DENVER (AP) — A Colorado judge is expected to be sentenced to a jail term for pleading guilty to a second DUI charge within two years. 

&nbsp;62-year-old Debra Gunkel pleaded guilty to violating the terms of her probation from a 2018 DUI case in Prowers County. 

The conviction would have been erased from the Baca County judge’s record if she completed two years of probation, but Gunkel was arrested for driving while drunk in Kansas in August.

 Gunkel’s probation was revoked after the charge was filed. Jail time will be mandatory after her expected plea in June.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589318144664.png" alt="Gunkel photo Greeley Co." />
 <figcaption>Gunkel photo Greeley Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — A Colorado judge is expected to be sentenced to a jail term for pleading guilty to a second DUI charge within two years. &nbsp;62-year-old Debra Gunkel pleaded guilty to violating the terms of her probation from a 2018 DUI case in Prowers County. The conviction would have been erased from the Baca County judge’s record if she completed two years of probation, but Gunkel was arrested for driving while drunk in Kansas in August. Gunkel’s probation was revoked after the charge was filed. Jail time will be mandatory after her expected plea in June.

Judge arrested in Kan. for DUI expected to spend time in jail

JACKSON COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for allege drug distribution.

On Thursday, A sheriff’s deputy stopped a Ford F-250 pickup truck that was northbound on U.S. 75 south of Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The deputy located a quantity of a substance believed to be ecstasy and marijuana. 

The driver, Stephen Virgil Albright, 36, of Topeka was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute a hallucinogenic drug and no drug tax stamp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589634744740.png" alt="Albright-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Albright-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for allege drug distribution.On Thursday, A sheriff’s deputy stopped a Ford F-250 pickup truck that was northbound on U.S. 75 south of Hoyt, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The deputy located a quantity of a substance believed to be ecstasy and marijuana. The driver, Stephen Virgil Albright, 36, of Topeka was arrested on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to distribute a hallucinogenic drug and no drug tax stamp.

Deputy finds ecstasy, marijuana in Kan. man's pickup

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — FedEx has confirmed that workers from its facility in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe have tested positive for COVID-19.

A spokesperson from FedEx Ground said in a statement Friday that it was working cooperatively with county health officials and offering voluntary COVID-19 testing to employees and vendors at the facility.

The positive tests are considered to be the first cluster of coronavirus cases tied to a workplace in Johnson County, which announced nine cases in the cluster Thursday without identifying the name of the affected business.

FedEx said it has been providing hand soap, disinfecting wipes, masks, latex gloves and hand sanitizer to employees. It said it has also implemented temperature checks, symptom screenings and changes to its process to allow for social distancing.

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — FedEx has confirmed that workers from its facility in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe have tested positive for COVID-19.A spokesperson from FedEx Ground said in a statement Friday that it was working cooperatively with county health officials and offering voluntary COVID-19 testing to employees and vendors at the facility.The positive tests are considered to be the first cluster of coronavirus cases tied to a workplace in Johnson County, which announced nine cases in the cluster Thursday without identifying the name of the affected business.FedEx said it has been providing hand soap, disinfecting wipes, masks, latex gloves and hand sanitizer to employees. It said it has also implemented temperature checks, symptom screenings and changes to its process to allow for social distancing.

Coronavirus infects workers at FedEx facility in Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ education commissioner is cautiously optimistic that the state’s 500,000 public school students will be back in their classrooms when the fall semester begins.

Commissioner Randy Watson concedes it’s difficult to predict the future as it relates to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced schools to go to mostly online learning since mid-March.

“We’re about 90 days now from the opening of school and I think there’s still much to learn about it,” Watson said. “We’re cautiously optimistic that we can be back in school face-to-face in August. What that looks like, it’s just too early to tell.”

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly became the nation’s first governor to order closure of school buildings on March 17. The Kansas Department of Education intends to present a reopening guide to school districts by July 10, Watson said.

Restart scenarios should take into account a standard reopening as well as an alternative that would include blending in-person and online teaching, Watson said. The contingency could be needed if there is resurgence of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Different infection-control actions may be necessary in different parts of the state, depending on infection clusters, he said.

When classes resume, it is essential to rebuild school learning environments for students with disabilities and those losing ground academically and emotionally, Watson said.

