “The Senate needs some demonstrated acts of bipartisanship.”Congress is under pressure to make gains on the president’s infrastructure priorities — first with the bipartisan bill and then&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-825739838a790668b2d2855a72821d56">Democrats’ more sweeping $3.5 trillion budget blueprint&nbsp;</a>they plan to shoulder on their own.If senators wrap up work on the bipartisan bill, they immediately will turn to the much more partisan undertaking on Biden’s agenda, the outline for the $3.5 trillion proposal. That plan would provide billions in what the White House calls human infrastructure — child care support, home health care, education and other expenditures that are Democratic priorities that Republicans have pledged to reject. Debate on that will extend into the fall.For some Republicans, that back-to-back voting schedule is what they are trying to delay, hoping to slow or halt what appears to be a forward march by Democrats to achieve the president’s infrastructure goals.Former President Donald Trump weighed Saturday with a statement criticizing Biden, senators of both parties and the bill itself, though it’s not clear whether Trump’s views hold sway over the lawmakers.Senators have found much to like in the bill, even though it does not fully satisfy liberals, who view it as too small, or conservatives, who find it too large. It would provide federal money for projects many states and cities could not afford on their own.Senators had hoped to wrap up the 2,700-page bipartisan bill during the week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-mike-enzi-4431842b95cb5fd13c67c0a8c856d2e2">.&nbsp;</a>But the Senate ground to a halt with new problems late in the week as members wanted to consider more amendments and Republican opponents objected to an expedited the process.An analysis of the bill from the Congressional Budget Office drew concerns, particularly from Republicans. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-38067e7b0076de167c783941c1debd85">concluded that the legislation would increase deficits by about $256 billion</a>&nbsp;over the next decade.But the bill’s backers argued that the budget office was unable to take into account certain revenue streams — including from future economic growth. Additional analysis released Saturday by the budget office suggested infrastructure spending overall could boost productivity and lower the ultimate costs.Paying for the package has been a pressure point throughout the monthslong slog of negotiations after Democrats objected to an increase in the gas tax paid at the pump and Republicans resisted a plan to bolster the IRS to go after tax scofflaws.Unlike Biden’s bigger $3.5 trillion package, which would be paid for by higher tax rates for corporations and the wealthy, the bipartisan package is funded by repurposing other money, including untapped COVID-19 aid, and other spending cuts and revenue streams.Senators have spent the past week processing nearly two dozen amendments to the bipartisan package, with more possible on Saturday. So far, none has substantially changed the framework of the public works package.The House is in recess and is expected to consider both Biden infrastructure packages when it returns in September.___

Moran, Marshall vote no; Biden's $1T infrastructure bill advances

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who was in jail for attacking WIBW-TV employees in 2012 has been convicted of assaulting a corrections officer. 

Ray Miles, 57, Topeka,&nbsp; was convicted Friday of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery and battery against a corrections officer. Prosecutors said Miles tried to stab Shawnee County corrections officer Kourtney Flynn several times in July 2019 before other workers restrained him. 

Miles was in the jail to serve the remaining year of his sentences for attacking several WIBW-TV employees in 2012, stabbing two of them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628293009576.png" alt="Miles photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Miles photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who was in jail for attacking WIBW-TV employees in 2012 has been convicted of assaulting a corrections officer. Ray Miles, 57, Topeka,&nbsp; was convicted Friday of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery and battery against a corrections officer. Prosecutors said Miles tried to stab Shawnee County corrections officer Kourtney Flynn several times in July 2019 before other workers restrained him. Miles was in the jail to serve the remaining year of his sentences for attacking several WIBW-TV employees in 2012, stabbing two of them.

Kan. man who attacked TV station employees convicted in jail assault

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-08-05/kansas-researchers-are-helping-test-a-vaccine-against-a-virus-that-causes-pneumonia">Kansas News Service</a>

You know the drill. Runny nose, coughing, sneezing.

Most of the time, when we pick up <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html" target="_blank">respiratory syncytial virus</a>,
 or RSV, we write it off as a cold. The flu, if it really makes us 
miserable. We sniffle our way through. We don’t get diagnosed — which is
 why most people have never heard of the virus.

But later in life, RSV spreads more easily into your lower respiratory tract.

“When
 you get above 65, it starts getting much more severe,” said Terry 
Poling, medical director at a Wichita clinical site that is <a href="https://amrllc.com/open/" target="_blank">testing</a> a vaccine against the virus. “When people die from a, quote, ‘viral pneumonia,’ it’s usually RSV.”

Kansas City and other parts of the U.S. are seeing an unusual summertime increase in RSV.

Here’s
 the lowdown on a virus that almost all of us have had at least once by 
the time we’re toddlers, and on the vaccine trials in our region.

RSV doesn’t kill as many people as the flu, but it does kill.

Each year, RSV kills around 14,000 older adults in the U.S., and hospitalizes somewhere around 180,000, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/index.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> estimates.

People with lung disease, heart disease and other chronic conditions are vulnerable, too, as are the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/infants-young-children.html" target="_blank">very young</a>. RSV kills an estimated 100 to 500 children a year and lands nearly 60,000 in the hospital.

As a comparison, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html" target="_blank">the flu</a>
 can easily hospitalize twice as many people in a year. The U.S. Centers
 for Disease Control and Prevention blames the flu for between 12,000 
and 61,000 deaths annually since 2010. (Those figures would be even 
worse, but the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/flushot.htm" target="_blank">flu vaccine</a> blunts the impact.)

If you’ve been hearing about RSV lately, there’s a reason.

The virus appears to be on the move in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/images/rsvstate/RSV4PPCent3AVG_StateKS.htm" target="_blank">Kansas</a>, but especially in neighboring <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/images/rsvstate/RSV4PPCent3AVG_StateMO.htm" target="_blank">Missouri</a> and Oklahoma, and states <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/rsv/region.html#south" target="_blank">farther south</a> like Arkansas and Texas.

Normally,
 RSV picks up each fall and wanes in the spring. But when COVID-19 hit, 
people masked up, found a new love for hand-washing and kept their work 
colleagues and teachers at Zoom distance.

RSV couldn’t spread 
much. But after the COVID-19 vaccine came out and cases slowed, more 
people ventured out, leaving their masks at home.

