SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have two suspects detained.

Just after 11p.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of multiple shots being fired in the area of the 1300 block of NW Eugene in Topeka, according to&nbsp;LT John Trimble.

Officers in the area and found evidence of shots being fired. While searching the area, they also found one person suffering from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds. 

While on scene investigating this incident, two others arrived by personal vehicle to local hospitals with what appeared to be gunshot wounds as well.&nbsp; All 3 of the injured parties sustained serious injuries.

Two suspect were located in association with the incident and brought to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning, according to Trimble.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police have not reported an arrest or released names of the victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604237650206.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation early Sunday photo courtesy WIBW-TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation early Sunday photo courtesy WIBW-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have two suspects detained.Just after 11p.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of multiple shots being fired in the area of the 1300 block of NW Eugene in Topeka, according to&nbsp;LT John Trimble.Officers in the area and found evidence of shots being fired. While searching the area, they also found one person suffering from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds. While on scene investigating this incident, two others arrived by personal vehicle to local hospitals with what appeared to be gunshot wounds as well.&nbsp; All 3 of the injured parties sustained serious injuries.Two suspect were located in association with the incident and brought to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning, according to Trimble.&nbsp;&nbsp;Police have not reported an arrest or released names of the victims.

Police: Triple Kansas shooting on Halloween 

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-10-26/the-blood-sweat-and-spit-that-built-a-kansas-coronavirus-test-used-by-colleges-and-hollywood">Kansas News Service</a>

LENEXA, Kansas — For months, the people at a Johnson County lab found themselves consumed, running an endless parade of tests on human spit.

The feds hadn’t yet OK’d a single saliva test for COVID-19, but the scientists at <a href="https://www.crlcorp.com/" target="_blank">Clinical Reference Laboratory</a> were sure they could design something that worked.

If they could, they’d have a test that would let people give samples at home. It would skip the need for <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmvcm2010260" target="_blank">deep nasal swabs</a> that were in short supply and freaked many people out. And it would spare the surgical gloves, gowns and masks <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/kansas-looking-high-and-low-gear-protect-health-care-workers-covid-19" target="_blank">needed elsewhere</a> in a world knocked sideways by the pandemic.

But getting to that point meant routinely working 12- and 15-hour days.

Heather Fehling, one of the lead scientists at CRL, would huddle over lab equipment past midnight.

On
 a good night, she’d leave a few hours earlier, grab dinner at home, 
peek in on her sleeping 4-year-old and keep reading the lab instruments 
remotely. Even when she was taking a bath, she’d pore over research 
papers.

“I basically ate, slept and dreamt about COVID,” she said.

Ultimately, at the end of July, CRL’s work would <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/140664/download" target="_blank">pay off</a>. The lab would hit the ground running — testing <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-28/saliva-is-making-it-possible-to-quickly-test-tens-of-thousands-of-kansans-for-coronavirus" target="_blank">tens of thousands</a>
 of Kansas and Missouri college students just in time for the new 
semester and inking a deal to help Los Angeles Unified School District 
test theirs.

That success came only after clearing one scientific or regulatory hurdle after another. 

The
 lab made a financial gamble that meant buying up expensive, hard-to-get
 robots and tens of thousands of saliva-collection kits. It wagered that
 time and expense without knowing whether the U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration would finally sign off and make the investment pay off 
financially.

Now, the Lenexa lab tests thousands of people six days a week, usually turning results within 24 hours.

It
 receives a constant stream of packages by FedEx and courier containing 
tubes of saliva from nearby nursing homes and colleges, but also from 
the far-away sets of TV shows like “Dancing With The Stars.”

Out 
front, cars pull up to a dropbox labeled “Chief’s Kingdom.” Anyone who 
plans to sit in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium must turn in their spit 
within a few days of each game. The tests cost $139 on CRL’s website, 
but institutions that buy in bulk pay less.

“It’s crazy,” CRL 
worker Stephen Wheeler said while scanning in the barcodes on freshly 
unpacked saliva tubes so the lab can track each person’s spit through 
the testing process. “We get so many samples coming in.”

Morning, 
noon and night, workers buzz around the building in lab coats, masks and
 gloves, knowing each tube could carry the coronavirus that has killed <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map" target="_blank">220,000 people</a> nationwide.

“We look at it as: Everybody is contaminated,” Wheeler said.

No one has given CRL more of their own saliva than Bruce Dahlquist.

Dahlquist
 works on the business side at CRL. He contracted the disease in March, 
and that helped the lab tackle its testing challenge. It desperately 
needed a steady supply of viral samples to study. He became a source.

He
 had just cut short a work trip that had sent him to Nevada, Utah and 
Ohio. The pandemic had begun shutting some coastal cities down.

Within
 days of getting home, the coughing and body aches began. A deep nasal 
swab at a local drive-thru clinic confirmed Dahlquist had COVID-19.

For
 the next month, every other day, he’d leave samples on his porch for 
Fehling to pick up. In return, her team would tell him what they were 
learning about his viral load, and she’d drop off a treat.

“My 
deal with her was she had to bring me chocolate chip cookies,” said 
Dahlquist, who’d lost his ability to taste and smell most food. “Except 
for chocolate! I could taste chocolate, which was great.”

Back at the lab, CRL tested their sick coworker’s fluids — blood, 
urine and saliva — and soon found spit gave them consistent readings on 
the virus.

They tried his saliva in different preservatives, homed
 in on the best option. Then one day, Dahlquist filled two saliva tubes 
on the same day because the virus made it hard to think straight.

“The morning sample came back as positive for the virus, but the evening sample was negative,” Fehling recalled.

CRL
 repeated the exercise until it figured out people should avoid food, 
drinks and brushing their teeth before spitting into the tubes.

After about a month, Dahlquist got well. CRL still faced a long road of hurdles.

It needed emergency use authorization from the FDA.

Emergency authorization is the agency’s <a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and-policy-framework/emergency-use-authorization" target="_blank">expedited</a>
 green light process for COVID-19 tests. It’s less rigorous than full 
approval, to move fast amid the pandemic. Not all tests on the market 
undergo this FDA review — a matter of debate among experts — but the 
school districts and colleges lining up for CRL’s help insisted on 
buying a product that had.

Moreover, federal scrutiny was 
mandatory for part of CRL’s vision — distributing the kits for self-use.
 It wanted people to be able to give samples without medical 
supervision.

That would be critical to easing the rush on masks 
and gloves and would let people stay home. A person could spit into a 
tube, seal it, wash their hands and follow packing instructions. Then 
they’d use a smartphone app to register the tube’s barcode before 
sending it in.

But first, the FDA needed to see more of the science. CRL had to find lots more sick people whose spit it could test.

That
 proved tricky. Hospitals didn’t want the lab’s staff hanging around. 
Everyone was busy enough during a pandemic. Folks from the lab traveled 
far and wide to gather samples wherever they were welcomed.

Dahlquist headed to Dodge City, in southwest Kansas, where <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">meatpacking plants</a> fueled huge outbreaks.

“People
 were working at the plant shoulder-to-shoulder,” he said, “and then 
they’d go home and everybody in their family was getting it.”

To date, about <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/" target="_blank">3,600 cases</a> of the virus have been linked to about 20 outbreaks at Kansas slaughterhouses.

Health
 officials let him spend a day at a drive-up site where people came for 
nose swabs. Those who tested positive could provide spit for CRL to 
analyze, too.

The people at CRL ran experiment after experiment, compiling hundreds of pages of test results for the FDA.

Each
 time they thought they had finished what the FDA needed, the agency had
 more questions and sent emails and text messages even on evenings and 
weekends. For the folks at CRL, it all added up to another two and a 
half months of long days in the lab.

Meanwhile, summer had arrived
 and they raced to finish in time to help Kansas and Missouri colleges 
reopen their campuses in August.