Statewide, Kansas has recorded 193 deaths and 7,900 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, although the numbers are believed to be low due to initial limits in testing.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584484524519.png" alt="Dr. Randy Watson during the governor's March 17, press conference on the closure of school buildings in Kansas." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Randy Watson during the governor's March 17, press conference on the closure of school buildings in Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ education commissioner is cautiously optimistic that the state’s 500,000 public school students will be back in their classrooms when the fall semester begins.Commissioner Randy Watson concedes it’s difficult to predict the future as it relates to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced schools to go to mostly online learning since mid-March.“We’re about 90 days now from the opening of school and I think there’s still much to learn about it,” Watson said. “We’re cautiously optimistic that we can be back in school face-to-face in August. What that looks like, it’s just too early to tell.”Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly became the nation’s first governor to order closure of school buildings on March 17. The Kansas Department of Education intends to present a reopening guide to school districts by July 10, Watson said.Restart scenarios should take into account a standard reopening as well as an alternative that would include blending in-person and online teaching, Watson said. The contingency could be needed if there is resurgence of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Different infection-control actions may be necessary in different parts of the state, depending on infection clusters, he said.When classes resume, it is essential to rebuild school learning environments for students with disabilities and those losing ground academically and emotionally, Watson said.Statewide, Kansas has recorded 193 deaths and 7,900 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University, although the numbers are believed to be low due to initial limits in testing.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death.

Kansas education leader hopeful for fall in-person classes

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Authorities have recovered the body and identified the man who drowned in Mission Creek on Friday 32-year-old Cody, L. Campbell, according to Sheriff Brian Hill.

Campbell's body was recovered&nbsp;with the assistance of the Topeka, Dover, Auburn, Mission and Shawnee Heights Fire Departments as well as Kansas Search and Rescue Dog Association.

Just after 9:30a.m., the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a call of a possible drowning in Mission Creek near the 1800 block of SW Glick Road, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.

According to statements at the scene, two individuals were on land working near the creek when one of the men later identified as Campbell jumped in to try to save a dog that entered the water.

Campbell was swept under by the fast moving water. The other individual attempted a rescue but was unsuccessful.

Emergency crews arriving at the scene Friday morning -photo&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Shawnee-Co-Sheriff-investigting-death-west-of-Topeka--570503851.html">courtesy WIBW TV</a>

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Authorities are on the scene of a drowning in northeast Kansas.

According to statements at the scene, two individuals were on land working near the creek when one of the men jumped in to try to save a dog that entered the water.

The man was swept under by the fast moving water. The other individual attempted a rescue but was unsuccessful.

A recovery operation is underway with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, Dover Fire Department, Mission Fire Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, according to Anderson.

Check the Post for additional details as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589667251150.png" alt="Search crews on Mission Creek Saturday-photo courtesy WIBW -TV" />
 <figcaption>Search crews on Mission Creek Saturday-photo courtesy WIBW -TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY— Authorities have recovered the body and identified the man who drowned in Mission Creek on Friday 32-year-old Cody, L. Campbell, according to Sheriff Brian Hill.Campbell's body was recovered&nbsp;with the assistance of the Topeka, Dover, Auburn, Mission and Shawnee Heights Fire Departments as well as Kansas Search and Rescue Dog Association.Just after 9:30a.m., the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a call of a possible drowning in Mission Creek near the 1800 block of SW Glick Road, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.According to statements at the scene, two individuals were on land working near the creek when one of the men later identified as Campbell jumped in to try to save a dog that entered the water.Campbell was swept under by the fast moving water. The other individual attempted a rescue but was unsuccessful.---------<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589565824443.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Emergency crews arriving at the scene Friday morning -photo&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Shawnee-Co-Sheriff-investigting-death-west-of-Topeka--570503851.html">courtesy WIBW TV</a>SHAWNEE COUNTY— Authorities are on the scene of a drowning in northeast Kansas.Just after 9:30a.m., the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received a call of a possible drowning in Mission Creek near the 1800 block of SW Glick Road, according to Deputy Shayna Anderson.According to statements at the scene, two individuals were on land working near the creek when one of the men jumped in to try to save a dog that entered the water.The man was swept under by the fast moving water. The other individual attempted a rescue but was unsuccessful.A recovery operation is underway with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, Dover Fire Department, Mission Fire Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, according to Anderson.Check the Post for additional details as it becomes available.

Update: Man drowns attempting to save dog in Kan. creek

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Linda MowBray admits she’s uneasy as communities ease restrictions meant to stop the coronavirus spread, luring people back to restaurants, businesses and normal life.