RSV regained its footing, and by June, the <a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2021/han00443.asp" target="_blank">CDC</a> put out an alert and recommended doctors test for it in respiratory patients who test negative for COVID-19.

Five clinics in Kansas and Kansas City are helping test a vaccine.

The <a href="https://amrllc.com/open/" target="_blank">Alliance for Multispecialty Research</a>
 is seeking thousands of people over the age of 60 — including in 
Wichita, El Dorado, Newton and Kansas City — for clinical trials 
sponsored by Janssen Vaccines.

This is <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/infographics/journey-of-child-vaccine.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fparents%2Finfographics%2Fjourney-of-child-vaccine-text.html" target="_blank">Phase 3</a>,
 the final stage of trials before potential review by the U.S. Federal 
Drug Administration. Some participants will get the vaccine. Some will 
get a placebo.

Other companies have been chasing an RSV vaccine, too. In 2016, an advocacy group funded by the pharmaceutical industry <a href="https://www.nfid.org/" target="_blank">wrote</a> that dozens of candidates were in the development or testing phases.

There’s no RSV vaccine yet, but these other shots help you dodge pneumonia, too.

RSV is just one way you can get a nasty case of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/causes.html" target="_blank">pneumonia</a>. Other bugs can give it to you, too.

The flu. COVID-19. Pneumococcus bacteria. Whooping cough. Measles.

Though an RSV vaccine could still take years to materialize, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/prevention.html" target="_blank">vaccines against each of these</a> are already on the shelves of a hospital, pharmacy or public health department near you.

Yet
 not even half of Kansans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. About 
half get an annual flu shot. Three quarters get the pneumococcal shots 
recommended at age 65.

Rates for childhood vaccines such as measles are higher, but new <a href="https://ccf.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kids-and-Vaccines-v4.pdf" target="_blank">Georgetown University</a> research finds kids across the country fell behind on shots during the pandemic. Time to catch up, pediatricians say.

“After
 being locked away, viruses are starting to circulate again,” said 
Barbara Pahud, an infectious disease expert at Children’s Mercy in 
Kansas City. “If you can get RSV even though normally it circulates in 
the winter, why not measles, varicella or anything else?”

Got the sniffles? Make no assumptions. Get a free COVID test.

Yes, COVID-19 cases fell several months in a row. But the disease is surging again, fueled by the highly contagious <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-07-26/kansas-coronavirus-cases-skyrocket-from-hundreds-to-thousands-per-week" target="_blank">delta variant</a>.

With
 that in mind, if you get the sniffles, it could be RSV or another 
common cold-type virus. But it could also be COVID-19, which has already
 killed 614,000 people nationwide and 5,300 in Kansas. Getting a <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing" target="_blank">free COVID-19 test</a> is easy, and public officials beg you to do it.

Beds
 are filling up again and hospitals in Kansas City have already gone 
back to turning away transfer requests from smaller facilities, as they 
did <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-11-16/kansas-hospitals-seek-help-from-nearby-states-but-the-whole-midwest-is-struggling-with-a-covid-surge" target="_blank">last winter</a>.

Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1625067168067.png" alt="David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-08-05/kansas-researchers-are-helping-test-a-vaccine-against-a-virus-that-causes-pneumonia">Kansas News Service</a>You know the drill. Runny nose, coughing, sneezing.Most of the time, when we pick up <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html" target="_blank">respiratory syncytial virus</a>,
 or RSV, we write it off as a cold. The flu, if it really makes us 
miserable. We sniffle our way through. We don’t get diagnosed — which is
 why most people have never heard of the virus.But later in life, RSV spreads more easily into your lower respiratory tract.“When
 you get above 65, it starts getting much more severe,” said Terry 
Poling, medical director at a Wichita clinical site that is <a href="https://amrllc.com/open/" target="_blank">testing</a> a vaccine against the virus. “When people die from a, quote, ‘viral pneumonia,’ it’s usually RSV.”Kansas City and other parts of the U.S. are seeing an unusual summertime increase in RSV.Here’s
 the lowdown on a virus that almost all of us have had at least once by 
the time we’re toddlers, and on the vaccine trials in our region.RSV doesn’t kill as many people as the flu, but it does kill.Each year, RSV kills around 14,000 older adults in the U.S., and hospitalizes somewhere around 180,000, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/index.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> estimates.People with lung disease, heart disease and other chronic conditions are vulnerable, too, as are the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/infants-young-children.html" target="_blank">very young</a>. RSV kills an estimated 100 to 500 children a year and lands nearly 60,000 in the hospital.As a comparison, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html" target="_blank">the flu</a>
 can easily hospitalize twice as many people in a year. The U.S. Centers
 for Disease Control and Prevention blames the flu for between 12,000 
and 61,000 deaths annually since 2010. (Those figures would be even 
worse, but the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/flushot.htm" target="_blank">flu vaccine</a> blunts the impact.)If you’ve been hearing about RSV lately, there’s a reason.The virus appears to be on the move in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/images/rsvstate/RSV4PPCent3AVG_StateKS.htm" target="_blank">Kansas</a>, but especially in neighboring <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/images/rsvstate/RSV4PPCent3AVG_StateMO.htm" target="_blank">Missouri</a> and Oklahoma, and states <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/rsv/region.html#south" target="_blank">farther south</a> like Arkansas and Texas.Normally,
 RSV picks up each fall and wanes in the spring. But when COVID-19 hit, 
people masked up, found a new love for hand-washing and kept their work 
colleagues and teachers at Zoom distance.RSV couldn’t spread 
much. But after the COVID-19 vaccine came out and cases slowed, more 
people ventured out, leaving their masks at home.RSV regained its footing, and by June, the <a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2021/han00443.asp" target="_blank">CDC</a> put out an alert and recommended doctors test for it in respiratory patients who test negative for COVID-19.Five clinics in Kansas and Kansas City are helping test a vaccine.The <a href="https://amrllc.com/open/" target="_blank">Alliance for Multispecialty Research</a>
 is seeking thousands of people over the age of 60 — including in 
Wichita, El Dorado, Newton and Kansas City — for clinical trials 
sponsored by Janssen Vaccines.This is <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/infographics/journey-of-child-vaccine.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fparents%2Finfographics%2Fjourney-of-child-vaccine-text.html" target="_blank">Phase 3</a>,
 the final stage of trials before potential review by the U.S. Federal 
Drug Administration. Some participants will get the vaccine. Some will 
get a placebo.Other companies have been chasing an RSV vaccine, too. In 2016, an advocacy group funded by the pharmaceutical industry <a href="https://www.nfid.org/" target="_blank">wrote</a> that dozens of candidates were in the development or testing phases.There’s no RSV vaccine yet, but these other shots help you dodge pneumonia, too.RSV is just one way you can get a nasty case of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/causes.html" target="_blank">pneumonia</a>. Other bugs can give it to you, too.The flu. COVID-19. Pneumococcus bacteria. Whooping cough. Measles.Though an RSV vaccine could still take years to materialize, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/prevention.html" target="_blank">vaccines against each of these</a> are already on the shelves of a hospital, pharmacy or public health department near you.Yet
 not even half of Kansans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. About 
half get an annual flu shot. Three quarters get the pneumococcal shots 
recommended at age 65.Rates for childhood vaccines such as measles are higher, but new <a href="https://ccf.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kids-and-Vaccines-v4.pdf" target="_blank">Georgetown University</a> research finds kids across the country fell behind on shots during the pandemic. Time to catch up, pediatricians say.“After
 being locked away, viruses are starting to circulate again,” said 
Barbara Pahud, an infectious disease expert at Children’s Mercy in 
Kansas City. “If you can get RSV even though normally it circulates in 
the winter, why not measles, varicella or anything else?”Got the sniffles? Make no assumptions. Get a free COVID test.Yes, COVID-19 cases fell several months in a row. But the disease is surging again, fueled by the highly contagious <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-07-26/kansas-coronavirus-cases-skyrocket-from-hundreds-to-thousands-per-week" target="_blank">delta variant</a>.With
 that in mind, if you get the sniffles, it could be RSV or another 
common cold-type virus. But it could also be COVID-19, which has already
 killed 614,000 people nationwide and 5,300 in Kansas. Getting a <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing" target="_blank">free COVID-19 test</a> is easy, and public officials beg you to do it.Beds
 are filling up again and hospitals in Kansas City have already gone 
back to turning away transfer requests from smaller facilities, as they 
did <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-11-16/kansas-hospitals-seek-help-from-nearby-states-but-the-whole-midwest-is-struggling-with-a-covid-surge" target="_blank">last winter</a>.Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Kan. researchers testing vaccine against virus that causes pneumonia 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man who shot a massive bighead carp last month while bowfishing has set a new state record, the Missouri Department of Conservation said Thursday.

