WILBER, Neb. (AP) - A hearing to determine whether a Kansas felon should be sentenced to death for killing a Nebraska woman who arranged a Tinder date with him has been delayed until March after one of his attorneys tested positive for COVID-19.

Aubrey Trail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7242eab656f64cd99b8780881e67deab" target="_blank">was convicted</a>&nbsp;last year of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the November 2017 death and dismemberment of 24-year-old Lincoln store clerk Sydney Loofe, who disappeared after arranging a date with him.

The hearing was scheduled to begin this week in Wilber.

In a court motion seeking a delay, attorney Ben Murray said the coronavirus pandemic has prevented out-of-state witnesses, including Trail's relatives in Tennessee, from traveling to Nebraska.

He also said Trail's attorneys have been able to meet with him in person just once in six months, and argued that the notoriety of the case could draw large crowds and "become a significant community spreading event."

And he said Trail is at high risk for death or serious illness should he contract COVID-19.

Trail's girlfriend, Bailey Boswell, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lexington-crime-d16bca8562c0af3f96f701659586f699" target="_blank">convicted</a>&nbsp;in October of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and improper disposal of human remains for her role in Loofe's deat

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607567081963.png" alt="Aubrey Trail has previous convictions in Kansas for theft and giving a worthless check, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was scheduled for sentencing in December for Loofe's murder." />
 <figcaption>Aubrey Trail has previous convictions in Kansas for theft and giving a worthless check, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was scheduled for sentencing in December for Loofe's murder.</figcaption>
 </figure>WILBER, Neb. (AP) - A hearing to determine whether a Kansas felon should be sentenced to death for killing a Nebraska woman who arranged a Tinder date with him has been delayed until March after one of his attorneys tested positive for COVID-19.Aubrey Trail&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7242eab656f64cd99b8780881e67deab" target="_blank">was convicted</a>&nbsp;last year of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the November 2017 death and dismemberment of 24-year-old Lincoln store clerk Sydney Loofe, who disappeared after arranging a date with him.The hearing was scheduled to begin this week in Wilber.In a court motion seeking a delay, attorney Ben Murray said the coronavirus pandemic has prevented out-of-state witnesses, including Trail's relatives in Tennessee, from traveling to Nebraska.He also said Trail's attorneys have been able to meet with him in person just once in six months, and argued that the notoriety of the case could draw large crowds and "become a significant community spreading event."And he said Trail is at high risk for death or serious illness should he contract COVID-19.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1560911898785.png" alt="Bailey Boswell" />
 <figcaption>Bailey Boswell</figcaption>
 </figure>Trail's girlfriend, Bailey Boswell, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-lexington-crime-d16bca8562c0af3f96f701659586f699" target="_blank">convicted</a>&nbsp;in October of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and improper disposal of human remains for her role in Loofe's deat

Virus forces delay of Kan. felon's death penalty hearing

By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/coronavirus-could-end-history-math-and-chemistry-majors-some-universities-kansas">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA — Consider the mounting money problems facing public universities in Kansas.

Decades
 of ballooning tuition have made students and their families 
increasingly worried about college debt. Tech schools offer cheaper 
faster paths to a solid job. Help from taxpayers has waned.

Then 
came the pandemic. Campuses had to spend heavily to retool for safety 
during the outbreak. Still, large numbers of students and the money they
 would have spent on dorms, tuition and the like stayed away.

The University of Kansas predicted over the summer that it would only come up short — <a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/ku/2020/may/21/university-of-kansas-estimating-120-million-shortfall-in-coming-fiscal-year-as-a-result-of-covid-19-pandemic/" target="_blank">by a full 25%</a> — on the money needed to cover its costs.

The
 Kansas Board of Regents had eyed cutting entire programs before the 
economic crisis that came with the pandemic. Now that cost-cutting takes
 on new urgency.

Departments with the majors that draw the 
smallest numbers of students find themselves in existential peril — 
forced to justify themselves either as money makers or as the reasons to
 take a college degree seriously.

The discussion puts a bullseye 
on 60 programs scattered across public universities in the state. While 
they typically offer classes that nearly all students need to graduate, 
they also draw the fewest students to pursue their majors — in history, 
in mathematics and other staple subjects.

That’s partly why 
making those cuts isn’t so simple. Schools have to weigh the needs of 
their students against the schools’ increasingly dire finances. And just
 because few students major in a program, doesn’t mean it isn’t 
essential for a university.

The
 majors getting a hard look aren’t obscure or outdated programs, like 
Secretarial Science (Fort Hays State University is already phasing that 
one out).

While they might not be popular as majors, just about 
everyone at the university takes classes in subjects such as math, 
history and biology to earn a diploma.

Of the 60 majors the Regents are reviewing, 34 are listed as supporting general education.

Universities
 would need to find a way to still offer things like U.S. History 101. 
That may mean dumping the tenured professor who’s written the textbook 
for an adjunct at a fraction of the cost.

Many of those adjuncts are already <a href="https://www.wbur.org/edify/2017/06/30/students-dont-deserve-underpaid-overworked-professors" target="_blank">overworked, underpaid</a>.

If
 the programs go away, students could have some jury-rigged options, 
like taking online classes from another school in Kansas. If Emporia 
State University’s chemistry major disappears, and its general education
 courses go with it, those students could be allowed to take an online 
version from Kansas State University.

Rich Sleezer, the chair of 
Emporia State’s Department of Physical Sciences, opposes the idea. Not 
only would his programs get cut, he argues it would hurt Emporia State 
students interested in med school or other scientific fields. Online 
chem classes might do in a pandemic, but Sleezer said those classes need
 to happen in-person.

“Medical schools do not want somebody who 
had an online chemistry lab,” Sleezer said. “They want us to do those 
face-to-face in the laboratory.”

Even
 those programs that don’t support general education won’t be so easy to
 cut. That’s because the same professors who would be tossed out with 
the major are teaching other, more popular majors too.

A 
professor teaching a senior level course in chemistry might also be 
teaching a needed upper level class for biochemistry and forensic 
science graduate students. Oftentimes one major can’t be cut, along with
 the professors teaching it, without neutering another.

Sleezer 
said about five years ago he had to cut a physical sciences major. But 
because there weren’t any professors that only taught for that specific 
program, no one was let go.

“It didn’t save a dime,” Sleezer said. “There were no resources whatsoever devoted to that and that alone.”

Not every program is so interconnected that there wouldn’t be any savings from losing it. And faculty make up the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=75#:~:text=Instruction%2C%20including%20faculty%20salaries%20and,postsecondary%20institutions%20in%202017%E2%80%9318." target="_blank">biggest expense for colleges</a>. That makes it hard to save money without talking about axing professors.

But getting rid of that faculty also has some of the biggest impacts on how strong classes are.

“You
 can’t have these conversations about cost and not have similar 
conversations about what does this do to quality,” said. Justin Ortagus,
 director of the Institute of Higher Education at the University of 
Florida.

The Regents began looking at the low enrollment programs
 before the coronavirus arrived in Kansas. But eight months after the 
virus shutdown campuses, the Regents have extra incentive to find places
 to cut.

“The economic realities are pretty harsh,” said Shelly 
Kiblinger, a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. “We (need) to make 
some of those very hard decisions.”

Those
 low enrollment programs aren’t just getting scrutinized for savings. 
Kiblinger said they’re getting evaluated to see if they still meet 
student needs — college kids might be staying away because they don’t 
see a future with a history degree. That might mean needing to retool 
the program or that the university should reconsider why they offer it 
at all.

“If we identify programs that really aren’t meeting any 
need,” Kiblinger said, “it would be wrong for us to continue to offer 
such programs without really asking ourselves what purpose are those 
serving.”

And losing those programs to save money and keep 
tuition low — or at least keep it from raising any higher — could 
benefit all students.

