SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on theft charges after a traffic stop in Kansas.

Just before 6a.m., Monday a sheriff's deputy stopped a Ford Ranger pickup truck pulling a trailer in the 2600 block ofNE Calhoun Bluff Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 The trailer was recently reported stolen out of Jefferson County. Deputies conducted a felony car stop and with the assistance of a Sheriff’s Office K9, arrested Travis D. Walker, 39, of Topeka and booked him into the Jefferson County Jail on requested felony theft charges.

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office said the quick communication from Jefferson County led to the recovery of a stolen trailer and the arrest of the suspect. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593526039140.png" alt="Walker photo Jefferson County" />
 <figcaption>Walker photo Jefferson County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on theft charges after a traffic stop in Kansas.Just before 6a.m., Monday a sheriff's deputy stopped a Ford Ranger pickup truck pulling a trailer in the 2600 block ofNE Calhoun Bluff Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The trailer was recently reported stolen out of Jefferson County. Deputies conducted a felony car stop and with the assistance of a Sheriff’s Office K9, arrested Travis D. Walker, 39, of Topeka and booked him into the Jefferson County Jail on requested felony theft charges.The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office said the quick communication from Jefferson County led to the recovery of a stolen trailer and the arrest of the suspect.

Sheriff's K9 helps Kan. deputies recover stolen trailer

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man charged in a crash that killed longtime radio host and Wichita State University basketball announcer Don Hall had an empty alcohol bottle in his vehicle and told officers who asked him how much he had to drink that it was “probably too much,” according to court records.

An affidavit released Tuesday in the case against Ray Watkins said he had a 0.243 blood alcohol on the day of the April 29 crash that killed Hall, who was 70. The legal limit in Kansas is 0.08, KWCH&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2020/06/30/affidavit-mans-blood-alcohol-level-3x-legal-limit-in-deadly-crash-involving-radio-personality-don-hall/" target="_blank">reports</a>.

Watkins faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence.

Officers found Watkins still seated in his vehicle and noticed an empty alcohol bottle at his feet, according to the affidavit. When Watkins moved over to the passenger’s seat due to his door being jammed shut, an officer noticed an empty Modelo beer bottle on the passenger’s side floorboard, according to the affidavit.

In an interview, he admitted to drinking beer prior to driving, according to the affidavit.

Hall was a morning show co-host at KEYN Radio in Wichita, and radio station KNSS reported he had worked for more than 45 years in radio in Kansas, including stations KWBW in Hutchinson and Wichita radio stations KAKZ, KKRD and KZSN. He also had been the voice of Shocker men’s basketball since the 1983-84 season

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588182421819.png" alt="Watkins photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Watkins photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man charged in a crash that killed longtime radio host and Wichita State University basketball announcer Don Hall had an empty alcohol bottle in his vehicle and told officers who asked him how much he had to drink that it was “probably too much,” according to court records.An affidavit released Tuesday in the case against Ray Watkins said he had a 0.243 blood alcohol on the day of the April 29 crash that killed Hall, who was 70. The legal limit in Kansas is 0.08, KWCH&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kwch.com/2020/06/30/affidavit-mans-blood-alcohol-level-3x-legal-limit-in-deadly-crash-involving-radio-personality-don-hall/" target="_blank">reports</a>.Watkins faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588158119316.png" alt="First responders at the accident scene -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the accident scene -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers found Watkins still seated in his vehicle and noticed an empty alcohol bottle at his feet, according to the affidavit. When Watkins moved over to the passenger’s seat due to his door being jammed shut, an officer noticed an empty Modelo beer bottle on the passenger’s side floorboard, according to the affidavit.In an interview, he admitted to drinking beer prior to driving, according to the affidavit.Hall was a morning show co-host at KEYN Radio in Wichita, and radio station KNSS reported he had worked for more than 45 years in radio in Kansas, including stations KWBW in Hutchinson and Wichita radio stations KAKZ, KKRD and KZSN. He also had been the voice of Shocker men’s basketball since the 1983-84 season

Records: Suspect in Kan. radio host's death had been drinking

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to block the execution of four federal prison inmates who are scheduled to be put to death in July and August.

The executions would mark the first use of the death penalty on the federal level since 2003.

The justices rejected an appeal from four inmates who were convicted of killing children. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor noted that they would have blocked the executions from going forward.

The court’s action leaves no obstacles standing in the way of the executions, the first of which is scheduled for July 13.

The inmates are separately asking a federal judge in Washington to impose a new delay on their executions over other legal issues that have yet to be resolved.

The activity at the high court came after Attorney General William Barr directed the federal Bureau of Prisons to schedule the executions. Three of the men had been scheduled to be put to death when Barr&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1ab434fcc31e429089eb5e14de0d1324">first announced</a>&nbsp;the federal government would resume executions last year, ending an informal moratorium on federal capital punishment as the issue receded from the public domain.

“The American people, acting through Congress and Presidents of both political parties, have long instructed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5730e863beb5477c96a1b4f2bd6c5ab0">defendants convicted of the most heinous crimes</a>&nbsp;should be subject to a sentence of death,” Barr said in a statement last month. “The four murderers whose executions are scheduled today have received full and fair proceedings under our Constitution and laws. We owe it to the victims of these horrific crimes, and to the families left behind, to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system.”

The federal government’s initial effort was put on hold by a trial judge after the inmates challenged the new execution procedures, and the federal appeals court in Washington and the Supreme Court both declined to step in late last year. But in April, the appeals court threw out the judge’s order.

The federal prison in Indiana where the executions would take place, USP Terre Haute, has struggled to combat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;behind bars. One inmate there has died from COVID-19.

The inmates scheduled for execution are: Danny Lee, who was convicted in Arkansas of killing a family of three, including an 8-year-old; Wesley Ira Purkey, of Kansas, who raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl and killed an 80-year-old woman; Dustin Lee Honken, who killed five people in Iowa, including two children; and Keith Dwayne Nelson, who kidnapped a 10-year-old girl who was rollerblading in front of her Kansas home and raped her in a forest behind a church before strangling the young girl with a wire.

Three of the executions — for Lee, Purkley and Honken — are scheduled days apart beginning July 13. Nelson’s execution is scheduled for Aug. 28. The Justice Department said additional executions will be set at a later date.

Ruth Friedman, an attorney for Lee, decried the federal death penalty as “arbitrary, racially-biased, and rife with poor lawyering and junk science.”

“Despite these problems, and even as people across the country are demanding that leaders rethink crime, punishment, and justice, the government is barreling ahead with its plans to carry out the first federal executions in 17 years,” Friedman said in a statement. “Given the unfairness built into the federal death penalty system and the many unanswered questions about both the cases of the men scheduled to die and the government’s new execution protocol, there must be appropriate court review before the government can proceed with any execution.”

Purkey’s lawyers separately filed court papers last week asking a federal judge to halt his execution, arguing that he isn’t mentally fit to be executed because he suffers from “advancing Alzheimer’s disease and deteriorating cognitive functioning.” The lawyers argue that Purkey doesn’t understand why the government plans to execute him and that he believes it is retaliation for many complaints about conditions in the federal prison system.

Executions on the federal level have been rare and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 — most recently in 2003, when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping, rape and murder of a young female soldier.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the decision means the families of the victims and those in their communities will “finally receive some long-overdue justice.”

