WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

His comments in an interview with The Associated Press come despite President Donald Trump’s repeated baseless claims that the election was stolen, Trump’s effort to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election and his refusal to concede his loss to President-Elect Joe Biden.

Barr said U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they’ve received, but they’ve uncovered no evidence that would change the outcome of the election. Barr was headed to the White House later for a previously scheduled meeting.

“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the AP.

The comments are especially direct coming from Barr, who has been one of the president’s most ardent allies. Before the election, he had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9f1fde9bb0dd6e46be5a7add286093b9">repeatedly raised the notion&nbsp;</a>that mail-in voter fraud could be especially vulnerable to fraud during the coronavirus pandemic as Americans feared going to polls and instead chose to vote by mail.

Shortly after Barr’s statement was published, Trump tweeted out more baseless claims of voter fraud. And his attorney Rudy Giuliani and his campaign issued a scathing statement claiming that, “with all due respect to the Attorney General, there hasn’t been any semblance” of an investigation.

Last month, Barr issued a directive to U.S. attorneys across the country allowing them to pursue any “substantial allegations” of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-voters-fear-unsupported-fraud-f9e5adc810c506b4a7044c93ebe17a61">voting irregularities</a>, if they existed, before the 2020 presidential election was certified, despite no evidence at that time of widespread fraud. That memorandum gave prosecutors the ability to go around longstanding Justice Department policy that normally would prohibit such overt actions before the election was certified. Soon after it was issued, the department’s top elections crime official announced he would step aside from that position because of the memo.

The Trump campaign team led by Rudy Giuliani has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-allies-try-overturn-biden-victory-29da6aac9cc41e47f3095855e7af7031">alleging a widespread conspiracy</a>&nbsp;by Democrats to dump millions of illegal votes into the system with no evidence. They have filed multiple lawsuits in battleground states alleging that partisan poll watchers didn’t have a clear enough view at polling sites in some locations and therefore something illegal must have happened. The claims have been repeatedly dismissed including by Republican judges who have ruled the suits lacked evidence. Local Republicans in some battleground states have followed Trump in making similar unsupported claims.

Trump has railed against the election in tweets and in interviews though his own administration has said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-officials-elections-most-secure-66f9361084ccbc461e3bbf42861057a5">2020 election was the most secure ever</a>. Trump recently allowed his administration to begin the transition over to Biden, but has still refused to admit he lost.

The issues Trump’s campaign and its allies have pointed to are typical in every election: Problems with signatures, secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots, as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost.

But they’ve also requested federal probes into the claims. Attorney Sidney Powell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-legal-team-false-claims-5abd64917ef8be9e9e2078180973e8b3">has spun</a>&nbsp;fictional tales of election systems flipping votes, German servers storing U.S. voting information and election software created in Venezuela “at the direction of Hugo Chavez,” – the late Venezuelan president who died in 2013. Powell has since been removed from the legal team after an interview she gave where she threatened to “blow up” Georgia with a “biblical” court filing.

Barr didn’t name Powell specifically but said: “There’s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results. And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven’t seen anything to substantiate that,” Barr said.

He said people were confusing the use of the federal criminal justice system with allegations that should be made in civil lawsuits. He said such a remedy for those complaints would be a top-down audit conducted by state or local officials, not the U.S. Justice Department.

“There’s a growing tendency to use the criminal justice system as sort of a default fix-all, and people don’t like something they want the Department of Justice to come in and ‘investigate,’” Barr said.

He said first of all there must be a basis to believe there is a crime to investigate.

“Most claims of fraud are very particularized to a particular set of circumstances or actors or conduct. They are not systemic allegations and. And those have been run down; they are being run down,” Barr said. “Some have been broad and potentially cover a few thousand votes. They have been followed up on.”

In the campaign statement, Giuliani claimed the had gathered “ample evidence of illegal voting in at least six states, which they have not examined.”

“We have many witnesses swearing under oath they saw crimes being committed in connection with voter fraud. As far as we know, not a single one has been interviewed by the DOJ. The Justice Department also hasn’t audited any voting machines or used their subpoena powers to determine the truth,” he said.

The witnesses Giuliani has pointed to in the past included Jessy Jacob, identified as a City of Detroit employee, who said in an affidavit filed in court that she saw other workers coaching voters to cast ballots for Joe Biden and the Democrats.

But a judge who denied a bid to block the certification of Detroit-area election results noted that Jacob’s claims of misconduct and fraud included no “date, location, frequency or names of employees” and that she only came forward with her allegations after the unofficial results indicated Biden had won Michigan.

WASHINGTON (AP) —Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

His comments come despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the election was stolen, and his refusal to concede his loss to President-Elect Joe Biden.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Barr said U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they’ve received, but they’ve uncovered no evidence that would change the outcome of the election.

“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the AP.

The comments are especially direct coming from Barr, who has been one of the president’s most ardent allies. Before the election, he had repeatedly raised the notion that mail-in voter fraud could be especially vulnerable to fraud during the coronavirus pandemic as Americans feared going to polls and instead chose to vote by mail.

Last month, Barr issued a directive to U.S. attorneys across the country allowing them to pursue any “substantial allegations” of voting irregularities, if they existed, before the 2020 presidential election was certified, despite no evidence at that time of widespread fraud. That memorandum gave prosecutors the ability to go around longstanding Justice Department policy that normally would prohibit such overt actions before the election was certified. Soon after it was issued, the department’s top elections crime official announced he would step aside from that position because of the memo.

The Trump campaign team led by Rudy Giuliani has been alleging a widespread conspiracy by Democrats to dump millions of illegal votes into the system with no evidence. They have filed multiple lawsuits in battleground states alleging that partisan poll watchers didn’t have a clear enough view at polling sites in some locations and therefore something illegal must have happened. The claims have been repeatedly dismissed including by Republican judges who have ruled the suits lacked evidence. Local Republicans in some battleground states have followed Trump in making similar unsupported claims.

Trump has railed against the election in tweets and in interviews though his own administration has said the 2020 election was the most secure ever. Trump recently allowed his administration to begin the transition over to Biden, but has still refused to admit he lost.