Unless you’re planning on being a political
 science major like Emporia State junior Brayden Soper. His program 
graduates about seven students a year. Soper would be OK if Emporia 
State cut political science. Programs usually phase out rather than end 
suddenly. But a high schooler interested in that major would no longer 
have Emporia State as an option. Picking KU instead would mean paying 
$2,000 more a semester.

“For a lot of students, that would just completely be a dealbreaker,” Soper said.

Plus
 that small program size isn’t a problem for Soper — it’s a selling 
point. He prefers being in a major where he knows all the other students
 and professors.

“We get to get really comfortable with each 
other and have deep discussions,” Soper said. “I may not necessarily get
 that as much at one of the larger universities.”

Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/stevebisaha" target="_blank">@SteveBisaha</a> or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607982730862.png" alt="Stephan Bisaha / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>Stephan Bisaha / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/coronavirus-could-end-history-math-and-chemistry-majors-some-universities-kansas">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA — Consider the mounting money problems facing public universities in Kansas.Decades
 of ballooning tuition have made students and their families 
increasingly worried about college debt. Tech schools offer cheaper 
faster paths to a solid job. Help from taxpayers has waned.Then 
came the pandemic. Campuses had to spend heavily to retool for safety 
during the outbreak. Still, large numbers of students and the money they
 would have spent on dorms, tuition and the like stayed away.The University of Kansas predicted over the summer that it would only come up short — <a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/ku/2020/may/21/university-of-kansas-estimating-120-million-shortfall-in-coming-fiscal-year-as-a-result-of-covid-19-pandemic/" target="_blank">by a full 25%</a> — on the money needed to cover its costs.The
 Kansas Board of Regents had eyed cutting entire programs before the 
economic crisis that came with the pandemic. Now that cost-cutting takes
 on new urgency.Departments with the majors that draw the 
smallest numbers of students find themselves in existential peril — 
forced to justify themselves either as money makers or as the reasons to
 take a college degree seriously.The discussion puts a bullseye 
on 60 programs scattered across public universities in the state. While 
they typically offer classes that nearly all students need to graduate, 
they also draw the fewest students to pursue their majors — in history, 
in mathematics and other staple subjects.That’s partly why 
making those cuts isn’t so simple. Schools have to weigh the needs of 
their students against the schools’ increasingly dire finances. And just
 because few students major in a program, doesn’t mean it isn’t 
essential for a university.<h2>Must-have classes</h2>The
 majors getting a hard look aren’t obscure or outdated programs, like 
Secretarial Science (Fort Hays State University is already phasing that 
one out).While they might not be popular as majors, just about 
everyone at the university takes classes in subjects such as math, 
history and biology to earn a diploma.Of the 60 majors the Regents are reviewing, 34 are listed as supporting general education.Universities
 would need to find a way to still offer things like U.S. History 101. 
That may mean dumping the tenured professor who’s written the textbook 
for an adjunct at a fraction of the cost.Many of those adjuncts are already <a href="https://www.wbur.org/edify/2017/06/30/students-dont-deserve-underpaid-overworked-professors" target="_blank">overworked, underpaid</a>.If
 the programs go away, students could have some jury-rigged options, 
like taking online classes from another school in Kansas. If Emporia 
State University’s chemistry major disappears, and its general education
 courses go with it, those students could be allowed to take an online 
version from Kansas State University.Rich Sleezer, the chair of 
Emporia State’s Department of Physical Sciences, opposes the idea. Not 
only would his programs get cut, he argues it would hurt Emporia State 
students interested in med school or other scientific fields. Online 
chem classes might do in a pandemic, but Sleezer said those classes need
 to happen in-person.“Medical schools do not want somebody who 
had an online chemistry lab,” Sleezer said. “They want us to do those 
face-to-face in the laboratory.”<h2>Not guaranteed savings</h2>Even
 those programs that don’t support general education won’t be so easy to
 cut. That’s because the same professors who would be tossed out with 
the major are teaching other, more popular majors too.A 
professor teaching a senior level course in chemistry might also be 
teaching a needed upper level class for biochemistry and forensic 
science graduate students. Oftentimes one major can’t be cut, along with
 the professors teaching it, without neutering another.Sleezer 
said about five years ago he had to cut a physical sciences major. But 
because there weren’t any professors that only taught for that specific 
program, no one was let go.“It didn’t save a dime,” Sleezer said. “There were no resources whatsoever devoted to that and that alone.”Not every program is so interconnected that there wouldn’t be any savings from losing it. And faculty make up the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=75#:~:text=Instruction%2C%20including%20faculty%20salaries%20and,postsecondary%20institutions%20in%202017%E2%80%9318." target="_blank">biggest expense for colleges</a>. That makes it hard to save money without talking about axing professors.But getting rid of that faculty also has some of the biggest impacts on how strong classes are.“You
 can’t have these conversations about cost and not have similar 
conversations about what does this do to quality,” said. Justin Ortagus,
 director of the Institute of Higher Education at the University of 
Florida.The Regents began looking at the low enrollment programs
 before the coronavirus arrived in Kansas. But eight months after the 
virus shutdown campuses, the Regents have extra incentive to find places
 to cut.“The economic realities are pretty harsh,” said Shelly 
Kiblinger, a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. “We (need) to make 
some of those very hard decisions.”<h2>What’s best for students</h2>Those
 low enrollment programs aren’t just getting scrutinized for savings. 
Kiblinger said they’re getting evaluated to see if they still meet 
student needs — college kids might be staying away because they don’t 
see a future with a history degree. That might mean needing to retool 
the program or that the university should reconsider why they offer it 
at all.“If we identify programs that really aren’t meeting any 
need,” Kiblinger said, “it would be wrong for us to continue to offer 
such programs without really asking ourselves what purpose are those 
serving.”And losing those programs to save money and keep 
tuition low — or at least keep it from raising any higher — could 
benefit all students.Unless you’re planning on being a political
 science major like Emporia State junior Brayden Soper. His program 
graduates about seven students a year. Soper would be OK if Emporia 
State cut political science. Programs usually phase out rather than end 
suddenly. But a high schooler interested in that major would no longer 
have Emporia State as an option. Picking KU instead would mean paying 
$2,000 more a semester.“For a lot of students, that would just completely be a dealbreaker,” Soper said.Plus
 that small program size isn’t a problem for Soper — it’s a selling 
point. He prefers being in a major where he knows all the other students
 and professors.“We get to get really comfortable with each 
other and have deep discussions,” Soper said. “I may not necessarily get
 that as much at one of the larger universities.”Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/stevebisaha" target="_blank">@SteveBisaha</a> or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

Virus could end history, math, chemistry majors at some Kan. universities

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden pointedly criticized President Donald Trump on Monday for threatening core principles of democracy even as he told Americans that their form of self-government ultimately “prevailed.”

Speaking from his longtime home of Wilmington, Delaware, on the day that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-district-of-columbia-elections-d429ef97af2bf574d16463384dc7cc1e">electors nationwide cast&nbsp;</a>votes affirming his victory, Biden was blunt in critiquing the damage done by Trump’s baseless allegations that the contest was stolen. Such arguments have been roundly rejected by judges across the political spectrum, including the justices at the Supreme Court.

Democracy, Biden said, has been “pushed, tested, threatened.” But he said it proved to be “resilient, true, and strong.”

“The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago,” Biden said. “And we now know that nothing, not even a pandemic or an abuse of power, can extinguish that flame.”

Biden and his team hope that the formal victory in the Electoral College combined with his record-setting 81 million-vote count will help the country unify and accept his presidency. But the challenge facing Biden was evident as many congressional Republicans, including some of the party’s top leaders, refused to officially accept Biden’s win. Trump, meanwhile, shows no sign of conceding.