“The Supreme Court today rightly rejected yet another attempt by four death row inmates to escape justice,” McEnany said in a statement. “These four men each stand convicted of horrendous acts of violence — including the brutal rape and murder of children.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574950995361.png" alt="Purkey photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Purkey photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to block the execution of four federal prison inmates who are scheduled to be put to death in July and August.The executions would mark the first use of the death penalty on the federal level since 2003.The justices rejected an appeal from four inmates who were convicted of killing children. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor noted that they would have blocked the executions from going forward.The court’s action leaves no obstacles standing in the way of the executions, the first of which is scheduled for July 13.The inmates are separately asking a federal judge in Washington to impose a new delay on their executions over other legal issues that have yet to be resolved.The activity at the high court came after Attorney General William Barr directed the federal Bureau of Prisons to schedule the executions. Three of the men had been scheduled to be put to death when Barr&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1ab434fcc31e429089eb5e14de0d1324">first announced</a>&nbsp;the federal government would resume executions last year, ending an informal moratorium on federal capital punishment as the issue receded from the public domain.“The American people, acting through Congress and Presidents of both political parties, have long instructed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5730e863beb5477c96a1b4f2bd6c5ab0">defendants convicted of the most heinous crimes</a>&nbsp;should be subject to a sentence of death,” Barr said in a statement last month. “The four murderers whose executions are scheduled today have received full and fair proceedings under our Constitution and laws. We owe it to the victims of these horrific crimes, and to the families left behind, to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system.”The federal government’s initial effort was put on hold by a trial judge after the inmates challenged the new execution procedures, and the federal appeals court in Washington and the Supreme Court both declined to step in late last year. But in April, the appeals court threw out the judge’s order.The federal prison in Indiana where the executions would take place, USP Terre Haute, has struggled to combat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;behind bars. One inmate there has died from COVID-19.The inmates scheduled for execution are: Danny Lee, who was convicted in Arkansas of killing a family of three, including an 8-year-old; Wesley Ira Purkey, of Kansas, who raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl and killed an 80-year-old woman; Dustin Lee Honken, who killed five people in Iowa, including two children; and Keith Dwayne Nelson, who kidnapped a 10-year-old girl who was rollerblading in front of her Kansas home and raped her in a forest behind a church before strangling the young girl with a wire.Three of the executions — for Lee, Purkley and Honken — are scheduled days apart beginning July 13. Nelson’s execution is scheduled for Aug. 28. The Justice Department said additional executions will be set at a later date.Ruth Friedman, an attorney for Lee, decried the federal death penalty as “arbitrary, racially-biased, and rife with poor lawyering and junk science.”“Despite these problems, and even as people across the country are demanding that leaders rethink crime, punishment, and justice, the government is barreling ahead with its plans to carry out the first federal executions in 17 years,” Friedman said in a statement. “Given the unfairness built into the federal death penalty system and the many unanswered questions about both the cases of the men scheduled to die and the government’s new execution protocol, there must be appropriate court review before the government can proceed with any execution.”Purkey’s lawyers separately filed court papers last week asking a federal judge to halt his execution, arguing that he isn’t mentally fit to be executed because he suffers from “advancing Alzheimer’s disease and deteriorating cognitive functioning.” The lawyers argue that Purkey doesn’t understand why the government plans to execute him and that he believes it is retaliation for many complaints about conditions in the federal prison system.Executions on the federal level have been rare and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 — most recently in 2003, when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping, rape and murder of a young female soldier.White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the decision means the families of the victims and those in their communities will “finally receive some long-overdue justice.”“The Supreme Court today rightly rejected yet another attempt by four death row inmates to escape justice,” McEnany said in a statement. “These four men each stand convicted of horrendous acts of violence — including the brutal rape and murder of children.”

Court refuses to block execution of Kansas man for child's murder

OGALLALA, Neb. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to four years of probation in a Nebraska crash that killed four Iowa motorcyclists.

Jeser Cisneros-Hernandez, 24, of Liberal, Kansas, also was ordered Friday to serve 400 hours of community service. He pleaded no contest in February to reckless and willful vehicular homicide. Prosecutors dropped three more counts and two other charges in return for his pleas.

Cisneros-Hernandez’s vehicle hit two motorcycles carrying two people each on July 1, 2017, near Ogallala, prosecutors have said.

Two of them were 54-year-old Sheila Matheny and 61-year-old James Matheny, from Bedford, Iowa. The other motorcyclists were 58-year-old Michal Weese and 59-year-old Jerolyn Weese, who lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Cisneros-Hernandez told investigators he was traveling on about an hour of sleep after his work shift in Sidney, Montana, and was heading home to Liberal, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1565563981648.png" alt="Hernandez photo Keith County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Hernandez photo Keith County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>OGALLALA, Neb. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to four years of probation in a Nebraska crash that killed four Iowa motorcyclists.Jeser Cisneros-Hernandez, 24, of Liberal, Kansas, also was ordered Friday to serve 400 hours of community service. He pleaded no contest in February to reckless and willful vehicular homicide. Prosecutors dropped three more counts and two other charges in return for his pleas.Cisneros-Hernandez’s vehicle hit two motorcycles carrying two people each on July 1, 2017, near Ogallala, prosecutors have said.Two of them were 54-year-old Sheila Matheny and 61-year-old James Matheny, from Bedford, Iowa. The other motorcyclists were 58-year-old Michal Weese and 59-year-old Jerolyn Weese, who lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa.Cisneros-Hernandez told investigators he was traveling on about an hour of sleep after his work shift in Sidney, Montana, and was heading home to Liberal, Kansas.

Kan. man sentenced for crash that killed 4 motorcyclists

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas is providing faculty more flexibility if they don’t feel comfortable teaching in-person classes in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer said Monday that decisions on courses, how they would be taught and teaching assignments “should be the purview of the department or program,” KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-30/ku-reverses-course-and-gives-faculty-choice-of-whether-to-teach-in-person-classes-in-the-fall" target="_blank">reports.</a>

The move came after faculty had pushed back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dadb98240b27a4922043fe790c5da99e">last week</a>&nbsp;after they were told to return to campus beginning Aug. 24, unless they could invoke an exemption under the Americans with Disabilities Act. More than 50 department leaders signed a letter to Bichelmeyer raising concerns.

Instead of filing for an accommodation under the ADA, instructors will simply be asked to indicate their teaching preferences and to note the safety level they require in order to teach in person.

Bichelmeyer said that the teachers’ concerns were legitimate and understandable, “and this was just a case where trying to solve a problem with a precedent using the ADA doesn’t work in an unprecedented situation.”

In a letter to faculty and staff Tuesday, Bichelmeyer said that it remained the university’s goal to have as many in-person and hybrid classes as possible in the fall

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas is providing faculty more flexibility if they don’t feel comfortable teaching in-person classes in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer said Monday that decisions on courses, how they would be taught and teaching assignments “should be the purview of the department or program,” KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-30/ku-reverses-course-and-gives-faculty-choice-of-whether-to-teach-in-person-classes-in-the-fall" target="_blank">reports.</a>The move came after faculty had pushed back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dadb98240b27a4922043fe790c5da99e">last week</a>&nbsp;after they were told to return to campus beginning Aug. 24, unless they could invoke an exemption under the Americans with Disabilities Act. More than 50 department leaders signed a letter to Bichelmeyer raising concerns.Instead of filing for an accommodation under the ADA, instructors will simply be asked to indicate their teaching preferences and to note the safety level they require in order to teach in person.Bichelmeyer said that the teachers’ concerns were legitimate and understandable, “and this was just a case where trying to solve a problem with a precedent using the ADA doesn’t work in an unprecedented situation.”In a letter to faculty and staff Tuesday, Bichelmeyer said that it remained the university’s goal to have as many in-person and hybrid classes as possible in the fall

University of Kansas backs away from in-person requirement

By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-29/kansas-will-require-masks-in-public-spaces-statewide-starting-friday">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp;—&nbsp;Kansans from Liberal to Leavenworth will need to wear a mask in public starting Friday.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said she will issue a new executive order later this week requiring masks. While the State Finance Council will review the order — a Republican-majority panel of legislators that she has clashed with during the pandemic — they cannot revoke it. Only the full Legislature has the ability to do that with a "concurrent resolution" Kelly's office said.

