KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 7-year-old boy and and his 6-year-old brother died in an unincorporated area east of Kansas City Friday when the older brother got access to a car and drove it, eventually losing control and driving off the road.

Sgt. Andy Bell, spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol, said the boys left a residence in the car, drove through a field and then onto a county road. The patrol's report on the crash says the 2007 Buick Lacross became airborne more than once before eventually landing on its roof and catching fire. The boys were pronounced dead at the scene about 4:20 p.m. Friday.

The Highway Patrol and Jackson County Sheriff's Department are investigating. Bell said the sheriff's office was looking into how the boys came to have possession of the car. A sheriff's department spokesman didn't immediately return a call for comment.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 7-year-old boy and and his 6-year-old brother died in an unincorporated area east of Kansas City Friday when the older brother got access to a car and drove it, eventually losing control and driving off the road.Sgt. Andy Bell, spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol, said the boys left a residence in the car, drove through a field and then onto a county road. The patrol's report on the crash says the 2007 Buick Lacross became airborne more than once before eventually landing on its roof and catching fire. The boys were pronounced dead at the scene about 4:20 p.m. Friday.The Highway Patrol and Jackson County Sheriff's Department are investigating. Bell said the sheriff's office was looking into how the boys came to have possession of the car. A sheriff's department spokesman didn't immediately return a call for comment.

7-year-old driver, younger brother die in KC crash

Image from Snap Chat of Memorial Day Weekend pool party

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (AP) — Health officials said Friday that they were seeking to “inform mass numbers of unknown people” after a person who attended crowded pool parties over Memorial Day weekend at Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks tested positive for COVID-19.

Camden County Health Department said in a release that the resident of Boone County in mid-Missouri tested positive on Sunday after arriving at the lake area a day earlier. Officials said there have been no reported cases of the virus linked to coronavirus in residents of Camden County, where the parties seen in videos and photos posted on social media took place.

Because “mass numbers of unknown people” need to be notified, the officials released a brief timeline of the person's whereabouts last weekend, including stops at a bar called Backwater Jacks, a bar and restaurant that has a pool, as well as a dining and pool venue called Shady Gators and Lazy Gators.

Backwater Jacks owner Gary Prewitt said previously in a statement that no laws were broken, though the images appeared to show people violating Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s state order requiring social distancing.

Parson allowed businesses and attractions to reopen May 4, but the state order requires 6-foot social distancing through at least the end of May.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590412088066.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Image from Snap Chat of Memorial Day Weekend pool partyOSAGE BEACH, Mo. (AP) — Health officials said Friday that they were seeking to “inform mass numbers of unknown people” after a person who attended crowded pool parties over Memorial Day weekend at Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks tested positive for COVID-19.Camden County Health Department said in a release that the resident of Boone County in mid-Missouri tested positive on Sunday after arriving at the lake area a day earlier. Officials said there have been no reported cases of the virus linked to coronavirus in residents of Camden County, where the parties seen in videos and photos posted on social media took place.Because “mass numbers of unknown people” need to be notified, the officials released a brief timeline of the person's whereabouts last weekend, including stops at a bar called Backwater Jacks, a bar and restaurant that has a pool, as well as a dining and pool venue called Shady Gators and Lazy Gators.Backwater Jacks owner Gary Prewitt said previously in a statement that no laws were broken, though the images appeared to show people violating Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s state order requiring social distancing.Parson allowed businesses and attractions to reopen May 4, but the state order requires 6-foot social distancing through at least the end of May.

Partygoer at Lake of Ozarks positive for COVID-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A rocket ship designed and built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has lifted off with two Americans on a history-making flight to the International Space Station.

<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch additional coverage of the flight from NASA

The spacecraft took off Saturday afternoon from the same launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, that was used during the Apollo missions to the moon a half-century ago. The flight ushers in a new era in commercial space travel and marks the first time NASA has launched astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade. Ever since the space shuttle was retired in 2011, NASA has relied on Russian rockets launched from Kazakhstan to take U.S. astronauts took and from the space station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Despite more storms in the forecast, two NASA astronauts climbed into their capsule Saturday for a second attempt at a history-making ride into orbit aboard a rocket ship designed and built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch the launch&nbsp;

With the flight already delayed three days by bad weather, forecasters put the odds of acceptable conditions at 50-50 for the 2:22 p.m. CDT liftoff of the 270-foot Falcon 9 in what would be the first launch of astronauts into orbit by a private company.

Their destination: the International Space Station, 250 miles above Earth.

It would also be NASA’s first human spaceflight launched from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.

The mission unfolded amid the gloom of the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed over 100,000 Americans, and racial unrest across the U.S. over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. NASA officials and others held out hope the flight would would lift American spirits.

“Maybe there’s an opportunity here for America to maybe pause and look up and see a bright, shining moment of hope at what the future looks like, that the United States of America can do extraordinary things even in difficult times,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said.

Veteran astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken pulled on their angular, white-and-black spacesuits with help from technicians wearing masks, gloves and black hoods that made them look like ninjas.

Before setting out for the launch pad in a gull-wing Tesla SUV — another Musk product — Behnken pantomimed a hug of his 6-year-old son, Theo, and said: “Are you going to listen to Mommy and make her life easy?” Hurley blew kisses to his 10-year-old son and wife.

SpaceX and NASA monitored the weather not just at Kennedy Space Center, where rain, thick clouds and the chance of lightning threatened another postponement, but all the way up the Eastern Seaboard and across the North Atlantic to Ireland. Waves and wind need to be within certain limits in case the astronauts have to make an emergency splashdown on the way to orbit.

Wednesday’s countdown of the rocket and its bullet-shaped Dragon capsule was halted at just under 17 minutes because of the threat of lightning.

Ever since the space shuttle was retired in 2011, NASA has relied on Russian spaceships launched from Kazakhstan to take U.S. astronauts to and from the space station.

“I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t nervous,” Bridenstine said before the launch attempt. “We want to do everything we can to minimize the risk, minimize the uncertainty, so that Bob and Doug will be safe.”

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence planned to return for the second launch attempt.

Because of the coronavirus, NASA severely limited the number of employees, visitors and journalists allowed deep inside Kennedy Space Center, and the crowd was relatively small, at a few thousand. At the center’s tourist complex, though, all 4,000 tickets were snapped up in a few hours.

The space agency urged people to stay safe and watch from home, and by NASA’s count, at least 1.14 million viewers followed the launch preparation online. But spectators also began lining the Cape Canaveral area’s beaches and roads. Signs along the main beach drag read, “Godspeed.”

Among the spectators was Neil Wight, a machinist from Buffalo, New York, who staked out a view of the launch pad from a park in Titusville.

“It’s pretty historically significant in my book and a lot of other people’s books. With everything that’s going on in this country right now, it’s important that we do things extraordinary in life,” Wight said. “We’ve been bombarded with doom and gloom for the last six, eight weeks, whatever it is, and this is awesome. It brings a lot of people together.”

NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to taxi astronauts to and from the space station, under contracts totaling $7 billion. Both companies launched their crew capsules last year with test dummies. SpaceX’s Dragon aced all of its objectives, while Boeing’s Starliner capsule ended up in the wrong orbit and was almost destroyed because of software errors.

As a result, the first Starliner flight carrying astronauts isn’t expected until next year.

NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley (left) and Robert Behnken (right) participate in a dress rehearsal for launch at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2020, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station.&nbsp; The launch is now scheduled for 2:22 p.m. CDT Saturday Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX pressed ahead with its second attempt to launch astronauts for NASA — a historic first for a private company — but more stormy weather threatened more delays.

<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public">Click here</a> to watch the launch

Elon Musk’s company came within 17 minutes Wednesday of launching a pair of NASA astronauts for the first time in nearly a decade from the U.S., before the threat of lightning forced a delay.

With more storms ahead, managers debated Friday whether to bump the next launch attempt from Saturday to Sunday to take advantage of slightly improved forecast at Kennedy Space Center.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted that no decision was made, and they would reassess the situation Saturday morning.

At an earlier outdoor news conference, Bridenstine stressed the need for safety for astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken — no matter how many times it takes to launch them in a SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station.