The president-elect acknowledged an irony in the circumstances, noting that he won with the same number of electoral votes — 306 — as Trump did four years ago. Trump hailed that win as a “landslide.”

“By his own standards, these numbers represent a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now,” Biden said.

A candidate needs to win 270 electoral votes to clinch the presidency.

The fact that Biden had to even give such a speech shortly after electors voted to make him the president — a usually routine and even mundane step — shows how extraordinary the post-election period has been, with Trump trying to thwart Biden at every turn.

Despite that, Biden struck a familiar theme of his presidential campaign, pledging to be “a president for all Americans” who will “work just as hard for those of you who didn’t vote for me as I will for those who did.”

“Now it is time to turn the page as we’ve done throughout our history,” he said. “To unite. To heal.”

He said that was the only way the country could overcome the worst health crisis in more than a century, saying that in the face of the pandemic, “we need to work together, give each other a chance and lower the temperature.”

Whether his message will have any effect remains to be seen. Top Republicans have mostly continued to back Trump and his unsubstantiated claims of a rigged election and, even once Biden takes power, are unlikely to give him any of the traditional honeymoon period.

Biden recalled that one of his jobs as vice president four years ago was to formally recognize Trump’s electoral victory in the Senate after 2016, and he said he expected the same process to occur this time — saluting the small number of GOP senators who have acknowledged his victory. But there are many other leading Republicans who have continued to side with Trump.

And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-losing-election-lawsuits-36d113484ac0946fa5f0614deb7de15e">after losing dozens of legal challenges</a>&nbsp;on the state and federal level, Trump is expected to push forward with new litigation this week. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani says he expects five more lawsuits at the state level.

Even after he takes the White House, Biden faces a narrowly divided Senate. Next month’s runoff elections in Georgia will decide which party controls the chamber. There’s also a thinned Democratic majority in the House as the GOP picked up seats even as Trump lost.

Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin is set to hold a hearing Wednesday on election “irregularities.” Johnson has questioned why Congress wasn’t informed that the taxes of Biden’s son Hunter were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-ap-top-news-ukraine-subpoenas-109c4684a72045aac7ad8c196ab57812">under federal investigation</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9b96e6d47cfc7c8fa0288bf040307ede">Trump’s impeachment</a>&nbsp;trial last year.

The president was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/93c85dcfb0e6b2185391965e77ebea51">acquitted in a Senate trial</a>&nbsp;that centered on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/273e46e2fa324eb9ba5d69ab2a2c69cb">Trump’s dealings with Ukraine’s president</a>&nbsp;and on whether he abused his office by seeking an investigation into the Bidens. Hunter Biden served on the board of directors of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9d4595ba4f3140c6bb6a3473a91f4a4c">a Ukrainian energy company</a>.

The younger Biden said in a statement last week that he just recently learned that he was under investigation. He also said he committed no wrongdoing.

Biden’s deputy chief of staff, Jen O’Malley Dillon, downplayed the notion that the investigation could hamper Biden’s ability to pursue his agenda.

“The president-elect himself has said this is not about his family or Donald Trump’s family,” O’Malley Dillon said. “It is about the American people’s families. And I think we’re going to continue to stay focused on the issues that are impacting their daily lives.”

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden pointedly criticized President Donald Trump on Monday for threatening core principles of democracy even as he told Americans that their form of self-government ultimately “prevailed.”<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjoebiden%2Fvideos%2F395255948357218%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Speaking from his longtime home of Wilmington, Delaware, on the day that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-district-of-columbia-elections-d429ef97af2bf574d16463384dc7cc1e">electors nationwide cast&nbsp;</a>votes affirming his victory, Biden was blunt in critiquing the damage done by Trump’s baseless allegations that the contest was stolen. Such arguments have been roundly rejected by judges across the political spectrum, including the justices at the Supreme Court.Democracy, Biden said, has been “pushed, tested, threatened.” But he said it proved to be “resilient, true, and strong.”“The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago,” Biden said. “And we now know that nothing, not even a pandemic or an abuse of power, can extinguish that flame.”Biden and his team hope that the formal victory in the Electoral College combined with his record-setting 81 million-vote count will help the country unify and accept his presidency. But the challenge facing Biden was evident as many congressional Republicans, including some of the party’s top leaders, refused to officially accept Biden’s win. Trump, meanwhile, shows no sign of conceding.The president-elect acknowledged an irony in the circumstances, noting that he won with the same number of electoral votes — 306 — as Trump did four years ago. Trump hailed that win as a “landslide.”“By his own standards, these numbers represent a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now,” Biden said.A candidate needs to win 270 electoral votes to clinch the presidency.The fact that Biden had to even give such a speech shortly after electors voted to make him the president — a usually routine and even mundane step — shows how extraordinary the post-election period has been, with Trump trying to thwart Biden at every turn.Despite that, Biden struck a familiar theme of his presidential campaign, pledging to be “a president for all Americans” who will “work just as hard for those of you who didn’t vote for me as I will for those who did.”“Now it is time to turn the page as we’ve done throughout our history,” he said. “To unite. To heal.”He said that was the only way the country could overcome the worst health crisis in more than a century, saying that in the face of the pandemic, “we need to work together, give each other a chance and lower the temperature.”Whether his message will have any effect remains to be seen. Top Republicans have mostly continued to back Trump and his unsubstantiated claims of a rigged election and, even once Biden takes power, are unlikely to give him any of the traditional honeymoon period.Biden recalled that one of his jobs as vice president four years ago was to formally recognize Trump’s electoral victory in the Senate after 2016, and he said he expected the same process to occur this time — saluting the small number of GOP senators who have acknowledged his victory. But there are many other leading Republicans who have continued to side with Trump.And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-losing-election-lawsuits-36d113484ac0946fa5f0614deb7de15e">after losing dozens of legal challenges</a>&nbsp;on the state and federal level, Trump is expected to push forward with new litigation this week. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani says he expects five more lawsuits at the state level.Even after he takes the White House, Biden faces a narrowly divided Senate. Next month’s runoff elections in Georgia will decide which party controls the chamber. There’s also a thinned Democratic majority in the House as the GOP picked up seats even as Trump lost.Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin is set to hold a hearing Wednesday on election “irregularities.” Johnson has questioned why Congress wasn’t informed that the taxes of Biden’s son Hunter were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-ap-top-news-ukraine-subpoenas-109c4684a72045aac7ad8c196ab57812">under federal investigation</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9b96e6d47cfc7c8fa0288bf040307ede">Trump’s impeachment</a>&nbsp;trial last year.The president was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/93c85dcfb0e6b2185391965e77ebea51">acquitted in a Senate trial</a>&nbsp;that centered on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/273e46e2fa324eb9ba5d69ab2a2c69cb">Trump’s dealings with Ukraine’s president</a>&nbsp;and on whether he abused his office by seeking an investigation into the Bidens. Hunter Biden served on the board of directors of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9d4595ba4f3140c6bb6a3473a91f4a4c">a Ukrainian energy company</a>.The younger Biden said in a statement last week that he just recently learned that he was under investigation. He also said he committed no wrongdoing.Biden’s deputy chief of staff, Jen O’Malley Dillon, downplayed the notion that the investigation could hamper Biden’s ability to pursue his agenda.“The president-elect himself has said this is not about his family or Donald Trump’s family,” O’Malley Dillon said. “It is about the American people’s families. And I think we’re going to continue to stay focused on the issues that are impacting their daily lives.”

🎥 'Democracy prevailed': Biden aims to unify divided nation

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health care workers on Monday began receiving the first of the state’s coronavirus vaccines amid an ongoing surge in cases that has left hospitals stressed.

The Ascension Via Christi health care system gave shots to 115 physicians and employees at its St. Francis hospital, spokeswoman Roz Hutchinson said. The first group of five late Monday morning included a critical care nurse, a housekeeper for a COVID-19 unit and a respiratory therapist.