"If they care about keeping the businesses in their district open, they won't fight this one," Kelly said at a news conference Monday.

However, counties can vote not to implement the mandate.

Kansas is one of several states in the U.S. that have seen an increase in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. As of Monday, the state's tally is at more than 14,000 COVID-19 cases and 270 deaths.

Because of the uptick across the country as businesses have reopened, other states with Democratic governors, including California. Washington and North Carolina, have instituted mask ordinances. Florida and Texas, which have Republican governors, shut down bars after large spikes in COVID-19 cases.

Kelly said that there is "enough data to really prove that masks work, and no mask doesn't work," adding, "I know people don't like masks. I don't like them either. Too bad."

Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, a member of the State Finance Council, said in a statement that Kelly is "inconsistent in her direction, one day giving authority to local government, and the next, taking it back, causing total confusion."

Wagle also said the focus should stay focused on the budget shortfall caused by the pandemic.

Already, Kansas City, Missouri, has instituted a mask ordinance, with Wyandotte County to follow at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Douglas County's mandate starts Wednesday.

The governor said the attorney general's office will enforce the statewide mandate.

The governor's office said that most Kansans will have to wear masks in stores, shops, restaurants and places where people cannot maintain a 6-foot distance. More details about the ordinance will be released on Thursday.

Kelly and Republican lawmakers on the State Finance Council had contentious fights over executive orders starting about a month into the pandemic over whether churches could be singled out in the statewide stay-at-home mandate.

Eventually, lawmakers and the governor had to compromise on things like Kansas' reopening plan, which became a recommendation instead of mandate, as well as who could decide on how to spend coronavirus aid.

Two of the leading candidates for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Kansas, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach and U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, came out in strong opposition to mask requirements at a debate last week in Wichita.

Kobach, who lost the 2018 governor’s race to Kelly, charged that she and other Democratic office holders have used the pandemic to expand their authority.

“All of the states that have the most oppressive, totalitarian rules in place are blue states and the state’s that allow freedom, that allow choice are red states,” Kobach said.

Marshall said while he’s against governments ordering people to wear masks, business owners “should have the right” to require it of their customers.

Jim McLean is an editor and reporter for KCUR 89.3. He is the managing director of KCUR's Kansas News Service, a collaboration between KCUR and other public media stations across Kansas.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593513419144.png" alt="Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly puts on a mask after a news conference on June 22. Photo by Jim McLean" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly puts on a mask after a news conference on June 22. Photo by Jim McLean</figcaption>
 </figure>By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-29/kansas-will-require-masks-in-public-spaces-statewide-starting-friday">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA&nbsp;—&nbsp;Kansans from Liberal to Leavenworth will need to wear a mask in public starting Friday.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said she will issue a new executive order later this week requiring masks. While the State Finance Council will review the order — a Republican-majority panel of legislators that she has clashed with during the pandemic — they cannot revoke it. Only the full Legislature has the ability to do that with a "concurrent resolution" Kelly's office said.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F3154697867948519%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>"If they care about keeping the businesses in their district open, they won't fight this one," Kelly said at a news conference Monday.However, counties can vote not to implement the mandate.Kansas is one of several states in the U.S. that have seen an increase in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. As of Monday, the state's tally is at more than 14,000 COVID-19 cases and 270 deaths.Because of the uptick across the country as businesses have reopened, other states with Democratic governors, including California. Washington and North Carolina, have instituted mask ordinances. Florida and Texas, which have Republican governors, shut down bars after large spikes in COVID-19 cases.Kelly said that there is "enough data to really prove that masks work, and no mask doesn't work," adding, "I know people don't like masks. I don't like them either. Too bad."Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, a member of the State Finance Council, said in a statement that Kelly is "inconsistent in her direction, one day giving authority to local government, and the next, taking it back, causing total confusion."Wagle also said the focus should stay focused on the budget shortfall caused by the pandemic.Already, Kansas City, Missouri, has instituted a mask ordinance, with Wyandotte County to follow at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Douglas County's mandate starts Wednesday.The governor said the attorney general's office will enforce the statewide mandate.The governor's office said that most Kansans will have to wear masks in stores, shops, restaurants and places where people cannot maintain a 6-foot distance. More details about the ordinance will be released on Thursday.Kelly and Republican lawmakers on the State Finance Council had contentious fights over executive orders starting about a month into the pandemic over whether churches could be singled out in the statewide stay-at-home mandate.Eventually, lawmakers and the governor had to compromise on things like Kansas' reopening plan, which became a recommendation instead of mandate, as well as who could decide on how to spend coronavirus aid.Two of the leading candidates for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Kansas, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach and U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, came out in strong opposition to mask requirements at a debate last week in Wichita.Kobach, who lost the 2018 governor’s race to Kelly, charged that she and other Democratic office holders have used the pandemic to expand their authority.“All of the states that have the most oppressive, totalitarian rules in place are blue states and the state’s that allow freedom, that allow choice are red states,” Kobach said.Marshall said while he’s against governments ordering people to wear masks, business owners “should have the right” to require it of their customers.Jim McLean is an editor and reporter for KCUR 89.3. He is the managing director of KCUR's Kansas News Service, a collaboration between KCUR and other public media stations across Kansas.&nbsp;

🎥  Kan. governor: Wearing mask necessary to avoid another shutdown

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas State Fair Board is allowing the fair to go forward in 2020, despite a&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/87f4b55e-59f3-456b-9b1e-534c987ffe66">recommendation from the state's top health official</a>&nbsp;that the board not continue the fair.

"We understand what a difficult decision you guys have," said Fair General Manager Robin Jennison. "It was relatively easy for us to put together the safest plan we thought there was to have a fair. The only thing that I would say to you to make sure that you're all doing what's really in your heart in this case is, the further we go, the tougher it is to unwind, and that's why we picked today."

The board voted 8 to 5 to continue forward with the fair, but canceled the rabbit show and to change online and advance tickets to $10 with on-site tickets at the gate now $12 for adults.

"I think we've all studied this to death since it started," Jennison said. "I've read more about COVID. I read a 1940 study on how, when people cough, what happens. We will do everything we can to make this fair as safe as possible. If we determine between now and then that we need to do some social distancing in the buildings or on the, in the grandstands, we'll make every attempt to do it as effectively as we can."

The Kansas State Fair is scheduled for Sept. 11 to 20, 2020.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman advised the State Fair Board at their meeting on Tuesday that they should cancel the fair.

"If I were only talking about it from a public health perspective, it would be best to not have the State Fair," Norman said. "There's no question, it will engender illness."

Norman doesn't think fairgoers will wear masks.

"I think it will be a really tough sell for people to comply with social distancing and mask wearing for example, at a fair, whether it's a state fair, county fair, music venue, that kind of thing," Norman said. "People just aren't doing it, quite honestly."

Another concern is that inmates from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility often work helping to clean up the fairgrounds.

"I'm making the strong recommendation to Secretary Zmuda to not allow the offenders out of there," Norman said. "I've been through this at Lansing, I've been through this in the Wichita Work Release. If a few people go into that facility, there's going to be a thousand cases inside the correctional facility at Hutchinson. Not being hysterical, that's just what we've seen. Anytime it's a confined living situation like that and that facility is old."

At least sixteen other state fairs across the U.S. have already been canceled.