But they’ve also requested federal probes into the claims. Attorney Sidney Powell has spun fictional tales of election systems flipping votes, German servers storing U.S. voting information and election software created in Venezuela “at the direction of Hugo Chavez,” – the late Venezuelan president who died in 2013. Powell has since been removed from the legal team after an interview she gave where she threatened to “blow up” Georgia with a “biblical” court filing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604529701860.png" alt="Processing ballots in Pennsylvania - photo courtesy Pennsylvania Secretary of State" />
 <figcaption>Processing ballots in Pennsylvania - photo courtesy Pennsylvania Secretary of State</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.His comments in an interview with The Associated Press come despite President Donald Trump’s repeated baseless claims that the election was stolen, Trump’s effort to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election and his refusal to concede his loss to President-Elect Joe Biden.Barr said U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they’ve received, but they’ve uncovered no evidence that would change the outcome of the election. Barr was headed to the White House later for a previously scheduled meeting.“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the AP.The comments are especially direct coming from Barr, who has been one of the president’s most ardent allies. Before the election, he had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9f1fde9bb0dd6e46be5a7add286093b9">repeatedly raised the notion&nbsp;</a>that mail-in voter fraud could be especially vulnerable to fraud during the coronavirus pandemic as Americans feared going to polls and instead chose to vote by mail.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606852995602.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shortly after Barr’s statement was published, Trump tweeted out more baseless claims of voter fraud. And his attorney Rudy Giuliani and his campaign issued a scathing statement claiming that, “with all due respect to the Attorney General, there hasn’t been any semblance” of an investigation.Last month, Barr issued a directive to U.S. attorneys across the country allowing them to pursue any “substantial allegations” of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/military-voters-fear-unsupported-fraud-f9e5adc810c506b4a7044c93ebe17a61">voting irregularities</a>, if they existed, before the 2020 presidential election was certified, despite no evidence at that time of widespread fraud. That memorandum gave prosecutors the ability to go around longstanding Justice Department policy that normally would prohibit such overt actions before the election was certified. Soon after it was issued, the department’s top elections crime official announced he would step aside from that position because of the memo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604697559728.png" alt="Volunteers counting votes on November 5, 2020- photo courtesy Nevada Secretary of State" />
 <figcaption>Volunteers counting votes on November 5, 2020- photo courtesy Nevada Secretary of State</figcaption>
 </figure>The Trump campaign team led by Rudy Giuliani has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-allies-try-overturn-biden-victory-29da6aac9cc41e47f3095855e7af7031">alleging a widespread conspiracy</a>&nbsp;by Democrats to dump millions of illegal votes into the system with no evidence. They have filed multiple lawsuits in battleground states alleging that partisan poll watchers didn’t have a clear enough view at polling sites in some locations and therefore something illegal must have happened. The claims have been repeatedly dismissed including by Republican judges who have ruled the suits lacked evidence. Local Republicans in some battleground states have followed Trump in making similar unsupported claims.Trump has railed against the election in tweets and in interviews though his own administration has said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/top-officials-elections-most-secure-66f9361084ccbc461e3bbf42861057a5">2020 election was the most secure ever</a>. Trump recently allowed his administration to begin the transition over to Biden, but has still refused to admit he lost.The issues Trump’s campaign and its allies have pointed to are typical in every election: Problems with signatures, secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots, as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost.But they’ve also requested federal probes into the claims. Attorney Sidney Powell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-legal-team-false-claims-5abd64917ef8be9e9e2078180973e8b3">has spun</a>&nbsp;fictional tales of election systems flipping votes, German servers storing U.S. voting information and election software created in Venezuela “at the direction of Hugo Chavez,” – the late Venezuelan president who died in 2013. Powell has since been removed from the legal team after an interview she gave where she threatened to “blow up” Georgia with a “biblical” court filing.Barr didn’t name Powell specifically but said: “There’s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results. And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven’t seen anything to substantiate that,” Barr said.He said people were confusing the use of the federal criminal justice system with allegations that should be made in civil lawsuits. He said such a remedy for those complaints would be a top-down audit conducted by state or local officials, not the U.S. Justice Department.“There’s a growing tendency to use the criminal justice system as sort of a default fix-all, and people don’t like something they want the Department of Justice to come in and ‘investigate,’” Barr said.He said first of all there must be a basis to believe there is a crime to investigate.“Most claims of fraud are very particularized to a particular set of circumstances or actors or conduct. They are not systemic allegations and. And those have been run down; they are being run down,” Barr said. “Some have been broad and potentially cover a few thousand votes. They have been followed up on.”In the campaign statement, Giuliani claimed the had gathered “ample evidence of illegal voting in at least six states, which they have not examined.”“We have many witnesses swearing under oath they saw crimes being committed in connection with voter fraud. As far as we know, not a single one has been interviewed by the DOJ. The Justice Department also hasn’t audited any voting machines or used their subpoena powers to determine the truth,” he said.The witnesses Giuliani has pointed to in the past included Jessy Jacob, identified as a City of Detroit employee, who said in an affidavit filed in court that she saw other workers coaching voters to cast ballots for Joe Biden and the Democrats.But a judge who denied a bid to block the certification of Detroit-area election results noted that Jacob’s claims of misconduct and fraud included no “date, location, frequency or names of employees” and that she only came forward with her allegations after the unofficial results indicated Biden had won Michigan.----------WASHINGTON (AP) —Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.His comments come despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the election was stolen, and his refusal to concede his loss to President-Elect Joe Biden.In an interview with The Associated Press, Barr said U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they’ve received, but they’ve uncovered no evidence that would change the outcome of the election.“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the AP.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606852995602.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The comments are especially direct coming from Barr, who has been one of the president’s most ardent allies. Before the election, he had repeatedly raised the notion that mail-in voter fraud could be especially vulnerable to fraud during the coronavirus pandemic as Americans feared going to polls and instead chose to vote by mail.Last month, Barr issued a directive to U.S. attorneys across the country allowing them to pursue any “substantial allegations” of voting irregularities, if they existed, before the 2020 presidential election was certified, despite no evidence at that time of widespread fraud. That memorandum gave prosecutors the ability to go around longstanding Justice Department policy that normally would prohibit such overt actions before the election was certified. Soon after it was issued, the department’s top elections crime official announced he would step aside from that position because of the memo.The Trump campaign team led by Rudy Giuliani has been alleging a widespread conspiracy by Democrats to dump millions of illegal votes into the system with no evidence. They have filed multiple lawsuits in battleground states alleging that partisan poll watchers didn’t have a clear enough view at polling sites in some locations and therefore something illegal must have happened. The claims have been repeatedly dismissed including by Republican judges who have ruled the suits lacked evidence. Local Republicans in some battleground states have followed Trump in making similar unsupported claims.Trump has railed against the election in tweets and in interviews though his own administration has said the 2020 election was the most secure ever. Trump recently allowed his administration to begin the transition over to Biden, but has still refused to admit he lost.The issues Trump’s campaign and its allies have pointed to are typical in every election: Problems with signatures, secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots, as well as the potential for a small number of ballots miscast or lost.But they’ve also requested federal probes into the claims. Attorney Sidney Powell has spun fictional tales of election systems flipping votes, German servers storing U.S. voting information and election software created in Venezuela “at the direction of Hugo Chavez,” – the late Venezuelan president who died in 2013. Powell has since been removed from the legal team after an interview she gave where she threatened to “blow up” Georgia with a “biblical” court filing.Barr didn’t name Powell specifically but said: “There’s been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results. And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven’t seen anything to substantiate that,” Barr said.He said people were confusing the use of the federal criminal justice system with allegations that should be made in civil lawsuits. He said such a remedy for those complaints would be a top-down audit conducted by state or local officials, not the U.S. Justice Department.“There’s a growing tendency to use the criminal justice system as sort of a default fix-all, and people don’t like something they want the Department of Justice to come in and ‘investigate,’” Barr said.He said first of all there must be a basis to believe there is a crime to investigate.“Most claims of fraud are very particularized to a particular set of circumstances or actors or conduct. They are not systemic allegations and. And those have been run down; they are being run down,” Barr said. “Some have been broad and potentially cover a few thousand votes. They have been followed up on.”

President, AG disagree over widespread voter fraud

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some officials charged with upgrading Kansas’ 911 system say a nearly three-hour outage across the southern part of the state on Sunday revealed the potential for future major disruptions to emergency operations.

During the outage, which began about 1:35 p.m., multiple counties weren’t able to log into the state’s 911 system. The impact varied, with some agencies posting alternative emergency phone numbers on social media or rerouting calls before service was restored around 4:40 p.m.

A 2018 audit warned that the system was at risk of outages, and Sunday’s incident was the third major 911 failure in four years.

A 911 Coordinating Council has been leading efforts for years to upgrade the state’s system to the next generation of service, called NG911, which allows residents to text 911 and ensures that calls can be quickly transferred between dispatch centers.

State Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat who is on the council, said he wasn’t surprised by the latest outage.

“The basic function of making sure we have a redundant system has been ignored and (Sunday’s) events are just one more exemplification of this,” Carmichael said. “We are teetering on the edge at some point of having a similar failure in the midst of, for example, a tornado or other significant statewide emergency.”

Gov. Laura Kelly said she was “obviously concerned something like that could happen.” She said the Kansas Division of Emergency Management is working with local officials to identify the cause and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Michele Abbott, who is on the 911 Council’s executive committee, said officials need to do a deep analysis to determine exactly what happened.

“We had some counties not able to log on, but we don’t know that their calls weren’t routed somewhere else or that they weren’t partially at the very least being properly answered somewhere else,” she said.

The 911 Council said in a Facebook post that the problem was caused by a “software conflict.” Abbott on Monday repeated the explanation and said the disruption didn’t appear to be the result of a cyberattack.

AT&amp;T is a major vendor for the state’s 911 system. On Monday, a company spokesperson said service was restored after a brief technical issue.

The 2018 audit found that 62% of emergency dispatch centers reported experiencing system down time. It also detailed two major outages that disrupted 911 service in dozens of counties.

Despite changes made after each of those events, the system’s design doesn’t eliminate the risk of future outages involving several emergency centers, the report said.

Ideally, 911 systems should have just 5 minutes of downtime per year, a standard known as 5-9. But Kansas’ system cannot be expected to meet that standard because it is on a single network, auditors said.