“We cannot forget this is a test flight. This — is — a — test — flight,” he repeated. “We will go when everything is as safe as we can possibly make it.”

Forecasters put the odds of acceptable weather conditions Saturday at 50-50, with the outlook improving to 60% favorable on Sunday. Rain and clouds were the main concerns for both days.

Bridenstine said back-to-back tries would be tough on the launch team — and the astronauts — given that this is a test flight.

Hurley and Behnken, veterans of two space shuttle flights, have both faced launch delays before. In a tweet Friday, Hurley said his first shuttle flight was scrubbed five times for weather and technical issues.

“We’re ready for the next launch opportunity!” Behnken tweeted.

While NASA had urged spectators to stay home Wednesday because of the pandemic, prime viewing spots at area parks and beaches were packed. A weekend launch could draw even bigger crowds. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex reopened Thursday, after a 2 1/2-month shutdown, and within a few hours, all 4,000 tickets were snapped up for Saturday’s launch attempt.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were planning to return Saturday to watch from inside Kennedy. The number of employees, journalists and guests allowed at the space center remained extremely limited because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Whether an attempt is made Saturday or Sunday, “There will be no pressure. We will launch when we’re ready,” Bridenstine said.

Liftoff on Saturday would be 3:22 p.m. EDT.

The last time astronauts launched to orbit from the U.S. was in 2011 when Atlantis closed out the 30-year space shuttle program. Hurley was on that mission as well.

Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/SpaceX">Space Launch</a>

NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to get the ball rolling again — kicking off a commercial revolution for getting people to low-Earth orbit. In the meantime, NASA has spent billions of dollars to buy seats on Russian Soyuz capsules for U.S. astronauts, in order to keep the space station staffed.

Boeing’s first astronaut flight, on the company’s Starliner capsule, is not expected until next year.

Bridenstine offered high praise for Musk on Friday and all his personal touches:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/025ee5177966af18ed0a9898fe3d6e13">spiffy spacesuits</a>, Tesla rides to the launch pad, a color-coordinated rocket and capsule — and more.

Musk has brought “vision and inspiration” to the American space program, Bridenstine said. While there’s occasionally a little tension between NASA and SpaceX, “he gives me a commitment and he delivers on that commitment. That has happened every single time.”

The California-based SpaceX is also developing a rocket and spaceship designed to go to the moon and Mars.

On Friday, a prototype of its Starship exploded while undergoing a routine engine test at the company’s Texas site. The ship vented large amount of gases and was engulfed in a tremendous fireball.

SpaceX did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

NASA, which has a contract with SpaceX to develop Starship for its lunar landing program, has no problems going ahead with this weekend’s unrelated launch of astronauts from Cape Canaveral, agency spokesman Bob Jacobs.

“That’s a test program. That’s why they test,” Jacobs said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590867040021.png" alt="Moments after lift off of the SpaceX rocket with 2 Americans on board -image courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>Moments after lift off of the SpaceX rocket with 2 Americans on board -image courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A rocket ship designed and built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has lifted off with two Americans on a history-making flight to the International Space Station.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch additional coverage of the flight from NASAThe spacecraft took off Saturday afternoon from the same launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, that was used during the Apollo missions to the moon a half-century ago. The flight ushers in a new era in commercial space travel and marks the first time NASA has launched astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade. Ever since the space shuttle was retired in 2011, NASA has relied on Russian rockets launched from Kazakhstan to take U.S. astronauts took and from the space station.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590866998389.png" alt="Lift off at 2:22 p.m. CDT Saturday -image courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>Lift off at 2:22 p.m. CDT Saturday -image courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>------CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Despite more storms in the forecast, two NASA astronauts climbed into their capsule Saturday for a second attempt at a history-making ride into orbit aboard a rocket ship designed and built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch the launch&nbsp;With the flight already delayed three days by bad weather, forecasters put the odds of acceptable conditions at 50-50 for the 2:22 p.m. CDT liftoff of the 270-foot Falcon 9 in what would be the first launch of astronauts into orbit by a private company.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590865987717.png" alt="Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken just 10 minutes ahead of the launch on Saturday -image courtesy NASA" />
 <figcaption>Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken just 10 minutes ahead of the launch on Saturday -image courtesy NASA</figcaption>
 </figure>Their destination: the International Space Station, 250 miles above Earth.It would also be NASA’s first human spaceflight launched from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.The mission unfolded amid the gloom of the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed over 100,000 Americans, and racial unrest across the U.S. over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. NASA officials and others held out hope the flight would would lift American spirits.“Maybe there’s an opportunity here for America to maybe pause and look up and see a bright, shining moment of hope at what the future looks like, that the United States of America can do extraordinary things even in difficult times,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said.Veteran astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken pulled on their angular, white-and-black spacesuits with help from technicians wearing masks, gloves and black hoods that made them look like ninjas.Before setting out for the launch pad in a gull-wing Tesla SUV — another Musk product — Behnken pantomimed a hug of his 6-year-old son, Theo, and said: “Are you going to listen to Mommy and make her life easy?” Hurley blew kisses to his 10-year-old son and wife.SpaceX and NASA monitored the weather not just at Kennedy Space Center, where rain, thick clouds and the chance of lightning threatened another postponement, but all the way up the Eastern Seaboard and across the North Atlantic to Ireland. Waves and wind need to be within certain limits in case the astronauts have to make an emergency splashdown on the way to orbit.Wednesday’s countdown of the rocket and its bullet-shaped Dragon capsule was halted at just under 17 minutes because of the threat of lightning.Ever since the space shuttle was retired in 2011, NASA has relied on Russian spaceships launched from Kazakhstan to take U.S. astronauts to and from the space station.“I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t nervous,” Bridenstine said before the launch attempt. “We want to do everything we can to minimize the risk, minimize the uncertainty, so that Bob and Doug will be safe.”President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence planned to return for the second launch attempt.Because of the coronavirus, NASA severely limited the number of employees, visitors and journalists allowed deep inside Kennedy Space Center, and the crowd was relatively small, at a few thousand. At the center’s tourist complex, though, all 4,000 tickets were snapped up in a few hours.The space agency urged people to stay safe and watch from home, and by NASA’s count, at least 1.14 million viewers followed the launch preparation online. But spectators also began lining the Cape Canaveral area’s beaches and roads. Signs along the main beach drag read, “Godspeed.”Among the spectators was Neil Wight, a machinist from Buffalo, New York, who staked out a view of the launch pad from a park in Titusville.“It’s pretty historically significant in my book and a lot of other people’s books. With everything that’s going on in this country right now, it’s important that we do things extraordinary in life,” Wight said. “We’ve been bombarded with doom and gloom for the last six, eight weeks, whatever it is, and this is awesome. It brings a lot of people together.”NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to taxi astronauts to and from the space station, under contracts totaling $7 billion. Both companies launched their crew capsules last year with test dummies. SpaceX’s Dragon aced all of its objectives, while Boeing’s Starliner capsule ended up in the wrong orbit and was almost destroyed because of software errors.As a result, the first Starliner flight carrying astronauts isn’t expected until next year.___<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590841343573.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley (left) and Robert Behnken (right) participate in a dress rehearsal for launch at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 23, 2020, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station.&nbsp; The launch is now scheduled for 2:22 p.m. CDT Saturday Credits: NASA/Kim ShiflettCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX pressed ahead with its second attempt to launch astronauts for NASA — a historic first for a private company — but more stormy weather threatened more delays.<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public">Click here</a> to watch the launchElon Musk’s company came within 17 minutes Wednesday of launching a pair of NASA astronauts for the first time in nearly a decade from the U.S., before the threat of lightning forced a delay.With more storms ahead, managers debated Friday whether to bump the next launch attempt from Saturday to Sunday to take advantage of slightly improved forecast at Kennedy Space Center.NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted that no decision was made, and they would reassess the situation Saturday morning.At an earlier outdoor news conference, Bridenstine stressed the need for safety for astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken — no matter how many times it takes to launch them in a SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station.“We cannot forget this is a test flight. This — is — a — test — flight,” he repeated. “We will go when everything is as safe as we can possibly make it.”Forecasters put the odds of acceptable weather conditions Saturday at 50-50, with the outlook improving to 60% favorable on Sunday. Rain and clouds were the main concerns for both days.Bridenstine said back-to-back tries would be tough on the launch team — and the astronauts — given that this is a test flight.Hurley and Behnken, veterans of two space shuttle flights, have both faced launch delays before. In a tweet Friday, Hurley said his first shuttle flight was scrubbed five times for weather and technical issues.“We’re ready for the next launch opportunity!” Behnken tweeted.While NASA had urged spectators to stay home Wednesday because of the pandemic, prime viewing spots at area parks and beaches were packed. A weekend launch could draw even bigger crowds. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex reopened Thursday, after a 2 1/2-month shutdown, and within a few hours, all 4,000 tickets were snapped up for Saturday’s launch attempt.President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were planning to return Saturday to watch from inside Kennedy. The number of employees, journalists and guests allowed at the space center remained extremely limited because of the coronavirus outbreak.Whether an attempt is made Saturday or Sunday, “There will be no pressure. We will launch when we’re ready,” Bridenstine said.Liftoff on Saturday would be 3:22 p.m. EDT.The last time astronauts launched to orbit from the U.S. was in 2011 when Atlantis closed out the 30-year space shuttle program. Hurley was on that mission as well.Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/SpaceX">Space Launch</a>NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to get the ball rolling again — kicking off a commercial revolution for getting people to low-Earth orbit. In the meantime, NASA has spent billions of dollars to buy seats on Russian Soyuz capsules for U.S. astronauts, in order to keep the space station staffed.Boeing’s first astronaut flight, on the company’s Starliner capsule, is not expected until next year.Bridenstine offered high praise for Musk on Friday and all his personal touches:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/025ee5177966af18ed0a9898fe3d6e13">spiffy spacesuits</a>, Tesla rides to the launch pad, a color-coordinated rocket and capsule — and more.Musk has brought “vision and inspiration” to the American space program, Bridenstine said. While there’s occasionally a little tension between NASA and SpaceX, “he gives me a commitment and he delivers on that commitment. That has happened every single time.”The California-based SpaceX is also developing a rocket and spaceship designed to go to the moon and Mars.On Friday, a prototype of its Starship exploded while undergoing a routine engine test at the company’s Texas site. The ship vented large amount of gases and was engulfed in a tremendous fireball.SpaceX did not respond immediately to a request for comment.NASA, which has a contract with SpaceX to develop Starship for its lunar landing program, has no problems going ahead with this weekend’s unrelated launch of astronauts from Cape Canaveral, agency spokesman Bob Jacobs.“That’s a test program. That’s why they test,” Jacobs said.___