Check the Post for additional details on the State Fair as they become available.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas State Fair Board is allowing the fair to go forward in 2020, despite a&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/87f4b55e-59f3-456b-9b1e-534c987ffe66">recommendation from the state's top health official</a>&nbsp;that the board not continue the fair."We understand what a difficult decision you guys have," said Fair General Manager Robin Jennison. "It was relatively easy for us to put together the safest plan we thought there was to have a fair. The only thing that I would say to you to make sure that you're all doing what's really in your heart in this case is, the further we go, the tougher it is to unwind, and that's why we picked today."The board voted 8 to 5 to continue forward with the fair, but canceled the rabbit show and to change online and advance tickets to $10 with on-site tickets at the gate now $12 for adults."I think we've all studied this to death since it started," Jennison said. "I've read more about COVID. I read a 1940 study on how, when people cough, what happens. We will do everything we can to make this fair as safe as possible. If we determine between now and then that we need to do some social distancing in the buildings or on the, in the grandstands, we'll make every attempt to do it as effectively as we can."The Kansas State Fair is scheduled for Sept. 11 to 20, 2020.-------------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580602266609.png" alt="Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman advised the State Fair Board at their meeting on Tuesday that they should cancel the fair."If I were only talking about it from a public health perspective, it would be best to not have the State Fair," Norman said. "There's no question, it will engender illness."Norman doesn't think fairgoers will wear masks."I think it will be a really tough sell for people to comply with social distancing and mask wearing for example, at a fair, whether it's a state fair, county fair, music venue, that kind of thing," Norman said. "People just aren't doing it, quite honestly."Another concern is that inmates from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility often work helping to clean up the fairgrounds."I'm making the strong recommendation to Secretary Zmuda to not allow the offenders out of there," Norman said. "I've been through this at Lansing, I've been through this in the Wichita Work Release. If a few people go into that facility, there's going to be a thousand cases inside the correctional facility at Hutchinson. Not being hysterical, that's just what we've seen. Anytime it's a confined living situation like that and that facility is old."At least sixteen other state fairs across the U.S. have already been canceled.Check the Post for additional details on the State Fair as they become available.

Kansas State Fair to go forward, despite KDHE Sec.'s advice to cancel

RUSSELL COUNTY — At approximately 4 p.m. Monday, Russell County Dispatch received a 911 call of a possible drowning at the Lucas Swim beach at Wilson Lake, according to a media release.

The Russell County Sheriff's Office, Russell County EMS, Dorrance Fire, Lucas Fire, Army Corp of Engineers, Kansas Department of Wildlife Park and Tourism, and the Kansas Highway Patrol Aircraft responded to the scene. 

After a thorough search of the area, a body was located by boat sonar under the water. 

A diver was dispatched to recover the body. At approximately 5:45 p.m., 45-year-old Clarence Edward Flores, Great Bend, was recovered. 

Next of kin for Flores has been notified, and an autopsy is scheduled. 

"The Sheriff's Office would like to thank all First Responders and Good Samaritans for their work In the recovery of Mr. Flores.&nbsp;

RUSSELL COUNTY — At approximately 4 p.m. Monday, Russell County Dispatch received a 911 call of a possible drowning at the Lucas Swim beach at Wilson Lake, according to a media release.The Russell County Sheriff's Office, Russell County EMS, Dorrance Fire, Lucas Fire, Army Corp of Engineers, Kansas Department of Wildlife Park and Tourism, and the Kansas Highway Patrol Aircraft responded to the scene. After a thorough search of the area, a body was located by boat sonar under the water. A diver was dispatched to recover the body. At approximately 5:45 p.m., 45-year-old Clarence Edward Flores, Great Bend, was recovered. Next of kin for Flores has been notified, and an autopsy is scheduled. "The Sheriff's Office would like to thank all First Responders and Good Samaritans for their work In the recovery of Mr. Flores.&nbsp;

Body of drowning victim recovered at Wilson Lake

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it easier for religious schools to obtain public funds, upholding a Montana scholarship program that allows state tax credits for private schooling.

The court’s 5-4 ruling, with conservatives in the majority, came in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/26695164390544958922c1101cf60381/Montana-high-court-weighs-ban-on-religious-school-tax-credit">a dispute over a Montana scholarship program</a>&nbsp;for private K-12 education that also makes donors eligible for up to $150 in state tax credits.

The Legislature created the tax credit in 2015 for contributions made to certain scholarship programs for private education. The state’s highest court had struck down the tax credit as a violation of the Montana constitution’s ban on state aid to religious schools. The scholarships can be used at both secular and religious schools, but almost all the recipients attend religious schools.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion that said the state ruling violates the religious freedom of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0444c7240eb34bb59d9911789692191f">parents who want the scholarships</a>&nbsp;to help pay for their children’s private education. “A state need not subsidize private education. But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious,” Roberts wrote.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the high-court ruling “is perverse. Without any need or power to do so, the Court appears to require a State to reinstate a tax-credit program that the Constitution did not demand in the first place.”

Parents whose children attend religious schools sued to preserve the program.

Roughly three-dozen states have similar no-aid provisions in their constitutions. Courts in some states have relied on those provisions to strike down religious-school funding.

Advocates for allowing state money to be used in private schooling said the court recognized in its decision that parents should not be penalized for sending their children to schools that are a better fit than the public schools.

“This opinion will pave the way for more states to pass school choice programs that allow parents to choose a school that best meets their child’s individual needs, regardless of whether those schools are religious or nonreligious,” said Erica Smith, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, which represented the parents in their court fight.

But the president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, which counts more than 12,000 teachers and other school workers as union members, called the decision “a slap in the face” to its members and the communities they serve.

“Today’s decision violates Montana’s commitment to public education, our children, and our constitution. Extremist special interests are manipulating our tax code to rob Montana children of quality education while padding the pockets of those who run exclusive, discriminatory private schools,” union president Amanda Curtis said.

Justice Samuel Alito pointed, in a separate opinion, to evidence of anti-Catholic bigotry that he said motivated the original adoption of the Montana provision and others like it in the 1800s, although Montana’s constitution was redone in 1972 with the provision intact. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose two daughters attend Catholic schools, made a similar point during arguments in January when he talked about the “grotesque religious bigotry” against Catholics that underlay the amendment.

The decision was the latest in a line of decisions from the Supreme Court, which now includes Trump appointees Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, that have favored religion-based discrimination claims. In 2014, the justices allowed family-held, for-profit businesses with religious objections to get out from under a requirement to pay for contraceptives for women covered under their health insurance plans. In 2017, the court ruled for a Missouri church that had been excluded from state grants to put softer surfaces in playgrounds.

The high court also is weighing a Trump administration policy that would make it easier for employers to claim a religious or moral exemption and avoid paying for contraceptives for women covered by their health plans. Still another case would shield religious institutions from more employment discrimination claims.