Matt Neuling, of Perryville, shot the 125-pound, 5-ounce fish on July 24 at Lake Perry, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/outdoors/missouri-man-shoots-125-pound-bighead-carp-sets-new-state-record/article_22a2543f-1055-5696-8c97-f0039708e02b.html">reported</a>.

“I was out with my buddy early that morning when we both shot what we thought was a 30-pound grass carp,” Neuling told the department. “My buddy’s arrow pulled out, but mine shot straight through and stayed in there.”

Neuling said his friend sent another arrow into the fish.

“If my buddy wasn’t with me, there was no way I could have pulled it out of the water,” he said.

The department estimated the fish was 10 years old. It also noted that bighead carp are invasive.

Missouri separates fishing records by pole-and-line and alternative methods, such as bowfishing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628334036981.png" alt="Photo courtesy Missouri Dept. of Conservation" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Missouri Dept. of Conservation</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man who shot a massive bighead carp last month while bowfishing has set a new state record, the Missouri Department of Conservation said Thursday.Matt Neuling, of Perryville, shot the 125-pound, 5-ounce fish on July 24 at Lake Perry, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/outdoors/missouri-man-shoots-125-pound-bighead-carp-sets-new-state-record/article_22a2543f-1055-5696-8c97-f0039708e02b.html">reported</a>.“I was out with my buddy early that morning when we both shot what we thought was a 30-pound grass carp,” Neuling told the department. “My buddy’s arrow pulled out, but mine shot straight through and stayed in there.”Neuling said his friend sent another arrow into the fish.“If my buddy wasn’t with me, there was no way I could have pulled it out of the water,” he said.The department estimated the fish was 10 years old. It also noted that bighead carp are invasive.Missouri separates fishing records by pole-and-line and alternative methods, such as bowfishing.

Man sets new record with 125-pound bighead carp

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The U.S. is now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge in yet another bleak reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread through the country.

The U.S. was averaging about 11,000 cases a day in late June. Now the number is 107,143.

It took the U.S. about nine months to cross the 100,000 average case number in November before peaking at about 250,000 in early January. Cases bottomed out in June but took about six weeks to go back above 100,000, despite a vaccine that has been given to more than 70% of the adult population.

The seven-day average for daily new deaths also increased, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. It rose over the past two weeks from about 270 deaths per day to nearly 500 a day as of Friday.

The virus is spreading quickly through unvaccinated populations,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-38917e4fd073c8142df15de2d8102a24">especially in the South</a>&nbsp;where hospitals have been overrun with patients.

Health officials are fearful that cases will continue to soar if more Americans don’t embrace the vaccine.

“Our models show that if we don’t (vaccinate people), we could be up to several hundred thousand cases a day, similar to our surge in early January,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky said on CNN this week.

The number of Americans hospitalized with the virus has also skyrocketed and it has gotten so bad that many hospitals are scrambling to find beds for patients in far-off locations.

Houston officials say the latest wave of COVID-19 cases is pushing the local health care system to nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-houston-93ba953777111d602dced45dc1d7725b">“a breaking point,”</a>&nbsp;resulting in some patients having to be transferred out of the city to get medical care, including one who had to be taken to North Dakota.

Dr. David Persse, who is health authority for the Houston Health Department and EMS medical director, said some ambulances were waiting hours to offload patients at Houston area hospitals because no beds were available. Persse said he feared this would lead to prolonged respond times to 911 medical calls.

“The health care system right now is nearly at a breaking point ... For the next three weeks or so, I see no relief on what’s happening in emergency departments,” Persse said Thursday.