Boxes of empty saliva tubes were 
already rolling in the door and the staff was training newly arrived 
robots to handle dozens, even hundreds, of spit samples at once. 
Automation would be critical to handling the daily volumes CRL hoped 
for.

Finally, one night in late July, Fehling got another message from her FDA contact.

“I thought, ‘Oh goodness, what do they need now?’” she said. But this time the agency told her CRL had the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/140664/download" target="_blank">green light</a>. “It was just like pure elation.”

The
 lab threw an outdoor, socially distanced party. One of their coworkers 
DJ’ed. They celebrated to the tune of the Black Eyed Peas. “Fill up my cup! Mazel tov!”

“Just
 the weight lifted off our shoulders,” said Rebecca Henkhaus, who helped
 write the FDA application. “It was very exciting. I’ve never 
experienced anything like that in lab work.”

Since the FDA’s decision, CRL has run more than 150,000 tests.

It bought more robots and now has nearly 20, in big glass cases.

Some
 always work smoothly, others can be finicky and demanding. That’s 
earned them individual human names from the staff that spends days 
hovering over these machines.

“Norm” for one robot that just gets the job done. “Elon” (as in tech baron Musk) for another that’s decidedly more frustrating.

The
 lab workers guide and monitor the process as the machines use pipettes 
to wash and purify scores of saliva samples at once and extract genetic 
material — mixing in special compounds for the final, actual COVID-19 
check on each sample.

The science behind these tests isn’t new. 
When the method — called PCR — was first developed, it sped up and 
revolutionized genetic work. It won the 1993 <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1993/mullis/facts/" target="_blank">Nobel chemistry prize</a>.

Now it lets scientists spot the virus behind COVID-19 in a matter of hours.

Drawing
 on that classic methodology to design and distribute a saliva kit amid a
 pandemic offers a whole new level of gratification for lab specialists 
used to working behind the scenes of medicine.

“I feel like I’ve 
been preparing my entire life for this pandemic,” said Valerie Stone, a 
senior lab manager at CRL. “I went into molecular (diagnostics) 16, 17 
years ago knowing that eventually molecular was going to save the 
future, right? We’re finally seeing it come to fruition. … It’s 
amazing.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a> or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603821152848.png" alt="The liquid-handling robots at CRL in Lenexa have been hard to get since the pandemic hit. They can work on saliva from scores or even hundreds of people at once. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The liquid-handling robots at CRL in Lenexa have been hard to get since the pandemic hit. They can work on saliva from scores or even hundreds of people at once. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-10-26/the-blood-sweat-and-spit-that-built-a-kansas-coronavirus-test-used-by-colleges-and-hollywood">Kansas News Service</a>LENEXA, Kansas — For months, the people at a Johnson County lab found themselves consumed, running an endless parade of tests on human spit.The feds hadn’t yet OK’d a single saliva test for COVID-19, but the scientists at <a href="https://www.crlcorp.com/" target="_blank">Clinical Reference Laboratory</a> were sure they could design something that worked.If they could, they’d have a test that would let people give samples at home. It would skip the need for <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmvcm2010260" target="_blank">deep nasal swabs</a> that were in short supply and freaked many people out. And it would spare the surgical gloves, gowns and masks <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/kansas-looking-high-and-low-gear-protect-health-care-workers-covid-19" target="_blank">needed elsewhere</a> in a world knocked sideways by the pandemic.But getting to that point meant routinely working 12- and 15-hour days.Heather Fehling, one of the lead scientists at CRL, would huddle over lab equipment past midnight.On
 a good night, she’d leave a few hours earlier, grab dinner at home, 
peek in on her sleeping 4-year-old and keep reading the lab instruments 
remotely. Even when she was taking a bath, she’d pore over research 
papers.“I basically ate, slept and dreamt about COVID,” she said.Ultimately, at the end of July, CRL’s work would <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/140664/download" target="_blank">pay off</a>. The lab would hit the ground running — testing <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-28/saliva-is-making-it-possible-to-quickly-test-tens-of-thousands-of-kansans-for-coronavirus" target="_blank">tens of thousands</a>
 of Kansas and Missouri college students just in time for the new 
semester and inking a deal to help Los Angeles Unified School District 
test theirs.That success came only after clearing one scientific or regulatory hurdle after another. The
 lab made a financial gamble that meant buying up expensive, hard-to-get
 robots and tens of thousands of saliva-collection kits. It wagered that
 time and expense without knowing whether the U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration would finally sign off and make the investment pay off 
financially.Now, the Lenexa lab tests thousands of people six days a week, usually turning results within 24 hours.It
 receives a constant stream of packages by FedEx and courier containing 
tubes of saliva from nearby nursing homes and colleges, but also from 
the far-away sets of TV shows like “Dancing With The Stars.”Out 
front, cars pull up to a dropbox labeled “Chief’s Kingdom.” Anyone who 
plans to sit in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium must turn in their spit 
within a few days of each game. The tests cost $139 on CRL’s website, 
but institutions that buy in bulk pay less.“It’s crazy,” CRL 
worker Stephen Wheeler said while scanning in the barcodes on freshly 
unpacked saliva tubes so the lab can track each person’s spit through 
the testing process. “We get so many samples coming in.”Morning, 
noon and night, workers buzz around the building in lab coats, masks and
 gloves, knowing each tube could carry the coronavirus that has killed <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map" target="_blank">220,000 people</a> nationwide.“We look at it as: Everybody is contaminated,” Wheeler said.<h2>A craving for chocolate chip cookies</h2>No one has given CRL more of their own saliva than Bruce Dahlquist.Dahlquist
 works on the business side at CRL. He contracted the disease in March, 
and that helped the lab tackle its testing challenge. It desperately 
needed a steady supply of viral samples to study. He became a source.He
 had just cut short a work trip that had sent him to Nevada, Utah and 
Ohio. The pandemic had begun shutting some coastal cities down.Within
 days of getting home, the coughing and body aches began. A deep nasal 
swab at a local drive-thru clinic confirmed Dahlquist had COVID-19.For
 the next month, every other day, he’d leave samples on his porch for 
Fehling to pick up. In return, her team would tell him what they were 
learning about his viral load, and she’d drop off a treat.“My 
deal with her was she had to bring me chocolate chip cookies,” said 
Dahlquist, who’d lost his ability to taste and smell most food. “Except 
for chocolate! I could taste chocolate, which was great.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603821313465.png" alt="Heather Fehling and others at CRL worked many late nights at the lab in Lenexa. Celia Llopis-Jepsen" />
 <figcaption>Heather Fehling and others at CRL worked many late nights at the lab in Lenexa. Celia Llopis-Jepsen</figcaption>
 </figure>Back at the lab, CRL tested their sick coworker’s fluids — blood, 
urine and saliva — and soon found spit gave them consistent readings on 
the virus.They tried his saliva in different preservatives, homed
 in on the best option. Then one day, Dahlquist filled two saliva tubes 
on the same day because the virus made it hard to think straight.“The morning sample came back as positive for the virus, but the evening sample was negative,” Fehling recalled.CRL
 repeated the exercise until it figured out people should avoid food, 
drinks and brushing their teeth before spitting into the tubes.<h2>Searching for sick people</h2>After about a month, Dahlquist got well. CRL still faced a long road of hurdles.It needed emergency use authorization from the FDA.Emergency authorization is the agency’s <a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and-policy-framework/emergency-use-authorization" target="_blank">expedited</a>
 green light process for COVID-19 tests. It’s less rigorous than full 
approval, to move fast amid the pandemic. Not all tests on the market 
undergo this FDA review — a matter of debate among experts — but the 
school districts and colleges lining up for CRL’s help insisted on 
buying a product that had.Moreover, federal scrutiny was 
mandatory for part of CRL’s vision — distributing the kits for self-use.
 It wanted people to be able to give samples without medical 
supervision.That would be critical to easing the rush on masks 
and gloves and would let people stay home. A person could spit into a 
tube, seal it, wash their hands and follow packing instructions. Then 
they’d use a smartphone app to register the tube’s barcode before 
sending it in.But first, the FDA needed to see more of the science. CRL had to find lots more sick people whose spit it could test.That
 proved tricky. Hospitals didn’t want the lab’s staff hanging around. 
Everyone was busy enough during a pandemic. Folks from the lab traveled 
far and wide to gather samples wherever they were welcomed.Dallas. Chicago. St Louis.Dahlquist headed to Dodge City, in southwest Kansas, where <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">meatpacking plants</a> fueled huge outbreaks.“People
 were working at the plant shoulder-to-shoulder,” he said, “and then 
they’d go home and everybody in their family was getting it.”To date, about <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/" target="_blank">3,600 cases</a> of the virus have been linked to about 20 outbreaks at Kansas slaughterhouses.Health
 officials let him spend a day at a drive-up site where people came for 
nose swabs. Those who tested positive could provide spit for CRL to 
analyze, too.<h2>Late-night text messages</h2>The people at CRL ran experiment after experiment, compiling hundreds of pages of test results for the FDA.Each
 time they thought they had finished what the FDA needed, the agency had
 more questions and sent emails and text messages even on evenings and 
weekends. For the folks at CRL, it all added up to another two and a 
half months of long days in the lab.Meanwhile, summer had arrived
 and they raced to finish in time to help Kansas and Missouri colleges 
reopen their campuses in August.Boxes of empty saliva tubes were 
already rolling in the door and the staff was training newly arrived 
robots to handle dozens, even hundreds, of spit samples at once. 
Automation would be critical to handling the daily volumes CRL hoped 
for.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603821352660.png" alt="People submit samples in tubes containing a fluid that kills but preserves the virus. CRL heats the tubes when they arrive, to kill any virus on the outside of them, too. Celia Llopis-Jepsen" />
 <figcaption>People submit samples in tubes containing a fluid that kills but preserves the virus. CRL heats the tubes when they arrive, to kill any virus on the outside of them, too. Celia Llopis-Jepsen</figcaption>
 </figure>Finally, one night in late July, Fehling got another message from her FDA contact.“I thought, ‘Oh goodness, what do they need now?’” she said. But this time the agency told her CRL had the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/140664/download" target="_blank">green light</a>. “It was just like pure elation.”The
 lab threw an outdoor, socially distanced party. One of their coworkers 
DJ’ed. They celebrated to the tune of the Black Eyed Peas. “Fill up my cup! Mazel tov!”“Just
 the weight lifted off our shoulders,” said Rebecca Henkhaus, who helped
 write the FDA application. “It was very exciting. I’ve never 
experienced anything like that in lab work.”<h2>The samples roll in</h2>Since the FDA’s decision, CRL has run more than 150,000 tests.It bought more robots and now has nearly 20, in big glass cases.Some
 always work smoothly, others can be finicky and demanding. That’s 
earned them individual human names from the staff that spends days 
hovering over these machines.“Norm” for one robot that just gets the job done. “Elon” (as in tech baron Musk) for another that’s decidedly more frustrating.The
 lab workers guide and monitor the process as the machines use pipettes 
to wash and purify scores of saliva samples at once and extract genetic 
material — mixing in special compounds for the final, actual COVID-19 
check on each sample.The science behind these tests isn’t new. 
When the method — called PCR — was first developed, it sped up and 
revolutionized genetic work. It won the 1993 <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1993/mullis/facts/" target="_blank">Nobel chemistry prize</a>.Now it lets scientists spot the virus behind COVID-19 in a matter of hours.Drawing
 on that classic methodology to design and distribute a saliva kit amid a
 pandemic offers a whole new level of gratification for lab specialists 
used to working behind the scenes of medicine.“I feel like I’ve 
been preparing my entire life for this pandemic,” said Valerie Stone, a 
senior lab manager at CRL. “I went into molecular (diagnostics) 16, 17 
years ago knowing that eventually molecular was going to save the 
future, right? We’re finally seeing it come to fruition. … It’s 
amazing.”Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a> or email her at celia@kcur.org.