The Supreme Court also has upheld some school voucher programs and state courts have ratified others.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588794154314.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it easier for religious schools to obtain public funds, upholding a Montana scholarship program that allows state tax credits for private schooling.The court’s 5-4 ruling, with conservatives in the majority, came in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/26695164390544958922c1101cf60381/Montana-high-court-weighs-ban-on-religious-school-tax-credit">a dispute over a Montana scholarship program</a>&nbsp;for private K-12 education that also makes donors eligible for up to $150 in state tax credits.The Legislature created the tax credit in 2015 for contributions made to certain scholarship programs for private education. The state’s highest court had struck down the tax credit as a violation of the Montana constitution’s ban on state aid to religious schools. The scholarships can be used at both secular and religious schools, but almost all the recipients attend religious schools.Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion that said the state ruling violates the religious freedom of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0444c7240eb34bb59d9911789692191f">parents who want the scholarships</a>&nbsp;to help pay for their children’s private education. “A state need not subsidize private education. But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious,” Roberts wrote.Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the high-court ruling “is perverse. Without any need or power to do so, the Court appears to require a State to reinstate a tax-credit program that the Constitution did not demand in the first place.”Parents whose children attend religious schools sued to preserve the program.Roughly three-dozen states have similar no-aid provisions in their constitutions. Courts in some states have relied on those provisions to strike down religious-school funding.Advocates for allowing state money to be used in private schooling said the court recognized in its decision that parents should not be penalized for sending their children to schools that are a better fit than the public schools.“This opinion will pave the way for more states to pass school choice programs that allow parents to choose a school that best meets their child’s individual needs, regardless of whether those schools are religious or nonreligious,” said Erica Smith, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, which represented the parents in their court fight.But the president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees, which counts more than 12,000 teachers and other school workers as union members, called the decision “a slap in the face” to its members and the communities they serve.“Today’s decision violates Montana’s commitment to public education, our children, and our constitution. Extremist special interests are manipulating our tax code to rob Montana children of quality education while padding the pockets of those who run exclusive, discriminatory private schools,” union president Amanda Curtis said.Justice Samuel Alito pointed, in a separate opinion, to evidence of anti-Catholic bigotry that he said motivated the original adoption of the Montana provision and others like it in the 1800s, although Montana’s constitution was redone in 1972 with the provision intact. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose two daughters attend Catholic schools, made a similar point during arguments in January when he talked about the “grotesque religious bigotry” against Catholics that underlay the amendment.The decision was the latest in a line of decisions from the Supreme Court, which now includes Trump appointees Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, that have favored religion-based discrimination claims. In 2014, the justices allowed family-held, for-profit businesses with religious objections to get out from under a requirement to pay for contraceptives for women covered under their health insurance plans. In 2017, the court ruled for a Missouri church that had been excluded from state grants to put softer surfaces in playgrounds.The high court also is weighing a Trump administration policy that would make it easier for employers to claim a religious or moral exemption and avoid paying for contraceptives for women covered by their health plans. Still another case would shield religious institutions from more employment discrimination claims.The Supreme Court also has upheld some school voucher programs and state courts have ratified others.

Supreme Court lifts ban on state aid to religious schooling

SALINA —Authorities are investigating an online car transaction involving a reported stolen credit card number.

An employee of Long McArthur Ford, 3450 South 9th Street in Salina, reported that a subject from Georgia purchased a 2018 Honda Accord for $24,500 on June 4, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

The subject produced all the required paperwork and set up the transportation for the vehicle to his daughter in New York. The vehicle was picked up in Salina.

The dealership then received a phone call from a subject in Salina who told them that his credit card had been charged $25,000 by Long McArthur and that he did not make the purchase, according to Forrester.

The credit card transaction matched the transaction for the vehicle.

Long McArthur contacted the transport company to have them return the vehicle, but were informed the vehicle had already been delivered, according to Forrester.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593531756106.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA —Authorities are investigating an online car transaction involving a reported stolen credit card number.An employee of Long McArthur Ford, 3450 South 9th Street in Salina, reported that a subject from Georgia purchased a 2018 Honda Accord for $24,500 on June 4, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.The subject produced all the required paperwork and set up the transportation for the vehicle to his daughter in New York. The vehicle was picked up in Salina.The dealership then received a phone call from a subject in Salina who told them that his credit card had been charged $25,000 by Long McArthur and that he did not make the purchase, according to Forrester.The credit card transaction matched the transaction for the vehicle.Long McArthur contacted the transport company to have them return the vehicle, but were informed the vehicle had already been delivered, according to Forrester.&nbsp;

Police: Kan. car dealer out $25K after online sale with stolen credit card number

PRATT COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6a.m. Tuesday in Pratt County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Chevy Silverado driven by Carla Ann Woods, 61, Haviland, was eastbound on U.S. 54 one mile west of Pratt.

The pickup veered into the south ditch. The driver attempted to turn back onto the roadway, lost control and the pickup began to slide broadside into the west bound lane of traffic.&nbsp;

A 2007 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; &nbsp;Felix&nbsp;Moreno-Mateo, 32, Wichita, struck the pickup.

Woods was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Larrison Mortuary.

Moreno-Mateo was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593540712538.png" alt="Scene of the fatal Tuesday crash in Pratt County -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the fatal Tuesday crash in Pratt County -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>PRATT COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6a.m. Tuesday in Pratt County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Chevy Silverado driven by Carla Ann Woods, 61, Haviland, was eastbound on U.S. 54 one mile west of Pratt.The pickup veered into the south ditch. The driver attempted to turn back onto the roadway, lost control and the pickup began to slide broadside into the west bound lane of traffic.&nbsp;A 2007 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; &nbsp;Felix&nbsp;Moreno-Mateo, 32, Wichita, struck the pickup.Woods was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Larrison Mortuary.Moreno-Mateo was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dies after pickup, semi crash

SEWARD COUNTY —Authorities in Seward County are investigating the cause of a Monday night fire after the city of Liberal, the county seat, banned the discharge of fireworks in the city limits.

Late Monday, the Seward County Fire Department responded to the scene of a vegetation fire northwest of Liberal, according to Fire Chief Andrew Barkley.

Crews contained the 3-acre fire and units worked hotspots overnight. The fire appears to be caused by fireworks, according to Barkley.&nbsp;

In the city of Liberal's ban of fireworks, they cited the dry, windy conditions through month of June.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593527866173.png" alt="Monday night fire -photo Seward County government" />
 <figcaption>Monday night fire -photo Seward County government</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY —Authorities in Seward County are investigating the cause of a Monday night fire after the city of Liberal, the county seat, banned the discharge of fireworks in the city limits.Late Monday, the Seward County Fire Department responded to the scene of a vegetation fire northwest of Liberal, according to Fire Chief Andrew Barkley.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593527847452.png" alt="Photo Seward County government" />
 <figcaption>Photo Seward County government</figcaption>
 </figure>Crews contained the 3-acre fire and units worked hotspots overnight. The fire appears to be caused by fireworks, according to Barkley.&nbsp;In the city of Liberal's ban of fireworks, they cited the dry, windy conditions through month of June.&nbsp;

Fireworks fire after Kansas community bans fireworks 

BY CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-26/inside-a-kansas-nursing-home-thats-trying-to-keep-loneliness-and-the-coronavirus-away">Kansas News Service</a>

Monette Johnson wants her husband, Chuck, to see another of the wheat harvests that have been so central to his life.

His career centered around grain elevators and wheat sales. Now in hospice care in Lindsborg, Kansas, he misses those golden fields.

So Monette recruited a family friend to Skype with him during harvest so Chuck can enjoy the scenery.

Only,
 she finds herself hesitating, too, because each Skype call requires the
 time and help of one of the workers at Bethany Home. In the middle of a
 pandemic, she worries they have their hands full.

“I don’t know if that would overload the home,” she said. “People that are trying to take care of the residents.”

It’s
 just one way the coronavirus pandemic tears at the hearts of families 
trying to navigate how to stay close to loved ones when they can only 
wave through windows or on smartphone screens.

Even in Kansas, with a per-capita <a href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/confirmed-covid-19-cases-and-deaths/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22COVID-19%20Deaths%20per%201,000,000%20Population%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D" target="_blank">death toll</a>
 lower than most of the country, nursing homes deal with fresh threats 
of infection as the economy reopens and people break away from their 
quarantine habits. <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1125/Historical---June-22?bidId=" target="_blank">More than half</a> of the state’s coronavirus fatalities have links to long-term care.

Monette’s
 husband of 55 years has late-stage Parkinson’s disease and related 
dementia. In another world, she could have sat with Chuck and guided him
 through a Skype session herself. The new COVID-19 reality has blocked 
her from setting foot in his room since March.

Still, she supports efforts to protect nursing homes from COVID-19.

“I can’t begrudge that,” she said. “I just can’t begrudge that they’re doing everything they can to keep it out.”