Last weekend, a patient in Houston had to be transferred to North Dakota to get medical care. An 11-month-old girl with COVID-19 and who was having seizures had to be transported on Thursday from Houston to a hospital 170 miles away in Temple.

In Missouri, 30 ambulances and more than 60 medical personnel will be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-michael-brown-6a85859c54b74fb9b9d8f9737d22716a">stationed across the state</a>&nbsp;to help transport COVID-19 patients to other regions if nearby hospitals are too full to admit them, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Friday.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The U.S. is now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge in yet another bleak reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread through the country.The U.S. was averaging about 11,000 cases a day in late June. Now the number is 107,143.It took the U.S. about nine months to cross the 100,000 average case number in November before peaking at about 250,000 in early January. Cases bottomed out in June but took about six weeks to go back above 100,000, despite a vaccine that has been given to more than 70% of the adult population.The seven-day average for daily new deaths also increased, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. It rose over the past two weeks from about 270 deaths per day to nearly 500 a day as of Friday.The virus is spreading quickly through unvaccinated populations,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-38917e4fd073c8142df15de2d8102a24">especially in the South</a>&nbsp;where hospitals have been overrun with patients.Health officials are fearful that cases will continue to soar if more Americans don’t embrace the vaccine.“Our models show that if we don’t (vaccinate people), we could be up to several hundred thousand cases a day, similar to our surge in early January,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky said on CNN this week.The number of Americans hospitalized with the virus has also skyrocketed and it has gotten so bad that many hospitals are scrambling to find beds for patients in far-off locations.Houston officials say the latest wave of COVID-19 cases is pushing the local health care system to nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-houston-93ba953777111d602dced45dc1d7725b">“a breaking point,”</a>&nbsp;resulting in some patients having to be transferred out of the city to get medical care, including one who had to be taken to North Dakota.Dr. David Persse, who is health authority for the Houston Health Department and EMS medical director, said some ambulances were waiting hours to offload patients at Houston area hospitals because no beds were available. Persse said he feared this would lead to prolonged respond times to 911 medical calls.“The health care system right now is nearly at a breaking point ... For the next three weeks or so, I see no relief on what’s happening in emergency departments,” Persse said Thursday.Last weekend, a patient in Houston had to be transferred to North Dakota to get medical care. An 11-month-old girl with COVID-19 and who was having seizures had to be transported on Thursday from Houston to a hospital 170 miles away in Temple.In Missouri, 30 ambulances and more than 60 medical personnel will be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-michael-brown-6a85859c54b74fb9b9d8f9737d22716a">stationed across the state</a>&nbsp;to help transport COVID-19 patients to other regions if nearby hospitals are too full to admit them, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Friday.

US now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration on Friday issued what it says will be the final extension to a student loan moratorium that has allowed millions of Americans to put off debt payments during the pandemic.

Under the action, payments on federal student loans will remain paused through Jan. 31, 2022. Interest rates will remain at 0% during that period, and debt collection efforts will be suspended. Those measures have been in place since early in the pandemic but were set to expire Sept. 30.

In announcing the decision, President Joe Biden said the economy is recovering “at a record rate.” But he said the road to recovery will be longer for some Americans, especially those with student loans.

“This will give the Department of Education and borrowers more time and more certainty as they prepare to restart student loan payments,” Biden said in a statement. “It will also ensure a smoother transition that minimizes loan defaults and delinquencies that hurt families and undermine our economic recovery.”

The policy applies to more than 36 million Americans who have student loans that are held by the federal government. Their collective debt totals more than $1.3 trillion, according to the latest Education Department data.

Questions about the moratorium had been swirling in recent weeks as its expiration date approached. Even as the economy improves, there have been concerns that borrowers are not ready to start payments again. Once the moratorium ends, those who were already behind on payments could have wages and benefits taken away as part of debt collection efforts.

Several Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mass., urged Biden to extend the moratorium through at least March 2022. In a June letter, they said restarting payments now would “drag down the pace of our economic recovery.”

Schumer, Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., applauded the extension in a joint statement Friday, saying it provides relief to millions of borrowers facing a “disastrous financial cliff.”

“The payment pause has saved the average borrower hundreds of dollars per month, allowing them to invest in their futures and support their families’ needs,” the Democrats said.

The Trump administration initially suspended federal student loan payments in March 2020 and later extended it through January 2021. Biden moved to continue it through Sept. 30 soon after taking office.

The Education Department itself has raised concerns about administrative hurdles around suddenly restarting loan payments. In a November 2020 report, the department said it would be a “heavy burden” to reactivate millions of loans at the same time. It warned that some borrowers would likely fall behind on their payments, “at least initially.”

On Friday, the Education Department said the final extension provides enough time to restart the process smoothly, and it gives borrowers a “definitive end date” to plan for.

“As our nation’s economy continues to recover from a deep hole, this final extension will give students and borrowers the time they need to plan for restart and ensure a smooth pathway back to repayment,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

Student advocates welcomed the extension, saying it’s a victory for borrowers who have suffered financial hardship during the pandemic. But Republicans criticized the move, saying the economy has rebounded strongly enough to resume payments.

“Students and families faced immense challenges last year, but the American economy continues to recover and there is no rational excuse for continued extensions of non-payment on student loans,” said Sen. Richard Burr, the top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The Biden administration announced the relief as it faces mounting pressure from some Democrats to erase huge swaths of student debt. Schumer and Warren have urged Biden to use his authority to cancel $50,000 in student debt for all borrowers, saying it would jumpstart the economy and help families hit hard by the pandemic.

They repeated that call in their statement on Friday, saying debt cancellation is “one of the most significant actions that President Biden can take right now to build a more just economy and address racial inequity.”

But Biden has questioned whether he has the authority for that kind of mass cancellation, and legal scholars have come to differing conclusions. Earlier this year, Biden asked the Education and Justice departments to study the issue. Officials have said that work is still underway.