The blood, sweat and spit that built a Kansas coronavirus test 

The election of 2020 has been called many things: extraordinary, bizarre, unprecedented.

It’s all true, in some ways, though the election is still being held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, and a Democrat or a Republican will win it.

The differences start with a couple of future trivia answers. This is the first time a Black woman has been nominated by a major party. It’s the first time both presidential nominees have been in their 70s.

It is the first time a presidential election has been held in the throes of a deadly pandemic that has affected every corner of the country. A 1918 midterm election, in the midst of the Spanish flu pandemic, saw voter participation drop 20% — although the fact that 2 million men were fighting in World War I also had an effect. By the time Republican Warren G. Harding won in 1920, the flu had passed.

This year, the pandemic has sparked an unmatched shift to early voting, by mail or otherwise, and rising expectations that days or weeks might pass before the outcome is known.

While Americans have become accustomed to learning who would be their next president on election night, that would be far from unprecedented. Until 1937, presidents were inaugurated in March, partly because it took so long to report and count the vote.

And of course, the 2000 election was not resolved until Dec. 12, when the U.S. Supreme Court made George W. Bush the winner by ruling that Florida must stop counting votes.

President Donald Trump has seized on concern about mail voting to repeatedly suggest that the election is beset by fraud — the first time a major candidate, let alone a sitting president, has sought to undermine faith in the electoral process.

One more pandemic-inspired departure from the norm: While Trump has campaigned furiously, jetting from town to town, until recently Biden stayed in or near his home in Delaware, sparing himself and his followers the risk of contracting COVID-19.

That’s unheard of in recent years, but it also was a throwback to the front-porch campaigns of James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley in the 19th century — and Harding in the 20th. Like Biden, they did not go out to campaign. The campaign came to them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603708455076.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JERRY SCHWARTZ, Associated PressThe election of 2020 has been called many things: extraordinary, bizarre, unprecedented.It’s all true, in some ways, though the election is still being held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, and a Democrat or a Republican will win it.The differences start with a couple of future trivia answers. This is the first time a Black woman has been nominated by a major party. It’s the first time both presidential nominees have been in their 70s.It is the first time a presidential election has been held in the throes of a deadly pandemic that has affected every corner of the country. A 1918 midterm election, in the midst of the Spanish flu pandemic, saw voter participation drop 20% — although the fact that 2 million men were fighting in World War I also had an effect. By the time Republican Warren G. Harding won in 1920, the flu had passed.This year, the pandemic has sparked an unmatched shift to early voting, by mail or otherwise, and rising expectations that days or weeks might pass before the outcome is known.While Americans have become accustomed to learning who would be their next president on election night, that would be far from unprecedented. Until 1937, presidents were inaugurated in March, partly because it took so long to report and count the vote.And of course, the 2000 election was not resolved until Dec. 12, when the U.S. Supreme Court made George W. Bush the winner by ruling that Florida must stop counting votes.President Donald Trump has seized on concern about mail voting to repeatedly suggest that the election is beset by fraud — the first time a major candidate, let alone a sitting president, has sought to undermine faith in the electoral process.One more pandemic-inspired departure from the norm: While Trump has campaigned furiously, jetting from town to town, until recently Biden stayed in or near his home in Delaware, sparing himself and his followers the risk of contracting COVID-19.That’s unheard of in recent years, but it also was a throwback to the front-porch campaigns of James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley in the 19th century — and Harding in the 20th. Like Biden, they did not go out to campaign. The campaign came to them.

2020 election: Unprecedented in some way, not in others

By ANNE CHRISTIANSEN-BULLERS KUMC News

KANSAS CITY - The struggle to breathe is well-documented symptom for those battling COVID-19, so how is the disease best treated for those with existing respiratory problems, such as asthma?