Bethany Home hasn’t had any coronavirus cases, but the risk is real. COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care have killed <a href="https://www.kff.org/report-section/state-data-and-policy-actions-to-address-coronavirus-maps-and-data/#long-term-care-cases-deaths" target="_blank">more than 50,000</a> people nationally and <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article243305606.html" target="_blank">149 in Kansas</a>.

When nursing facilities across the country locked down, Bethany pivoted to find new ways for people to connect.

Workers helped families set up Skype on their computers. They allowed care packages, but only after they were first quarantined and then sanitized.

The pandemic has heightened <a href="https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2020/06/examining-the-toll-of-social-distancing-on-health-of-seniors/" target="_blank">loneliness</a> among older adults. And research has linked sustained loneliness to <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks" target="_blank">declines in mental and physical health</a>.

Stephanie
 Ferguson, an experienced nursing and medication aide at the Lindsborg 
home, saw it first-hand. Some of Bethany Home’s 90 residents started to 
get worse when visits stopped.

“That lack of contact just kind of made them give up,” she said. “Like they just felt they had nothing to live for.”

Everything
 became a balancing act between two real dangers: the risk of 
coronavirus versus the isolation that threatened residents’ health in 
another way.

Nursing homes have to make their best calls based on 
reams of federal guidance that changes swiftly and doesn’t always 
translate well to the daily life details they need to address.

Bethany halted visits from the beloved therapy dog, an Australian Shepherd named Milo, for fear its fur could pick up COVID-19 and carry it from room to room.

The home started giving employees free lunches in the cafeteria so they could eat without bringing in outside food.

Briefly,
 it tried outdoor visits. A single resident at a time would sit on a 
patio, while family members stood 10 or 12 feet away. Then Bethany put 
that on hold until regulators make clear whether it’s approved.

Yet
 the facility, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, tried to
 keep as many activities for residents as possible. Bingo became hallway
 bingo, with people sitting in their doorways.

Rides through town 
on the “surrey,” a large trailer with a canopy, continued, but carried 
just a few carefully spaced residents instead of 15 or 20.

None of that can replace the hugs of family members. And the longer the separation continues, the more it hurts staff to see.

“We’ve had people that have passed away,” Ferguson said. “Or had major milestones — birthdays or anniversaries.”

When
 someone is dying, just a few family members can enter the nursing home 
to spend time at their bedside. The visitors must stay in the rooms to 
prevent contamination — no stopping at the cafeteria to get food or 
wandering to stretch their legs.

“So it’s ... I can’t even imagine being in that position,” Ferguson said.

Nursing homes have long struggled with understaffing, and COVID-19 only made that worse.

But
 Bethany Home had an advantage. Shortly before the pandemic, it began 
hiring extra workers to help nursing staff with basic tasks.

When 
the pandemic hit, students and displaced workers showed up, and the 
program quickly grew to more than 20. The extra hands made lighter work 
of sanitizing handrails and doorknobs every hour, handling Facetime 
calls for families and playing board games with residents.

Whitney Johnson (no relation to Chuck and Monette) signed up when her senior year classes at the local high school <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-03-19/every-school-kid-in-kansas-was-just-told-to-stay-home-until-fall-because-of-coronavirus" target="_blank">abruptly went online</a>. She planned to become a music teacher someday, but now she feels less sure.

“I've
 always had this connection with nursing homes,” said Whitney, whose 
mother manages physical therapy at Bethany. “I kind of told myself, ‘I’m
 not going to get attached to nursing homes like my mom.’ And then I 
did. I'm so attached.”

She describes her job as a mix of infection
 control and social support. She feels like the “nursing home grandkid” 
there to cheer people. She smiles — a lot — beneath her face mask, 
unsure if the residents can tell.

In Lindsborg and across Kansas, restaurants have reopened. Family cookouts are back.

But
 human contact brings the risk of coronavirus, and people who work in 
nursing homes fear a false sense of security will help the germ spread.

Outside of their jobs, nursing home staff live in communities full of people who see far less reason to mask up.

“The
 stress of knowing that we have to keep this virus out of our buildings 
has just been incredible,” Bethany Home CEO Kris Erickson said. “You 
look at the world in a whole new way.”

“You head to the store and 
you sit in the parking lot and count the people who (aren’t) wearing 
masks into the store. … I’ve turned around myself and decided I don’t 
need that item as much as I thought I did.”

Knowing the pressure 
that staff faces, Bethany gave $1 per hour pay bumps — temporary 
increases funded with federal stimulus money. The nursing home increased
 paid leave by two weeks, so anyone with symptoms could stay home.

With her husband 
receiving hospice care, she knows Bethany Home could call her to his 
side. She wants to be healthy for Chuck, and able to go.

“There are times I don’t do things because I think, ‘I’m not going to take that chance’” she said.

From the very start of the pandemic, Bethany Home worked with less-than-ideal protective gear.

The
 global rush on face masks and gowns pushed up prices and drained supply
 lines. Across the country, nursing homes trying to snap up equipment 
lost out to bigger fish.

So Bethany bought rain ponchos off Amazon
 in place of disposable gowns. A local refinery worker dropped off 
scores of N95 masks. People in the area sewed hundreds of fabric masks.

These
 cloth coverings became the norm here and at nursing homes across the 
country. Bethany launders them in-house and places them in a tub in the 
entryway, for workers to don each day after taking their temperature and
 passing a screening.

The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/face-masks.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> doesn’t count those masks as personal protective gear, but rather a "last resort."

Many nursing homes still don't have what they need. As recently as last month, <a href="https://khn.org/news/federal-help-falters-as-nursing-homes-run-short-of-protective-equipment/?utm_campaign=KHN%20New%20from%20KHN&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=89345426&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8vuDupGpwQGw8-8nQJqZD6mw-4wW8b0z67bU8DQ9FpeBKgbV52zIPPIhTCYesg85X_16wH4_HGZ9T4M6DDIiPjGyFj-A&amp;utm_content=89345426&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Kaiser Health News</a>
 reported that one-fifth of the nation’s nursing homes didn’t have 
enough professional-grade gear on hand to get through a single week. 
Even shipments of <a href="https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2020/05/02/coronavirus-pandemic-response-ppe-packages-nursing-homes" target="_blank">supplies</a> from the federal government sometimes contain substandard products.

So
 facilities use what professional gear they have sparingly — holding 
onto it for patients with COVID-19 symptoms, or for other dangerous 
infections nursing homes battle, such as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cdiff/what-is.html#:~:text=Clostridioides%20difficile%20(also%20known%20as,the%20subsequent%202%2D8%20weeks." target="_blank">C. diff</a>.

Maridene
 Lundstrom, a former piano teacher, has lived at Bethany Home for four 
years. Before the pandemic, she visited her family down the street for 
cherished Sunday dinners.

“My daughter-in-law always fixed something very special,” Lundstrom said.

Those
 occasions have been replaced with window visits and phone calls. 
Families held a few parades around the nursing home. Her grandchildren 
and great-grandchildren drove past with brightly colored signs and 
balloons while she watched from the sidewalk.

For months, 
everybody entering her room has peered at her over a mask. So she peeks 
at their name tags or recognizes them by voice.

“There are times I
 have been discouraged, but I try not to be discouraged a whole day,” 
she said. “Maybe a half a day. And then I think, ‘Now we’re going to do 
something exciting this afternoon.’”

Bethany Home, she said, has 
shielded her from the stress of the pandemic. Some of her favorite 
activities, like practicing chimes with other residents to perform at 
church services, had to stop. But she can sit in her doorway, hear the 
service on a hallway loudspeaker and sing along with the hymns.

“I can’t really stress how important music is to me,” she said. “I love to go to the piano and play just what I want.”