She gets it that the economy needs to be up and running again. But MowBray worries that as that happens nursing home workers could contract the virus and bring it into a facility without knowing.

“I’m scared to death of what’s going to happen,” MowBray, president of the Kansas Health Care Association, a nursing home advocacy group, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article242645586.html">The Kansas City Star</a>. “The virus is still out there, and people will still get sick. And when you have workers carrying it into a frail population, more people are going to die.”

She emphasizes that long-term care facilities still have a crucial need for the big three: Testing, personal protective equipment and more resources.

To that end, Vice President Mike Pence may have offered MowBray and other advocates a small sign of hope this week. During a call with governors on Monday, Pence recommended that all residents and staff of nursing homes be tested for COVID-19 in the next two weeks.

But just how that can happen is still unknown.

Officials with Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services are “having internal discussions” with the governor’s office about Pence’s recommendation, said Kristi Zears, a spokeswoman for KDHE.

Currently, facilities in the state monitor residents and staff for symptoms and test anyone who is symptomatic. If someone tests positive, KDHE works with the county health department to test everyone in that facility.

The need for testing kits and lab processing will be great if Pence’s recommendation is followed.

In Kansas alone, there are more than 300 nursing homes that are Medicaid and/or Medicare-certified. That accounts for 20,000 residents and 20,000 staff, Zears said.

In Johnson County, the health department hopes the resources are there to expand testing, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment.

“As mentioned several times, testing needs to increase by several folds,” Areola said. “And we will continue to work to obtain these resources. We are working to establish relationships with local infection control experts to use as resources for these facilities.”

In Missouri, nearly 80 long-term care facilities have reported two or more cases. Though the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services does not track nursing home COVID-19 deaths, residents have died at several facilities in Missouri — including in Cass and Jackson counties.

“We believe it’s critical that adequate testing be made widely available immediately now that we understand that individuals can have the virus but not show any symptoms,” said Nikki Strong, executive director of Missouri Health Care Association. “It’s time to rally around our long-term care workers, who are frontline heroes.”

Beyond testing, long-term care facilities on both sides of the state line are experiencing staffing shortages and struggle to access enough protective equipment and other resources.

Facilities have to deal with these issues, advocates say, before they can even attempt to get back to any sense of normalcy and allow visitors again.

“The $100,000 question is how do we open it back up?” MowBray said. “At this point I really don’t know when it will be a safe and prudent thing to do. ... Letting people back in, it’s risky. And the staff are going to be out and about more, that’s risky.”

In both Kansas and Missouri, state orders say there should be no visitation at long-term care facilities during the first phase of reopening.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s order ends May 31. It isn’t known what restrictions will be included in the next phases.

In Kansas City, health officials stress the need to be cautious with this vulnerable population.

“We know families are yearning to visit their loved ones in nursing homes, to embrace them and look them in the eyes,” said Tracie McClendon-Cole, deputy director of the Kansas City Health Department. “As much as we want to visit freely, we have to remember this disease is most dangerous and deadly to them. We want families reunited, but will argue for strict and careful guidelines to protect their lives.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s order doesn’t allow nursing home visits until the third phase of reopening. The order states that visits to long-term care facilities — as well as correctional facilities — “may be gradually reinstated.” The earliest the third phase could begin is June 1.

Nursing homes have the flexibility to implement their own visitation polices as long as they do not contradict the governor’s plan, said Cara Sloan-Ramos, a spokeswoman with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Counties also may require different timelines.

As both states relax some restrictions, nursing facilities are still dealing with surges of coronavirus cases.

As of Wednesday, coronavirus deaths linked to long-term care facilities in Johnson County account for 74% of the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the county.

Homestead of Olathe North has reported 21 cases and five deaths. Forest Creek Memory Care in Overland Park has had 24 cases and seven deaths. Bickford at Mission Springs now has nine cases, according to the county health department.

And at Brighton Gardens of Prairie Village, staff have been overwhelmed with coronavirus cases, reporting the most cases and deaths in Johnson County. Cases jumped to 71 this week, and 14 people have died.

Prairie Village Councilwoman Jori Nelson continues to keep her constituents updated on Facebook on the virus inside the long-term care facility. This past weekend she posted when cases at Brighton Gardens stood at 70 and with 13 deaths.