Brandon Abley, technical issues director at the National Emergency Number Association, said older 911 systems are more vulnerable to disruptions than next generation systems. But much of the country is still transitioning to next generation systems, which leaves systems susceptible to problems, he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606853653773.png" alt="Image courtesy Kansas 911 Coordinating Council" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Kansas 911 Coordinating Council</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some officials charged with upgrading Kansas’ 911 system say a nearly three-hour outage across the southern part of the state on Sunday revealed the potential for future major disruptions to emergency operations.During the outage, which began about 1:35 p.m., multiple counties weren’t able to log into the state’s 911 system. The impact varied, with some agencies posting alternative emergency phone numbers on social media or rerouting calls before service was restored around 4:40 p.m.A 2018 audit warned that the system was at risk of outages, and Sunday’s incident was the third major 911 failure in four years.A 911 Coordinating Council has been leading efforts for years to upgrade the state’s system to the next generation of service, called NG911, which allows residents to text 911 and ensures that calls can be quickly transferred between dispatch centers.State Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat who is on the council, said he wasn’t surprised by the latest outage.“The basic function of making sure we have a redundant system has been ignored and (Sunday’s) events are just one more exemplification of this,” Carmichael said. “We are teetering on the edge at some point of having a similar failure in the midst of, for example, a tornado or other significant statewide emergency.”Gov. Laura Kelly said she was “obviously concerned something like that could happen.” She said the Kansas Division of Emergency Management is working with local officials to identify the cause and ensure it doesn’t happen again.Michele Abbott, who is on the 911 Council’s executive committee, said officials need to do a deep analysis to determine exactly what happened.“We had some counties not able to log on, but we don’t know that their calls weren’t routed somewhere else or that they weren’t partially at the very least being properly answered somewhere else,” she said.The 911 Council said in a Facebook post that the problem was caused by a “software conflict.” Abbott on Monday repeated the explanation and said the disruption didn’t appear to be the result of a cyberattack.AT&amp;T is a major vendor for the state’s 911 system. On Monday, a company spokesperson said service was restored after a brief technical issue.The 2018 audit found that 62% of emergency dispatch centers reported experiencing system down time. It also detailed two major outages that disrupted 911 service in dozens of counties.Despite changes made after each of those events, the system’s design doesn’t eliminate the risk of future outages involving several emergency centers, the report said.Ideally, 911 systems should have just 5 minutes of downtime per year, a standard known as 5-9. But Kansas’ system cannot be expected to meet that standard because it is on a single network, auditors said.Brandon Abley, technical issues director at the National Emergency Number Association, said older 911 systems are more vulnerable to disruptions than next generation systems. But much of the country is still transitioning to next generation systems, which leaves systems susceptible to problems, he said.

Widespread 911 outage causes alarm for Kansas officials

BY JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-11-30/a-pandemic-exhaustion-and-threats-why-dozens-of-kansas-public-health-officials-are-quitting">Kansas News Service</a>

FREDONIA — Nick Baldetti resigned as director of the Reno County Health Department in July.

He
 left to head an effort to establish a school of health at McPherson 
College. It was a good opportunity, Baldetti said, but he likely would 
have stayed to see the department through the pandemic if not for the 
80-hour work weeks, the hostile political environment and the threats to
 his family.

“I had the local police watching my house because my 
family was home and I was not,” said Baldetti, who also served as the 
department’s health officer. “There was a period of time that I had 
escorts to and from work.”

Baldetti, like his counterparts across 
the state, spent years preparing to deal with a public health crisis 
like the COVID-19 pandemic. He never imagined that when the moment 
arrived he would encounter such antagonism for simply doing his job.

“By
 the end of the day, you just felt like you were on an island by 
yourself,” he said. “Whatever decision I made, 50% of people were going 
to be upset because it was too ‘restrictive’ and the other 50% were 
going to be upset because it wasn’t restrictive enough.”

Baldetti 
wasn’t alone. The pressure of dealing with the pandemic and the politics
 surrounding it triggered an exodus of public health workers across the 
state.

In the nine months since the state’s first documented 
coronavirus infection, 27 county health officials have left their posts.
 Some retired but others resigned or were fired.

The Kansas 
Department of Health and Environment says that number includes 15 county
 health department administrators and 18 health officers. Six of those 
leaving held both positions.

The same pressures are thinning the 
ranks of local public health officials across the country. Many are 
leaving because they’ve been physically threatened or “politically 
scapegoated” for doing their jobs, Lori Freeman, chief executive of the 
National Association of County and City Health Officials, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/25/938873547/embattled-public-health-workers-leaving-at-steady-and-alarming-rate" target="_blank">told National Public Radio</a>.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/11/12/kansas-public-health-workers-are-not-your-enemies-theyre-your-neighbors/" target="_blank">Vicki Collie-Akers,</a>
 a professor of public health at the University of Kansas Medical 
Center, said many of the health officials in Kansas who are leaving are 
doing so “because they can’t manage both the pandemic crisis and the 
harassment and denigration that’s come with it.”

The long-term 
impact of the exodus on the state’s already undermanned and underfunded 
public health system, Collie-Akers said, will be profound.

Lee 
Norman oversees the public health system as secretary of KDHE. Recently 
assigned a security detail, Norman said the departure of so many 
frontline workers is “disheartening and cause for concern.”

Gianfranco
 Pezzino recently announced that after 14 years as the health officer of
 the Shawnee County Health Department he would step down at the end of 
the year.

“There’s a lot of burnout, anger and frustration,” Pezzino said.

A
 doctor and public health researcher, Pezzino said months battling 
county commissioners over how to contain the coronavirus had worn him 
out.

“I’m tired emotionally, I’m tired physically,” Pezzino said. “I don’t think I have the energy … to do another year like this.”

The amount of misinformation spread on social media — much of it <a href="https://khn.org/morning-breakout/trump-fueled-38-of-pandemic-misinformation-conspiracies-study/" target="_blank">emanating from the White House</a> — politicized the nation’s response to the pandemic, Pezzino said.

“If
 there had been a unified message coming down from the federal 
government to the state and local levels,” he said, “it would have been 
much easier for everybody.”

Jennifer
 Bacani McKenney is also tired and frustrated. Nevertheless, she’s 
fighting to stay on as Wilson County’s health officer.

McKenney, a doctor, grew up in Fredonia, the county seat. She returned about a decade ago to join her father’s medical practice.

Initially,
 she said, citizens of the county in the southeast corner of the state 
embraced orders issued by Gov. Laura Kelly and her department aimed at 
slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Those orders sequestered people 
in their homes, closed schools and some businesses.

“That first probably two months we were everybody’s best friend,” McKenney said. “We were here to take care of you.”

But
 support for those policies eroded as the number of unemployed Kansans 
grew to levels not seen since the Great Recession. Republican 
legislative leaders responded by reining in Kelly’s emergency powers and
 those of local health officials.

The legislative changes allowed 
county commissioners to opt out of Kelly’s mask mandate and gave them 
authority over all local policies aimed at containing the virus.

As
 the political debate grew more heated — nationally and in Kansas — 
hostility towards public health officials, like McKenney, increased.

She got threatening emails and was the target of personal attacks on social media.

“It
 hurts your heart, it really does,” McKenney said. “It’s not only that 
people are mean, it’s that you’ve lost friends. Relationships are 
broken.”

During the worst of it, McKenney said, she often sat alone in her office and cried after seeing her last patient of the day.

“There’s nothing else to do,” she said.

Andy
 Miller, a Wilson County commissioner, said McKenney brought some of the
 criticism on herself by disparaging President Donald Trump’s handling 
of the pandemic in social media posts.

“When you start getting political,” Miller said, “you’ve created a storm.”

When that happens, he said, the attacks run both ways.

“I’ve
 probably got a dozen emails or so that are just, ‘it’s either a mask 
(mandate) or you’re a killer,’” he said. “There’s no in between.”

Early last month, commissioners rejected McKenney’s proposal for a 
mask mandate. But as COVID-19 cases in the county and across the state 
surged and Kelly called for a statewide policy they agreed to consider a
 compromise.

They scheduled a rare evening meeting to hear from 
the public. Most of the 80 people who showed up opposed the mandate as 
an assault on their personal liberty.

“My fear doesn’t happen to 
be the COVID virus but the overreach of national and state officials who
 believe because of their positions or ego that their opinions are 
fact,” said Charles Fox, a Fredonia veterinarian.

Donovan 
Hutchinson, the owner of the Dry Creek Saloon in Neodosha, said giving 
in to a mask mandate would lead to further abuses of government power.

“What will they come after next, our guns, our children?” he said.

Burt Carlson, a 70-year-old retiree from Fredonia, recently spent a week in the hospital for COVID-19 but opposed the mandate.