It’s
 a piano in the dining area. Letting people leave their rooms for 
moments like this is another way the nursing home tries to balance the 
isolation meant to keep people safe with everyone’s need for quality of 
life.

“Not necessarily beautiful classical music — my eyesight is 
not the best,” Lundstrom said. “I love to just play with the keys … and 
come up with a little melody that I like.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen 
reports on consumer health and education 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/2020/6/1593439480744.png" alt="Bob Corbin, a resident at Bethany Home, plays tic-tac-toe through a window with Sydney, the daughter of a staff member. Jennifer Cantrell / Submitted" />
 <figcaption>Bob Corbin, a resident at Bethany Home, plays tic-tac-toe through a window with Sydney, the daughter of a staff member. Jennifer Cantrell / Submitted</figcaption>
 </figure>BY CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-26/inside-a-kansas-nursing-home-thats-trying-to-keep-loneliness-and-the-coronavirus-away">Kansas News Service</a>Monette Johnson wants her husband, Chuck, to see another of the wheat harvests that have been so central to his life.His career centered around grain elevators and wheat sales. Now in hospice care in Lindsborg, Kansas, he misses those golden fields.So Monette recruited a family friend to Skype with him during harvest so Chuck can enjoy the scenery.Only,
 she finds herself hesitating, too, because each Skype call requires the
 time and help of one of the workers at Bethany Home. In the middle of a
 pandemic, she worries they have their hands full.“I don’t know if that would overload the home,” she said. “People that are trying to take care of the residents.”It’s
 just one way the coronavirus pandemic tears at the hearts of families 
trying to navigate how to stay close to loved ones when they can only 
wave through windows or on smartphone screens.Even in Kansas, with a per-capita <a href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/confirmed-covid-19-cases-and-deaths/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22COVID-19%20Deaths%20per%201,000,000%20Population%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D" target="_blank">death toll</a>
 lower than most of the country, nursing homes deal with fresh threats 
of infection as the economy reopens and people break away from their 
quarantine habits. <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1125/Historical---June-22?bidId=" target="_blank">More than half</a> of the state’s coronavirus fatalities have links to long-term care.Monette’s
 husband of 55 years has late-stage Parkinson’s disease and related 
dementia. In another world, she could have sat with Chuck and guided him
 through a Skype session herself. The new COVID-19 reality has blocked 
her from setting foot in his room since March.Still, she supports efforts to protect nursing homes from COVID-19.“I can’t begrudge that,” she said. “I just can’t begrudge that they’re doing everything they can to keep it out.”<h2>Hallway bingo</h2>Bethany Home hasn’t had any coronavirus cases, but the risk is real. COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care have killed <a href="https://www.kff.org/report-section/state-data-and-policy-actions-to-address-coronavirus-maps-and-data/#long-term-care-cases-deaths" target="_blank">more than 50,000</a> people nationally and <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article243305606.html" target="_blank">149 in Kansas</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593439585201.png" alt="Milo, the therapy dog, hasn't been able to make rounds in recent months, in case animal fur could carry the coronavirus from room to room. Jennifer Cantrell" />
 <figcaption>Milo, the therapy dog, hasn't been able to make rounds in recent months, in case animal fur could carry the coronavirus from room to room. Jennifer Cantrell</figcaption>
 </figure>When nursing facilities across the country locked down, Bethany pivoted to find new ways for people to connect.Workers helped families set up Skype on their computers. They allowed care packages, but only after they were first quarantined and then sanitized.The pandemic has heightened <a href="https://healthjournalism.org/blog/2020/06/examining-the-toll-of-social-distancing-on-health-of-seniors/" target="_blank">loneliness</a> among older adults. And research has linked sustained loneliness to <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks" target="_blank">declines in mental and physical health</a>.Stephanie
 Ferguson, an experienced nursing and medication aide at the Lindsborg 
home, saw it first-hand. Some of Bethany Home’s 90 residents started to 
get worse when visits stopped.“That lack of contact just kind of made them give up,” she said. “Like they just felt they had nothing to live for.”Everything
 became a balancing act between two real dangers: the risk of 
coronavirus versus the isolation that threatened residents’ health in 
another way.Nursing homes have to make their best calls based on 
reams of federal guidance that changes swiftly and doesn’t always 
translate well to the daily life details they need to address.Bethany halted visits from the beloved therapy dog, an Australian Shepherd named Milo, for fear its fur could pick up COVID-19 and carry it from room to room.The home started giving employees free lunches in the cafeteria so they could eat without bringing in outside food.Briefly,
 it tried outdoor visits. A single resident at a time would sit on a 
patio, while family members stood 10 or 12 feet away. Then Bethany put 
that on hold until regulators make clear whether it’s approved.Yet
 the facility, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, tried to
 keep as many activities for residents as possible. Bingo became hallway
 bingo, with people sitting in their doorways.Rides through town 
on the “surrey,” a large trailer with a canopy, continued, but carried 
just a few carefully spaced residents instead of 15 or 20.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593439629645.png" alt="Rosie Ramsey, a Bethany resident, waves at her daughters in a silver convertible during one of the parades that families have held around the building. Jennifer Cantrell " />
 <figcaption>Rosie Ramsey, a Bethany resident, waves at her daughters in a silver convertible during one of the parades that families have held around the building. Jennifer Cantrell </figcaption>
 </figure>None of that can replace the hugs of family members. And the longer the separation continues, the more it hurts staff to see.“We’ve had people that have passed away,” Ferguson said. “Or had major milestones — birthdays or anniversaries.”When
 someone is dying, just a few family members can enter the nursing home 
to spend time at their bedside. The visitors must stay in the rooms to 
prevent contamination — no stopping at the cafeteria to get food or 
wandering to stretch their legs.“So it’s ... I can’t even imagine being in that position,” Ferguson said.<h2>Hands to work</h2>Nursing homes have long struggled with understaffing, and COVID-19 only made that worse.But
 Bethany Home had an advantage. Shortly before the pandemic, it began 
hiring extra workers to help nursing staff with basic tasks.When 
the pandemic hit, students and displaced workers showed up, and the 
program quickly grew to more than 20. The extra hands made lighter work 
of sanitizing handrails and doorknobs every hour, handling Facetime 
calls for families and playing board games with residents.Whitney Johnson (no relation to Chuck and Monette) signed up when her senior year classes at the local high school <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-03-19/every-school-kid-in-kansas-was-just-told-to-stay-home-until-fall-because-of-coronavirus" target="_blank">abruptly went online</a>. She planned to become a music teacher someday, but now she feels less sure.“I've
 always had this connection with nursing homes,” said Whitney, whose 
mother manages physical therapy at Bethany. “I kind of told myself, ‘I’m
 not going to get attached to nursing homes like my mom.’ And then I 
did. I'm so attached.”She describes her job as a mix of infection
 control and social support. She feels like the “nursing home grandkid” 
there to cheer people. She smiles — a lot — beneath her face mask, 
unsure if the residents can tell.<h2>Trying to stay safe</h2>In Lindsborg and across Kansas, restaurants have reopened. Family cookouts are back.But
 human contact brings the risk of coronavirus, and people who work in 
nursing homes fear a false sense of security will help the germ spread.Outside of their jobs, nursing home staff live in communities full of people who see far less reason to mask up.“The
 stress of knowing that we have to keep this virus out of our buildings 
has just been incredible,” Bethany Home CEO Kris Erickson said. “You 
look at the world in a whole new way.”“You head to the store and 
you sit in the parking lot and count the people who (aren’t) wearing 
masks into the store. … I’ve turned around myself and decided I don’t 
need that item as much as I thought I did.”Knowing the pressure 
that staff faces, Bethany gave $1 per hour pay bumps — temporary 
increases funded with federal stimulus money. The nursing home increased
 paid leave by two weeks, so anyone with symptoms could stay home.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593439673638.png" alt="Maridene Lundstrom's family poses with balloons and a sign they brought to the parade around Bethany Home. Jennifer Cantrell" />
 <figcaption>Maridene Lundstrom's family poses with balloons and a sign they brought to the parade around Bethany Home. Jennifer Cantrell</figcaption>
 </figure>Monette Johnson feels the pressure, too.With her husband 
receiving hospice care, she knows Bethany Home could call her to his 
side. She wants to be healthy for Chuck, and able to go.“There are times I don’t do things because I think, ‘I’m not going to take that chance’” she said.<h2>The search for protective gear</h2>From the very start of the pandemic, Bethany Home worked with less-than-ideal protective gear.The
 global rush on face masks and gowns pushed up prices and drained supply
 lines. Across the country, nursing homes trying to snap up equipment 
lost out to bigger fish.So Bethany bought rain ponchos off Amazon
 in place of disposable gowns. A local refinery worker dropped off 
scores of N95 masks. People in the area sewed hundreds of fabric masks.These
 cloth coverings became the norm here and at nursing homes across the 
country. Bethany launders them in-house and places them in a tub in the 
entryway, for workers to don each day after taking their temperature and
 passing a screening.The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/face-masks.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> doesn’t count those masks as personal protective gear, but rather a "last resort." Many nursing homes still don't have what they need. As recently as last month, <a href="https://khn.org/news/federal-help-falters-as-nursing-homes-run-short-of-protective-equipment/?utm_campaign=KHN%20New%20from%20KHN&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=89345426&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8vuDupGpwQGw8-8nQJqZD6mw-4wW8b0z67bU8DQ9FpeBKgbV52zIPPIhTCYesg85X_16wH4_HGZ9T4M6DDIiPjGyFj-A&amp;utm_content=89345426&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Kaiser Health News</a>
 reported that one-fifth of the nation’s nursing homes didn’t have 
enough professional-grade gear on hand to get through a single week. 
Even shipments of <a href="https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2020/05/02/coronavirus-pandemic-response-ppe-packages-nursing-homes" target="_blank">supplies</a> from the federal government sometimes contain substandard products.So
 facilities use what professional gear they have sparingly — holding 
onto it for patients with COVID-19 symptoms, or for other dangerous 
infections nursing homes battle, such as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cdiff/what-is.html#:~:text=Clostridioides%20difficile%20(also%20known%20as,the%20subsequent%202%2D8%20weeks." target="_blank">C. diff</a>.<h2>Piano soothes the soul</h2>Maridene
 Lundstrom, a former piano teacher, has lived at Bethany Home for four 
years. Before the pandemic, she visited her family down the street for 
cherished Sunday dinners.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593439718300.png" alt="Maridene Lundstrom takes a ride on the "surrey." Jennifer Cantrell" />
 <figcaption>Maridene Lundstrom takes a ride on the "surrey." Jennifer Cantrell</figcaption>
 </figure>“My daughter-in-law always fixed something very special,” Lundstrom said.Those
 occasions have been replaced with window visits and phone calls. 
Families held a few parades around the nursing home. Her grandchildren 
and great-grandchildren drove past with brightly colored signs and 
balloons while she watched from the sidewalk.For months, 
everybody entering her room has peered at her over a mask. So she peeks 
at their name tags or recognizes them by voice.“There are times I
 have been discouraged, but I try not to be discouraged a whole day,” 
she said. “Maybe a half a day. And then I think, ‘Now we’re going to do 
something exciting this afternoon.’”Bethany Home, she said, has 
shielded her from the stress of the pandemic. Some of her favorite 
activities, like practicing chimes with other residents to perform at 
church services, had to stop. But she can sit in her doorway, hear the 
service on a hallway loudspeaker and sing along with the hymns.“I can’t really stress how important music is to me,” she said. “I love to go to the piano and play just what I want.”It’s
 a piano in the dining area. Letting people leave their rooms for 
moments like this is another way the nursing home tries to balance the 
isolation meant to keep people safe with everyone’s need for quality of 
life.“Not necessarily beautiful classical music — my eyesight is 
not the best,” Lundstrom said. “I love to just play with the keys … and 
come up with a little melody that I like.”Celia Llopis-Jepsen 
reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. 
You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Kan. nursing home tries to keep loneliness, coronavirus away 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City’s Black mayor said Monday that he was called a racist slur and told he should “swing from a tree” after he announced mandatory face masks in the Missouri city.