A study to address that question, along with other research related to lung issues, is being supported by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/" target="_blank">American Lung Association</a>&nbsp;and its research arm, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/research/airways-clinical-research-centers" target="_blank">Airways Clinical Research Centers Network&nbsp;</a>(ACRC).

The University of Kansas Medical Center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/media/press-releases/acrc-expands">recently expanded its position&nbsp;</a>in the ACRC from member to consortium hub, which gives KU Medical Center the responsibility to mentor and lead other universities in its group.

<a href="http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/internal-medicine/clinical-divisions/pulmonary-critical-care-and-sleep-medicine/faculty/mario-castro-md.html" target="_blank">Mario Castro</a>, MD, MPH, division chief for pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, will act as principal investigator. He brings this role with him from a previous position at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

The ACRC is the nation's largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers focused on lung disease. Its member centers have advanced research in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

"The ACRC Network is an incredibly valuable resource in pulmonology research," Castro said. "The network has answered some of the most important clinical questions we need to manage our patients with asthma, COPD and chronic cough. Now we are leveraging this expertise to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic."

KU Medical Center will be one of nine hub leaders for the ACRC's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/research/about-our-research/covid19-action-initiative" target="_blank">COVID-19 Action Initiative</a>, a $25 million project from the American Lung Association. The initiative's goals are to:

American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer said the COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies the importance of ongoing lung disease research championed by the ACRC. "Clinical research allows us to advance scientific knowledge from the lab to the patient's bedside swiftly, directly impacting patient care," he said.

A second major ACRC initiative, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/blog/lung-health-study" target="_blank">Lung Health Cohort Study</a>&nbsp;of millennials (ages 25-35 years old), will examine the effect of environmental exposures on respiratory health in young people. These environmental exposures will include urgent, timely and relevant factors, such as COVID-19 and vaping.

Castro said KU Medical Center is honored to play a role in the initiative, which is funded by a $24.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

"Often, when we think of breathing problems, we focus on the very young or the very old," Castro said. "The Lung Health Cohort Study provides an opportunity to research exposure risk within a young person's environment, so that all generations can benefit moving forward."

"We hypothesize that the telehealth visits will reduce asthma attacks and lead to better medication adherence."

Locally, KU Medical Center is teaming up with Children's Mercy Kansas City for a clinical trial to be conducted by the ACRC. The trial, called "Improving&nbsp;Medication&nbsp;Adherence with&nbsp;Telehealthcare Medication Therapy Management to&nbsp;Change&nbsp;Health Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults with Asthma," goes by the acronym MATCH and is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Participants will include 300 adolescents and young adults (ages 14-30) who have a difficult time controlling their asthma.

All participants in the clinical trial will receive sensors that attach to their corticosteroid inhalers and a software application for their smartphone or computer.

When the medication is taken, the sensors relay information to the software so the clinical trial participant and the trial administrator can review it. With that data, both can see how well the participant is sticking to the medication plan.

Some participants will get extra support to adhere to their medication plan. In addition to the sensors and software, these participants will have video consultations with a pharmacist trained in medication therapy management. These telehealth visits will offer the participant periodic feedback and encouragement.

The clinical trial will measure which group has fewer asthma flare-ups. It also will figure out the cost-benefit analysis of the telehealth consultations.

"We hypothesize that the telehealth visits will reduce asthma attacks and lead to better medication adherence," Castro said. "Being able to test that hypothesis as well as measure its costs - especially against the costs associated with an emergency-room visit or hospitalization - could provide insight into a new approach to this common chronic disease, especially in these days of the pandemic where telehealth provides definite advantages to patient care."

In April 2020, the number of member institutions within ACRC nearly doubled, from 22 sites to 39. Universities within the current KU Medical Center consortium hub include the university itself as well as:

"As our nation faces the COVID-19 public health crisis, this framework of the ACRC is needed today more than ever," ALA's Wimmer said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603750350464.jpeg" alt="The University of Kansas Medical Center will take a leadership role in the Airways Clinical Research Centers Network (ACRC), the research arm of the American Lung Association." />
 <figcaption>The University of Kansas Medical Center will take a leadership role in the Airways Clinical Research Centers Network (ACRC), the research arm of the American Lung Association.</figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNE CHRISTIANSEN-BULLERS KUMC NewsKANSAS CITY - The struggle to breathe is well-documented symptom for those battling COVID-19, so how is the disease best treated for those with existing respiratory problems, such as asthma?A study to address that question, along with other research related to lung issues, is being supported by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/" target="_blank">American Lung Association</a>&nbsp;and its research arm, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/research/airways-clinical-research-centers" target="_blank">Airways Clinical Research Centers Network&nbsp;</a>(ACRC).The University of Kansas Medical Center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/media/press-releases/acrc-expands">recently expanded its position&nbsp;</a>in the ACRC from member to consortium hub, which gives KU Medical Center the responsibility to mentor and lead other universities in its group.<h2>Importance of ACRC Network</h2><a href="http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/internal-medicine/clinical-divisions/pulmonary-critical-care-and-sleep-medicine/faculty/mario-castro-md.html" target="_blank">Mario Castro</a>, MD, MPH, division chief for pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, will act as principal investigator. He brings this role with him from a previous position at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.The ACRC is the nation's largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers focused on lung disease. Its member centers have advanced research in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)."The ACRC Network is an incredibly valuable resource in pulmonology research," Castro said. "The network has answered some of the most important clinical questions we need to manage our patients with asthma, COPD and chronic cough. Now we are leveraging this expertise to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic."<h2>COVID-19 Action Initiative</h2>KU Medical Center will be one of nine hub leaders for the ACRC's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/research/about-our-research/covid19-action-initiative" target="_blank">COVID-19 Action Initiative</a>, a $25 million project from the American Lung Association. The initiative's goals are to:<ul>
 <li>Expand respiratory research</li><li>Fund grants for coronavirus vaccines and other prevention measures</li><li>Provide additional grants for research evaluating the effects of COVID-19 on patients with chronic lung disease</li><li>Enhance key public health measures through education and advocacy</li>
 </ul>American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer said the COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies the importance of ongoing lung disease research championed by the ACRC. "Clinical research allows us to advance scientific knowledge from the lab to the patient's bedside swiftly, directly impacting patient care," he said.<h2>Millennial Lung Health Cohort Study</h2>A second major ACRC initiative, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lung.org/blog/lung-health-study" target="_blank">Lung Health Cohort Study</a>&nbsp;of millennials (ages 25-35 years old), will examine the effect of environmental exposures on respiratory health in young people. These environmental exposures will include urgent, timely and relevant factors, such as COVID-19 and vaping.Castro said KU Medical Center is honored to play a role in the initiative, which is funded by a $24.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health."Often, when we think of breathing problems, we focus on the very young or the very old," Castro said. "The Lung Health Cohort Study provides an opportunity to research exposure risk within a young person's environment, so that all generations can benefit moving forward."<h2>Clinical trial for those with asthma</h2><figure>
 <img src="http://www.kumc.edu/Images/news/Castro,%20M%20Pulmonary%20Disease.jpg" alt="Mario Castro" />
 <figcaption>Mario Castro</figcaption>
 </figure>"We hypothesize that the telehealth visits will reduce asthma attacks and lead to better medication adherence."Locally, KU Medical Center is teaming up with Children's Mercy Kansas City for a clinical trial to be conducted by the ACRC. The trial, called "Improving&nbsp;Medication&nbsp;Adherence with&nbsp;Telehealthcare Medication Therapy Management to&nbsp;Change&nbsp;Health Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults with Asthma," goes by the acronym MATCH and is funded by the National Institutes of Health.Participants will include 300 adolescents and young adults (ages 14-30) who have a difficult time controlling their asthma.All participants in the clinical trial will receive sensors that attach to their corticosteroid inhalers and a software application for their smartphone or computer.When the medication is taken, the sensors relay information to the software so the clinical trial participant and the trial administrator can review it. With that data, both can see how well the participant is sticking to the medication plan.Some participants will get extra support to adhere to their medication plan. In addition to the sensors and software, these participants will have video consultations with a pharmacist trained in medication therapy management. These telehealth visits will offer the participant periodic feedback and encouragement.The clinical trial will measure which group has fewer asthma flare-ups. It also will figure out the cost-benefit analysis of the telehealth consultations."We hypothesize that the telehealth visits will reduce asthma attacks and lead to better medication adherence," Castro said. "Being able to test that hypothesis as well as measure its costs - especially against the costs associated with an emergency-room visit or hospitalization - could provide insight into a new approach to this common chronic disease, especially in these days of the pandemic where telehealth provides definite advantages to patient care."<h2>About the ACRC expansion</h2>In April 2020, the number of member institutions within ACRC nearly doubled, from 22 sites to 39. Universities within the current KU Medical Center consortium hub include the university itself as well as:<ul>
 <li>Vanderbilt University</li><li>University of Wisconsin-Madison</li><li>Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina</li>
 </ul>"As our nation faces the COVID-19 public health crisis, this framework of the ACRC is needed today more than ever," ALA's Wimmer said.