Biden has previously said he supports canceling up to $10,000 in student debt, but he has argued it should be done by Congress.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628289949449.png" alt="“As our nation’s economy continues to recover from a deep hole, this final extension will give students and borrowers the time they need to plan for restart and ensure a&nbsp;smooth pathway back to repayment,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.- Photo courtesy White House&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>“As our nation’s economy continues to recover from a deep hole, this final extension will give students and borrowers the time they need to plan for restart and ensure a&nbsp;smooth pathway back to repayment,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.- Photo courtesy White House&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration on Friday issued what it says will be the final extension to a student loan moratorium that has allowed millions of Americans to put off debt payments during the pandemic.Under the action, payments on federal student loans will remain paused through Jan. 31, 2022. Interest rates will remain at 0% during that period, and debt collection efforts will be suspended. Those measures have been in place since early in the pandemic but were set to expire Sept. 30.In announcing the decision, President Joe Biden said the economy is recovering “at a record rate.” But he said the road to recovery will be longer for some Americans, especially those with student loans.“This will give the Department of Education and borrowers more time and more certainty as they prepare to restart student loan payments,” Biden said in a statement. “It will also ensure a smoother transition that minimizes loan defaults and delinquencies that hurt families and undermine our economic recovery.”The policy applies to more than 36 million Americans who have student loans that are held by the federal government. Their collective debt totals more than $1.3 trillion, according to the latest Education Department data.Questions about the moratorium had been swirling in recent weeks as its expiration date approached. Even as the economy improves, there have been concerns that borrowers are not ready to start payments again. Once the moratorium ends, those who were already behind on payments could have wages and benefits taken away as part of debt collection efforts.Several Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mass., urged Biden to extend the moratorium through at least March 2022. In a June letter, they said restarting payments now would “drag down the pace of our economic recovery.”Schumer, Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., applauded the extension in a joint statement Friday, saying it provides relief to millions of borrowers facing a “disastrous financial cliff.”“The payment pause has saved the average borrower hundreds of dollars per month, allowing them to invest in their futures and support their families’ needs,” the Democrats said.The Trump administration initially suspended federal student loan payments in March 2020 and later extended it through January 2021. Biden moved to continue it through Sept. 30 soon after taking office.The Education Department itself has raised concerns about administrative hurdles around suddenly restarting loan payments. In a November 2020 report, the department said it would be a “heavy burden” to reactivate millions of loans at the same time. It warned that some borrowers would likely fall behind on their payments, “at least initially.”On Friday, the Education Department said the final extension provides enough time to restart the process smoothly, and it gives borrowers a “definitive end date” to plan for.“As our nation’s economy continues to recover from a deep hole, this final extension will give students and borrowers the time they need to plan for restart and ensure a smooth pathway back to repayment,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.Student advocates welcomed the extension, saying it’s a victory for borrowers who have suffered financial hardship during the pandemic. But Republicans criticized the move, saying the economy has rebounded strongly enough to resume payments.“Students and families faced immense challenges last year, but the American economy continues to recover and there is no rational excuse for continued extensions of non-payment on student loans,” said Sen. Richard Burr, the top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.The Biden administration announced the relief as it faces mounting pressure from some Democrats to erase huge swaths of student debt. Schumer and Warren have urged Biden to use his authority to cancel $50,000 in student debt for all borrowers, saying it would jumpstart the economy and help families hit hard by the pandemic.They repeated that call in their statement on Friday, saying debt cancellation is “one of the most significant actions that President Biden can take right now to build a more just economy and address racial inequity.”But Biden has questioned whether he has the authority for that kind of mass cancellation, and legal scholars have come to differing conclusions. Earlier this year, Biden asked the Education and Justice departments to study the issue. Officials have said that work is still underway.Biden has previously said he supports canceling up to $10,000 in student debt, but he has argued it should be done by Congress.

Biden admin. extends pause on student loan payments again

JEFFERSON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Friday in Jefferson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Nissan Versa driven by Rebecca Suzanne Krom, 37, Yakima, Washington, was southbound on U.S. 59 approximately 4 miles east of Perry.&nbsp;

The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at U.S. 24 Highway. An eastbound 2004 Chevy CK 2500 driven by Ashley Renee Noel, 26, Kansas City, Mo., struck the Nissan. Both vehicles&nbsp;came to rest in a field southeast of the intersection.

Krom was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Barnett Funeral Home.

EMS transported Noel and a passenger in the Chevy Sean Christopher Nowl, 27, Pleasant Valley, Mo., to Stormont Vail in Topeka. The occupants of the Chevy were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

JEFFERSON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Friday in Jefferson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Nissan Versa driven by Rebecca Suzanne Krom, 37, Yakima, Washington, was southbound on U.S. 59 approximately 4 miles east of Perry.&nbsp;The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at U.S. 24 Highway. An eastbound 2004 Chevy CK 2500 driven by Ashley Renee Noel, 26, Kansas City, Mo., struck the Nissan. Both vehicles&nbsp;came to rest in a field southeast of the intersection.Krom was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Barnett Funeral Home.EMS transported Noel and a passenger in the Chevy Sean Christopher Nowl, 27, Pleasant Valley, Mo., to Stormont Vail in Topeka. The occupants of the Chevy were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

1 dead, 2 hospitalized after crash on Kansas highway

COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have made an arrest.

Just after 8:30a.m. August 2, police were dispatched to the 1100 block of North First Street in Arkansas City for a report of a suspicious man in white hat, looking inside of vehicles, according to a media release. The suspect later identified as 31-year-old Curtis Lewayne Sedam Jr., reportedly entered a white pickup truck.

Police located the parked truck, with Sedam in its passenger seat. The truck’s owner was located and he told officers that he did not know Sedam, who did not have permission to be inside his truck. When officers found Sedam, he was wearing a white hat that also was allegedly stolen from the truck.

Sedam, who was also in possession of brass knuckles, was taken into custody without incident and is being held on suspicion of one felony&nbsp; burglary of a motor vehicle, as well as one misdemeanor count each of criminal carrying of a weapon and theft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628114302245.png" alt="Sedam photo Cowley County" />
 <figcaption>Sedam photo Cowley County</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have made an arrest.Just after 8:30a.m. August 2, police were dispatched to the 1100 block of North First Street in Arkansas City for a report of a suspicious man in white hat, looking inside of vehicles, according to a media release. The suspect later identified as 31-year-old Curtis Lewayne Sedam Jr., reportedly entered a white pickup truck.Police located the parked truck, with Sedam in its passenger seat. The truck’s owner was located and he told officers that he did not know Sedam, who did not have permission to be inside his truck. When officers found Sedam, he was wearing a white hat that also was allegedly stolen from the truck.Sedam, who was also in possession of brass knuckles, was taken into custody without incident and is being held on suspicion of one felony&nbsp; burglary of a motor vehicle, as well as one misdemeanor count each of criminal carrying of a weapon and theft.