Mayor Quinton Lucas on Twitter shared a screenshot of the texts, which came after he announced Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d46319f474c58304165f2acca6a52ec9">masks will be required</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City when 6 feet of separation isn’t feasible.

“You walked with RIOTERS not wearing a mask idiot,” a text read, according to a screenshot Lucas shared. “You should swing from a tree, I’m not threatening it, but would love to see it.”

Lucas has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14cdff4bf0ef25bc81ddac12edd0bc65">joined in Kansas City protests</a>&nbsp;sparked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a55d2662f200ead0da4fed9e923b60a7">the death of George Floyd</a>&nbsp;and other Black people at the hands of police. Floyd died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes as the handcuffed man pleaded for air.

Lucas did not share the name or number of the person who allegedly sent the texts, which included a racist slur and obscene language describing the Black mayor.

In a tweet about the texts, Lucas wrote, “let’s do better.”

Masks as of Monday are required in Kansas City. The mandate will remain in place until at least July 12.

It’s unclear if police are investigating the texts to the mayor as a threat. An Associated Press request for comment to a Kansas City police spokesman wasn’t immediately returned Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589226208948.png" alt="Mayor Quinton Lucas prepares for a press conference in April-image courtesy city of KCMO" />
 <figcaption>Mayor Quinton Lucas prepares for a press conference in April-image courtesy city of KCMO</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City’s Black mayor said Monday that he was called a racist slur and told he should “swing from a tree” after he announced mandatory face masks in the Missouri city.Mayor Quinton Lucas on Twitter shared a screenshot of the texts, which came after he announced Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d46319f474c58304165f2acca6a52ec9">masks will be required</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City when 6 feet of separation isn’t feasible.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A downside to giving your cell number to everyone. <a href="https://t.co/PIMntQWV9A">https://t.co/PIMntQWV9A</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1277630049110425603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“You walked with RIOTERS not wearing a mask idiot,” a text read, according to a screenshot Lucas shared. “You should swing from a tree, I’m not threatening it, but would love to see it.”Lucas has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14cdff4bf0ef25bc81ddac12edd0bc65">joined in Kansas City protests</a>&nbsp;sparked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a55d2662f200ead0da4fed9e923b60a7">the death of George Floyd</a>&nbsp;and other Black people at the hands of police. Floyd died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes as the handcuffed man pleaded for air.Lucas did not share the name or number of the person who allegedly sent the texts, which included a racist slur and obscene language describing the Black mayor.In a tweet about the texts, Lucas wrote, “let’s do better.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Wearing a mask or face covering can be uncomfortable, but this is a necessary step to ensure we can save lives and keep our economy open. We wear masks to protect our loved ones, those around us, and their loved ones. Mayor Lucas’s updated Order goes into effect on Monday. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KCMO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KCMO</a> <a href="https://t.co/Cnf96dB9fY">pic.twitter.com/Cnf96dB9fY</a>&mdash; Mayor Quinton Lucas (@MayorLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorLucasKC/status/1276623543120297985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Masks as of Monday are required in Kansas City. The mandate will remain in place until at least July 12.It’s unclear if police are investigating the texts to the mayor as a threat. An Associated Press request for comment to a Kansas City police spokesman wasn’t immediately returned Monday.