Gov. Laura Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference that Kansas had received its full, initial shipment of the first of two doses of a vaccine made by Pfizer for 23,750 people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized its emergency use Friday.

“We’ve a seen a rollout of a few vaccinations,” Kelly said. “We expect that we’ll continue to see that ramping up and that Wednesday, you’ll see sort of an across-the-state vaccination program beginning.”

At the Wichita hospital, Kristen Garrett, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at the hospital, was the first to receive the vaccine. She said she was concerned that people would let their guard down as vaccinations become available, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article247832155.html" target="_blank">reported.</a>

“I do worry that with the vaccine coming out, people will think it’s over,” she said. “It’s not.”

Dr. Maggie Hagan, an infectious disease specialist and medical director at the hospital, got the second shot.

Hospitals across the state are dealing with both staffing shortages and an influx of new coronavirus patients, an average of 55 a day for the seven days ending Monday. According to the Kansas Hospital Association, 61 of 142 hospitals surveyed or 43% are expecting critical staffing shortages in the coming week.

The state has reported more than 190,000 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since the pandemic reached Kansas in early March, or almost one for every 15 of its 2.9 million residents.

The Pfizer vaccine was going first to cold-storage sites that the state isn’t disclosing for security purposes before being distributed.

The state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-kansas-topeka-coronavirus-pandemic-2eeb006c1be08d2c9432569708454573">vaccine distribution plan</a>&nbsp;says the first shots are going first to health care workers at high risk of coronavirus exposure, and state officials have said the first group also includes nursing home workers and residents. Kelly said Monday that workers in state prisons — where there have been hundreds of cases — also will be in the first group to get the vaccines.

Other essential workers would receive shots in the second phase of the distribution, including first responders but also grocery and meatpacking plant workers, according to state officials.

Kansas officials hope to receive the first of two doses of a vaccine made by Moderna for 49,000 people later this month, though the FDA has yet to authorize its emergency use. Soon, Kelly said, the state should be receiving weekly shipments of the vaccine from both companies.

But it’s likely to be months before the vaccine is available for everyone, and Kelly said in a statement after her news conference, “The threat is not over.”

“We must all continue practicing commonsense COVID-19 mitigation efforts to protect our neighbors’ health and safety, keep businesses open, and get our kids back in school,” Kelly said.

Kansas reported 190,018 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, an increase of 4,724 since Friday. The state averaged 2,285 new confirmed and probable cases a day for the seven days ending Monday.

Department of Health and Environment data showed 2,109 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early March, an increase of 37 since Friday. The state also reported 5,895 hospitalizations as of Monday, an increase of 95 since Friday.

Five employees of the Via Christi Ascension health care system received shots at its St. Francis hospital in Wichita, including a critical care nurse, a housekeeper for a COVID-19 unit and a respiratory therapist, according to spokeswoman Roz Hutchinson.

Kristen Garrett, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at the hospital, was the first to receive the vaccine. She said she was concerned that people would let their guard down as vaccinations become available, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article247832155.html" target="_blank">reported.</a>

Doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer began arriving in Kansas after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-0437add2a9245e1f9c57e04e085c6cbc">authorized its emergency use</a>&nbsp;Friday. Kansas officials expected the state to receive the first of two doses for 23,750 people this week, but it likely will be months before everyone who wants to can be vaccinated.

State officials weren’t saying Monday where the first vaccines would go after arriving at cold-storage sites. Kansas also hasn’t disclosed where the vaccine is being stored before distribution, citing security reasons.

Under the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-kansas-topeka-coronavirus-pandemic-2eeb006c1be08d2c9432569708454573">vaccine distribution plan</a>, the first shots are going to health care workers at high risk of coronavirus exposure, including workers in nursing homes, as well as nursing home patients. Other essential workers would receive shots in the second phase of the distribution, including first responders but also grocery and meatpacking plant workers.

Kansas officials hope to receive the first of two doses of a vaccine made by Moderna for 49,000 people later this month, though the FDA has yet to authorize its emergency use.

Kansas reported 190,018 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, an increase of 4,724 since Friday. Department of Health and Environment data showed 2,109 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early March, an increase of 37 since Friday. The state also reported 5,895 hospitalizations as of Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607975824978.png" alt="Just after 11a.m. Monday, Kristen Garrett, RN, Critical Care Nurse, Ascension Via Christi in Wichita, received the COVID-19 vaccine, along with four of her colleagues. -photo courtesy Via Christi" />
 <figcaption>Just after 11a.m. Monday, Kristen Garrett, RN, Critical Care Nurse, Ascension Via Christi in Wichita, received the COVID-19 vaccine, along with four of her colleagues. -photo courtesy Via Christi</figcaption>
 </figure>By John HannahTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health care workers on Monday began receiving the first of the state’s coronavirus vaccines amid an ongoing surge in cases that has left hospitals stressed.The Ascension Via Christi health care system gave shots to 115 physicians and employees at its St. Francis hospital, spokeswoman Roz Hutchinson said. The first group of five late Monday morning included a critical care nurse, a housekeeper for a COVID-19 unit and a respiratory therapist.Gov. Laura Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference that Kansas had received its full, initial shipment of the first of two doses of a vaccine made by Pfizer for 23,750 people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized its emergency use Friday.“We’ve a seen a rollout of a few vaccinations,” Kelly said. “We expect that we’ll continue to see that ramping up and that Wednesday, you’ll see sort of an across-the-state vaccination program beginning.”At the Wichita hospital, Kristen Garrett, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at the hospital, was the first to receive the vaccine. She said she was concerned that people would let their guard down as vaccinations become available, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article247832155.html" target="_blank">reported.</a>“I do worry that with the vaccine coming out, people will think it’s over,” she said. “It’s not.”Dr. Maggie Hagan, an infectious disease specialist and medical director at the hospital, got the second shot.Hospitals across the state are dealing with both staffing shortages and an influx of new coronavirus patients, an average of 55 a day for the seven days ending Monday. According to the Kansas Hospital Association, 61 of 142 hospitals surveyed or 43% are expecting critical staffing shortages in the coming week.The state has reported more than 190,000 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since the pandemic reached Kansas in early March, or almost one for every 15 of its 2.9 million residents.The Pfizer vaccine was going first to cold-storage sites that the state isn’t disclosing for security purposes before being distributed.The state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-kansas-topeka-coronavirus-pandemic-2eeb006c1be08d2c9432569708454573">vaccine distribution plan</a>&nbsp;says the first shots are going first to health care workers at high risk of coronavirus exposure, and state officials have said the first group also includes nursing home workers and residents. Kelly said Monday that workers in state prisons — where there have been hundreds of cases — also will be in the first group to get the vaccines.Other essential workers would receive shots in the second phase of the distribution, including first responders but also grocery and meatpacking plant workers, according to state officials.Kansas officials hope to receive the first of two doses of a vaccine made by Moderna for 49,000 people later this month, though the FDA has yet to authorize its emergency use. Soon, Kelly said, the state should be receiving weekly shipments of the vaccine from both companies.But it’s likely to be months before the vaccine is available for everyone, and Kelly said in a statement after her news conference, “The threat is not over.”“We must all continue practicing commonsense COVID-19 mitigation efforts to protect our neighbors’ health and safety, keep businesses open, and get our kids back in school,” Kelly said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607969623793.png" alt="Monday Dec. 14, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Dec. 14, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas reported 190,018 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, an increase of 4,724 since Friday. The state averaged 2,285 new confirmed and probable cases a day for the seven days ending Monday.Department of Health and Environment data showed 2,109 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early March, an increase of 37 since Friday. The state also reported 5,895 hospitalizations as of Monday, an increase of 95 since Friday.---------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health care workers on Monday began receiving the first of the state’s coronavirus vaccines amid an ongoing surge in cases that has left hospitals stressed.Five employees of the Via Christi Ascension health care system received shots at its St. Francis hospital in Wichita, including a critical care nurse, a housekeeper for a COVID-19 unit and a respiratory therapist, according to spokeswoman Roz Hutchinson.Kristen Garrett, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at the hospital, was the first to receive the vaccine. She said she was concerned that people would let their guard down as vaccinations become available, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article247832155.html" target="_blank">reported.</a>“I do worry that with the vaccine coming out, people will think it’s over,” she said. “It’s not.”Dr. Maggie Hagan, an infectious disease specialist and medical director at the hospital, got the second shot.Doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer began arriving in Kansas after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-0437add2a9245e1f9c57e04e085c6cbc">authorized its emergency use</a>&nbsp;Friday. Kansas officials expected the state to receive the first of two doses for 23,750 people this week, but it likely will be months before everyone who wants to can be vaccinated.State officials weren’t saying Monday where the first vaccines would go after arriving at cold-storage sites. Kansas also hasn’t disclosed where the vaccine is being stored before distribution, citing security reasons.Under the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-kansas-topeka-coronavirus-pandemic-2eeb006c1be08d2c9432569708454573">vaccine distribution plan</a>, the first shots are going to health care workers at high risk of coronavirus exposure, including workers in nursing homes, as well as nursing home patients. Other essential workers would receive shots in the second phase of the distribution, including first responders but also grocery and meatpacking plant workers.Kansas officials hope to receive the first of two doses of a vaccine made by Moderna for 49,000 people later this month, though the FDA has yet to authorize its emergency use.Kansas reported 190,018 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, an increase of 4,724 since Friday. Department of Health and Environment data showed 2,109 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early March, an increase of 37 since Friday. The state also reported 5,895 hospitalizations as of Monday.