Despite more than 265,000 U.S. deaths it has caused, Carlson said the coronavirus isn’t as bad as health officials claim.

“It’s no more than a super bad flu,” he said.

When
 it became apparent that the commission was ready to approve the 
compromise — a 30-day mandate — several people walked out in protest.

Sheriff’s deputies escorted McKenney to her car after the meeting.

Still, she doesn’t want to add her name to the growing list of local public health officials calling it quits.

“That’s not me,” she said. “I can’t have this knowledge and ability to help people and just walk away.”

Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks?lang=en" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606838282342.png" alt="Dr. Jennifer McKenney, Wilson County health officer, in her office at the Fredonia Regional Medical Center. Jim McLean / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Jennifer McKenney, Wilson County health officer, in her office at the Fredonia Regional Medical Center. Jim McLean / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>BY JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-11-30/a-pandemic-exhaustion-and-threats-why-dozens-of-kansas-public-health-officials-are-quitting">Kansas News Service</a>FREDONIA — Nick Baldetti resigned as director of the Reno County Health Department in July.He
 left to head an effort to establish a school of health at McPherson 
College. It was a good opportunity, Baldetti said, but he likely would 
have stayed to see the department through the pandemic if not for the 
80-hour work weeks, the hostile political environment and the threats to
 his family.“I had the local police watching my house because my 
family was home and I was not,” said Baldetti, who also served as the 
department’s health officer. “There was a period of time that I had 
escorts to and from work.”Baldetti, like his counterparts across 
the state, spent years preparing to deal with a public health crisis 
like the COVID-19 pandemic. He never imagined that when the moment 
arrived he would encounter such antagonism for simply doing his job.“By
 the end of the day, you just felt like you were on an island by 
yourself,” he said. “Whatever decision I made, 50% of people were going 
to be upset because it was too ‘restrictive’ and the other 50% were 
going to be upset because it wasn’t restrictive enough.”Baldetti 
wasn’t alone. The pressure of dealing with the pandemic and the politics
 surrounding it triggered an exodus of public health workers across the 
state.In the nine months since the state’s first documented 
coronavirus infection, 27 county health officials have left their posts.
 Some retired but others resigned or were fired.The Kansas 
Department of Health and Environment says that number includes 15 county
 health department administrators and 18 health officers. Six of those 
leaving held both positions.The same pressures are thinning the 
ranks of local public health officials across the country. Many are 
leaving because they’ve been physically threatened or “politically 
scapegoated” for doing their jobs, Lori Freeman, chief executive of the 
National Association of County and City Health Officials, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/25/938873547/embattled-public-health-workers-leaving-at-steady-and-alarming-rate" target="_blank">told National Public Radio</a>.<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/11/12/kansas-public-health-workers-are-not-your-enemies-theyre-your-neighbors/" target="_blank">Vicki Collie-Akers,</a>
 a professor of public health at the University of Kansas Medical 
Center, said many of the health officials in Kansas who are leaving are 
doing so “because they can’t manage both the pandemic crisis and the 
harassment and denigration that’s come with it.”The long-term 
impact of the exodus on the state’s already undermanned and underfunded 
public health system, Collie-Akers said, will be profound.Lee 
Norman oversees the public health system as secretary of KDHE. Recently 
assigned a security detail, Norman said the departure of so many 
frontline workers is “disheartening and cause for concern.”Frustration, fear and fatigueGianfranco
 Pezzino recently announced that after 14 years as the health officer of
 the Shawnee County Health Department he would step down at the end of 
the year.“There’s a lot of burnout, anger and frustration,” Pezzino said.A
 doctor and public health researcher, Pezzino said months battling 
county commissioners over how to contain the coronavirus had worn him 
out.“I’m tired emotionally, I’m tired physically,” Pezzino said. “I don’t think I have the energy … to do another year like this.”The amount of misinformation spread on social media — much of it <a href="https://khn.org/morning-breakout/trump-fueled-38-of-pandemic-misinformation-conspiracies-study/" target="_blank">emanating from the White House</a> — politicized the nation’s response to the pandemic, Pezzino said.“If
 there had been a unified message coming down from the federal 
government to the state and local levels,” he said, “it would have been 
much easier for everybody.”Mask mandate backlashJennifer
 Bacani McKenney is also tired and frustrated. Nevertheless, she’s 
fighting to stay on as Wilson County’s health officer.McKenney, a doctor, grew up in Fredonia, the county seat. She returned about a decade ago to join her father’s medical practice.Initially,
 she said, citizens of the county in the southeast corner of the state 
embraced orders issued by Gov. Laura Kelly and her department aimed at 
slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Those orders sequestered people 
in their homes, closed schools and some businesses.“That first probably two months we were everybody’s best friend,” McKenney said. “We were here to take care of you.”But
 support for those policies eroded as the number of unemployed Kansans 
grew to levels not seen since the Great Recession. Republican 
legislative leaders responded by reining in Kelly’s emergency powers and
 those of local health officials.The legislative changes allowed 
county commissioners to opt out of Kelly’s mask mandate and gave them 
authority over all local policies aimed at containing the virus.As
 the political debate grew more heated — nationally and in Kansas — 
hostility towards public health officials, like McKenney, increased.She got threatening emails and was the target of personal attacks on social media.“It
 hurts your heart, it really does,” McKenney said. “It’s not only that 
people are mean, it’s that you’ve lost friends. Relationships are 
broken.”During the worst of it, McKenney said, she often sat alone in her office and cried after seeing her last patient of the day.“There’s nothing else to do,” she said.Andy
 Miller, a Wilson County commissioner, said McKenney brought some of the
 criticism on herself by disparaging President Donald Trump’s handling 
of the pandemic in social media posts.“When you start getting political,” Miller said, “you’ve created a storm.”When that happens, he said, the attacks run both ways.“I’ve
 probably got a dozen emails or so that are just, ‘it’s either a mask 
(mandate) or you’re a killer,’” he said. “There’s no in between.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606839930252.png" alt="Wilson County Commissioner Andy Miller on his ranch near Fredonia in southeast Kansas. Jim McLean" />
 <figcaption>Wilson County Commissioner Andy Miller on his ranch near Fredonia in southeast Kansas. Jim McLean</figcaption>
 </figure>Early last month, commissioners rejected McKenney’s proposal for a 
mask mandate. But as COVID-19 cases in the county and across the state 
surged and Kelly called for a statewide policy they agreed to consider a
 compromise.They scheduled a rare evening meeting to hear from 
the public. Most of the 80 people who showed up opposed the mandate as 
an assault on their personal liberty.“My fear doesn’t happen to 
be the COVID virus but the overreach of national and state officials who
 believe because of their positions or ego that their opinions are 
fact,” said Charles Fox, a Fredonia veterinarian.Donovan 
Hutchinson, the owner of the Dry Creek Saloon in Neodosha, said giving 
in to a mask mandate would lead to further abuses of government power.“What will they come after next, our guns, our children?” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606839970395.png" alt="Donovan Hutchinson, owner of the Dry Creek Saloon in Neodosha, speaking against a mask mandate at a Wilson County Commission meeting on Nov. 23, 2020. Jim McLean" />
 <figcaption>Donovan Hutchinson, owner of the Dry Creek Saloon in Neodosha, speaking against a mask mandate at a Wilson County Commission meeting on Nov. 23, 2020. Jim McLean</figcaption>
 </figure>Burt Carlson, a 70-year-old retiree from Fredonia, recently spent a week in the hospital for COVID-19 but opposed the mandate.Despite more than 265,000 U.S. deaths it has caused, Carlson said the coronavirus isn’t as bad as health officials claim.“It’s no more than a super bad flu,” he said.When
 it became apparent that the commission was ready to approve the 
compromise — a 30-day mandate — several people walked out in protest.Sheriff’s deputies escorted McKenney to her car after the meeting.Still, she doesn’t want to add her name to the growing list of local public health officials calling it quits.“That’s not me,” she said. “I can’t have this knowledge and ability to help people and just walk away.”Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks?lang=en" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.

Pandemic, exhaustion, threats: Dozens of Kan. public health officials quitting

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a weekend arrest.

Just after midnight Nov. 28 a police officer on patrol in the area of the Traveler's Budget Inn, 4200 10th Street in Great Bend observed a man later identified as Zachary Thompson, age 26, loitering in the parking lot, acting suspicious, according to a media release. As the officer was contacting Thompson, another officer arrived on scene to assist.