🎥 History: SpaceX rocket lifts off with 2 Americans

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

Just after 5p.m. Thursday, a Shawnee County deputy stopped a vehicle in the 4300 block of NW Button Road for a registration violation, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson. 

Through investigation at the scene, the driver and passenger&nbsp; identified as Nicole M. Langdon, 32, and&nbsp;Jessie L. Forgy, 36, both of Topeka were placed into custody and transported to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning. 

They were later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp;Identity theft, Forgery, Possession of stolen property, Possession of marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Making false information, No vehicle registration and No vehicle insurance.&nbsp;&nbsp;Forgy was also not wearing a seat belt.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590764351527.png" alt="Langdon- photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Langdon- photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a traffic stop.Just after 5p.m. Thursday, a Shawnee County deputy stopped a vehicle in the 4300 block of NW Button Road for a registration violation, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson. Through investigation at the scene, the driver and passenger&nbsp; identified as Nicole M. Langdon, 32, and&nbsp;Jessie L. Forgy, 36, both of Topeka were placed into custody and transported to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590764450847.png" alt="Forgy photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Forgy photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>They were later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp;Identity theft, Forgery, Possession of stolen property, Possession of marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Making false information, No vehicle registration and No vehicle insurance.&nbsp;&nbsp;Forgy was also not wearing a seat belt.

Sheriff: 2 arrested in Kan. for alleged forgery, ID theft

By CORINNE BOYER <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/garden-citys-big-pool-wont-open-its-final-season-something-splashy-coming">Kansas News Service</a>

GARDEN CITY — Garden City’s hand-dug swimming pool will not be filled for its 98th, and final summer season. The coronavirus is to blame.

However,
 the western Kansas town won’t be without a pool for long, as city 
commissioners approved up to $14 million on a new facility at the Big 
Pool site. It’s still not clear how the new pool will be financed.

Had <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/might-be-last-summer-garden-city-swimmers-enjoy-their-enormous-pool">the Big Pool</a>
 opened this year, the city would have needed to make significant 
changes, said Assistant City Manager Jennifer Cunningham — things like 
hiring nine additional employees to keep up with COVID-19 sanitation 
protocols.

“We would have lifeguards and other staff enforce 
social distancing on the pool deck and in all of the pool areas other 
than when in the water,” Cunningham said. “Masks would be required by 
employees and patrons unless they were in the water.”

This was supposed to be the pool’s last year,&nbsp; despite the fact it loses 200,000 gallons of water per day.

In
 1921, then-Garden City Mayor&nbsp; H.O. Trinkle asked the people to help dig
 the pool, Finney County Historical Society Executive Director Steve 
Quakenbush said.

“The mayor recruited help from all over — contractors, individual 
people, families,” Quakenbush said. Trinkle asked people to loan 
equipment and come with shovels.

Since opening in 1922, Quakenbush said records show the pool never missed a summer season.

“There
 were some times when they tried to even use it during the winter 
because they attempted ice skating on it a few times,” Quakenbush said, 
“until they found out that tended to crack the concrete.”

For decades, people of color couldn’t use the pool, though that changed in the 1950s.

Over
 the years, attempts were made to patch the Big Pool’s leak. But Garden 
City Mayor Troy Unruh said the commission made the decision not to 
repair the decaying structure.

“We knew that there was no way to 
fix that short of $3 to $5 million and you get nothing extra but the 
same structure,” Unruh said.

Construction
 crews will demolish the Big Pool in August and build a new pool complex
 — with a lazy river, slides, obstacle course and competition pool — in 
its place.

Unruh said the public will have a chance to weigh in on the funding process during the next few commission meetings.

“There
 will be some decisions that will be made ... financing and then how 
that’s going to look and where we’re going to get the dollars from,” 
Unruh said. “We already know we have the Big Pool in our line-item 
budget.”

But the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic could 
impact city revenue. According to the Garden City’s financial report for
 the first four months of 2020, city sales tax revenue was up by almost 
$51,000 compared to the same time period in 2019. But revenues from gas,
 telephone, cable and municipal court fees were all down.

“We’re not going to put our city or anybody at risk if it's not affordable,” Unruh said.

Despite closures caused by the coronavirus, Cunningham doesn’t suspect it will impact construction on the new pool.

“We
 have a couple other projects going,” Cunningham said. She brought up a 
voter-approved&nbsp; 30-cent county sales tax increase that will fund new 
exhibits at the Lee Richardson Zoo and for road and shooting range 
improvements and construction of a new fire station.

“It hasn’t been delayed or had any issues so far that I’m aware of related to COVID-19,” she said.

But
 if the city is still dealing with coronavirus next year, Cunningham 
said commissioners will have the same conversation before opening the 
new pool.

“I don’t think anybody knows if COVID-19 is going to 
have an impact (next year,” she said. “If it’s going to go away and 
come back, if it’s going to have the same impact when it comes back.”