Kansas receives Pfizer vaccine for 23,750 people

BROWN COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman for alleged child sex crimes.

Following an investigation, deputies arrested Austyn Koch, 19, of Hiawatha requested charges of Indecent Liberties with a Child, Criminal Sodomy, and Sexual Exploitation of a Child, according to&nbsp;Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

She is also being held on requested charges that include marijuana possession, and liquor purchased by a minor, according to online jail records. She remains in custody on a $75,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607982558158.png" alt="Koch photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Koch photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY- Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman for alleged child sex crimes.Following an investigation, deputies arrested Austyn Koch, 19, of Hiawatha requested charges of Indecent Liberties with a Child, Criminal Sodomy, and Sexual Exploitation of a Child, according to&nbsp;Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.She is also being held on requested charges that include marijuana possession, and liquor purchased by a minor, according to online jail records. She remains in custody on a $75,000 bond.

Kansas teen jailed for alleged child sex crimes

LABETTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Labette County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Derick W. Spencer, 41, Cherryvale, was eastbound on U.S. 400 approximately ten miles east of U.S. 59.

The pickup rear-ended a 2015 Ford Fusion driven by Mandy M.&nbsp;Karstetter, 44, McCune, that was slowing to turn onto Messer Road. 

The Ford rotated in a counterclockwise motion into the westbound lane. A westbound 2016 Freightliner semi driven by Michael W. Capps, 58, Ward. Arkansas, collided with the rear of the Ford.

Karstetter was pronounced dead at the scene. Spencer and Capps were not injured. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

LABETTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Labette County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Derick W. Spencer, 41, Cherryvale, was eastbound on U.S. 400 approximately ten miles east of U.S. 59.The pickup rear-ended a 2015 Ford Fusion driven by Mandy M.&nbsp;Karstetter, 44, McCune, that was slowing to turn onto Messer Road. The Ford rotated in a counterclockwise motion into the westbound lane. A westbound 2016 Freightliner semi driven by Michael W. Capps, 58, Ward. Arkansas, collided with the rear of the Ford.Karstetter was pronounced dead at the scene. Spencer and Capps were not injured. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dies after 3-vehicle semi crash

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after&nbsp;

Just after 9a.m. Sunday,&nbsp;a police officer attempted to stop a 1995 GMC 1500 pickup in the 200 block of Oakdale Drive in Salina, as no license plate was displayed, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

The officer initiated his lights and siren as the vehicle did not stop, and a pursuit ensued as follows.

Southbound on South Oakdale Drive, westbound on Center Street at speeds around 50 mph, northbound on Santa Fe Avenue and through the Salina Regional Health Center parking lot to South Eighth Street, northbound on South Eighth Street, westbound on West Mulberry Street, Northbound on South Ninth Street, where speeds reached 70 mph, and at one point the driver passed a vehicle on the right/

As the vehicle traveled westbound on Hamilton Avenue it was traveling too fast to negotiate the turn at Hamilton and struck the curb and went up into a yard. The vehicle came back into the street and pulled into a driveway in the 1100 block of North 12th Street

It then turned south and drove across a vacant lot and back southbound onto North 12th Street, continued eastbound on West Harsh Avenue at approximately 40 mph. At the intersection of West Harsh Avenue and North 10th Street, the vehicle struck a Saline police patrol vehicle had just pulled into the intersection, according to Forrester.

The pickup traveled up into the yard at 1000 North 10th Street and was disabled.

&nbsp;The driver later identified as 27-year-old Dallas Blackman of Salina, exited the passenger side door and fled on foot. He was apprehended a short time later in the back of 1000 North 10th Street.&nbsp;

The patrol vehicle, a 2020 Ford Explorer, had disabling damage to the passenger side rear, according to Forrester. The officer was treated for a concussion and soreness from the crash and released..

Blackman is being held on requested charges that include Felony flee and elude, Felony reckless driving, Aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, Criminal damage to property, Failure to stop at an accident, Failure to yield to emergency vehicle, Driving without a driver’s license, No proof of insurance, No seat belt and No vehicle registration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607956390809.jpeg" alt="Backman photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Backman photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after&nbsp;Just after 9a.m. Sunday,&nbsp;a police officer attempted to stop a 1995 GMC 1500 pickup in the 200 block of Oakdale Drive in Salina, as no license plate was displayed, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.The officer initiated his lights and siren as the vehicle did not stop, and a pursuit ensued as follows.Southbound on South Oakdale Drive, westbound on Center Street at speeds around 50 mph, northbound on Santa Fe Avenue and through the Salina Regional Health Center parking lot to South Eighth Street, northbound on South Eighth Street, westbound on West Mulberry Street, Northbound on South Ninth Street, where speeds reached 70 mph, and at one point the driver passed a vehicle on the right/As the vehicle traveled westbound on Hamilton Avenue it was traveling too fast to negotiate the turn at Hamilton and struck the curb and went up into a yard. The vehicle came back into the street and pulled into a driveway in the 1100 block of North 12th StreetIt then turned south and drove across a vacant lot and back southbound onto North 12th Street, continued eastbound on West Harsh Avenue at approximately 40 mph. At the intersection of West Harsh Avenue and North 10th Street, the vehicle struck a Saline police patrol vehicle had just pulled into the intersection, according to Forrester.The pickup traveled up into the yard at 1000 North 10th Street and was disabled.&nbsp;The driver later identified as 27-year-old Dallas Blackman of Salina, exited the passenger side door and fled on foot. He was apprehended a short time later in the back of 1000 North 10th Street.&nbsp;The patrol vehicle, a 2020 Ford Explorer, had disabling damage to the passenger side rear, according to Forrester. The officer was treated for a concussion and soreness from the crash and released..Blackman is being held on requested charges that include Felony flee and elude, Felony reckless driving, Aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, Criminal damage to property, Failure to stop at an accident, Failure to yield to emergency vehicle, Driving without a driver’s license, No proof of insurance, No seat belt and No vehicle registration.

Kansas man jailed after chase, crash into police SUV

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of a suspicious deaths in Topeka.