While speaking to Thompson, an officer located a bag in the area where Thompson had been standing. The officer observed a glass pipe sticking out of the bag. When the officer questioned Thompson about the pipe and bag, he attempted to flee the area. After a brief foot pursuit, Thompson was apprehended and arrested.

Methamphetamine, paraphernalia, and Thompson's ID were among items located in the bag. He was transported to the Barton County Jail where he was booked in lieu of bond. Thompson has previous convictions for theft, criminal trespass and and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606764022283.png" alt="&nbsp;Thompson has previous convictions for theft, criminal trespass and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Thompson has previous convictions for theft, criminal trespass and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a weekend arrest.Just after midnight Nov. 28 a police officer on patrol in the area of the Traveler's Budget Inn, 4200 10th Street in Great Bend observed a man later identified as Zachary Thompson, age 26, loitering in the parking lot, acting suspicious, according to a media release. As the officer was contacting Thompson, another officer arrived on scene to assist.While speaking to Thompson, an officer located a bag in the area where Thompson had been standing. The officer observed a glass pipe sticking out of the bag. When the officer questioned Thompson about the pipe and bag, he attempted to flee the area. After a brief foot pursuit, Thompson was apprehended and arrested.Methamphetamine, paraphernalia, and Thompson's ID were among items located in the bag. He was transported to the Barton County Jail where he was booked in lieu of bond. Thompson has previous convictions for theft, criminal trespass and and drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

Police find Kansas man's ID in bag  with meth

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A southwest Missouri man will go on trial next November in the death of his wife, whose body was found inside a freezer last year.

Larry Dinwiddie, of Marshfield, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2026496a05084124bd4c08111eaa9a83">charged</a>&nbsp;with second-degree murder, abandoning a corpse and armed criminal action in the death of his wife, Cynthia. He is being held on $1 million bond.

During a Webster County Court hearing on Monday, Dinwiddie's trial was scheduled for Nov. 29, 2021.

Investigators have said Cynthia Dinwiddie's body was found Nov. 24, 2019, locked in a freezer in an abandoned storage unit near Marshfield. Detectives believe her body was there since 2015.

Dinwiddie was arrested last year at the storage unit.

According to a court affidavit, Dinwiddie admitted to killing his wife with a hammer during an argument. He said he didn't know what to do with her body so he put it inside the freezer, which was later moved to the storage unit, according to detectives.

Webster County Sheriff Roye Cole said no one ever reported that Cynthia Dinwiddie was missing.

MARSHFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A preliminary hearing has been postponed for a southwest Missouri man accused of killing his wife in 2015 and stowing her body in a freezer for years.

The hearing for Larry Dinwiddie will now be held in July.

Dinwiddie is charged with second-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. The body of his wife, Cynthia Dinwiddie,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2026496a05084124bd4c08111eaa9a83">was found inside a freezer&nbsp;</a>at a storage facility near Marshfield last November. After Dinwiddie fell behind on rental fees, workers at the storage facility found the body in a running freezer that had been padlocked shut.

Dinwiddie remains jailed on $1 million bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574908400828.png" alt="Dinwiddie -photo Webster Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Dinwiddie -photo Webster Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A southwest Missouri man will go on trial next November in the death of his wife, whose body was found inside a freezer last year.Larry Dinwiddie, of Marshfield, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2026496a05084124bd4c08111eaa9a83">charged</a>&nbsp;with second-degree murder, abandoning a corpse and armed criminal action in the death of his wife, Cynthia. He is being held on $1 million bond.During a Webster County Court hearing on Monday, Dinwiddie's trial was scheduled for Nov. 29, 2021.Investigators have said Cynthia Dinwiddie's body was found Nov. 24, 2019, locked in a freezer in an abandoned storage unit near Marshfield. Detectives believe her body was there since 2015.Dinwiddie was arrested last year at the storage unit.According to a court affidavit, Dinwiddie admitted to killing his wife with a hammer during an argument. He said he didn't know what to do with her body so he put it inside the freezer, which was later moved to the storage unit, according to detectives.Webster County Sheriff Roye Cole said no one ever reported that Cynthia Dinwiddie was missing.----------------MARSHFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A preliminary hearing has been postponed for a southwest Missouri man accused of killing his wife in 2015 and stowing her body in a freezer for years.The hearing for Larry Dinwiddie will now be held in July.Dinwiddie is charged with second-degree murder and abandonment of a corpse. The body of his wife, Cynthia Dinwiddie,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2026496a05084124bd4c08111eaa9a83">was found inside a freezer&nbsp;</a>at a storage facility near Marshfield last November. After Dinwiddie fell behind on rental fees, workers at the storage facility found the body in a running freezer that had been padlocked shut.Dinwiddie remains jailed on $1 million bond.

Trial set for man accused of keeping wife's body in freezer

ATLANTA (AP) — A panel of U.S. advisers will meet Tuesday to vote on how scarce, initial supplies of a COVID-19 vaccine will be given out once one has been approved.

Experts have proposed giving the vaccine to health workers first. High priority also may be given to workers in essential industries, people with certain medical conditions and people age 65 and older.

Tuesday’s meeting is for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The panel of experts recommends who to vaccinate and when -- advice that the government almost always follows. The agenda for next week’s emergency meeting was posted Friday.

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Moderna Inc. is also seeking emergency use of its vaccine.

FDA’s scientific advisers are holding a public meeting Dec. 10 to review Pfizer’s request, and send a recommendation to the FDA.

Manufacturers already have begun stockpiling coronavirus vaccine doses in anticipation of eventual approval, but the first shots will be in short supply and rationed.

ATLANTA (AP) — A panel of U.S. advisers will meet Tuesday to vote on how scarce, initial supplies of a COVID-19 vaccine will be given out once one has been approved.Experts have proposed giving the vaccine to health workers first. High priority also may be given to workers in essential industries, people with certain medical conditions and people age 65 and older.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606828228813.png" alt="Image courtesy HHS.gov" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy HHS.gov</figcaption>
 </figure>Tuesday’s meeting is for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The panel of experts recommends who to vaccinate and when -- advice that the government almost always follows. The agenda for next week’s emergency meeting was posted Friday.Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Moderna Inc. is also seeking emergency use of its vaccine.FDA’s scientific advisers are holding a public meeting Dec. 10 to review Pfizer’s request, and send a recommendation to the FDA.Manufacturers already have begun stockpiling coronavirus vaccine doses in anticipation of eventual approval, but the first shots will be in short supply and rationed.

CDC panel to vote on COVID-19 vaccine priority

WICHITA —The Wichita Board of Education voted to transition to remote learning for all grade levels effective December 2, as recommended by the Sedgwick County Medical Officer, according to a media release from USD 259.

This directly affects elementary students who are currently learning onsite. It does not change the learning model for elementary students currently learning through MySchool Remote, middle and high school students, and Education Imagine Academy students.

Students will remain in full remote learning until further notice, with the learning model status being evaluated at the January 11, 2021 BOE meeting.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Students who receive IEP services will continue as directed by the student’s IEP team, as well as direct service at high schools for dual and concurrent credit, and specialized labs based on academic requirements.

Additional information will be shared with elementary families on Tuesday, December 1 pertaining to learning plans, technology support, food service and other school-specific information.