KUMC selected for COVID-19, lung health research

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting on Halloween evening.

Just after 7:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 2600 block of SE Pennsylvania in Topeka after report of a woman suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.

An ambulance transported the woman to a local hospital. Officers were on-scene trying to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident. Name of the victim has not been released and police have not reported an arrest.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting on Halloween evening.Just after 7:30 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to the 2600 block of SE Pennsylvania in Topeka after report of a woman suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound, according to Lt. Ron Ekis.An ambulance transported the woman to a local hospital. Officers were on-scene trying to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident. Name of the victim has not been released and police have not reported an arrest.

Kan. woman with life-threatening injury after Halloween shooting

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Canadian man who was stopped on a Kansas Highway with 99 pounds of cocaine pleaded guilty this week to federal charges, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

&nbsp;Vincent Muller, 36, Saint Jerome, Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In his plea, Muller admitted the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped his car on I-70 in Wabaunsee County, Kan. 

During a search of the vehicle, troopers found 99 pounds of cocaine. The drugs were in a suitcase in the trunk of the car.

&nbsp;Sentencing is set for Feb. 16, 2021. Muller could face a sentence of not less than 10 years in federal prison, as well as a fine up to $10 million.&nbsp;

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Canadian man who was stopped on a Kansas Highway with 99 pounds of cocaine pleaded guilty this week to federal charges, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.&nbsp;Vincent Muller, 36, Saint Jerome, Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In his plea, Muller admitted the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped his car on I-70 in Wabaunsee County, Kan. During a search of the vehicle, troopers found 99 pounds of cocaine. The drugs were in a suitcase in the trunk of the car.&nbsp;Sentencing is set for Feb. 16, 2021. Muller could face a sentence of not less than 10 years in federal prison, as well as a fine up to $10 million.&nbsp;

KHP found 99 pounds of cocaine hidden in car

WICHITA—Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell II announced Saturday he would step down if re-elected.

&nbsp;A growing number of GOP leaders in Kansas called for the resignation of O'Donnell and two other elected officials who were recorded planning a cover-up of their role in a plot to smear the Democratic mayor of Wichita.

The controversy stems from an ad that falsely suggested Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple was accused of sexual harassment when he served in the Kansas Legislature. The ad was published on YouTube during the mayoral election last year.

On Saturday afternoon, O'Donnell wrote, "After much prayer and consideration I’ve realized my candidacy is too much of a distraction and have arrived at the difficult decision to announce that I will not accept a 2nd term as county commissioner, if elected. This would allow the Republican precinct members to select a replacement. This seat is much more important than any one person. Our community deserves a commissioner committed to conservative values and policies that reflect our district.

It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Sedgwick County. I look forward to see the next steps the Lord has for me."

The Wichita City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday saying Councilman James Clendenin had violated the city’s code of ethics. The council also condemned O’Donnell and state Rep. Michael Capps.

“What I heard on the recording represents the very worst of politics and shows they have abused the positions entrusted to them by Kansas voters,” Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Estes said in a Facebook post on Monday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603901453104.png" alt="O'Donnell wiping away tears following Wednesdays censure vote by the Sedgwick County Commission. At that time, he refused to apologize." />
 <figcaption>O'Donnell wiping away tears following Wednesdays censure vote by the Sedgwick County Commission. At that time, he refused to apologize.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA—Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell II announced Saturday he would step down if re-elected.&nbsp;A growing number of GOP leaders in Kansas called for the resignation of O'Donnell and two other elected officials who were recorded planning a cover-up of their role in a plot to smear the Democratic mayor of Wichita.The controversy stems from an ad that falsely suggested Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple was accused of sexual harassment when he served in the Kansas Legislature. The ad was published on YouTube during the mayoral election last year.On Saturday afternoon, O'Donnell wrote, "After much prayer and consideration I’ve realized my candidacy is too much of a distraction and have arrived at the difficult decision to announce that I will not accept a 2nd term as county commissioner, if elected. This would allow the Republican precinct members to select a replacement. This seat is much more important than any one person. Our community deserves a commissioner committed to conservative values and policies that reflect our district.It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Sedgwick County. I look forward to see the next steps the Lord has for me."The Wichita City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday saying Councilman James Clendenin had violated the city’s code of ethics. The council also condemned O’Donnell and state Rep. Michael Capps.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603722521631.png" alt="Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell, Kansas House Rep. Michael Capps and Wichita City Councilman James Clendenin. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell, Kansas House Rep. Michael Capps and Wichita City Councilman James Clendenin. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>“What I heard on the recording represents the very worst of politics and shows they have abused the positions entrusted to them by Kansas voters,” Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Estes said in a Facebook post on Monday night.

County commissioner will step down over mayor smear

By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/wichita-public-schools-hold-course-reopen-middle-high-schools-despite-covid-19-increases">Kansas News Service</a>

The Wichita School board decided to move forward with its plan to 
transition middle and high school students to in-person learning.

The
 board held a special meeting on Friday to discuss the worsening 
coronavirus pandemic in Sedgwick County. The positive rate for COVID-19 
testing has risen from 5.4% on Oct. 1 to 14.5% on Thursday, the last day
 data was available on Sedgwick County’s coronavirus <a href="https://sedgwickcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/7b2b4364a5fa4ba3a015d52450acfe0d" target="_blank">dashboard</a>.

The
 district and county tally coronavirus cases using a different percent 
positive rate methodology for tracking whether schools should be open. 
That tally shows Sedgwick County’s percent positive rate at 10.9 
percent.

The board voted 4-3 to stick with allowing in-person 
middle and high school classes, though it did shift the start date from 
Nov. 9 to Nov. 12. The board will take another look at the reopening 
plan on Nov. 9.

“Where I always land is what’s right for kids,” said board president Sheril Logan. “Kids need to be in school.”

Despite
 the rise in cases in Sedgwick County correlating with the reopening of 
schools, the county’s health director Adrienne Byrne told the board 
during the emergency meeting that the county can’t prove in-person 
elementary school classes caused the increase.

“We just don’t have enough data to say this is why this is happening,” Bryne said.

A
 divided board approved a hybrid learning model on Oct. 20 for middle 
and high school students. Under the plan, which was set to begin Nov. 9,
 half the class would meet with the teacher in-person while the other 
half learned remotely. The two halves would switch later in the week.

Students who opted to attend the online Education Imagine Academy or MySchool Remote would continue to learn virtually.

Board
 members who voted for the plan said in-person classes are a better 
alternative than the stress that remote learning is creating for 
students and parents.

Several district teachers and their union 
are distressed at the idea of having to teach students virtually and 
in-person at the same time.

“Our teachers are tired,” Kimberly 
Howard, president of the United Teachers of Wichita, said at Friday's 
meeting. “They’re tired of unrealistic expectations.”