“These are our residents,” she wrote. “These are mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles. They are much more than a statistic. This is devastating to our families and our community.”

Nelson told The Star she has constituents with family members who live at Brighton Gardens and they weren’t getting answers to questions about what was happening at the facility.

“My heart aches for those that have lost their lives and those who continue to struggle with the virus,” Nelson said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Sunrise Senior Living, owner of the Prairie Village facility, released a statement on Tuesday to detail the precautions being taken in the facility.

Denise Falco, regional vice president of operations, said Brighton Gardens is working closely with the county health department to implement new measures to protect staff and residents.

The facility has just completed a second round of testing of people who previously tested negative for COVID-19. Based on those results, Falco said, Brighton Gardens will move residents who are positive to a separate area of the facility.

“We are deeply saddened by the impact this virus has had on our community,” Falco said. “Please know that we are doing everything we can to mitigate further impact to our community. We take our responsibility to provide quality care to our residents very seriously.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586045672182.png" alt="Over 100 patients and staff have tested positive for the virus at the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation facility in Kansas City, Kansas.&nbsp; More than two dozen died, according to the KDHE. photo courtesy Riverbend" />
 <figcaption>Over 100 patients and staff have tested positive for the virus at the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation facility in Kansas City, Kansas.&nbsp; More than two dozen died, according to the KDHE. photo courtesy Riverbend</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Linda MowBray admits she’s uneasy as communities ease restrictions meant to stop the coronavirus spread, luring people back to restaurants, businesses and normal life.She gets it that the economy needs to be up and running again. But MowBray worries that as that happens nursing home workers could contract the virus and bring it into a facility without knowing.“I’m scared to death of what’s going to happen,” MowBray, president of the Kansas Health Care Association, a nursing home advocacy group, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article242645586.html">The Kansas City Star</a>. “The virus is still out there, and people will still get sick. And when you have workers carrying it into a frail population, more people are going to die.”She emphasizes that long-term care facilities still have a crucial need for the big three: Testing, personal protective equipment and more resources.To that end, Vice President Mike Pence may have offered MowBray and other advocates a small sign of hope this week. During a call with governors on Monday, Pence recommended that all residents and staff of nursing homes be tested for COVID-19 in the next two weeks.But just how that can happen is still unknown.Officials with Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services are “having internal discussions” with the governor’s office about Pence’s recommendation, said Kristi Zears, a spokeswoman for KDHE.Currently, facilities in the state monitor residents and staff for symptoms and test anyone who is symptomatic. If someone tests positive, KDHE works with the county health department to test everyone in that facility.The need for testing kits and lab processing will be great if Pence’s recommendation is followed.In Kansas alone, there are more than 300 nursing homes that are Medicaid and/or Medicare-certified. That accounts for 20,000 residents and 20,000 staff, Zears said.In Johnson County, the health department hopes the resources are there to expand testing, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment.“As mentioned several times, testing needs to increase by several folds,” Areola said. “And we will continue to work to obtain these resources. We are working to establish relationships with local infection control experts to use as resources for these facilities.”In Missouri, nearly 80 long-term care facilities have reported two or more cases. Though the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services does not track nursing home COVID-19 deaths, residents have died at several facilities in Missouri — including in Cass and Jackson counties.“We believe it’s critical that adequate testing be made widely available immediately now that we understand that individuals can have the virus but not show any symptoms,” said Nikki Strong, executive director of Missouri Health Care Association. “It’s time to rally around our long-term care workers, who are frontline heroes.”Beyond testing, long-term care facilities on both sides of the state line are experiencing staffing shortages and struggle to access enough protective equipment and other resources.Facilities have to deal with these issues, advocates say, before they can even attempt to get back to any sense of normalcy and allow visitors again.“The $100,000 question is how do we open it back up?” MowBray said. “At this point I really don’t know when it will be a safe and prudent thing to do. ... Letting people back in, it’s risky. And the staff are going to be out and about more, that’s risky.”In both Kansas and Missouri, state orders say there should be no visitation at long-term care facilities during the first phase of reopening.Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s order ends May 31. It isn’t known what restrictions will be included in the next phases.In Kansas City, health officials stress the need to be cautious with this vulnerable population.“We know families are yearning to visit their loved ones in nursing homes, to embrace them and look them in the eyes,” said Tracie McClendon-Cole, deputy director of the Kansas City Health Department. “As much as we want to visit freely, we have to remember this disease is most dangerous and deadly to them. We want families reunited, but will argue for strict and careful guidelines to protect their lives.”Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s order doesn’t allow nursing home visits until the third phase of reopening. The order states that visits to long-term care facilities — as well as correctional facilities — “may be gradually reinstated.” The earliest the third phase could begin is June 1.Nursing homes have the flexibility to implement their own visitation polices as long as they do not contradict the governor’s plan, said Cara Sloan-Ramos, a spokeswoman with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Counties also may require different timelines.As both states relax some restrictions, nursing facilities are still dealing with surges of coronavirus cases.As of Wednesday, coronavirus deaths linked to long-term care facilities in Johnson County account for 74% of the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the county.Homestead of Olathe North has reported 21 cases and five deaths. Forest Creek Memory Care in Overland Park has had 24 cases and seven deaths. Bickford at Mission Springs now has nine cases, according to the county health department.And at Brighton Gardens of Prairie Village, staff have been overwhelmed with coronavirus cases, reporting the most cases and deaths in Johnson County. Cases jumped to 71 this week, and 14 people have died.Prairie Village Councilwoman Jori Nelson continues to keep her constituents updated on Facebook on the virus inside the long-term care facility. This past weekend she posted when cases at Brighton Gardens stood at 70 and with 13 deaths.“These are our residents,” she wrote. “These are mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles. They are much more than a statistic. This is devastating to our families and our community.”Nelson told The Star she has constituents with family members who live at Brighton Gardens and they weren’t getting answers to questions about what was happening at the facility.“My heart aches for those that have lost their lives and those who continue to struggle with the virus,” Nelson said. “It’s heartbreaking.”Sunrise Senior Living, owner of the Prairie Village facility, released a statement on Tuesday to detail the precautions being taken in the facility.Denise Falco, regional vice president of operations, said Brighton Gardens is working closely with the county health department to implement new measures to protect staff and residents.The facility has just completed a second round of testing of people who previously tested negative for COVID-19. Based on those results, Falco said, Brighton Gardens will move residents who are positive to a separate area of the facility.“We are deeply saddened by the impact this virus has had on our community,” Falco said. “Please know that we are doing everything we can to mitigate further impact to our community. We take our responsibility to provide quality care to our residents very seriously.”