Just before 10:30p.m. Friday, police responded to a report of a possible shooting at a motel in the 3800 block of SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Lt. John Trimble.

At the scene, police found&nbsp; victim as Peace A. Goodman, 25, with life-threatening injuries. It is unclear at this point what caused the injuries, but that victim died on scene shortly after officers arrived. Police brought several individuals to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning, according to Trimble.

Police have not released the cause of Goodman’s death or reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607986265862.png" alt="google image" />
 <figcaption>google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of a suspicious deaths in Topeka.Just before 10:30p.m. Friday, police responded to a report of a possible shooting at a motel in the 3800 block of SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Lt. John Trimble.At the scene, police found&nbsp; victim as Peace A. Goodman, 25, with life-threatening injuries. It is unclear at this point what caused the injuries, but that victim died on scene shortly after officers arrived. Police brought several individuals to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning, according to Trimble.Police have not released the cause of Goodman’s death or reported an arrest.

Police ID victim, question suspects after Kan. motel death

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Native American tribe is seeking the return of a prayer rock that was transformed into a monument honoring Kansas settlers. 

Before the Kaw people were forcibly moved from Kansas to what is now Oklahoma in 1873, they held ceremonies and gathering before the 23-ton boulder known as the “Big Red Rock.” As Lawrence prepared for its 75th anniversary in 1929, the rock was moved to a park in town. 

A letter from the Kaw Nation says the intent is to bring the rock to Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park in Council Grove. The long-range goal is to develop the site into a place where people can learn about the state’s original inhabitants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607822821935.png" alt="Big Red Rock&nbsp; in Robinson Park-google image" />
 <figcaption>Big Red Rock&nbsp; in Robinson Park-google image</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Native American tribe is seeking the return of a prayer rock that was transformed into a monument honoring Kansas settlers. Before the Kaw people were forcibly moved from Kansas to what is now Oklahoma in 1873, they held ceremonies and gathering before the 23-ton boulder known as the “Big Red Rock.” As Lawrence prepared for its 75th anniversary in 1929, the rock was moved to a park in town. A letter from the Kaw Nation says the intent is to bring the rock to Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park in Council Grove. The long-range goal is to develop the site into a place where people can learn about the state’s original inhabitants.

Kaw Nation asks for return of sacred prayer rock in Kansas

WASHINGTON&nbsp; (AP)— Attorney General William Barr, one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies, is resigning amid lingering tension with the president over the president’s baseless claims of election fraud and the investigation into president-elect Joe Biden’s son.

Barr went to the White House on Monday, where Trump said he submitted his letter of resignation. “As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family,” Trump tweeted.

Trump has publicly expressed his anger about Barr’s statement to The Associated Press earlier this month that the Justice Department had found no widespread election fraud that would change the outcome of the election. Trump has also been angry that the Justice Department did not publicly announce it was investigating Hunter Biden ahead of the election, despite department policy against such a pronouncement.

Trump said Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, whom he labeled “an outstanding person,” will become Acting Attorney General.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597857449611.png" alt="Attorney General William Barr during a July press conference in Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Attorney General William Barr during a July press conference in Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp; (AP)— Attorney General William Barr, one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies, is resigning amid lingering tension with the president over the president’s baseless claims of election fraud and the investigation into president-elect Joe Biden’s son.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House. Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job! As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family...&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1338614499981602819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Barr went to the White House on Monday, where Trump said he submitted his letter of resignation. “As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family,” Trump tweeted.Trump has publicly expressed his anger about Barr’s statement to The Associated Press earlier this month that the Justice Department had found no widespread election fraud that would change the outcome of the election. Trump has also been angry that the Justice Department did not publicly announce it was investigating Hunter Biden ahead of the election, despite department policy against such a pronouncement.Trump said Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, whom he labeled “an outstanding person,” will become Acting Attorney General.

Pres. Trump: AG Barr resigns, will leave before Christmas

TOPEKA –Governor Laura Kelly held a press conference Monday afternoon to announce Commerce Secretary David&nbsp; to fill the role of Lieutenant Governor, following Lynn Rogers’ recent appointment to State Treasurer.

Toland will also continue in his role at Secretary of Commerce.

Since being appointed by Governor Laura Kelly in January, Secretary Toland has overseen sweeping changes within the state’s leading economic development agency, according to the <a href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/about/meet-the-team/leadership/">Commerce Dept. web site.</a> Under his leadership, the Department is conducting a new economic development&nbsp;<a href="https://sokansas.sharepoint.com/sites/KDCMarketingWebsiteRedesign/Shared%20Documents/Content%20Development/About%20Us/kansasgrowth.com" target="_blank">strategic planning process</a>&nbsp;for the state that will replace the 1986 Redwood-Krider report.&nbsp;

Toland has also aggressively worked to rebuild the Business and Community Development divisions of the Department of Commerce, filling positions that have remained vacant for several years and re-establishing the state’s presence in key domestic and international markets. He also led negotiations on behalf of Governor Kelly that resulted in the end of the so-called “Border War” that has gone on between Kansas and Missouri for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining the team at Commerce, Secretary Toland was the first CEO of Thrive Allen County, a nonprofit coalition that works to improve quality of life and economic conditions in Allen County, Kansas. A seventh-generation Allen Countian, Toland oversaw the organization in its efforts toward improving healthcare access, healthy lifestyles and economic development in the small, rural Kansas county.

Prior to his return to his hometown, Toland worked as an appointee of Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams, holding key leadership positions in the D.C. economic development and planning offices.

TOPEKA –Governor Laura Kelly held a press conference Monday afternoon to announce Commerce Secretary David&nbsp; to fill the role of Lieutenant Governor, following Lynn Rogers’ recent appointment to State Treasurer.Toland will also continue in his role at Secretary of Commerce.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F1065371527222409%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Since being appointed by Governor Laura Kelly in January, Secretary Toland has overseen sweeping changes within the state’s leading economic development agency, according to the <a href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/about/meet-the-team/leadership/">Commerce Dept. web site.</a> Under his leadership, the Department is conducting a new economic development&nbsp;<a href="https://sokansas.sharepoint.com/sites/KDCMarketingWebsiteRedesign/Shared%20Documents/Content%20Development/About%20Us/kansasgrowth.com" target="_blank">strategic planning process</a>&nbsp;for the state that will replace the 1986 Redwood-Krider report.&nbsp;Toland has also aggressively worked to rebuild the Business and Community Development divisions of the Department of Commerce, filling positions that have remained vacant for several years and re-establishing the state’s presence in key domestic and international markets. He also led negotiations on behalf of Governor Kelly that resulted in the end of the so-called “Border War” that has gone on between Kansas and Missouri for nearly a decade.Prior to joining the team at Commerce, Secretary Toland was the first CEO of Thrive Allen County, a nonprofit coalition that works to improve quality of life and economic conditions in Allen County, Kansas. A seventh-generation Allen Countian, Toland oversaw the organization in its efforts toward improving healthcare access, healthy lifestyles and economic development in the small, rural Kansas county.Prior to his return to his hometown, Toland worked as an appointee of Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams, holding key leadership positions in the D.C. economic development and planning offices.

 🎥 Governor appoints Commerce Sec. Toland as Lt. Governor 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican party officials picked to serve as Kansas members of the Electoral College on Monday cast the state’s six electoral votes for President Donald Trump.

The electors convened at the Statehouse in the House chamber with Secretary of State Scott Schwab, the state’s chief election official, presiding over their 15-minute meeting. They first cast votes for president, then for Vice President Mike Pence and afterward signed documents certifying their actions.

The electors were led by Kansas GOP Chairman Mike Kuckelman, and all were state party officials or activists.