Currently, 
all middle and high school students in the district are learning 
remotely. In August, the school board cited the county’s high positive 
test rate – which was 10.2% at the time – as a reason not to allow sixth
 through 12th grade students back into physical classrooms.

Parents
 of students in kindergarten through fifth grade had the option for 
their child to attend in-person classes or learn remotely.

School
 officials say if COVID-19 test rates continue to rise, learning for all
 of its roughly 47,000 students will be held remotely. Officials say 
that will happen if the positive testing rate exceeds 15 percent.

“We
 understand the impact of decisions on your work, our families, our 
business community - and most important, our students,” Wichita 
superintendent Alicia Thompson said in an email this week. “We will 
continue to be transparent in the data we share, and make the 
best-possible decisions with the information we have at the time 
decisions must be made.“

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1604115566433.png" alt=" Stephan A Bisaha / KMUW " />
 <figcaption> Stephan A Bisaha / KMUW </figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/wichita-public-schools-hold-course-reopen-middle-high-schools-despite-covid-19-increases">Kansas News Service</a>The Wichita School board decided to move forward with its plan to 
transition middle and high school students to in-person learning.The
 board held a special meeting on Friday to discuss the worsening 
coronavirus pandemic in Sedgwick County. The positive rate for COVID-19 
testing has risen from 5.4% on Oct. 1 to 14.5% on Thursday, the last day
 data was available on Sedgwick County’s coronavirus <a href="https://sedgwickcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/7b2b4364a5fa4ba3a015d52450acfe0d" target="_blank">dashboard</a>.The
 district and county tally coronavirus cases using a different percent 
positive rate methodology for tracking whether schools should be open. 
That tally shows Sedgwick County’s percent positive rate at 10.9 
percent.The board voted 4-3 to stick with allowing in-person 
middle and high school classes, though it did shift the start date from 
Nov. 9 to Nov. 12. The board will take another look at the reopening 
plan on Nov. 9.“Where I always land is what’s right for kids,” said board president Sheril Logan. “Kids need to be in school.”Despite
 the rise in cases in Sedgwick County correlating with the reopening of 
schools, the county’s health director Adrienne Byrne told the board 
during the emergency meeting that the county can’t prove in-person 
elementary school classes caused the increase.“We just don’t have enough data to say this is why this is happening,” Bryne said.A
 divided board approved a hybrid learning model on Oct. 20 for middle 
and high school students. Under the plan, which was set to begin Nov. 9,
 half the class would meet with the teacher in-person while the other 
half learned remotely. The two halves would switch later in the week.Students who opted to attend the online Education Imagine Academy or MySchool Remote would continue to learn virtually.Board
 members who voted for the plan said in-person classes are a better 
alternative than the stress that remote learning is creating for 
students and parents.Several district teachers and their union 
are distressed at the idea of having to teach students virtually and 
in-person at the same time.“Our teachers are tired,” Kimberly 
Howard, president of the United Teachers of Wichita, said at Friday's 
meeting. “They’re tired of unrealistic expectations.”Currently, 
all middle and high school students in the district are learning 
remotely. In August, the school board cited the county’s high positive 
test rate – which was 10.2% at the time – as a reason not to allow sixth
 through 12th grade students back into physical classrooms.Parents
 of students in kindergarten through fifth grade had the option for 
their child to attend in-person classes or learn remotely.School
 officials say if COVID-19 test rates continue to rise, learning for all
 of its roughly 47,000 students will be held remotely. Officials say 
that will happen if the positive testing rate exceeds 15 percent.“We
 understand the impact of decisions on your work, our families, our 
business community - and most important, our students,” Wichita 
superintendent Alicia Thompson said in an email this week. “We will 
continue to be transparent in the data we share, and make the 
best-possible decisions with the information we have at the time 
decisions must be made.“Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/stevebisaha">@SteveBisaha</a>&nbsp;or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

Kan. largest school district to reopen despite COVID-19 increases 

LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — A man is hospitalized after being shot by a motorcyclist on Interstate 35 in Johnson County, and police believe road rage was behind the shooting. 

KCTV-TV reports that the incident happened Friday night, causing the shutdown of the interstate near the busy intersection with I-435. 

Lenexa police say the victim was driving northbound on I-35 when a motorcyclist driving the same direction shot him. Police say they’re investigating it as a road rage incident, but provided no additional information. 

The victim drove home and called 911. He was taken to a hospital but details about his condition have not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1604149589182.png" alt="Traffic backed up Friday night -image courtesy KC Scout camera" />
 <figcaption>Traffic backed up Friday night -image courtesy KC Scout camera</figcaption>
 </figure>LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — A man is hospitalized after being shot by a motorcyclist on Interstate 35 in Johnson County, and police believe road rage was behind the shooting. KCTV-TV reports that the incident happened Friday night, causing the shutdown of the interstate near the busy intersection with I-435. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1604149568426.png" alt="Police searching the area following the reported shooting -image courtesy KC Scout camera" />
 <figcaption>Police searching the area following the reported shooting -image courtesy KC Scout camera</figcaption>
 </figure>Lenexa police say the victim was driving northbound on I-35 when a motorcyclist driving the same direction shot him. Police say they’re investigating it as a road rage incident, but provided no additional information. The victim drove home and called 911. He was taken to a hospital but details about his condition have not been released.

Man injured in suspected road rage shooting near KC

WASHINGTON (AP) — An American citizen kidnapped in the West African nation of Niger this past week has been rescued in a U.S. military operation in neighboring Nigeria, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Philipe Nathan Walton was taken from his farm in Massalata in southern Niger early Tuesday morning by armed kidnappers who demanded a ransom from the man’s father.

The Defense Department confirmed the operation Saturday, saying it took place in northern Nigeria.

“This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State. No U.S military personnel were injured during the operation,” the department said in a statement.

Niger has faced a growing number of attacks by extremists linked to both the Islamic State group and to al-Qaida. The kidnapping comes two months after IS-linked militants killed six French aid workers and their Niger guide while they were visiting a wildlife park east of the capital.

The U.S. official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the rescue and spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were no solid indications that Walton’s kidnapping was terrorism-related and that it was instead “trending toward a kidnapping for ransom.”

But the official said the U.S. government said it was concerned that the hostage could be passed to another terrorist group, or that the kidnapping could become a prolonged hostage-taking.

Walton is now back in Niger, according to the official, who said no ransom was paid.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly promoted his administration’s focus on securing the release of American hostages held by militant groups abroad as well as others being detained. Earlier this month, two Americans held captive by Iranian-backed militants in Yemen were released, along with a third person, in exchange for the return of about 250 of the Houthi rebels from Oman.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An American citizen kidnapped in the West African nation of Niger this past week has been rescued in a U.S. military operation in neighboring Nigeria, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Saturday.Philipe Nathan Walton was taken from his farm in Massalata in southern Niger early Tuesday morning by armed kidnappers who demanded a ransom from the man’s father.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Last night, our Country’s brave warriors rescued an American hostage in Nigeria. Our Nation salutes the courageous soldiers behind the daring nighttime rescue operation and celebrates the safe return of yet another American citizen!&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1322568272483475457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Defense Department confirmed the operation Saturday, saying it took place in northern Nigeria.“This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State. No U.S military personnel were injured during the operation,” the department said in a statement.Niger has faced a growing number of attacks by extremists linked to both the Islamic State group and to al-Qaida. The kidnapping comes two months after IS-linked militants killed six French aid workers and their Niger guide while they were visiting a wildlife park east of the capital.The U.S. official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the rescue and spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were no solid indications that Walton’s kidnapping was terrorism-related and that it was instead “trending toward a kidnapping for ransom.”But the official said the U.S. government said it was concerned that the hostage could be passed to another terrorist group, or that the kidnapping could become a prolonged hostage-taking.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Outstanding work by the U.S. military today in freeing a U.S. citizen taken hostage in Niger and reuniting him with his family.&mdash; Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1322537249062461440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Walton is now back in Niger, according to the official, who said no ransom was paid.President Donald Trump has repeatedly promoted his administration’s focus on securing the release of American hostages held by militant groups abroad as well as others being detained. Earlier this month, two Americans held captive by Iranian-backed militants in Yemen were released, along with a third person, in exchange for the return of about 250 of the Houthi rebels from Oman.