Residents worry if nursing homes OK to open to public again

BARTON COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Saturday in Barton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Polaris Rambler&nbsp; driven by Jesus A. Leyva, Jr., 20, Great Bend, was southbound in the 300 Block of 60th Avenue.

The ATV traveled left of center off of the roadway. The driver overcorrected and the ATV overturned and came to rest in the east ditch.

EMS transported&nbsp;Leyva to KU Medical Center. The KHP released no additional details.

BARTON COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Saturday in Barton County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Polaris Rambler&nbsp; driven by Jesus A. Leyva, Jr., 20, Great Bend, was southbound in the 300 Block of 60th Avenue.The ATV traveled left of center off of the roadway. The driver overcorrected and the ATV overturned and came to rest in the east ditch.EMS transported&nbsp;Leyva to KU Medical Center. The KHP released no additional details.

Kansas man hospitalized after ATV accident

MILAN, Mo. (AP) — A woman who gave birth in a bathroom at a Missouri meatpacking plant was charged with murder for allegedly leaving her newborn to drown in a toilet.

Makuya Kambamba, 28, of Kirksville, was jailed without bond after being charged Friday with first-degree murder and several other counts in the baby's May 6 death. No attorney is listed for her in online court records.

Investigators said in court documents that Kambamba gave birth in a restroom at the Smithfield Foods plant in Milan, where she works.

&nbsp;Court papers say she told officers that she saw the infant moving as he was face down in the toilet. Kambamba said didn't check on the baby boy again until about 30 minutes later, when a Smithfield nurse entered the restroom.

An autopsy revealed evidence consistent with a drowning victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589667736395.png" alt="Kambamba-photo Daviess-DeKalb regional jail" />
 <figcaption>Kambamba-photo Daviess-DeKalb regional jail</figcaption>
 </figure>MILAN, Mo. (AP) — A woman who gave birth in a bathroom at a Missouri meatpacking plant was charged with murder for allegedly leaving her newborn to drown in a toilet.Makuya Kambamba, 28, of Kirksville, was jailed without bond after being charged Friday with first-degree murder and several other counts in the baby's May 6 death. No attorney is listed for her in online court records.Investigators said in court documents that Kambamba gave birth in a restroom at the Smithfield Foods plant in Milan, where she works.&nbsp;Court papers say she told officers that she saw the infant moving as he was face down in the toilet. Kambamba said didn't check on the baby boy again until about 30 minutes later, when a Smithfield nurse entered the restroom.An autopsy revealed evidence consistent with a drowning victim.