Corinne Boyer covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Corinne_Boyer">@corinne_boyer</a> or email cboyer@hppr.org. The
 Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, 
KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social 
determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590674948988.png" alt=" Garden City's Big Pool will not open for its 98th and final season. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Garden City's Big Pool will not open for its 98th and final season. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CORINNE BOYER <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/garden-citys-big-pool-wont-open-its-final-season-something-splashy-coming">Kansas News Service</a>GARDEN CITY — Garden City’s hand-dug swimming pool will not be filled for its 98th, and final summer season. The coronavirus is to blame.However,
 the western Kansas town won’t be without a pool for long, as city 
commissioners approved up to $14 million on a new facility at the Big 
Pool site. It’s still not clear how the new pool will be financed.Had <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/might-be-last-summer-garden-city-swimmers-enjoy-their-enormous-pool">the Big Pool</a>
 opened this year, the city would have needed to make significant 
changes, said Assistant City Manager Jennifer Cunningham — things like 
hiring nine additional employees to keep up with COVID-19 sanitation 
protocols.“We would have lifeguards and other staff enforce 
social distancing on the pool deck and in all of the pool areas other 
than when in the water,” Cunningham said. “Masks would be required by 
employees and patrons unless they were in the water.”This was supposed to be the pool’s last year,&nbsp; despite the fact it loses 200,000 gallons of water per day.In
 1921, then-Garden City Mayor&nbsp; H.O. Trinkle asked the people to help dig
 the pool, Finney County Historical Society Executive Director Steve 
Quakenbush said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590675020032.png" alt=" Summer 2019 was the last time the Big Pool was filled with water. Credit Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service file photo" />
 <figcaption> Summer 2019 was the last time the Big Pool was filled with water. Credit Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“The mayor recruited help from all over — contractors, individual 
people, families,” Quakenbush said. Trinkle asked people to loan 
equipment and come with shovels.Since opening in 1922, Quakenbush said records show the pool never missed a summer season.“There
 were some times when they tried to even use it during the winter 
because they attempted ice skating on it a few times,” Quakenbush said, 
“until they found out that tended to crack the concrete.”For decades, people of color couldn’t use the pool, though that changed in the 1950s.Over
 the years, attempts were made to patch the Big Pool’s leak. But Garden 
City Mayor Troy Unruh said the commission made the decision not to 
repair the decaying structure.“We knew that there was no way to 
fix that short of $3 to $5 million and you get nothing extra but the 
same structure,” Unruh said.A new place to swimConstruction
 crews will demolish the Big Pool in August and build a new pool complex
 — with a lazy river, slides, obstacle course and competition pool — in 
its place.Unruh said the public will have a chance to weigh in on the funding process during the next few commission meetings.“There
 will be some decisions that will be made ... financing and then how 
that’s going to look and where we’re going to get the dollars from,” 
Unruh said. “We already know we have the Big Pool in our line-item 
budget.”But the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic could 
impact city revenue. According to the Garden City’s financial report for
 the first four months of 2020, city sales tax revenue was up by almost 
$51,000 compared to the same time period in 2019. But revenues from gas,
 telephone, cable and municipal court fees were all down.“We’re not going to put our city or anybody at risk if it's not affordable,” Unruh said.Despite closures caused by the coronavirus, Cunningham doesn’t suspect it will impact construction on the new pool.“We
 have a couple other projects going,” Cunningham said. She brought up a 
voter-approved&nbsp; 30-cent county sales tax increase that will fund new 
exhibits at the Lee Richardson Zoo and for road and shooting range 
improvements and construction of a new fire station.“It hasn’t been delayed or had any issues so far that I’m aware of related to COVID-19,” she said.But
 if the city is still dealing with coronavirus next year, Cunningham 
said commissioners will have the same conversation before opening the 
new pool.“I don’t think anybody knows if COVID-19 is going to 
have an impact (next year,” she said. “If it’s going to go away and 
come back, if it’s going to have the same impact when it comes back.”Corinne Boyer covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Corinne_Boyer">@corinne_boyer</a> or email cboyer@hppr.org. The
 Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, 
KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social 
determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

Garden City's Big Pool won't open for its final season

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency early Saturday to activate the state National Guard as violence flared in Atlanta and cities nationwide following the death in Minnesota of George Floyd after white officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee into his neck while taking him into custody. Prosecutors charged Chauvin on Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the death of Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed and pleaded that he couldn't breathe. 

Another 500 Guard soldiers were mobilized in and around Minneapolis, where Floyd died. But after another night of watching fires burn and businesses ransacked, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said early Saturday that he was moving to activate more than 1,000 more and was considering federal help.

The Guard was also on standby in the District of Columbia, where a crowd grew outside the White House and chanted curses at President Donald Trump. Some protesters tried to push through barriers set up by the U.S. Secret Service along Pennsylvania Avenue, and threw bottles and other objects at officers wearing riot gear, who responded with pepper spray.

A person was killed in downtown Detroit just before midnight after someone in an SUV fired shots into a crowd of protesters near the Greektown entertainment district, police said. In Portland, Oregon, protesters broke into police headquarters and authorities said they lit a fire inside. In Virginia’s capital, a police cruiser was set on fire outside Richmond police headquarters, and a city transit spokeswoman said a bus set ablaze was “a total loss,” news outlets reported.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted that up to 500 members of the Guard would deploy immediately “to protect people &amp; property in Atlanta.” He said he acted at the request of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who earlier appealed in vain for calm.

In scenes both peaceful and violent across the nation, thousands of protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” and “Say his name. George Floyd.” They hoisted signs reading: “He said I can’t breathe. Justice for George.”

Some demonstrators smashed police cars and spray-painted the iconic logo sign at CNN headquarters in downtown Atlanta. At least three officers were hurt and there were multiple arrests, Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said, as protesters shot at officers with BB guns and threw bricks, bottles and knives.

Atlanta officials said crews were unable to reach a fire at Del Frisco’s restaurant in the Buckhead neighborhood several miles north because of protesters there.

“This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Bottoms said. “You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country.”

Bottoms was flanked by King’s daughter, Bernice King, and rappers T.I. and Killer Mike.

“We have to be better than burning down our own homes. Because if we lose Atlanta what have we got?” said Killer Mike, crying as he spoke.

Video posted to social media showed New York City officers using batons and shoving protesters down as they took people into custody and cleared streets. One video showed on officer slam a woman to the ground as he walked past her in the street.

Demonstrators rocked a police van, set it ablaze, scrawled graffiti across its charred body and set it aflame again as officers retreated. Blocks away, protesters used a club to batter another police vehicle.

“There will be a full review of what happened tonight,” Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, referring to the Brooklyn protest. “We don’t ever want to see another night like this.”

The police department said numerous officers were injured, including one whose tooth was knocked out.

The names of black people killed by police, including Floyd and Eric Garner, who died on Staten Island in 2014, were on signs and in chants.

“Our country has a sickness. We have to be out here,” said Brianna Petrisko, among those at lower Manhattan’s Foley Square, where most were wearing masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. “This is the only way we’re going to be heard.”

Protesters in Houston, where Floyd grew up, included 19-year-old Jimmy Ohaz from the nearby city of Richmond, Texas: “My question is how many more, how many more? I just want to live in a future where we all live in harmony and we’re not oppressed.”

Demonstrators on the West Coast blocked highways in Los Angeles and Oakland, California.

About 1,000 protesters in Oakland smashed windows, sprayed buildings with “Kill Cops” graffiti and were met with chemical spray from police, who said several officers were injured by projectiles.

One Los Angeles officer received medical treatment, police said. An LAPD vehicle had its windows smashed, and at least one city bus was vandalized. Police declared an unlawful assembly throughout downtown, where aerial footage from KTLA-TV showed scored of people corralled by police.

An LAPD spokesman told The Associated Press they were still tallying arrests.

“I believe in our city. L.A. is strong enough to stand for justice and walk in love,” Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted, cautioning “violence and vandalism hurts all.”

San Jose, California, police said that Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies shot at a fleeing SUV that was shown on video striking protesters, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Protesters repeatedly clashed with police in San Jose, said Mayor Sam Liccardo, and police responded with flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets. One officer was hospitalized with a non-life-threatening injury, officials said.

Liccardo said his city’s officers shared the community’s outrage over Floyd’s death.

“It was a horrible injustice,” he told the AP.

Portland, Oregon, police said at least one shooting was tied to the protest, although details weren’t immediately released. Two people were arrested during overnight riots in which protesters set fires throughout downtown and smashed storefront windows, police said, but arrest details were immediately available.

Police, who declared the protest a riot, said they deployed gas after people threw projectiles at them.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler tweeted a plea to protesters to remain peaceful and said that, while he had left Portland to attend to his dying mother, he was heading back.