American hostage in Africa rescued by U.S. Navy Seals

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Family members located Charles Mata and he is safe, according to Kansas City Police. The Silver Alert has been cancelled. Authorities released no additional details.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Kansas man.

Charles Wesley Mata who is currently missing from his home in the 4900 block of Silver Ave. in Kansas City. Mata was last known driving a dark blue, 4-door 2008 Mazda 3 with KS tag 748-AQD with an unknown direction of travel.

Mata is an 81-year-old Hispanic male, 5 -oot-7 in. tall, who weighs 165 pounds. He has brown eyes, grey hair and glasses. He was last wearing blue jeans, a gray shirt with green trim and glasses.

Mata has early onset dementia. He was last seen in Lenexa at 5:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30. He may have traveled near I-35 and Johnson Drive. in Merriam, Kan. If you see Mata or his vehicle, please call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1604093676080.png" alt="Mata -photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Mata -photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Family members located Charles Mata and he is safe, according to Kansas City Police. The Silver Alert has been cancelled. Authorities released no additional details.---------WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Kansas man.Charles Wesley Mata who is currently missing from his home in the 4900 block of Silver Ave. in Kansas City. Mata was last known driving a dark blue, 4-door 2008 Mazda 3 with KS tag 748-AQD with an unknown direction of travel.Mata is an 81-year-old Hispanic male, 5 -oot-7 in. tall, who weighs 165 pounds. He has brown eyes, grey hair and glasses. He was last wearing blue jeans, a gray shirt with green trim and glasses.Mata has early onset dementia. He was last seen in Lenexa at 5:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30. He may have traveled near I-35 and Johnson Drive. in Merriam, Kan. If you see Mata or his vehicle, please call 911.

Silver Alert canceled, missing Kan. man found safe

LONDON (AP) — Sean Connery, the charismatic Scottish actor who rose to international superstardom as suave, fearless secret agent James Bond and then abandoned the role to carve out an equally successful, Oscar-winning career playing a variety of leading and character roles, has died. He was 90.

Bond producers EON Productions confirmed his death. Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they were “devastated” by the news.

“He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words — ‘The name’s Bond... James Bond,’” they said in a statement Saturday.

The producers said Connery’s “gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent” was largely responsible for the success of the series.

Connery’s son Jason said his father died peacefully in his sleep overnight in the Bahamas where he lived, having been “unwell for some time.”

“A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor,” Jason Connery told the BBC.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was “heartbroken” at the news.

“Our nation today mourns one of her best loved sons,” she said.

A commanding screen presence for some 40 years, Connery was in his early 30s and little known when he starred in the first Bond thriller, 1962’s “Dr. No,” based on the Ian Fleming novel.

Condemned as immoral by the Vatican and the Kremlin, but screened at the White House for Bond fan John F. Kennedy, “Dr. No” was a box office hit and helped Bond become a franchise that long outlasted its Cold War origins.

For decades, with actors from Connery to Daniel Craig in the leading role, filmgoers have loved the outrageous stunts, vicious villains and likable, roguish hero who enjoyed a life of carousing, fast cars, gadgety weapons, elegant clothes and vodka martinis (always shaken, not stirred).

For many, Connery was the definitive James Bonds, his character’s introduction among the most famous in movie history. He is seated at the blackjack table of an upscale casino, seen first from the side and the back. After he wins a couple of hands against a glamorous young woman, she asks for more money to gamble. “I admire your courage, Miss, uh ...” we hear him tell her as the camera shows his hands removing a cigarette from a slender case. She introduces herself as “Trench, Sylvia Trench,” tells him she admires his luck and asks his name. His reply remains a catchphrase decades later. “Bond,” he says, his face finally revealed as he lights a cigarette. “James Bond.”

United Artists couldn’t wait to make more Bond movies, with ever more elaborate stunts and gadgets, along with more exotic locales and more prominent co-stars, among them Lotte Lenya and Jill St. John.

Connery continued as Bond in “From Russia With Love,” “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball,” “You Only Live Twice” and “Diamonds Are Forever,” often performing his own stunts.

“Diamonds Are Forever” came out in 1971 and by then Connery had grown weary of playing 007 and feared he wasn’t being taken seriously despite his dramatic performances in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Marnie” and Sidney Lumet’s “The Hill.”

“I’d been an actor since I was 25, but the image the press put out was that I just fell into this tuxedo and started mixing vodka martinis,” he once complained.

When he walked away at age 41, Hollywood insiders predicted Connery would soon be washed up. Who would hire a balding, middle-aged actor with a funny accent?

Connery fooled them all, playing a wide range of characters and proving equally adept at comedy, adventure or drama. And age only heightened the appeal of his dark stare and rugged brogue; he set a celebrity record of sorts when at age 59 he was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.”

He won the affection of fans of the “Indiana Jones” franchise when he played Indy’s father opposite Harrison Ford in the third picture, 1989′s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” He turned in a poignant portrayal of an aging Robin Hood opposite Audrey Hepburn in “Robin and Marian” in 1976 and, 15 years later, was King Richard to Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”

He was the lovable English con man who joined Michael Caine in swindling tribal people everywhere in “The Man Who Would Be King” and the bold Russian submarine commander in “The Hunt for Red October.”

He delivered a charming performance as a reclusive writer who mentors a teenage prodigy in 2000′s “Finding Forrester.”

He won his Oscar for supporting actor in 1987 for his portrayal of a tough Chicago cop who joins Elliot Ness’ crime-fighters in “The Untouchables.

By then he was at peace with James Bond, and when he arrived onstage at the Oscar ceremony he declared, “The name’s Connery. Sean Connery.”

He kept his promise not to play Bond again until 1983, when he was lured back by an offbeat script about a middle-aged 007. Based on the only Fleming story that hadn’t been nailed down by the film empire Broccoli and Saltzman created, Connery took the role and helped produce the film. The result was “Never Say Never Again,” a title suggested by his wife, Micheline Roquebrune.

Even as the 007 films made him a millionaire, Connery tried often to separate his own personality from that of Bond. “I’m obviously not Bond,” he once said. “And Bond is obviously not a human being. Fleming invented him after the war, when people were hungry for luxury, gourmet touches, exotic settings. Those were the things the English loved to read about following the privations of the war.”

The “real” Sean Connery had a troubled first marriage and a history of comments justifying domestic violence. In 1962, he married Diane Cilento, an actress best known for her role as Molly in “Tom Jones.” They had a son, Jason, who also became an actor, but the union proved tempestuous and ended in 1974.

Its impact lasted long after. Cilento would allege that he had physically abused her and Connery defended his behavior in interviews. In 1965, he told Playboy magazine that he did not find “anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman — although I don’t recommend doing it in the same way that you’d hit a man. An openhanded slap is justified — if all other alternatives fail and there has been plenty of warning.”

When Barbara Walter brought up those remarks in a 1987 interview, he said his opinion hadn’t changed because “sometimes women just won’t leave things alone.”

Connery was widely criticized, but still received numerous honors, including being chosen as commander (the same rank as Bond) of France’s Order of Arts and Literature and a Kennedy Center honoree in 1999. The following year Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed him a British knight.

In 2005 he was chosen for a lifetime achievement award by the American Film Institute. Thomas Sean Connery was born Aug. 25, 1930, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the first of two sons of a long-distance truck driver and a domestic worker.

He left school at age 13 during World War II to help support his family.

“I was a milkman, laborer, steel bender, cement mixer— virtually anything,” he once said.