Investigators: Woman gave birth at work, left baby to drown

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Health Department authorities are investigating several cases of COVID-19 linked to one or more group events that took place in May at Lake Perry.

 At least 10 people from multiple counties and two states who participated in the event(s) were confirmed as infected, according to&nbsp;Amanda Monhollon with the Shawnee County Health Department.

At least two additional people were infected as a result of having come in contact with the people who gathered at the lake. Over 20 people have been placed on quarantine as a result of having been exposed to the virus through some of the people who attended the lake event. 

It appears that the gatherings at the lake violated the statewide stay-at-home order that was in place at that time, according to Monhollon.

During the investigation, the Shawnee County Health Department was able to unveil a link between some of the people infected at the lake and a recruit officer at the Topeka Police Department Recruit Academy Class who tested positive for the virus and who did not participate at any gatherings at Lake Perry.&nbsp;

The Topeka Police Department was notified Friday afternoon that the recruit officers tested positive for COVID-19, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.

The recruit officer first felt ill over the weekend and immediately quarantined themselves at home. The recruit officer has not returned to work since feeling ill. 

The presence of the infected recruit forced the academy to shut down temporarily. All the recruits have been placed on quarantine.

The Shawnee County Health Department urges anyone who visited the public areas (including restrooms) at Lake Perry between May 2 and May 10 who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 disease to contact their health care provider and alert them that they may have been exposed to the virus.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever of 100.4 F or higher, chills rigors, myalgia (muscle pain or aches, malaise, headache sore throat, lower respiratory illness (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing,&nbsp;&nbsp;new olfactory and taste disorders and diarrhea.

“This is a strong reminder of how easy it is to be infected by this virus”, said Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino, Shawnee County Health Officer. “It is also an example of how disregarding the orders of public health authorities may result in a cascade of events leading to large disruptions and exposure to the virus for multiple people.” 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582725655069.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Health Department authorities are investigating several cases of COVID-19 linked to one or more group events that took place in May at Lake Perry. At least 10 people from multiple counties and two states who participated in the event(s) were confirmed as infected, according to&nbsp;Amanda Monhollon with the Shawnee County Health Department.At least two additional people were infected as a result of having come in contact with the people who gathered at the lake. Over 20 people have been placed on quarantine as a result of having been exposed to the virus through some of the people who attended the lake event. It appears that the gatherings at the lake violated the statewide stay-at-home order that was in place at that time, according to Monhollon.During the investigation, the Shawnee County Health Department was able to unveil a link between some of the people infected at the lake and a recruit officer at the Topeka Police Department Recruit Academy Class who tested positive for the virus and who did not participate at any gatherings at Lake Perry.&nbsp;The Topeka Police Department was notified Friday afternoon that the recruit officers tested positive for COVID-19, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Koenen.The recruit officer first felt ill over the weekend and immediately quarantined themselves at home. The recruit officer has not returned to work since feeling ill. The presence of the infected recruit forced the academy to shut down temporarily. All the recruits have been placed on quarantine.The Shawnee County Health Department urges anyone who visited the public areas (including restrooms) at Lake Perry between May 2 and May 10 who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 disease to contact their health care provider and alert them that they may have been exposed to the virus.Symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever of 100.4 F or higher, chills rigors, myalgia (muscle pain or aches, malaise, headache sore throat, lower respiratory illness (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing,&nbsp;&nbsp;new olfactory and taste disorders and diarrhea.“This is a strong reminder of how easy it is to be infected by this virus”, said Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino, Shawnee County Health Officer. “It is also an example of how disregarding the orders of public health authorities may result in a cascade of events leading to large disruptions and exposure to the virus for multiple people.”

Coronavirus cases linked to group event at Kan. lake 

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas City police officers face assault charges for allegedly slamming a transgender woman's face into a concrete sidewalk during an arrest that was captured on&nbsp;video.