Police: Kan. burglary suspect was carrying brass knuckles

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — A man has been charged with receiving stolen property after Kansas City police recovered pieces of a statue of a Native American woman that was stolen earlier this week.

Clay County prosecutors charged Charles Fuentes, 56, on Friday. He is being held on $25,000 bond.

Help from the public helped detectives find a large section of the 400-pound, 7-foot-tall statue but it had already been cut into pieces, police said.

The statue was sheared from its bolts at the François Chouteau and Native American Heritage Fountain in northern Kansas City sometime between Monday and Wednesday, police said. It has an estimated value of $80,000.

The fountain honors American Indians and French trader François Chouteau for their roles in founding Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628290681791.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — A man has been charged with receiving stolen property after Kansas City police recovered pieces of a statue of a Native American woman that was stolen earlier this week.Clay County prosecutors charged Charles Fuentes, 56, on Friday. He is being held on $25,000 bond.Help from the public helped detectives find a large section of the 400-pound, 7-foot-tall statue but it had already been cut into pieces, police said.The statue was sheared from its bolts at the François Chouteau and Native American Heritage Fountain in northern Kansas City sometime between Monday and Wednesday, police said. It has an estimated value of $80,000.The fountain honors American Indians and French trader François Chouteau for their roles in founding Kansas City.

Arrest made after Native American statue stolen from KC park

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges.

On Thursday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 600 BLK SE Liberty Street in Topeka related to an ongoing investigation, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

 While conducting the search warrant, the officers located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. They also arrested&nbsp;Carlos Retana-Vazquez, 35 years of age, of Topeka and transported him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Possession of methamphetamine with the intent of distribution within 1000 feet of a school, Possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent of distribution within 1000 feet of a school and Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transactions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628284881984.png" alt="Retana-Vazquez photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Retana-Vazquez photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges.On Thursday, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 600 BLK SE Liberty Street in Topeka related to an ongoing investigation, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker. While conducting the search warrant, the officers located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. They also arrested&nbsp;Carlos Retana-Vazquez, 35 years of age, of Topeka and transported him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Possession of methamphetamine with the intent of distribution within 1000 feet of a school, Possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent of distribution within 1000 feet of a school and Unlawful to acquire proceeds from drug transactions.

Task force arrests alleged drug dealer near Kan. school

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids has tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated against it and is in isolation. Davids said Friday in a statement that she has had only mild symptoms from her breakthrough case.

She said she was tested after undergoing outpatient surgery involving the parathyroid glands in the neck that regulate calcium levels in the blood. 

The two-term Democratic congresswoman for the state’s portion of the Kansas City metropolitan area said she’s been following precautions recommended by health officials, including wearing masks indoors.

She said she’s grateful for COVID-19 vaccines and urged people to get inoculated. Her statement did not say how she contracted COVID-19.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids has tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated against it and is in isolation. Davids said Friday in a statement that she has had only mild symptoms from her breakthrough case.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thinking about you, <a href="https://twitter.com/sharicedavids?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sharicedavids</a> ! Be well and hope you are feeling back to normal soon.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1423728198127431686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>She said she was tested after undergoing outpatient surgery involving the parathyroid glands in the neck that regulate calcium levels in the blood. The two-term Democratic congresswoman for the state’s portion of the Kansas City metropolitan area said she’s been following precautions recommended by health officials, including wearing masks indoors.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">COVID is spreading quickly among unvaccinated populations in Kansas. Whether you’re old, young, healthy, or at-risk: please do your research and consider getting a vaccine. That is our way out of this pandemic.&mdash; Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharicedavids/status/1423348578202787843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>She said she’s grateful for COVID-19 vaccines and urged people to get inoculated. Her statement did not say how she contracted COVID-19.

Kan. congresswoman contracts COVID-19 despite vaccination

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police have announced they are now conducting a homicide investigation into human skeletal remains found last winter in a wooded area in the heart of Kansas City.

Police announced the news in a written release Friday, citing an extensive examination of the remains over several months that revealed injuries that appear suspicious.

Officials are still working to identify the victim, believed to be a man, police said.

The skeletal remains were found March 2 near West 34th Street and Roanoke Road by a woman who was walking in the area.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police have announced they are now conducting a homicide investigation into human skeletal remains found last winter in a wooded area in the heart of Kansas City.Police announced the news in a written release Friday, citing an extensive examination of the remains over several months that revealed injuries that appear suspicious.Officials are still working to identify the victim, believed to be a man, police said.The skeletal remains were found March 2 near West 34th Street and Roanoke Road by a woman who was walking in the area.

KC Police: Probe of human remains now homicide investigation

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Thursday applauded Brek Manufacturing Company’s plan to expand its operation into the state of Kansas. 

The Southern California-based aerospace company announced that it intends to purchase two buildings in Wichita, investing $4.5 million and creating 75 new jobs over the next five years.

“Wichita’s reputation as the Air Capital of the World - paired with our state’s talented workforce and strong economy - makes Brek’s expansion into Kansas a no-brainer,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “We’ll continue investing in our manufacturing and aerospace industries to support our existing companies and recruit new businesses and jobs to Kansas.”

Brek specializes in the manufacture of complex structural aircraft parts, including contoured surface parts common in the mold line of modern-day aircrafts. According to the company, Wichita’s aerospace and aviation ecosystem and workforce drove their decision to expand into Kansas.

“Our state is proud to be the home of the Air Capital of the World,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Brek is the latest example of Wichita’s well-deserved aerospace reputation resulting in new business investment and new jobs for Kansas.&nbsp;Congratulations&nbsp;to Brek, and thank you for choosing to expand in the nation’s best state for business.”

Brek products currently are in service throughout commercial, strategic and tactical military aircrafts.