Weary of day labor, he joined the British navy and was medically discharged after three years. The ailment: stomach ulcers.

Back in Edinburgh, he lifted weights to build his body and compete in the Mr. Universe contest. He came in third, and briefly considered becoming a professional soccer player, but chose acting because he reasoned his career would last longer.

He got his first big break singing and dancing to “There is Nothing Like a Dame” in “South Pacific” on the London stage and in a road production before going on to act in repertory, television and B movies. He went to Hollywood for two early films, Disney’s “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” and “Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure.”

LONDON (AP) — Sean Connery, the charismatic Scottish actor who rose to international superstardom as suave, fearless secret agent James Bond and then abandoned the role to carve out an equally successful, Oscar-winning career playing a variety of leading and character roles, has died. He was 90.Bond producers EON Productions confirmed his death. Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they were “devastated” by the news.“He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words — ‘The name’s Bond... James Bond,’” they said in a statement Saturday.The producers said Connery’s “gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent” was largely responsible for the success of the series.Connery’s son Jason said his father died peacefully in his sleep overnight in the Bahamas where he lived, having been “unwell for some time.”“A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor,” Jason Connery told the BBC.Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was “heartbroken” at the news.“Our nation today mourns one of her best loved sons,” she said.A commanding screen presence for some 40 years, Connery was in his early 30s and little known when he starred in the first Bond thriller, 1962’s “Dr. No,” based on the Ian Fleming novel.Condemned as immoral by the Vatican and the Kremlin, but screened at the White House for Bond fan John F. Kennedy, “Dr. No” was a box office hit and helped Bond become a franchise that long outlasted its Cold War origins.For decades, with actors from Connery to Daniel Craig in the leading role, filmgoers have loved the outrageous stunts, vicious villains and likable, roguish hero who enjoyed a life of carousing, fast cars, gadgety weapons, elegant clothes and vodka martinis (always shaken, not stirred).For many, Connery was the definitive James Bonds, his character’s introduction among the most famous in movie history. He is seated at the blackjack table of an upscale casino, seen first from the side and the back. After he wins a couple of hands against a glamorous young woman, she asks for more money to gamble. “I admire your courage, Miss, uh ...” we hear him tell her as the camera shows his hands removing a cigarette from a slender case. She introduces herself as “Trench, Sylvia Trench,” tells him she admires his luck and asks his name. His reply remains a catchphrase decades later. “Bond,” he says, his face finally revealed as he lights a cigarette. “James Bond.”United Artists couldn’t wait to make more Bond movies, with ever more elaborate stunts and gadgets, along with more exotic locales and more prominent co-stars, among them Lotte Lenya and Jill St. John.Connery continued as Bond in “From Russia With Love,” “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball,” “You Only Live Twice” and “Diamonds Are Forever,” often performing his own stunts.“Diamonds Are Forever” came out in 1971 and by then Connery had grown weary of playing 007 and feared he wasn’t being taken seriously despite his dramatic performances in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Marnie” and Sidney Lumet’s “The Hill.”“I’d been an actor since I was 25, but the image the press put out was that I just fell into this tuxedo and started mixing vodka martinis,” he once complained.When he walked away at age 41, Hollywood insiders predicted Connery would soon be washed up. Who would hire a balding, middle-aged actor with a funny accent?Connery fooled them all, playing a wide range of characters and proving equally adept at comedy, adventure or drama. And age only heightened the appeal of his dark stare and rugged brogue; he set a celebrity record of sorts when at age 59 he was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.”He won the affection of fans of the “Indiana Jones” franchise when he played Indy’s father opposite Harrison Ford in the third picture, 1989′s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” He turned in a poignant portrayal of an aging Robin Hood opposite Audrey Hepburn in “Robin and Marian” in 1976 and, 15 years later, was King Richard to Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”He was the lovable English con man who joined Michael Caine in swindling tribal people everywhere in “The Man Who Would Be King” and the bold Russian submarine commander in “The Hunt for Red October.”He delivered a charming performance as a reclusive writer who mentors a teenage prodigy in 2000′s “Finding Forrester.”He won his Oscar for supporting actor in 1987 for his portrayal of a tough Chicago cop who joins Elliot Ness’ crime-fighters in “The Untouchables.By then he was at peace with James Bond, and when he arrived onstage at the Oscar ceremony he declared, “The name’s Connery. Sean Connery.”He kept his promise not to play Bond again until 1983, when he was lured back by an offbeat script about a middle-aged 007. Based on the only Fleming story that hadn’t been nailed down by the film empire Broccoli and Saltzman created, Connery took the role and helped produce the film. The result was “Never Say Never Again,” a title suggested by his wife, Micheline Roquebrune.Even as the 007 films made him a millionaire, Connery tried often to separate his own personality from that of Bond. “I’m obviously not Bond,” he once said. “And Bond is obviously not a human being. Fleming invented him after the war, when people were hungry for luxury, gourmet touches, exotic settings. Those were the things the English loved to read about following the privations of the war.”The “real” Sean Connery had a troubled first marriage and a history of comments justifying domestic violence. In 1962, he married Diane Cilento, an actress best known for her role as Molly in “Tom Jones.” They had a son, Jason, who also became an actor, but the union proved tempestuous and ended in 1974.Its impact lasted long after. Cilento would allege that he had physically abused her and Connery defended his behavior in interviews. In 1965, he told Playboy magazine that he did not find “anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman — although I don’t recommend doing it in the same way that you’d hit a man. An openhanded slap is justified — if all other alternatives fail and there has been plenty of warning.”When Barbara Walter brought up those remarks in a 1987 interview, he said his opinion hadn’t changed because “sometimes women just won’t leave things alone.”Connery was widely criticized, but still received numerous honors, including being chosen as commander (the same rank as Bond) of France’s Order of Arts and Literature and a Kennedy Center honoree in 1999. The following year Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed him a British knight.In 2005 he was chosen for a lifetime achievement award by the American Film Institute. Thomas Sean Connery was born Aug. 25, 1930, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the first of two sons of a long-distance truck driver and a domestic worker.He left school at age 13 during World War II to help support his family.“I was a milkman, laborer, steel bender, cement mixer— virtually anything,” he once said.Weary of day labor, he joined the British navy and was medically discharged after three years. The ailment: stomach ulcers.Back in Edinburgh, he lifted weights to build his body and compete in the Mr. Universe contest. He came in third, and briefly considered becoming a professional soccer player, but chose acting because he reasoned his career would last longer.He got his first big break singing and dancing to “There is Nothing Like a Dame” in “South Pacific” on the London stage and in a road production before going on to act in repertory, television and B movies. He went to Hollywood for two early films, Disney’s “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” and “Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure.”When he decided to become an actor, he was told that Thomas Sean Connery wouldn’t fit on a theater marquee so he dropped his first name.Then came the audition that changed his life. American producers Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had bought the film rights to a string of post-World War II spy adventure novels by Fleming. Connery was not their first choice for “Dr. No.”The producers had looked to Cary Grant, but decided they wanted an actor would commit to a series. The producers also realized they couldn’t afford a big-name star because United Artists had limited their film budget to $1 million a picture, so they started interviewing more obscure British performers.Among them was the 6-foot-2 Connery. Without a screen test, Broccoli and Saltzman chose the actor, citing his “dark, cruel good looks,” a perfect match for the way Fleming described Bond. When Connery started earning big money, he established his base at a villa in Marbella on the Spanish coast.He described it as “my sanitarium, where I recover from the madness of the film world.” It also helped him avoid the overwhelming income tax he would have paid had he remained a resident of Britain.As his acting roles diminished when he reached his 70s, Connery spent much of his time at his tax-free home at Lynford Cay in the Bahamas. He played golf almost every morning, often with his wife. He announced in 2007 that he had retired when he turned down the chance to appear in another “Indiana Jones” movie.“I thought long and hard about it, and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an `Indiana Jones’ film,” he said.“But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun.”___