A grand jury indicted Matthew Brummett, 37, and Charles Prichard, 47, on one misdemeanor charge each of fourth-degree assault related to the May 24, 2019, physical encounter, the Jackson County prosecutor's office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=926">announced&nbsp;</a>Friday.

The video, recorded by a passerby outside a beauty supply store, shows the officers kneeing the woman in the face, torso and ribs and forcing her arms over her head while handcuffed. The woman was black; the officers are white.

The woman has since died after being shot in October at a Kansas City home, and a man has been charged in her death. She went by various first names, including Brianna or Brionna, Bebe, and Briya. Her surname was Hill.

Prosecutors said police arrested Hill after she got into a dispute with someone at the beauty supply store. Both she and the store's owner called 911, and the owner asked officers to remove Hill. The officers said Hill was resisting arrest when they took her to the ground outside the store.

Hill was ticketed for trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Brummett and Prichard maintain that they used reasonable force, according to a statement from their attorneys.

“They vehemently dispute the basis of these charges and believe they will be ultimately exonerated in Court," the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/statement-from-officers-brummett-and-prichard/pdf_201736c4-9713-11ea-87af-1705c6bb53ff.html">statement</a>&nbsp;said.

Police Chief Rick Smith announced late Friday that both officers have been placed on “administrative assignment until the outcome of the proceeding."

A Kansas City Police Department investigation determined the officers did nothing wrong, according to the police union. The Jackson County prosecutor's office said it brought the case to a grand jury because police declined to provide prosecutors with a probable cause statement, which is normally submitted by a detective at the conclusion of an investigation.

An attorney who represents Hill’s family, David Smith, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Saturday that he believes the police chief mishandled the investigation and he called for the him to resign. David Smith and Rick Smith are not related.

“You don’t treat this woman like a piece of trash because you think she is a freak,” David Smith said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589657213001.png" alt="Image from cellphone video of the arrest taped by a bystander courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Image from cellphone video of the arrest taped by a bystander courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas City police officers face assault charges for allegedly slamming a transgender woman's face into a concrete sidewalk during an arrest that was captured on&nbsp;video.A grand jury indicted Matthew Brummett, 37, and Charles Prichard, 47, on one misdemeanor charge each of fourth-degree assault related to the May 24, 2019, physical encounter, the Jackson County prosecutor's office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=926">announced&nbsp;</a>Friday.The video, recorded by a passerby outside a beauty supply store, shows the officers kneeing the woman in the face, torso and ribs and forcing her arms over her head while handcuffed. The woman was black; the officers are white.The woman has since died after being shot in October at a Kansas City home, and a man has been charged in her death. She went by various first names, including Brianna or Brionna, Bebe, and Briya. Her surname was Hill.Prosecutors said police arrested Hill after she got into a dispute with someone at the beauty supply store. Both she and the store's owner called 911, and the owner asked officers to remove Hill. The officers said Hill was resisting arrest when they took her to the ground outside the store.Hill was ticketed for trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.Brummett and Prichard maintain that they used reasonable force, according to a statement from their attorneys.“They vehemently dispute the basis of these charges and believe they will be ultimately exonerated in Court," the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/statement-from-officers-brummett-and-prichard/pdf_201736c4-9713-11ea-87af-1705c6bb53ff.html">statement</a>&nbsp;said.Police Chief Rick Smith announced late Friday that both officers have been placed on “administrative assignment until the outcome of the proceeding."A Kansas City Police Department investigation determined the officers did nothing wrong, according to the police union. The Jackson County prosecutor's office said it brought the case to a grand jury because police declined to provide prosecutors with a probable cause statement, which is normally submitted by a detective at the conclusion of an investigation.An attorney who represents Hill’s family, David Smith, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Saturday that he believes the police chief mishandled the investigation and he called for the him to resign. David Smith and Rick Smith are not related.“You don’t treat this woman like a piece of trash because you think she is a freak,” David Smith said.

2 KC officers accused of assaulting transgender woman

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An eastern Kansas county is defending a policy that directs business owners to collect information about their customers as an effort to help trace the contacts of infected people during the “unique health challenge” of the coronavirus pandemic.

Attorneys for Linn County, its county commission and its health director said Thursday in a federal court filing that a May 1 order by the health director does not violate rights against unreasonable searches that are protected by the U.S. Constitution. The attorneys argued that two business owners who sued misrepresented the county’s plans in having the information collected.