“As we began exploring options for expansion, I recommended including Wichita because I have personally experienced the benefit of operating in one of the top aerospace clusters,”&nbsp;Marwan Hammouri, President and CEO Brek Manufacturing, said. “As we move through all the pieces of a complicated process, we are excited about the possibilities that opening a Wichita expansion brings to our customers and to the community and state.”

“Brek Manufacturing wanting to expand in Wichita over growing their current location in California is significant for our region,”&nbsp;said Tammy Porazka, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Wichita Partnership. “The CEO knows from previously being located in the Air Capital of the high value and numerous benefits of our aerospace ecosystem and our world-class workforce. We are so excited about the possibilities this news brings and thank all the partners who helped make this possible, including the Kansas Department of Commerce, City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Evergy and Workforce Alliance of South-Central Kansas.”

Brek’s expansion plans are in process following a vote on Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) at next week’s Wichita City Council meeting.

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Thursday applauded Brek Manufacturing Company’s plan to expand its operation into the state of Kansas. The Southern California-based aerospace company announced that it intends to purchase two buildings in Wichita, investing $4.5 million and creating 75 new jobs over the next five years.“Wichita’s reputation as the Air Capital of the World - paired with our state’s talented workforce and strong economy - makes Brek’s expansion into Kansas a no-brainer,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “We’ll continue investing in our manufacturing and aerospace industries to support our existing companies and recruit new businesses and jobs to Kansas.”Brek specializes in the manufacture of complex structural aircraft parts, including contoured surface parts common in the mold line of modern-day aircrafts. According to the company, Wichita’s aerospace and aviation ecosystem and workforce drove their decision to expand into Kansas.“Our state is proud to be the home of the Air Capital of the World,”&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Brek is the latest example of Wichita’s well-deserved aerospace reputation resulting in new business investment and new jobs for Kansas.&nbsp;Congratulations&nbsp;to Brek, and thank you for choosing to expand in the nation’s best state for business.”Brek products currently are in service throughout commercial, strategic and tactical military aircrafts.“As we began exploring options for expansion, I recommended including Wichita because I have personally experienced the benefit of operating in one of the top aerospace clusters,”&nbsp;Marwan Hammouri, President and CEO Brek Manufacturing, said. “As we move through all the pieces of a complicated process, we are excited about the possibilities that opening a Wichita expansion brings to our customers and to the community and state.”“Brek Manufacturing wanting to expand in Wichita over growing their current location in California is significant for our region,”&nbsp;said Tammy Porazka, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Wichita Partnership. “The CEO knows from previously being located in the Air Capital of the high value and numerous benefits of our aerospace ecosystem and our world-class workforce. We are so excited about the possibilities this news brings and thank all the partners who helped make this possible, including the Kansas Department of Commerce, City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Evergy and Workforce Alliance of South-Central Kansas.”Brek’s expansion plans are in process following a vote on Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) at next week’s Wichita City Council meeting.

Aerospace company plans Kan. expansion, $4.5 million investment

KANSAS CITY —On Friday, Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri is tripling the number of mutual aid ambulances that provide long-haul patient transfers to help reduce the rising COVID-19 caseloads straining hospitals, according to a media release from his office.

Thirty ambulances and more than 60 trained personnel are scheduled to begin arriving in Kansas City and and four other regions of the state.

“The ambulance strike teams we positioned in Springfield have been extremely effective in helping save lives and ease the pressure on local hospitals,”&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. “These 30 new ambulance teams triple our transport capacity and expand it to the entire state, as needed. Our health care professionals are performing heroically to save lives as the Delta variant dramatically increases hospital admissions. We will continue to support our health care heroes across the state.”&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The new ambulance strike teams, provided in response to a request to the Federal Emergency&nbsp;Management Agency, include 20 advanced life-support ambulances, five basic life-support ambulances, five specialty care ambulances, and required medical and support personnel. They are expected to begin transporting patients as early as Saturday. The teams are tasked with operating anywhere there is a critical need in Missouri through Sept. 5.

Ambulance strike teams will initially be positioned in Regions A (Kansas City area), B (northeast Missouri), D (southwest Missouri), G (south-central Missouri), and H (northwest Missouri) and have the ability to move as needed. &nbsp;

Thirteen&nbsp;federally-provided life support ambulances in southwest Missouri will replace the 10 ambulances provided through the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management and an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). The Arkansas teams will depart for home today. Since they began working in Missouri, the 10 ambulances have logged more than 53,000 miles on 223 patient transports. Some of those transports required roundtrips of seven to nine hours or more.

“Delta is the most aggressive and transmissible variant of COVID-19, and it is more important than ever to take advantage of the highly effective vaccines,”&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. “Vaccination is the best way to prevent serious illness from COVID-19.&nbsp;

The Missouri&nbsp;Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1) will continue to staff the state-run Monoclonal Antibody Centralized Infusion Center in Springfield. It reduces the strain on hospitals by treating COVID-19 patients who otherwise would require treatment in a hospital setting. Through Thursday, MO DMAT-1 staff had treated 243 patients at the infusion center since it opened on July 23. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that can help your body fight off COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization&nbsp;–&nbsp;if administered&nbsp;to high-risk patients soon after diagnosis.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY —On Friday, Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri is tripling the number of mutual aid ambulances that provide long-haul patient transfers to help reduce the rising COVID-19 caseloads straining hospitals, according to a media release from his office.Thirty ambulances and more than 60 trained personnel are scheduled to begin arriving in Kansas City and and four other regions of the state.“The ambulance strike teams we positioned in Springfield have been extremely effective in helping save lives and ease the pressure on local hospitals,”&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. “These 30 new ambulance teams triple our transport capacity and expand it to the entire state, as needed. Our health care professionals are performing heroically to save lives as the Delta variant dramatically increases hospital admissions. We will continue to support our health care heroes across the state.”&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The new ambulance strike teams, provided in response to a request to the Federal Emergency&nbsp;Management Agency, include 20 advanced life-support ambulances, five basic life-support ambulances, five specialty care ambulances, and required medical and support personnel. They are expected to begin transporting patients as early as Saturday. The teams are tasked with operating anywhere there is a critical need in Missouri through Sept. 5.Ambulance strike teams will initially be positioned in Regions A (Kansas City area), B (northeast Missouri), D (southwest Missouri), G (south-central Missouri), and H (northwest Missouri) and have the ability to move as needed. &nbsp;Thirteen&nbsp;federally-provided life support ambulances in southwest Missouri will replace the 10 ambulances provided through the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management and an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) request from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). The Arkansas teams will depart for home today. Since they began working in Missouri, the 10 ambulances have logged more than 53,000 miles on 223 patient transports. Some of those transports required roundtrips of seven to nine hours or more.“Delta is the most aggressive and transmissible variant of COVID-19, and it is more important than ever to take advantage of the highly effective vaccines,”&nbsp;Governor Parson&nbsp;said. “Vaccination is the best way to prevent serious illness from COVID-19.&nbsp;The Missouri&nbsp;Disaster Medical Assistance Team (MO DMAT-1) will continue to staff the state-run Monoclonal Antibody Centralized Infusion Center in Springfield. It reduces the strain on hospitals by treating COVID-19 patients who otherwise would require treatment in a hospital setting. Through Thursday, MO DMAT-1 staff had treated 243 patients at the infusion center since it opened on July 23. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that can help your body fight off COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization&nbsp;–&nbsp;if administered&nbsp;to high-risk patients soon after diagnosis.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ambulance strike team in Kansas City for influx of Delta virus