“Portland, this is not us,” he wrote. “When you destroy our city, you are destroying our community. When you act in violence against each other, you are hurting all of us. How does this honor the legacy of George Floyd?”

Protests are scheduled on the Country Club Plaza for approximately 5p.m. Saturday, according to several social media reports.  Wichita, Salina, Hutchinson and other communities across Kansas are also expected to see protests A protest is also planned Saturday at the Kansas Statehouse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590799948580.png" alt="A peaceful protest Friday night on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>A peaceful protest Friday night on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency early Saturday to activate the state National Guard as violence flared in Atlanta and cities nationwide following the death in Minnesota of George Floyd after white officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee into his neck while taking him into custody. Prosecutors charged Chauvin on Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the death of Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed and pleaded that he couldn't breathe. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590840957949.png" alt="Fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is jailed&nbsp; on a $500,000 bond&nbsp; charged with 3rd degree murder -photo Ramsey County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is jailed&nbsp; on a $500,000 bond&nbsp; charged with 3rd degree murder -photo Ramsey County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>Another 500 Guard soldiers were mobilized in and around Minneapolis, where Floyd died. But after another night of watching fires burn and businesses ransacked, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said early Saturday that he was moving to activate more than 1,000 more and was considering federal help.The Guard was also on standby in the District of Columbia, where a crowd grew outside the White House and chanted curses at President Donald Trump. Some protesters tried to push through barriers set up by the U.S. Secret Service along Pennsylvania Avenue, and threw bottles and other objects at officers wearing riot gear, who responded with pepper spray.A person was killed in downtown Detroit just before midnight after someone in an SUV fired shots into a crowd of protesters near the Greektown entertainment district, police said. In Portland, Oregon, protesters broke into police headquarters and authorities said they lit a fire inside. In Virginia’s capital, a police cruiser was set on fire outside Richmond police headquarters, and a city transit spokeswoman said a bus set ablaze was “a total loss,” news outlets reported.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted that up to 500 members of the Guard would deploy immediately “to protect people &amp; property in Atlanta.” He said he acted at the request of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who earlier appealed in vain for calm.In scenes both peaceful and violent across the nation, thousands of protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” and “Say his name. George Floyd.” They hoisted signs reading: “He said I can’t breathe. Justice for George.”Some demonstrators smashed police cars and spray-painted the iconic logo sign at CNN headquarters in downtown Atlanta. At least three officers were hurt and there were multiple arrests, Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said, as protesters shot at officers with BB guns and threw bricks, bottles and knives.Atlanta officials said crews were unable to reach a fire at Del Frisco’s restaurant in the Buckhead neighborhood several miles north because of protesters there.“This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Bottoms said. “You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country.”Bottoms was flanked by King’s daughter, Bernice King, and rappers T.I. and Killer Mike.“We have to be better than burning down our own homes. Because if we lose Atlanta what have we got?” said Killer Mike, crying as he spoke.Video posted to social media showed New York City officers using batons and shoving protesters down as they took people into custody and cleared streets. One video showed on officer slam a woman to the ground as he walked past her in the street.Demonstrators rocked a police van, set it ablaze, scrawled graffiti across its charred body and set it aflame again as officers retreated. Blocks away, protesters used a club to batter another police vehicle.“There will be a full review of what happened tonight,” Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, referring to the Brooklyn protest. “We don’t ever want to see another night like this.”The police department said numerous officers were injured, including one whose tooth was knocked out.The names of black people killed by police, including Floyd and Eric Garner, who died on Staten Island in 2014, were on signs and in chants.“Our country has a sickness. We have to be out here,” said Brianna Petrisko, among those at lower Manhattan’s Foley Square, where most were wearing masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. “This is the only way we’re going to be heard.”Protesters in Houston, where Floyd grew up, included 19-year-old Jimmy Ohaz from the nearby city of Richmond, Texas: “My question is how many more, how many more? I just want to live in a future where we all live in harmony and we’re not oppressed.”Demonstrators on the West Coast blocked highways in Los Angeles and Oakland, California.About 1,000 protesters in Oakland smashed windows, sprayed buildings with “Kill Cops” graffiti and were met with chemical spray from police, who said several officers were injured by projectiles.One Los Angeles officer received medical treatment, police said. An LAPD vehicle had its windows smashed, and at least one city bus was vandalized. Police declared an unlawful assembly throughout downtown, where aerial footage from KTLA-TV showed scored of people corralled by police.An LAPD spokesman told The Associated Press they were still tallying arrests.“I believe in our city. L.A. is strong enough to stand for justice and walk in love,” Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted, cautioning “violence and vandalism hurts all.”San Jose, California, police said that Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies shot at a fleeing SUV that was shown on video striking protesters, the San Jose Mercury News reported.Protesters repeatedly clashed with police in San Jose, said Mayor Sam Liccardo, and police responded with flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets. One officer was hospitalized with a non-life-threatening injury, officials said.Liccardo said his city’s officers shared the community’s outrage over Floyd’s death.“It was a horrible injustice,” he told the AP.Portland, Oregon, police said at least one shooting was tied to the protest, although details weren’t immediately released. Two people were arrested during overnight riots in which protesters set fires throughout downtown and smashed storefront windows, police said, but arrest details were immediately available.Police, who declared the protest a riot, said they deployed gas after people threw projectiles at them.Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler tweeted a plea to protesters to remain peaceful and said that, while he had left Portland to attend to his dying mother, he was heading back.“Portland, this is not us,” he wrote. “When you destroy our city, you are destroying our community. When you act in violence against each other, you are hurting all of us. How does this honor the legacy of George Floyd?”Protests are scheduled on the Country Club Plaza for approximately 5p.m. Saturday, according to several social media reports. Wichita, Salina, Hutchinson and other communities across Kansas are also expected to see protests A protest is also planned Saturday at the Kansas Statehouse.

National Guard summoned to aid cities amid police clashes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee will soon stop providing the names and addresses of COVID-19 patients to first responders, after initially arguing that doing so would protect those on the front line.

In Kansas, Republican lawmakers had included a section in a sweeping coronavirus bill that would ensure COVID-19 patient names, addresses and other relevant information would be provided to first responders and 911 call centers.

The bill was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday.

Kelly did not refer to this provision in her veto message, and lawmakers did not discuss it during House and Senate debates. However, during a caucus for GOP senators, Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Kansas City-area Republican, defended it as necessary for protecting first responders.

Kansas is one of the few that had not shared patient data with first responders.

&nbsp;Gov. Bill Lee’s administration decided on the change in Tennessee this week, conceding that the data may have created a false sense of security to those responding to emergency calls. The data sharing will stop at the end of the month.

The announcement follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ab4cbfb5575671c5630c2442bc3ca75e">an Associated Press review</a>&nbsp;that found public officials in at least two-thirds of states are sharing the addresses of people who tested positive with first responders. A small handful of those states, including Tennessee at the time, also shared the patients’ names.

Supporters argue that the information is vital to helping them take extra precautions to avoid contracting and spreading the coronavirus. Yet civil liberty and community activists have expressed repeated concerns of potential profiling in African American and Hispanic communities that already have an uneasy relationship with law enforcement.

“Individuals who have COVID-19 but who have not sought testing because they do not have symptoms may unintentionally transmit the virus to your personnel because the need to wear appropriate PPE was not apparent,” wrote Todd Skelton, legal counsel for Lee’s coronavirus task force, in a Tuesday email. “Therefore, first responders and law enforcement are encouraged to treat all close interactions with individuals with appropriate precautions.”

Skelton added that personal protection equipment is now “more readily attainable” for first responders. In his email, Skelton noted that more than 1.4 million PPE items had been shipped to law enforcement and others across the state.

Earlier this year, the Department of Health had originally declined to hand over the COVID-19 patient data, warning that wearing protective equipment only in those cases of confirmed illness is unlikely to guarantee their protection.

That decision was eventually overturned by the governor’s office after law enforcement reached out to his office pleading it was needed to stay safe.

Lee later told reporters that the patient data sharing policy would be temporary and could change when more information and protection equipment became available.