The district will follow KSHSAA’s guidelines approved on November 24 allowing winter sports to continue, but no spectators at competitions, and suspending practices December 23 - January 3.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.usd259.org/cms/lib/KS01906405/Centricity/Domain/2766/BOE%20meeting%2011-30-20.pdf" target="_blank">Click here to read the BOE presentation</a><a href="https://www.usd259.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;DomainID=4&amp;ModuleInstanceID=13639&amp;ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=40415&amp;PageID=1#"></a>.&nbsp;

The BOE also approved an agreement with Wichita State for COVID-19 tests. WSU will provide testing kits to the district, and WSU’s Molecular Diagnostic Lab will process the kits. This will provide an opportunity for asymptomatic employees to get tested. This is in addition to COVID-19 testing offered to symptomatic staff through a statewide pilot through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606786618033.png" alt="Wichita Board of Education special meeting Monday evening-image courtesy USD 259" />
 <figcaption>Wichita Board of Education special meeting Monday evening-image courtesy USD 259</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —The Wichita Board of Education voted to transition to remote learning for all grade levels effective December 2, as recommended by the Sedgwick County Medical Officer, according to a media release from USD 259.This directly affects elementary students who are currently learning onsite. It does not change the learning model for elementary students currently learning through MySchool Remote, middle and high school students, and Education Imagine Academy students.Students will remain in full remote learning until further notice, with the learning model status being evaluated at the January 11, 2021 BOE meeting.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606786639685.png" alt="USD 259 Superintendent Dr.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Alicia+Thompson&amp;stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLVT9c3NEy3KEvOMDQvecRowS3w8sc9YSn9SWtOXmPU5OIKzsgvd80rySypFJLmYoOyBKX4uVB18ixi5XfMyUzOTFQIycjPLSjOzwMAGmicrF4AAAA">Alicia Thompson</a>&nbsp;during Monday's special board meeting." />
 <figcaption>USD 259 Superintendent Dr.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Alicia+Thompson&amp;stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLVT9c3NEy3KEvOMDQvecRowS3w8sc9YSn9SWtOXmPU5OIKzsgvd80rySypFJLmYoOyBKX4uVB18ixi5XfMyUzOTFQIycjPLSjOzwMAGmicrF4AAAA">Alicia Thompson</a>&nbsp;during Monday's special board meeting.</figcaption>
 </figure>Students who receive IEP services will continue as directed by the student’s IEP team, as well as direct service at high schools for dual and concurrent credit, and specialized labs based on academic requirements.Additional information will be shared with elementary families on Tuesday, December 1 pertaining to learning plans, technology support, food service and other school-specific information.The district will follow KSHSAA’s guidelines approved on November 24 allowing winter sports to continue, but no spectators at competitions, and suspending practices December 23 - January 3.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usd259.org/cms/lib/KS01906405/Centricity/Domain/2766/BOE%20meeting%2011-30-20.pdf" target="_blank">Click here to read the BOE presentation</a><a href="https://www.usd259.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;DomainID=4&amp;ModuleInstanceID=13639&amp;ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=40415&amp;PageID=1#"></a>.&nbsp;The BOE also approved an agreement with Wichita State for COVID-19 tests. WSU will provide testing kits to the district, and WSU’s Molecular Diagnostic Lab will process the kits. This will provide an opportunity for asymptomatic employees to get tested. This is in addition to COVID-19 testing offered to symptomatic staff through a statewide pilot through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Kan. largest school district moves all students online

TOPEKA (AP) —Hospital and nursing officials fear that if COVID-19 cases continue unchecked there won’t be enough nurses to staff new hospital beds in the near future in the Kansas City metro area.

“All the things we were worried about could be possible in March, April and May are actually happening right now, and that should be scary for all of us,” said David Wild, vice president of performance improvement at the University of Kansas Health System.

Kansas health officials on Monday added 4,425 cases to the state’s pandemic tally since Friday, bringing the total to 157,446. Data showed that Kansas averaged 2,198 new confirmed and probable coronavirus a day for the seven days ending Monday. That is below the record average of 2,766 cases.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths also rose by 31 to 1,560.

It is too soon to see how Thanksgiving gatherings have impacted coronavirus numbers, but medical providers expect to see another rise in hospitalizations in 10 to 14 days once people begin showing symptoms.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported on Monday 87 new hospitalizations, bringing the total of hospitalizations to 5,105 since the start of the pandemic. The state’s COVID-19 dashboard showed 227 coronavirus patients were in ICU units, with 39% of ICU capacity remaining in Kansas.

High community spread means more nurses are liable to contract the disease, forcing them into quarantine. Child care also is an issue, says Kelly Sommers, state director of the Kansas State Nurses Association.

The Kansas Hospital Association’s dashboard on Friday showed 14 of the metro area’s 33 hospitals, or about 42%, reporting they anticipated critical staff shortages in the following week, KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-11-30/as-covid-19-surges-kansas-city-area-hospitals-face-looming-nurse-shortage" target="_blank">reported.</a>

“The obvious answer is to get some temporary people, traveling nurses,” says Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System. “But they’re just not as available as they once were because everybody’s scrambling for the same folks.”

Health providers anticipate the need for more COVID-19 testing following the Thanksgiving holiday, as testing numbers have more than doubled since cases began rising again in the Kansas City area.

Hospitalization numbers were also back up Monday after stabilizing over the holiday weekend, said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease expert at the University of Kansas Health System. The hospital is now treating 102 active cases, of which 46 are in the intensive care unit and 30 are on ventilators, KCUR reported.

“It looks like social gatherings, not so much school, but those other places where people are getting together where they aren’t really necessarily wearing masks as they should be, distancing as they should be, is really a concern,” Hawkinson said.

Hawkinson recommended that anyone who traveled or celebrated in a group for the holiday should act as if they are infected by quarantining and getting tested.

TOPEKA (AP) —Hospital and nursing officials fear that if COVID-19 cases continue unchecked there won’t be enough nurses to staff new hospital beds in the near future in the Kansas City metro area.“All the things we were worried about could be possible in March, April and May are actually happening right now, and that should be scary for all of us,” said David Wild, vice president of performance improvement at the University of Kansas Health System.Kansas health officials on Monday added 4,425 cases to the state’s pandemic tally since Friday, bringing the total to 157,446. Data showed that Kansas averaged 2,198 new confirmed and probable coronavirus a day for the seven days ending Monday. That is below the record average of 2,766 cases.The number of COVID-19 related deaths also rose by 31 to 1,560.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606759816304.png" alt="Monday Nov. 30, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Nov. 30, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>It is too soon to see how Thanksgiving gatherings have impacted coronavirus numbers, but medical providers expect to see another rise in hospitalizations in 10 to 14 days once people begin showing symptoms.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported on Monday 87 new hospitalizations, bringing the total of hospitalizations to 5,105 since the start of the pandemic. The state’s COVID-19 dashboard showed 227 coronavirus patients were in ICU units, with 39% of ICU capacity remaining in Kansas.High community spread means more nurses are liable to contract the disease, forcing them into quarantine. Child care also is an issue, says Kelly Sommers, state director of the Kansas State Nurses Association.The Kansas Hospital Association’s dashboard on Friday showed 14 of the metro area’s 33 hospitals, or about 42%, reporting they anticipated critical staff shortages in the following week, KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-11-30/as-covid-19-surges-kansas-city-area-hospitals-face-looming-nurse-shortage" target="_blank">reported.</a>“The obvious answer is to get some temporary people, traveling nurses,” says Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System. “But they’re just not as available as they once were because everybody’s scrambling for the same folks.”Health providers anticipate the need for more COVID-19 testing following the Thanksgiving holiday, as testing numbers have more than doubled since cases began rising again in the Kansas City area.Hospitalization numbers were also back up Monday after stabilizing over the holiday weekend, said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease expert at the University of Kansas Health System. The hospital is now treating 102 active cases, of which 46 are in the intensive care unit and 30 are on ventilators, KCUR reported.“It looks like social gatherings, not so much school, but those other places where people are getting together where they aren’t really necessarily wearing masks as they should be, distancing as they should be, is really a concern,” Hawkinson said.Hawkinson recommended that anyone who traveled or celebrated in a group for the holiday should act as if they are infected by quarantining and getting tested.

Kansas hospital officials fear nursing shortage amid surge

COWLEY COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend stabbing that sent three people to the hospital and have one suspect in custody.

Just after 4:30a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a report of a stabbing in the 900 block of E 15th Street in Winfield, according to a media release.

 Upon arrival officers located two men who were the victims of a stabbing. During the investigation officers learned the incident had taken place in the 900 block of E 13th Avenue in Winfield. 

Officers responded to that location and secured the scene with the help of the Cowley County Sheriffs Office. During the initial investigation Officers from the Winfield Police Department received another report of a stabbing victim in the 300 block of E 7th Avenue. Officers responded to that scene and contacted an injured woman.

EMS transported the male victims to William Newton Hospital and they continue receiving medical treatment. The woman later identified 34-year-old Medesta Howe&nbsp; was transported to South-Central Kansas Medical center in Arkansas City for treatment and released.&nbsp;

 During the investigation it was determined that all three cases were connected and police arrested Howe and booked her into the Cowley County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606751385272.png" alt="Howe-photo Cowley County" />
 <figcaption>Howe-photo Cowley County</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY&nbsp; —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend stabbing that sent three people to the hospital and have one suspect in custody.Just after 4:30a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a report of a stabbing in the 900 block of E 15th Street in Winfield, according to a media release. Upon arrival officers located two men who were the victims of a stabbing. During the investigation officers learned the incident had taken place in the 900 block of E 13th Avenue in Winfield. Officers responded to that location and secured the scene with the help of the Cowley County Sheriffs Office. During the initial investigation Officers from the Winfield Police Department received another report of a stabbing victim in the 300 block of E 7th Avenue. Officers responded to that scene and contacted an injured woman.EMS transported the male victims to William Newton Hospital and they continue receiving medical treatment. The woman later identified 34-year-old Medesta Howe&nbsp; was transported to South-Central Kansas Medical center in Arkansas City for treatment and released.&nbsp; During the investigation it was determined that all three cases were connected and police arrested Howe and booked her into the Cowley County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.&nbsp;

Kan. woman hospitalized, arrested after stabbing 2 men

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have two suspects in custody.