Trump carried Kansas with more than 56% of the vote in the November election, while Democrat Joe Biden received less than 42%. However, Biden carried enough states to win 306 electoral votes nationally, to 232 for Trump.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican party officials picked to serve as Kansas members of the Electoral College on Monday cast the state’s six electoral votes for President Donald Trump.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0yq1VROR0tc"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The electors convened at the Statehouse in the House chamber with Secretary of State Scott Schwab, the state’s chief election official, presiding over their 15-minute meeting. They first cast votes for president, then for Vice President Mike Pence and afterward signed documents certifying their actions.The electors were led by Kansas GOP Chairman Mike Kuckelman, and all were state party officials or activists.Trump carried Kansas with more than 56% of the vote in the November election, while Democrat Joe Biden received less than 42%. However, Biden carried enough states to win 306 electoral votes nationally, to 232 for Trump.

 🎥 Electors cast Kansas' 6 votes for President Trump

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office reported that Carl A. Whiting has been located and is now safe.&nbsp;

BARTON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Barton County Sheriff’s Office requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a man missing from Barton County.&nbsp;

The whereabouts of 64-year-old Carl A. Whiting are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.

Whiting was last seen at approximately 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 14, in western Barton County, near K-96 Highway.

Whiting is a white male, 6foot-2 in. tall and weighing 240 pounds. He has brown eyes and sandy hair. Whiting was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and possibly a yellow sweater. He has dementia and has a history of walking away from his home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607984784132.png" alt="Carl Whiting " />
 <figcaption>Carl Whiting </figcaption>
 </figure>The Barton County Sheriff’s Office reported that Carl A. Whiting has been located and is now safe.&nbsp;------BARTON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Barton County Sheriff’s Office requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a man missing from Barton County.&nbsp;The whereabouts of 64-year-old Carl A. Whiting are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.Whiting was last seen at approximately 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 14, in western Barton County, near K-96 Highway.Whiting is a white male, 6foot-2 in. tall and weighing 240 pounds. He has brown eyes and sandy hair. Whiting was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and possibly a yellow sweater. He has dementia and has a history of walking away from his home.

KBI cancels Silver Alert; missing Kansas man found safe

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 4,724 to a total of 190,018 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 2,109 an increase of 37.

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

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 4,724 to a total of 190,018 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 2,109 an increase of 37.<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/2020/12/1607969623793.png" alt="Monday Dec. 14, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Dec. 14, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man was shot to death in a south Kansas City neighborhood, police there said.

The shooting happened along Cambridge Avenue around 5 p.m. Sunday, when several people in the area reported hearing gunfire during a disturbance on the street, police reported. Arriving officers found a man inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds who died at the scene. Police did not immediately release the victim’s name.

Investigators said an initial investigation showed that people in two vehicles exchanged gunfire, resulting in the man's death. Police had not announced any arrests or suspects by Monday morning.

The death marked the city’s 177th homicide this year, compared with 145 homicides by the same time last year, according to records kept by the Kansas City Star.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man was shot to death in a south Kansas City neighborhood, police there said.The shooting happened along Cambridge Avenue around 5 p.m. Sunday, when several people in the area reported hearing gunfire during a disturbance on the street, police reported. Arriving officers found a man inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds who died at the scene. Police did not immediately release the victim’s name.Investigators said an initial investigation showed that people in two vehicles exchanged gunfire, resulting in the man's death. Police had not announced any arrests or suspects by Monday morning.The death marked the city’s 177th homicide this year, compared with 145 homicides by the same time last year, according to records kept by the Kansas City Star.

Police investigate year's 177th homicide in Kansas City

SALINA —Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation after a suspect stabbed a police officer during an arrest in Salina.

Just after midnight Sunday, police were dispatched to the 2100 block of Meadowlark Lane in Salina for the report of an intoxicated man knocking on the back door of his ex-girlfriend’s residence, according to a media release from police. The caller reported the subject was Miguel Tostado, 29, of Salina.

Officers located Tostado walking away from the residence behind several houses. Tostado was ordered to stop but refused and continued walking away.

Officer Karl Scheppelmann secured Tostado’s left arm in an attempt to place him into handcuffs. Tostado pulled away and made a swinging motion at Scheppelmann with his right hand, according to the media release.

Scheppelmann instantly disengaged and observed Tostado was holding a knife in his right hand. Tostado asked officers to shoot him and began walking away.

 Scheppelmann deployed his Taser at Tostado, striking him in the back, which caused Tostado to fall to the ground and drop the knife. Tostado was then placed into handcuffs.

Once Tostado was in custody, Scheppelmann realized that he had been stabbed in the lower left side of his back. The puncture type wound was approximately two inches wide.

Tostado had two active Saline County District Court warrants, one for felony obstruction and one for aggravated failure to appear, as well as an active Salina Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear.

Tostado was arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and felony interference with a law enforcement office.

Scheppelmann was treated and released from the hospital with no major organ or muscle damage, according to the news release. Scheppelmann has been with the Salina Police Department for one year. Prior to joining the SPD, he served in the United States Army.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607869160111.jpeg" alt="Miguel Tostado had two active Saline County District Court warrants including one for felony obstruction and one for aggravated failure to appear and an active Salina Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear at the time of his arrest. photo Saline County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Miguel Tostado had two active Saline County District Court warrants including one for felony obstruction and one for aggravated failure to appear and an active Salina Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear at the time of his arrest. photo Saline County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA —Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation after a suspect stabbed a police officer during an arrest in Salina.Just after midnight Sunday, police were dispatched to the 2100 block of Meadowlark Lane in Salina for the report of an intoxicated man knocking on the back door of his ex-girlfriend’s residence, according to a media release from police. The caller reported the subject was Miguel Tostado, 29, of Salina.Officers located Tostado walking away from the residence behind several houses. Tostado was ordered to stop but refused and continued walking away.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607965194807.png" alt="Officer Karl Scheppelmann upon his graduation from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in November of 2019-photo Salina Police" />
 <figcaption>Officer Karl Scheppelmann upon his graduation from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in November of 2019-photo Salina Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Officer Karl Scheppelmann secured Tostado’s left arm in an attempt to place him into handcuffs. Tostado pulled away and made a swinging motion at Scheppelmann with his right hand, according to the media release.Scheppelmann instantly disengaged and observed Tostado was holding a knife in his right hand. Tostado asked officers to shoot him and began walking away. Scheppelmann deployed his Taser at Tostado, striking him in the back, which caused Tostado to fall to the ground and drop the knife. Tostado was then placed into handcuffs.Once Tostado was in custody, Scheppelmann realized that he had been stabbed in the lower left side of his back. The puncture type wound was approximately two inches wide.Tostado had two active Saline County District Court warrants, one for felony obstruction and one for aggravated failure to appear, as well as an active Salina Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear.Tostado was arrested and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and felony interference with a law enforcement office.Scheppelmann was treated and released from the hospital with no major organ or muscle damage, according to the news release. Scheppelmann has been with the Salina Police Department for one year. Prior to joining the SPD, he served in the United States Army.

Police ID officer stabbed during arrest in Salina

The largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history got underway Monday as health workers in select hospitals rolled up their sleeves for shots to protect them from COVID-19 and start beating back the pandemic — a day of optimism even as the nation’s death toll neared 300,000.

“I feel hopeful today. Relieved,” said critical case nurse Sandra Lindsay after getting a shot in the arm at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York.

Shipments of precious frozen vials of vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech began arriving at hospitals around the country Monday.

“This is the light at the end of the tunnel. But it’s a long tunnel,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said as he watched Lindsay’s vaccination via video.

Several other countries also have OK’d the vaccine,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-gives-first-covid-19-vaccine-doses-719288c35d8ef8815b56b1c9c5fff24c">including the U.K.</a>, which started vaccinating last week.

For health care workers who, along with nursing home residents, will be first in line for vaccination, hope is tempered by grief and the sheer exhaustion of months spent battling a coronavirus that still is surging in the U.S. and around the world.