Sharing the information does not violate medical privacy laws, according to guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But it hasn’t stopped concerns about how the information was being used.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Tennessee Black Caucus and others had all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8b780be058daca3137a7b05a90ce6a97">called for a stop</a>&nbsp;to the sharing of data with law enforcement.

At least eight states are continuing to share patient names with law enforcement: Iowa, Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota. Wisconsin did so briefly but stopped earlier this month.

Colorado officials also confirmed on Wednesday that local health departments had stopped sharing names and addresses with law enforcement because the community transmission of COVID-19 had become so widespread.

Colorado has had more than 25,000 positive cases and more than 1,100 deaths linked to the virus.

In Tennessee, law enforcement officials have been instructed to “delete and/or shred” the patient data provided by the state within 30 days, according to Skelton’s email.

“Also, you must immediately notify Health if the (protected health information) in your possession has been, or is suspected of having been, disclosed in an unauthorized manner, regardless of when the disclosure occurred,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588174331940.png" alt="Virus testing photo courtesy eTruth North" />
 <figcaption>Virus testing photo courtesy eTruth North</figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee will soon stop providing the names and addresses of COVID-19 patients to first responders, after initially arguing that doing so would protect those on the front line.In Kansas, Republican lawmakers had included a section in a sweeping coronavirus bill that would ensure COVID-19 patient names, addresses and other relevant information would be provided to first responders and 911 call centers.The bill was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday.Kelly did not refer to this provision in her veto message, and lawmakers did not discuss it during House and Senate debates. However, during a caucus for GOP senators, Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Kansas City-area Republican, defended it as necessary for protecting first responders.Kansas is one of the few that had not shared patient data with first responders.&nbsp;Gov. Bill Lee’s administration decided on the change in Tennessee this week, conceding that the data may have created a false sense of security to those responding to emergency calls. The data sharing will stop at the end of the month.The announcement follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ab4cbfb5575671c5630c2442bc3ca75e">an Associated Press review</a>&nbsp;that found public officials in at least two-thirds of states are sharing the addresses of people who tested positive with first responders. A small handful of those states, including Tennessee at the time, also shared the patients’ names.Supporters argue that the information is vital to helping them take extra precautions to avoid contracting and spreading the coronavirus. Yet civil liberty and community activists have expressed repeated concerns of potential profiling in African American and Hispanic communities that already have an uneasy relationship with law enforcement.“Individuals who have COVID-19 but who have not sought testing because they do not have symptoms may unintentionally transmit the virus to your personnel because the need to wear appropriate PPE was not apparent,” wrote Todd Skelton, legal counsel for Lee’s coronavirus task force, in a Tuesday email. “Therefore, first responders and law enforcement are encouraged to treat all close interactions with individuals with appropriate precautions.”Skelton added that personal protection equipment is now “more readily attainable” for first responders. In his email, Skelton noted that more than 1.4 million PPE items had been shipped to law enforcement and others across the state.Earlier this year, the Department of Health had originally declined to hand over the COVID-19 patient data, warning that wearing protective equipment only in those cases of confirmed illness is unlikely to guarantee their protection.That decision was eventually overturned by the governor’s office after law enforcement reached out to his office pleading it was needed to stay safe.Lee later told reporters that the patient data sharing policy would be temporary and could change when more information and protection equipment became available.Sharing the information does not violate medical privacy laws, according to guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But it hasn’t stopped concerns about how the information was being used.The American Civil Liberties Union, Tennessee Black Caucus and others had all&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8b780be058daca3137a7b05a90ce6a97">called for a stop</a>&nbsp;to the sharing of data with law enforcement.At least eight states are continuing to share patient names with law enforcement: Iowa, Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota. Wisconsin did so briefly but stopped earlier this month.Colorado officials also confirmed on Wednesday that local health departments had stopped sharing names and addresses with law enforcement because the community transmission of COVID-19 had become so widespread.Colorado has had more than 25,000 positive cases and more than 1,100 deaths linked to the virus.In Tennessee, law enforcement officials have been instructed to “delete and/or shred” the patient data provided by the state within 30 days, according to Skelton’s email.“Also, you must immediately notify Health if the (protected health information) in your possession has been, or is suspected of having been, disclosed in an unauthorized manner, regardless of when the disclosure occurred,” he said.___

Kansas among states not sharing patient data with first responders

KANSAS CITY —Protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody have spread to other areas across the United States. 

Protesters marched near the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City Friday night. Police were on the scene and no violence was reported, according to Dave Jackson, spokesperson for KC Kansas Police.

KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucuas said he had spoken with Police Chief Rick Smith.&nbsp; "Our community and our department stand ready for any peaceful demonstration.  All in Kansas City have a right to be heard."

A similar protest is scheduled on the Plaza for approximately 5p.m. Saturday, according to several social media reports.&nbsp; Wichita, Salina, Hutchinson and other communities across Kansas are also expected to see protests&nbsp;A protest is also planned Saturday at the Kansas Statehouse. 

Officials in Wyandotte County said Friday that they plan to meet with clergy early next week in the wake of Floyd's death.&nbsp;

 Wyandotte County Sheriff Donald Ash, Interim Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Michael York and county-city Unified Government Mayor Mayor David Alvey expect to participate in Monday’s meeting. 

They said they want to discuss how to ensure police respect the “life and dignity” of all people. The Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck was arrested on murder charges Friday.&nbsp;

DENVER — Denver Mayor Michael Hancock called for calm and unity Friday after the first of several planned city protests over George Floyd’s death turned violent, declaring, “Let not the story be about the riots and protests. Let’s keep the focus on the life that was lost.”

“I can tell you not to go out and demonstrate but the reality is it’s going to happen,” Hancock said at a news briefing, stressing he shared outrage over what he’s called the “senseless and tragic murder” of Floyd in Minneapolis.

Hancock and Police Chief Paul Pazen blamed what they called a minority of agitators among peaceful protesters for inciting violence throughout downtown on Thursday. That violence included throwing rocks at police officers, setting small fires, and breaking windows and damaging cars at the state Capitol and at businesses. More protests were planned for Friday and Saturday. Pazen said three officers were injured and that 13 people were arrested for burglary, criminal mischief and assault.

ATLANTA — A police car has been set on fire in Atlanta, where protesters were using barricades to break the windows of cruisers while others were jumping on the vehicles and shattering windshields as they demonstrated against the death of George Floyd.

Hundreds of protesters were confronting police outside CNN’s downtown headquarters late Friday. Activists spray-painted a large CNN logo outside the building, breaking a window and tagging doors. One protester climbed on top of the CNN sign and waved a “Black Lives Matter” flag to cheers from the crowd.

Protesters pelted officers who came over with bottles, striking some of them. Other bottles thrown at authorities exploded behind the police line, but no officers appeared to get hit. Protesters chanted, “Quit your jobs.”

The officers backed their line away from the group of protesters who were throwing objects at them.

Police ordered demonstrators to leave the street and threatened to arrest them if they did not leave quickly.

Protesters used accelerant to burn an American flag. People were watching the scene from rooftops, some laughing at skirmishes that broke out and vandalism by the protesters.

Protesters were also walking on the interstate in downtown Atlanta and appeared to be trying to block traffic.

Earlier, as the protest appeared more calm, Kaity Brackett, 27, said she came out to the protest because she thinks the entire criminal justice system needs to be overhauled, starting with policing. She said the Ahmaud Arbery killing was a catalyst for her and referred to his death as a lynching. Arbery was killed on Feb. 23 by a former district attorney investigator and his son, who were not arrested until after video emerged months later.

Brackett wore a blue mask and sat with her partner and a friend. She was less concerned about the threat from the coronavirus.

“We risk our lives going to the grocery store, going to get gas,” she said. “This is more important than all of that.”

NEW YORK — Demonstrators took to New York City streets on Friday for a second day in protest of the death of George Floyd, the black Minnesota man killed in police custody, and invoked the names of other black people who died at police hands.

In Brooklyn, crowds of demonstrators chanted at police officers lined up outside the Barclays Center. There were several moments of struggle, as some in the crowd pushed against metal barricades and police pushed back.