Just after 11:00 a.m., Sunday, police were dispatched to an assault call at the West Way Shopping Center in the 2500 block of South Seneca in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz. 

A&nbsp; 50-year-old woman at the scene told police two unknown suspects attempting to steal her vehicle as she was getting inside the SUV. She stated that the boys opened her vehicle door, sprayed her with mace, and attempted to pull her out of the SUV. The suspects were unsuccessful and fled on foot.

Responding officers spotted the juveniles running in the area, and after a foot pursuit, both teens were arrested without incident, according to Cruz.

A 13-year-old is being held on requested charges of robbery from person, simple battery, simple battery of a law enforcement officer, obstruct and possession of drug paraphernalia. The 15-year-old was arrested on requested charges of robbery from a person, simple battery, obstruct and he was a runaway.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have two suspects in custody.Just after 11:00 a.m., Sunday, police were dispatched to an assault call at the West Way Shopping Center in the 2500 block of South Seneca in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz. A&nbsp; 50-year-old woman at the scene told police two unknown suspects attempting to steal her vehicle as she was getting inside the SUV. She stated that the boys opened her vehicle door, sprayed her with mace, and attempted to pull her out of the SUV. The suspects were unsuccessful and fled on foot.Responding officers spotted the juveniles running in the area, and after a foot pursuit, both teens were arrested without incident, according to Cruz.A 13-year-old is being held on requested charges of robbery from person, simple battery, simple battery of a law enforcement officer, obstruct and possession of drug paraphernalia. The 15-year-old was arrested on requested charges of robbery from a person, simple battery, obstruct and he was a runaway.

Police: Kan. teens sprayed woman with mace, tried to steal SUV

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Shawnee Mission school district is looking at making changes to mascots that use Native American imagery after thousands of people — including current and former students — signed a petition seeking to have the Shawnee Mission North High School drop its Indians name and mascot.

More than 3,300 people signed a Change.org petition this summer urging the district to change the mascot —an image of a Native American chief in full feather headdress — by the school’s 100th anniversary in 2022. There also have been protests, including several marches near the high school. A counter protest has seen 2,400 people sign a petition in favor of keeping the mascot.

The coronavirus pandemic stalled the district’s response this year, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article247396395.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. But district officials now say a committee set to meet Thursday will take steps to review how other districts have implemented mascot policies.

“I have reflected a lot back on our own nondiscrimination (policy) language, and a part of me feels like some of the mascots we have is already a violation of our own policy,” school board member Jessica Hembree said during the meeting earlier this month.

Calls for such changes have grown more insistent across the country in recent years, leading schools and professional sports teams to drop offensive names and mascots that either pull from or pervert Native American culture.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606753229800.png" alt="Image courtesy Shawnee Mission North" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Shawnee Mission North</figcaption>
 </figure>OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Shawnee Mission school district is looking at making changes to mascots that use Native American imagery after thousands of people — including current and former students — signed a petition seeking to have the Shawnee Mission North High School drop its Indians name and mascot.More than 3,300 people signed a Change.org petition this summer urging the district to change the mascot —an image of a Native American chief in full feather headdress — by the school’s 100th anniversary in 2022. There also have been protests, including several marches near the high school. A counter protest has seen 2,400 people sign a petition in favor of keeping the mascot.The coronavirus pandemic stalled the district’s response this year, the Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article247396395.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. But district officials now say a committee set to meet Thursday will take steps to review how other districts have implemented mascot policies.“I have reflected a lot back on our own nondiscrimination (policy) language, and a part of me feels like some of the mascots we have is already a violation of our own policy,” school board member Jessica Hembree said during the meeting earlier this month.Calls for such changes have grown more insistent across the country in recent years, leading schools and professional sports teams to drop offensive names and mascots that either pull from or pervert Native American culture.

Another Kan. school under pressure to change mascot

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials have certified election results showing President Donald Trump won the heavily Republican state to claim the state’s six electoral votes. The Kansas State Board of Canvassers said on Monday that over 56% of Kansas votes were cast for Trump. 

The hotly contested U.S. Senate race was certified with Republican Roger Marshall chalking up over 53% of the vote against Democrat Barbara Bollier. The election drew historic turnout despite the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 71% of registered voters cast ballots. In the 2016 general election slightly more than 67% voted.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials have certified election results showing President Donald Trump won the heavily Republican state to claim the state’s six electoral votes. The Kansas State Board of Canvassers said on Monday that over 56% of Kansas votes were cast for Trump. The hotly contested U.S. Senate race was certified with Republican Roger Marshall chalking up over 53% of the vote against Democrat Barbara Bollier. The election drew historic turnout despite the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 71% of registered voters cast ballots. In the 2016 general election slightly more than 67% voted.

Kan. certifies election results showing Trump, Marshall win

By JODI FORTINO <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-11-30/kansas-citys-demand-for-coronavirus-tests-doubles-as-case-numbers-surge-across-the-region">Kansas News Service</a>

Coronavirus testing numbers have more than doubled since COVID-19 
cases began rising again in the Kansas City area, officials said Monday,
 even as they fear a need for more testing following the Thanksgiving 
holiday.

Hospitalization numbers were back up after stabilizing 
over the holiday weekend, Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease 
expert at the University of Kansas Health System, said at the KU daily 
briefing on Monday. The hospital is now treating 102 active cases, of 
which 46 are in the intensive care unit and 30 are on ventilators.

“It
 looks like social gatherings, not so much school, but those other 
places where people are getting together where they aren't really 
necessarily wearing masks as they should be, distancing as they should 
be, is really a concern,” said Hawkinson.

The increase in new cases and hospitalizations were reflected in the <a href="https://marc2.org/covidhub/" target="_blank">Kansas City Region COVID-19 Data Hub,</a> created by the Mid-America Regional Council. Deaths stand at 1,019, according the MARC data.

While
 it’s too soon to see how Thanksgiving gatherings have impacted these 
numbers, Hawkinson said he expects to see another rise in 
hospitalizations in 10 to 14 days once people begin showing symptoms.

He
 also recommended that anyone who traveled or celebrated in a group for 
the holiday should act as if they are infected by quarantining and 
getting tested.

“We know that people have gone through 
Thanksgiving now, they probably want to see friends again from that time
 until Christmas so I think we are really heading for further 
infections,” said Hawkinson.

Hawkinson recommended that those who need to be tested wait five to seven days after any potential exposure.

As
 a result, he predicts testing numbers to go back up after reducing over
 the holiday weekend. The University of Kansas Health System’s lab team 
said it expects its number of tests to continue to rise like it has for 
the last month.

“In the last four weeks or so, we've probably 
doubled the average number of tests that we're doing. A month ago we 
were doing six, seven, 800 a day and we're well over a thousand these 
days,” said Rachael Liesman, the system’s director of clinical 
microbiology.

The hospital is also trying to increase the number 
of those tested by partnering with the state of Kansas, said Rick 
Couldry, KU's vice president of Pharmacy and Health Professions.

Couldry said the state is using federal funds to assign different testing regions to labs across the state.

“Our
 lab was assigned a group of five counties in the central Kansas area, 
really focused on long-term care facilities and retirement communities 
that don't necessarily have the testing that they need to help treat 
their guests,” said Couldry.

The health system is now focusing on a
 potential vaccine that could be ready to administer before the end of 
December, Hawkinson said. The Pfizer vaccine could be ready to roll out 
after gaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which
 is expected on Dec. 10.

Couldry said the hospital is now making 
sure that it has the capacity to accommodate the vaccine, which needs to
 be housed at minus 70 degrees Celsius.

“It turns out that storing
 things at a negative 80 degrees Celsius, isn’t a normal thing to do for
 most of the rest of the world, but it is pretty normal in the 
healthcare world. The lab has several of these freezers and I think 
we're ever going to end up purchasing one more just to make sure that we
 have enough frozen storage on hand,” said Couldry.