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2177 to a total of 339,527, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

The state reported 13 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 5299.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

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

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 2177 to a total of 339,527, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;The state reported 13 new COVID-19 deaths for a total of 5299.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628269466312.png" alt="Friday August 6, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday August 6, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY- Sheriff's deputies arrested a Kansas man Thursday afternoon after the car he was driving traveled off an exit ramp and launched over an overpass on Interstate 135.

Matthew Griffin, 45, of Salina, was northbound on Interstate 135 in a Ford Fusion when he began driving up the Assaria exit ramp south of Salina, then onto the grassy area between the exit ramp and the highway, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

The car struck the guardrail along the south side of Assaria Road and launched over the road, finally coming to a stop in the median of I-135 north of the exit.

An acquaintance called the sheriff's office to report that Griffin had been drinking and was driving in excess of 100 mph, but the accident occurred before deputies could locate him.

Griffin was transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of a head laceration and then was booked into the Saline County Jail on the following requested charges of Driving under the influence of alcohol, Transporting an open container, Driving with a suspended license, Making an unsafe turn and Improper driving on a laned roadways

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628267522100.png" alt="Griffin from an earlier DUI arrest in McPherson County" />
 <figcaption>Griffin from an earlier DUI arrest in McPherson County</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINE COUNTY- Sheriff's deputies arrested a Kansas man Thursday afternoon after the car he was driving traveled off an exit ramp and launched over an overpass on Interstate 135.Matthew Griffin, 45, of Salina, was northbound on Interstate 135 in a Ford Fusion when he began driving up the Assaria exit ramp south of Salina, then onto the grassy area between the exit ramp and the highway, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628265056576.jpeg" alt="The impact of the landing disabled the car. Photos Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>The impact of the landing disabled the car. Photos Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>The car struck the guardrail along the south side of Assaria Road and launched over the road, finally coming to a stop in the median of I-135 north of the exit.An acquaintance called the sheriff's office to report that Griffin had been drinking and was driving in excess of 100 mph, but the accident occurred before deputies could locate him.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628265155278.jpeg" alt="tire tracks leading up to the overpass where the Fusion jumped." />
 <figcaption>tire tracks leading up to the overpass where the Fusion jumped.</figcaption>
 </figure>Griffin was transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of a head laceration and then was booked into the Saline County Jail on the following requested charges of Driving under the influence of alcohol, Transporting an open container, Driving with a suspended license, Making an unsafe turn and Improper driving on a laned roadways

Kan. man jailed after car jumps interstate overpass

SHAWNEE COUNY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.

Just before 2 p.m. Wednesday, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a silver 2006 Mazda 3 in the 2000 block of NW Topeka Boulevard for an improper turn, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 During the investigation, it was discovered that both occupants had warrants for their arrest. A K9 Unit assisted and illegal narcotics were located.

The driver, Brandon M. Brooks, 29, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for two warrants out of Shawnee County and requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, no vehicle liability insurance, driving while suspended, improper turn and an expired tag.

The passenger, Sheyann N. Cutshall (28) of Topeka, was transported by American Medical Response to a local hospital following a non-life-threatening medical emergency on scene.

She was released from the hospital and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for a warrant out of the City of Topeka and requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628263966430.png" alt="Brooks photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Brooks photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.Just before 2 p.m. Wednesday, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a silver 2006 Mazda 3 in the 2000 block of NW Topeka Boulevard for an improper turn, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. During the investigation, it was discovered that both occupants had warrants for their arrest. A K9 Unit assisted and illegal narcotics were located.The driver, Brandon M. Brooks, 29, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for two warrants out of Shawnee County and requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, no vehicle liability insurance, driving while suspended, improper turn and an expired tag.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628263942727.png" alt="Cutshall photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Cutshall photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The passenger, Sheyann N. Cutshall (28) of Topeka, was transported by American Medical Response to a local hospital following a non-life-threatening medical emergency on scene.She was released from the hospital and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for a warrant out of the City of Topeka and requested charges of&nbsp; possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Kan. drug suspect moved from hospital to jail

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Officials with the Kansas City Zoo say they plan to begin vaccinating some animals housed at the attraction against COVID-19. 

Among those slated to be vaccinated are the zoo's great apes, including chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas, and its big cats, including lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards. 

Zoo officials say those species are the most susceptible to the virus. The animals will receive the Zoetis vaccine, which was developed specifically for animals and won’t affect the supply of vaccines for humans. 

More than 11,000 doses of that vaccine have been distributed across 70 zoos in 27 states.

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Officials with the Kansas City Zoo say they plan to begin vaccinating some animals housed at the attraction against COVID-19. Among those slated to be vaccinated are the zoo's great apes, including chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas, and its big cats, including lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards. Zoo officials say those species are the most susceptible to the virus. The animals will receive the Zoetis vaccine, which was developed specifically for animals and won’t affect the supply of vaccines for humans. More than 11,000 doses of that vaccine have been distributed across 70 zoos in 27 states.