Scores of water bottles flew from the crowd toward the officers, and in return police sprayed an eye-irritating chemical at the group twice.

The names of black people killed by police, including Floyd and Eric Garner, who died on Staten Island in 2014, were on signs carried by those in the crowd, and in their chants. Protests have taken place around the country, with some in Minnesota and elsewhere becoming violent.

“It’s my duty to be out here,” said Brianna Petrisko, among those at Foley Square in lower Manhattan, most wearing masks, where the demonstrations started Friday. The protest took place despite coronavirus prohibitions on large gatherings. The demonstrators were gathered in the square, while police stood across the street.

“Our country has a sickness,” Petrisko said. “We have to be out here. This is the only way we’re going to be heard.”

At his Friday briefing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he stood with the Minnesota protesters.

“Nobody is sanctioning the arson, and the thuggery and the burglaries, but the protesters and the anger and the fear and the frustration? Yes. Yes. And the demand is for justice,” Cuomo said.

At a news conference, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York Police Department officers had been told to respect peaceful protest.

He also had a message for protesters. “If you are angry with the government, if you are angry with the elected leaders, direct that anger to all of us, because if we haven’t done enough, we are the ones who should be held responsible,” he said. “But the police officer in front of you is a working man or woman just trying to do their job.”

WINDERMERE, Fla. — A group of about 10 protesters gathered Friday near a Florida town home that belongs to a white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck.

The protesters arrived after social media postings listed the address of Derek Chauvin in the community of Windermere outside Orlando.

They carried signs that said, “He said I can’t breathe. Justice for George,” and “We see you, we hear you ... we love you! #Justice for George.” The handcuffed black man pleaded for air as Chauvin, the white police officer, knelt on his neck during an arrest recorded on video by bystanders.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office tweeted from its official account that Chauvin is not at the residence and is not expected there. The office says it’s confirmed he has no plans to be in the area.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque police used a helicopter and tear gas as they retreated from a crowd of people after a confrontation that followed a protest of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

Police said officers responded to several shots being fired from a vehicle following a demonstration that had lasted hours. Four individuals were taken into custody, and several protesters became confrontational, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said.

During the confrontation, protesters waved signs and yelled at officers clad in riot gear. Gallegos said Friday the tear gas was used to allow officers to leave the area and avoid further confrontation.

There were no reports of injuries from the gunshots, and it wasn’t clear whether that incident was related to the protest. Gallegos also said there were no injuries resulting from the confrontation with protesters.

FONTANA, Calif. — Nine people were arrested after rocks were thrown at businesses, vehicles and officers during a Southern California protest stemming from the death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody.

The violence erupted Thursday night in Fontana as about 100 people moved up and down a thoroughfare and blocked traffic. Police say an unlawful assembly was declared and the crowd was ordered to disperse but some persisted.

Elsewhere in the region, demonstrators gathered outside Los Angeles police headquarters but there was no repeat of Wednesday evening’s action in which protesters blocked freeway traffic and attacked two Highway Patrol cruisers.

Fontana is an inland city about 50 miles (80) kilometers east of Los Angeles.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Protesters angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody turned out for a demonstration in Columbus that began peacefully but turned violent, with windows smashed at the Ohio Statehouse and storefronts along surrounding downtown streets.

The crowd of about 400 people entered into a standoff with Columbus police Thursday night, blocking the intersection of key streets in the Ohio capital for hours, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

The demonstration began as a peaceful protest, but news outlets reported protesters began throwing objects like water bottles at officers, who responded by using tear gas on the crowd. A scuffle between a protester and an officer broke out around 9:45 p.m., WCMH-TV reported.

Videos obtained by The Associated Press show people smashing the building’s windows. One person briefly entered an office through a broken window but retreated before troopers within the building could catch him, said Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Craig Cvetan.

Windows were boarded up early Friday and workers were placing plywood over undamaged windows out of precaution.