The next 
challenge will be getting the drug administered before it reaches room 
temperature, after which it will begin to deteriorate, said Couldry. He 
said the hospital is working with its clinical team on how to best 
administer the vaccine without wasting any vials.

Jodi Fortino is a newsroom intern for KCUR.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606762532009.png" alt="Workers at Truman Medical Center Lakewood attend to a long line of traffic that has been growing over recent weeks as more people show up for COVID testing. Hospital officials are concerned for staffing shortages as coronavirus cases continue to climb. Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Workers at Truman Medical Center Lakewood attend to a long line of traffic that has been growing over recent weeks as more people show up for COVID testing. Hospital officials are concerned for staffing shortages as coronavirus cases continue to climb. Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By JODI FORTINO <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-11-30/kansas-citys-demand-for-coronavirus-tests-doubles-as-case-numbers-surge-across-the-region">Kansas News Service</a>Coronavirus testing numbers have more than doubled since COVID-19 
cases began rising again in the Kansas City area, officials said Monday,
 even as they fear a need for more testing following the Thanksgiving 
holiday.Hospitalization numbers were back up after stabilizing 
over the holiday weekend, Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease 
expert at the University of Kansas Health System, said at the KU daily 
briefing on Monday. The hospital is now treating 102 active cases, of 
which 46 are in the intensive care unit and 30 are on ventilators.“It
 looks like social gatherings, not so much school, but those other 
places where people are getting together where they aren't really 
necessarily wearing masks as they should be, distancing as they should 
be, is really a concern,” said Hawkinson.The increase in new cases and hospitalizations were reflected in the <a href="https://marc2.org/covidhub/" target="_blank">Kansas City Region COVID-19 Data Hub,</a> created by the Mid-America Regional Council. Deaths stand at 1,019, according the MARC data. While
 it’s too soon to see how Thanksgiving gatherings have impacted these 
numbers, Hawkinson said he expects to see another rise in 
hospitalizations in 10 to 14 days once people begin showing symptoms.He
 also recommended that anyone who traveled or celebrated in a group for 
the holiday should act as if they are infected by quarantining and 
getting tested.“We know that people have gone through 
Thanksgiving now, they probably want to see friends again from that time
 until Christmas so I think we are really heading for further 
infections,” said Hawkinson.Hawkinson recommended that those who need to be tested wait five to seven days after any potential exposure.As
 a result, he predicts testing numbers to go back up after reducing over
 the holiday weekend. The University of Kansas Health System’s lab team 
said it expects its number of tests to continue to rise like it has for 
the last month.“In the last four weeks or so, we've probably 
doubled the average number of tests that we're doing. A month ago we 
were doing six, seven, 800 a day and we're well over a thousand these 
days,” said Rachael Liesman, the system’s director of clinical 
microbiology.The hospital is also trying to increase the number 
of those tested by partnering with the state of Kansas, said Rick 
Couldry, KU's vice president of Pharmacy and Health Professions.Couldry said the state is using federal funds to assign different testing regions to labs across the state.“Our
 lab was assigned a group of five counties in the central Kansas area, 
really focused on long-term care facilities and retirement communities 
that don't necessarily have the testing that they need to help treat 
their guests,” said Couldry.The health system is now focusing on a
 potential vaccine that could be ready to administer before the end of 
December, Hawkinson said. The Pfizer vaccine could be ready to roll out 
after gaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which
 is expected on Dec. 10.Couldry said the hospital is now making 
sure that it has the capacity to accommodate the vaccine, which needs to
 be housed at minus 70 degrees Celsius.“It turns out that storing
 things at a negative 80 degrees Celsius, isn’t a normal thing to do for
 most of the rest of the world, but it is pretty normal in the 
healthcare world. The lab has several of these freezers and I think 
we're ever going to end up purchasing one more just to make sure that we
 have enough frozen storage on hand,” said Couldry.The next 
challenge will be getting the drug administered before it reaches room 
temperature, after which it will begin to deteriorate, said Couldry. He 
said the hospital is working with its clinical team on how to best 
administer the vaccine without wasting any vials.Jodi Fortino is a newsroom intern for KCUR.&nbsp;

KC's demand for virus tests doubles as case numbers surge 

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Monday appointed Melissa Taylor Standridge to the Kansas Supreme Court. Standridge will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Carol Beier.

“As governor, the process of appointing justices to the Kansas Supreme Court is one I take very seriously,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“Not only must justices have knowledge of the law, but also a complex and nuanced understanding of the world and the people the law is intended to govern.”

“There’s no question that Melissa has gathered a wealth of legal expertise that makes her more than prepared to join the Supreme Court. But there’s more to her unique career trajectory and life experience that makes her a perfect fit for our state’s highest court.

“As a foster and adoptive parent, she has firsthand experience navigating the system both as a judge, and as a foster parent to numerous youngsters, doing her best to provide security, stability and love to kids who sorely needed it.&nbsp;

“The totality of her life and career experience makes her preeminently qualified to sit on the Kansas Supreme Court.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606765475095.png" alt="Melissa Taylor Standridge-photo Kansas Judicial Branch" />
 <figcaption>Melissa Taylor Standridge-photo Kansas Judicial Branch</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Monday appointed Melissa Taylor Standridge to the Kansas Supreme Court. Standridge will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Carol Beier.“As governor, the process of appointing justices to the Kansas Supreme Court is one I take very seriously,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“Not only must justices have knowledge of the law, but also a complex and nuanced understanding of the world and the people the law is intended to govern.”“There’s no question that Melissa has gathered a wealth of legal expertise that makes her more than prepared to join the Supreme Court. But there’s more to her unique career trajectory and life experience that makes her a perfect fit for our state’s highest court.“As a foster and adoptive parent, she has firsthand experience navigating the system both as a judge, and as a foster parent to numerous youngsters, doing her best to provide security, stability and love to kids who sorely needed it.&nbsp;“The totality of her life and career experience makes her preeminently qualified to sit on the Kansas Supreme Court.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606770541953.png" alt="Governor Kelly signed the order Monday in Topeka" />
 <figcaption>Governor Kelly signed the order Monday in Topeka</figcaption>
 </figure>Standridge has been a judge on the Kansas Court of Appeals since 2008, where she has heard thousands of cases and authored nearly one thousand opinions. Previously, from 1999 to 2008, she served as chambers counsel to U.S. District Magistrate Judge David Waxse. Before her tenure as chambers counsel to Judge Waxse, Standridge worked as an associate attorney for Shook, Hardy, and Bacon – one of the premier Kansas City firms – and was a founding member of the firm’s award-winning diversity and inclusion initiative.&nbsp;The anti-abortion group Kansans for Life opposed Standridge because she sided in a 2016 ruling with other judges who said the state constitution protects abortion rights. The appeals court split 7-7 on the case, and the Kansas Supreme Court ruled last year that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state’s Bill of Rights.Standridge received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kansas in 1984, going on to pursue her law degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. During her tenure at UMKC, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and the student leader of the Moot Court program, graduating in 1993.Standridge has received numerous awards for her performance, including the Outstanding Service Award from the Kansas Bar Association, the Sandra Day O’Connor Award for Professional Service from the American Inns of Court, and in 2006 she was selected as Kansas City Leader of the Year by “The Daily Record.”Additionally, in 2007, her work enriching the lives of children earned her the Angel in Adoption award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.“To serve on our state’s highest court is the honor of a lifetime – but I don't view joining the Supreme Court as just a capstone to my career,”&nbsp;Standridge said.&nbsp;“The justices of our Supreme Court have difficult jobs. So I am keenly aware that my appointment is more than just moving my office from the second floor of the judicial center to the third floor.“But I believe that my years as a judge on the Court of Appeals, my extensive experience working with judges and lawyers from across our state, and my broad life experiences outside the law have prepared me for this challenge.”Kansas Supreme Court Justices are appointed through a merit-based nomination process. When there is a vacancy on the court, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission submits the names of three nominees to the Governor, and the Governor then has 60 days to make the appointment.  &nbsp;To be eligible, a nominee must be at least 30 years old and admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least 10 years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.  &nbsp;Every justice must stand for a retention vote in the general election following their first year of service on the court. If retained by voters at that time, they then face retention votes every six years for as long as they serve on the bench.&nbsp;&nbsp;