“This is mile 24 of a marathon. People are fatigued. But we also recognize that this end is in sight,” said Dr. Chris Dale of Swedish Health Services in Seattle.

Packed in dry ice to stay at ultra-frozen temperatures,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-united-states-d4525c56fd2606f1c0dae46ac3c96405">the first of nearly 3 million doses&nbsp;</a>being shipped in staggered batches this week made their way by truck and by plane around the country Sunday from Pfizer’s Kalamazoo, Michigan, factory. Once they arrive at distribution centers, each state directs where the doses go next.

Some hospitals across the country spent the weekend tracking their packages, refreshing FedEx and UPS websites for clues.

More of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will arrive each week. And later this week, the FDA will decide whether to green light the world’s second rigorously studied COVID-19 vaccine, made by Moderna Inc.

Now the hurdle is to rapidly get vaccine into the arms of millions, not just doctors and nurses but other at-risk health workers such as janitors and food handlers — and then deliver a second dose three weeks later.

“We’re also in the middle of a surge, and it’s the holidays, and our health care workers have been working at an extraordinary pace,” said Sue Mashni, chief pharmacy officer at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.

Plus, the shots can cause temporary fever, fatigue and aches as they rev up people’s immune systems, forcing hospitals to stagger employee vaccinations.

A wary public will be watching closely to see whether health workers embrace vaccination. Just half of Americans say they want to get vaccinated, while about a quarter don’t and the rest are unsure, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-us-half-want-vaccine-shots-4d98dbfc0a64d60d52ac84c3065dac55">recent poll&nbsp;</a>by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Health Research.

The FDA, considered the world’s most strict medical regulator, said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine appears safe and strongly protective -- and laid out the data behind it in a daylong public meeting last week for scientists and consumers alike to see.

“Please people, when you look back in a year and you say to yourself, ‘Did I do the right thing?’ I hope you’ll be able to say, ‘Yes, because I looked at the evidence,’” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. “People are dying right now. How could you possibly say, ‘Let’s wait and see.’”

Still, emergency use means the vaccine was cleared for widespread use before a final study in nearly 44,000 people is complete -- and that research is continuing to try to answer additional questions. While effective against COVID-19 illness, it’s not yet clear if vaccination will stop the symptomless spread that accounts for half of all cases.

The shots still must be studied in children, and during pregnancy. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said late Sunday that vaccination should not be withheld from pregnant women who otherwise would qualify.

While the vaccine was determined to be safe, regulators in the U.K. are investigating several severe allergic reactions. The FDA’s instructions tell providers not to give it to those with a known history of severe allergic reactions to any of its ingredients.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607960673587.png" alt="Sandra Lindsay, an ICU Nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens is the first American to get the vaccine in a non-trial setting, according to the office of New York Governor.&nbsp;Dr. Michelle Chester administered the shot." />
 <figcaption>Sandra Lindsay, an ICU Nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens is the first American to get the vaccine in a non-trial setting, according to the office of New York Governor.&nbsp;Dr. Michelle Chester administered the shot.</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated PressThe largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history got underway Monday as health workers in select hospitals rolled up their sleeves for shots to protect them from COVID-19 and start beating back the pandemic — a day of optimism even as the nation’s death toll neared 300,000.“I feel hopeful today. Relieved,” said critical case nurse Sandra Lindsay after getting a shot in the arm at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York.Shipments of precious frozen vials of vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech began arriving at hospitals around the country Monday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Watch LIVE as the first person in New York gets vaccinated: <a href="https://t.co/a3p8QOtK6w">https://t.co/a3p8QOtK6w</a>&mdash; Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1338488030416388098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This is the light at the end of the tunnel. But it’s a long tunnel,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said as he watched Lindsay’s vaccination via video.Several other countries also have OK’d the vaccine,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uk-gives-first-covid-19-vaccine-doses-719288c35d8ef8815b56b1c9c5fff24c">including the U.K.</a>, which started vaccinating last week.For health care workers who, along with nursing home residents, will be first in line for vaccination, hope is tempered by grief and the sheer exhaustion of months spent battling a coronavirus that still is surging in the U.S. and around the world.“This is mile 24 of a marathon. People are fatigued. But we also recognize that this end is in sight,” said Dr. Chris Dale of Swedish Health Services in Seattle.Packed in dry ice to stay at ultra-frozen temperatures,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-united-states-d4525c56fd2606f1c0dae46ac3c96405">the first of nearly 3 million doses&nbsp;</a>being shipped in staggered batches this week made their way by truck and by plane around the country Sunday from Pfizer’s Kalamazoo, Michigan, factory. Once they arrive at distribution centers, each state directs where the doses go next.Some hospitals across the country spent the weekend tracking their packages, refreshing FedEx and UPS websites for clues.More of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will arrive each week. And later this week, the FDA will decide whether to green light the world’s second rigorously studied COVID-19 vaccine, made by Moderna Inc.Now the hurdle is to rapidly get vaccine into the arms of millions, not just doctors and nurses but other at-risk health workers such as janitors and food handlers — and then deliver a second dose three weeks later.“We’re also in the middle of a surge, and it’s the holidays, and our health care workers have been working at an extraordinary pace,” said Sue Mashni, chief pharmacy officer at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.Plus, the shots can cause temporary fever, fatigue and aches as they rev up people’s immune systems, forcing hospitals to stagger employee vaccinations.A wary public will be watching closely to see whether health workers embrace vaccination. Just half of Americans say they want to get vaccinated, while about a quarter don’t and the rest are unsure, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-us-half-want-vaccine-shots-4d98dbfc0a64d60d52ac84c3065dac55">recent poll&nbsp;</a>by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Health Research.The FDA, considered the world’s most strict medical regulator, said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine appears safe and strongly protective -- and laid out the data behind it in a daylong public meeting last week for scientists and consumers alike to see.“Please people, when you look back in a year and you say to yourself, ‘Did I do the right thing?’ I hope you’ll be able to say, ‘Yes, because I looked at the evidence,’” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. “People are dying right now. How could you possibly say, ‘Let’s wait and see.’”Still, emergency use means the vaccine was cleared for widespread use before a final study in nearly 44,000 people is complete -- and that research is continuing to try to answer additional questions. While effective against COVID-19 illness, it’s not yet clear if vaccination will stop the symptomless spread that accounts for half of all cases.The shots still must be studied in children, and during pregnancy. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said late Sunday that vaccination should not be withheld from pregnant women who otherwise would qualify.While the vaccine was determined to be safe, regulators in the U.K. are investigating several severe allergic reactions. The FDA’s instructions tell providers not to give it to those with a known history of severe allergic reactions to any of its ingredients.___

 🎥 ICU nurse is first to get Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a standoff with police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607782007779.png" alt="Gire photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Gire photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a standoff with police.Just after 2:30 a.m. Dec. 11, police responded to a domestic violence disturbance with a weapon at a residence in the 10900 block of West Harvest Lane in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers contacted the family of 29-year-old Courtland Gire outside of the residence.&nbsp; They reported that Gire was threatening family and his 29-year-old girlfriend with a handgun and knife and that he was holding his girlfriend in a bedroom against her will.&nbsp; Gire also reportedly threatened to shoot responding officers.The situation was resolved peacefully after approximately four hours through the use of Wichita Police Department's crisis negotiators and mental health advisor who were on the scene.&nbsp; Gire exited the home and was arrested without the use of force.&nbsp; No one was injured in this incident.&nbsp; Officers also recovered a handgun and knife during the investigation.Gire remains jailed on requested charges of aggravated assault domestic violence, one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of aggravated weapons violation.The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp; Gire has over a dozen previous burglary and theft convictions, had been convicted on multiple other felony charges and was dismissed from custody in October, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.