HOUSTON — On Friday, several thousand people attended a rally in front of city hall in Houston, where George Floyd grew up.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590798329342.png" alt="Floyd Protest Friday night in Kansas City photo courtesy Marcy Lightner" />
 <figcaption>Floyd Protest Friday night in Kansas City photo courtesy Marcy Lightner</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody have spread to other areas across the United States. Protesters marched near the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City Friday night. Police were on the scene and no violence was reported, according to Dave Jackson, spokesperson for KC Kansas Police.KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucuas said he had spoken with Police Chief Rick Smith.&nbsp; "Our community and our department stand ready for any peaceful demonstration. All in Kansas City have a right to be heard."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590799948580.png" alt="Protesters in the street near the Plaza Friday -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Protesters in the street near the Plaza Friday -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>A similar protest is scheduled on the Plaza for approximately 5p.m. Saturday, according to several social media reports.&nbsp; Wichita, Salina, Hutchinson and other communities across Kansas are also expected to see protests&nbsp;A protest is also planned Saturday at the Kansas Statehouse. Officials in Wyandotte County said Friday that they plan to meet with clergy early next week in the wake of Floyd's death.&nbsp; Wyandotte County Sheriff Donald Ash, Interim Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Michael York and county-city Unified Government Mayor Mayor David Alvey expect to participate in Monday’s meeting. They said they want to discuss how to ensure police respect the “life and dignity” of all people. The Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck was arrested on murder charges Friday.&nbsp;___DENVER — Denver Mayor Michael Hancock called for calm and unity Friday after the first of several planned city protests over George Floyd’s death turned violent, declaring, “Let not the story be about the riots and protests. Let’s keep the focus on the life that was lost.”“I can tell you not to go out and demonstrate but the reality is it’s going to happen,” Hancock said at a news briefing, stressing he shared outrage over what he’s called the “senseless and tragic murder” of Floyd in Minneapolis.Hancock and Police Chief Paul Pazen blamed what they called a minority of agitators among peaceful protesters for inciting violence throughout downtown on Thursday. That violence included throwing rocks at police officers, setting small fires, and breaking windows and damaging cars at the state Capitol and at businesses. More protests were planned for Friday and Saturday. Pazen said three officers were injured and that 13 people were arrested for burglary, criminal mischief and assault.ATLANTA — A police car has been set on fire in Atlanta, where protesters were using barricades to break the windows of cruisers while others were jumping on the vehicles and shattering windshields as they demonstrated against the death of George Floyd.Hundreds of protesters were confronting police outside CNN’s downtown headquarters late Friday. Activists spray-painted a large CNN logo outside the building, breaking a window and tagging doors. One protester climbed on top of the CNN sign and waved a “Black Lives Matter” flag to cheers from the crowd.Protesters pelted officers who came over with bottles, striking some of them. Other bottles thrown at authorities exploded behind the police line, but no officers appeared to get hit. Protesters chanted, “Quit your jobs.”The officers backed their line away from the group of protesters who were throwing objects at them.Police ordered demonstrators to leave the street and threatened to arrest them if they did not leave quickly.Protesters used accelerant to burn an American flag. People were watching the scene from rooftops, some laughing at skirmishes that broke out and vandalism by the protesters.Protesters were also walking on the interstate in downtown Atlanta and appeared to be trying to block traffic.The Georgia State Patrol has responded.Earlier, as the protest appeared more calm, Kaity Brackett, 27, said she came out to the protest because she thinks the entire criminal justice system needs to be overhauled, starting with policing. She said the Ahmaud Arbery killing was a catalyst for her and referred to his death as a lynching. Arbery was killed on Feb. 23 by a former district attorney investigator and his son, who were not arrested until after video emerged months later.Brackett wore a blue mask and sat with her partner and a friend. She was less concerned about the threat from the coronavirus.“We risk our lives going to the grocery store, going to get gas,” she said. “This is more important than all of that.”___NEW YORK — Demonstrators took to New York City streets on Friday for a second day in protest of the death of George Floyd, the black Minnesota man killed in police custody, and invoked the names of other black people who died at police hands.__In Brooklyn, crowds of demonstrators chanted at police officers lined up outside the Barclays Center. There were several moments of struggle, as some in the crowd pushed against metal barricades and police pushed back.Scores of water bottles flew from the crowd toward the officers, and in return police sprayed an eye-irritating chemical at the group twice.The names of black people killed by police, including Floyd and Eric Garner, who died on Staten Island in 2014, were on signs carried by those in the crowd, and in their chants. Protests have taken place around the country, with some in Minnesota and elsewhere becoming violent.“It’s my duty to be out here,” said Brianna Petrisko, among those at Foley Square in lower Manhattan, most wearing masks, where the demonstrations started Friday. The protest took place despite coronavirus prohibitions on large gatherings. The demonstrators were gathered in the square, while police stood across the street.“Our country has a sickness,” Petrisko said. “We have to be out here. This is the only way we’re going to be heard.”At his Friday briefing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he stood with the Minnesota protesters.“Nobody is sanctioning the arson, and the thuggery and the burglaries, but the protesters and the anger and the fear and the frustration? Yes. Yes. And the demand is for justice,” Cuomo said.At a news conference, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York Police Department officers had been told to respect peaceful protest.He also had a message for protesters. “If you are angry with the government, if you are angry with the elected leaders, direct that anger to all of us, because if we haven’t done enough, we are the ones who should be held responsible,” he said. “But the police officer in front of you is a working man or woman just trying to do their job.”___WINDERMERE, Fla. — A group of about 10 protesters gathered Friday near a Florida town home that belongs to a white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck.The protesters arrived after social media postings listed the address of Derek Chauvin in the community of Windermere outside Orlando.They carried signs that said, “He said I can’t breathe. Justice for George,” and “We see you, we hear you ... we love you! #Justice for George.” The handcuffed black man pleaded for air as Chauvin, the white police officer, knelt on his neck during an arrest recorded on video by bystanders.The Orange County Sheriff’s Office tweeted from its official account that Chauvin is not at the residence and is not expected there. The office says it’s confirmed he has no plans to be in the area.___ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque police used a helicopter and tear gas as they retreated from a crowd of people after a confrontation that followed a protest of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.Police said officers responded to several shots being fired from a vehicle following a demonstration that had lasted hours. Four individuals were taken into custody, and several protesters became confrontational, police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said.During the confrontation, protesters waved signs and yelled at officers clad in riot gear. Gallegos said Friday the tear gas was used to allow officers to leave the area and avoid further confrontation.There were no reports of injuries from the gunshots, and it wasn’t clear whether that incident was related to the protest. Gallegos also said there were no injuries resulting from the confrontation with protesters.___FONTANA, Calif. — Nine people were arrested after rocks were thrown at businesses, vehicles and officers during a Southern California protest stemming from the death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody.The violence erupted Thursday night in Fontana as about 100 people moved up and down a thoroughfare and blocked traffic. Police say an unlawful assembly was declared and the crowd was ordered to disperse but some persisted.Elsewhere in the region, demonstrators gathered outside Los Angeles police headquarters but there was no repeat of Wednesday evening’s action in which protesters blocked freeway traffic and attacked two Highway Patrol cruisers.Fontana is an inland city about 50 miles (80) kilometers east of Los Angeles.___COLUMBUS, Ohio — Protesters angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody turned out for a demonstration in Columbus that began peacefully but turned violent, with windows smashed at the Ohio Statehouse and storefronts along surrounding downtown streets.The crowd of about 400 people entered into a standoff with Columbus police Thursday night, blocking the intersection of key streets in the Ohio capital for hours, the Columbus Dispatch reported.The demonstration began as a peaceful protest, but news outlets reported protesters began throwing objects like water bottles at officers, who responded by using tear gas on the crowd. A scuffle between a protester and an officer broke out around 9:45 p.m., WCMH-TV reported.Videos obtained by The Associated Press show people smashing the building’s windows. One person briefly entered an office through a broken window but retreated before troopers within the building could catch him, said Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Craig Cvetan.Windows were boarded up early Friday and workers were placing plywood over undamaged windows out of precaution.___HOUSTON — On Friday, several thousand people attended a rally in front of city hall in Houston, where George Floyd grew up.The rally was mostly peaceful but police had apparently taken into custody a woman who had a rifle and had tried to use it to incite the crowd.The crowed marched through downtown Houston to get to city hall, blocking traffic and at times chanting “No justice, no peace” and “Say his name. George Floyd.” Many held up signs that said, “I Can’t Breathe” and “Justice For George.”Eventually the protesters ended up alongside U.S. Highway 59, one of the major thoroughfares in Houston. A group of about 60 to 70 shut down the freeway for at least half an hour. Houston police accompanied the protesters as they marched for less than half a mile along the freeway before they walked off of it. No arrests were made.Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said he welcomed the rally.“We stand with them protesting what happened in Minnesota,” said Acevedo. “I’m happy that they’re here today because people need to be heard, voices need to be heard.”One of those protesting Floyd’s death was 19-year-old Jimmy Ohaz, who came from the nearby city of Richmond, Texas.“My question is how many more, how many more? I just want to live in a future where we all live in harmony and we’re not oppressed.”___PHOENIX — Hundreds rallied in downtown Phoenix to demonstrate against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in a protest that turned into a clash with police.Protesters who marched from Phoenix City Hall to the state Capitol on Thursday night into Friday morning carried signs reading, “Silence is violence” and “Being black should not be a death sentence,” The Arizona Republic reported.Around 11 p.m., Phoenix police declared an unlawful assembly around the Capitol building. Protesters refused to leave the area, news outlets reported.The newspaper reported that rocks and water bottles were thrown at police. Video from local TV stations shows protesters hammering on the window of a police car, and the newspaper reported at least one police car window was broken. The Arizona Department of Public Safety and Phoenix police responded by firing pepper spray and rubber bullets at the crowd.___PETAL, Miss. — A Mississippi mayor who sparked outrage when he said he “didn’t see anything unreasonable” about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody is resisting calls to resign, including from his own town’s board of aldermen.“Why in the world would anyone choose to become a police officer in our society today?” Petal Mayor Hal Marx tweeted Tuesday, the day four Minneapolis police officers were fired. The 46-year-old Floyd, a black man, was handcuffed and pleading for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck Monday.In a follow-up tweet, the Republican directly referenced the Floyd case, saying he “didn’t see anything unreasonable”: “If you can say you can’t breathe, you’re breathing. Most likely that man died of overdose or heart attack. Video doesn’t show his resistance that got him in that position. Police being crucified.”___LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Looking to defuse tensions in Louisville over the fatal shooting of a black woman by police who broke down her door, the victim’s mother on Friday called on protesters to continue demanding justice but to do it in “the right way without hurting each other.”Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear read the statement from Breonna Taylor’s mother hours after gunshots erupted, wounding at least seven people, during protests late Thursday outside City Hall. At least one person was in critical condition, Louisville Metro Police said early Friday.“No officers discharged their service weapons,” and all seven shot were civilians, police spokesman Sgt. Lamont Washington wrote in an email to The Associated Press.In her statement, Tamika Palmer said her daughter — an emergency medical technician — devoted her life to others, and the “last thing she’d want right now is any more violence.”Thursday night’s demonstration came as protesters across the country, in cities including Los Angeles, Denver, New York and Memphis, turned out in alliance with demonstrators in Minneapolis, where George Floyd became the latest black man to die in police custody.___SAN JOSE, Calif. — Roughly 300 people protesting the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman have shut down a five-lane section of a highway in California’s Silicon Valley.Vehicles southbound on U.S. 101 were at a virtual standstill Friday afternoon, ahead of a greatly diminished rush hour as the region shelters at home. KGO-TV footage shows some cars passing on a shoulder of U.S. 101 in San Jose.Some protesters are wearing masks and some are not. Later in the afternoon, the protesters were leaving the highway.___LAS VEGAS — More than 400 people were demonstrating on the Las Vegas Strip Friday afternoon calling for policing reforms after black man was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer.The crowd gathered in triple-digit-heat in front of the Bellagio casino-resort, holding signs and chanting “No justice, no peace!” and “Black lives matter.”They later began walking north up the Las Vegas Strip in front of casinos still shuttered because of coronavirus-related closures.The demonstration was in memory of George Floyd, who died late Monday. Bystander video showed a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling on his neck.