The county’s attorneys were responding to a lawsuit from Jackie Taylor, publisher of the Linn County News in Pleasanton, and Linda Jo Hisel, owner of Nana Jo’s restaurant in La Cygne. They argued that telling them to log the names of customers and the dates and lengths of visits to their premises amounted to a warrantless search of their business records.

The county said in its filing that the business operators wrongly suggest that the county would make blanket demands for information when the local health department would ask only for data about specific customers in contact with infected people over the previous month.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An eastern Kansas county is defending a policy that directs business owners to collect information about their customers as an effort to help trace the contacts of infected people during the “unique health challenge” of the coronavirus pandemic.Attorneys for Linn County, its county commission and its health director said Thursday in a federal court filing that a May 1 order by the health director does not violate rights against unreasonable searches that are protected by the U.S. Constitution. The attorneys argued that two business owners who sued misrepresented the county’s plans in having the information collected.The county’s attorneys were responding to a lawsuit from Jackie Taylor, publisher of the Linn County News in Pleasanton, and Linda Jo Hisel, owner of Nana Jo’s restaurant in La Cygne. They argued that telling them to log the names of customers and the dates and lengths of visits to their premises amounted to a warrantless search of their business records.The county said in its filing that the business operators wrongly suggest that the county would make blanket demands for information when the local health department would ask only for data about specific customers in contact with infected people over the previous month.

Kansas county defends data-collection rule prompting lawsuit

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to a hospital.

Just after 4a.m. police&nbsp; responded to a check shots call in the 1900 block of North Burns in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; 

At the scene, a 38-year-old woman&nbsp; and a 33-year-old man told police&nbsp;&nbsp;they were driving to their home in the 1900 block of North Burns, saw three men in the area who began shooting at their vehicle, striking the 33-year-old.&nbsp; Their home was also found to be damaged from multiple gunshots, according to Davidson.

&nbsp;EMS transported man for treatment of the gunshot wound to his lower body.

Police do not believed to be a random incident and had not reported an arrest early Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589640821904.png" alt="Police on the scene of the Friday morning investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the Friday morning investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a man to a hospital.Just after 4a.m. police&nbsp; responded to a check shots call in the 1900 block of North Burns in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; At the scene, a 38-year-old woman&nbsp; and a 33-year-old man told police&nbsp;&nbsp;they were driving to their home in the 1900 block of North Burns, saw three men in the area who began shooting at their vehicle, striking the 33-year-old.&nbsp; Their home was also found to be damaged from multiple gunshots, according to Davidson.&nbsp;EMS transported man for treatment of the gunshot wound to his lower body.Police do not believed to be a random incident and had not reported an arrest early Saturday.

Police: Kan. man wounded after suspects shot at car, home

WASHINGTON (AP) — A 39-year-old former investment manager in Georgia was already facing federal charges that he robbed hundreds of retirees of their savings in a Ponzi scheme when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the rapid spread of COVID-19</a>&nbsp;presented an opportunity.

Christopher A. Parris started pitching himself as a broker of surgical masks amid the nationwide scramble for protective equipment in the first desperate weeks of the outbreak, federal authorities said. He was soon taking in millions of dollars.

Law enforcement officials say Parris is part of what they are calling a wave of fraud tied to the outbreak.

Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is leading a nationwide crackdown. It has opened over 370 cases and so far arrested 11 people, as part of “Operation Stolen Promise,” according to Matthew Albence, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“It’s incredibly rampant and it’s growing by the day,” Albence said. “We’re just scratching the surface of this criminal activity. ”

Parris was on pretrial release for the alleged Ponzi scheme when he was arrested last month in what authorities say was an attempt to secure an order for more than $750 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs for 125 million face masks and other equipment.

“He was trying to sell something he didn’t even have,” said Jere T. Miles, the special agent in charge of the New Orleans office of Homeland Security Investigations, which worked the case with the VA Office of Inspector General. “That’s just outright, blatant fraud.”

Parris has not yet entered a plea to fraud charges and his lawyers did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Nationwide, investigators have turned up more than false purveyors of PPE. They have uncovered an array of counterfeit or adulterated products, from COVID-19 tests kits and treatments to masks and cleaning products.

Steve Francis, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which is overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says authorities have tracked counterfeits flowing into the U.S. from 20 countries and for sale through thousands of websites.

“There are people popping up who have never been in the business of securing equipment on a large scale,” Francis said.

From his home outside Atlanta, he claimed to represent a company with 3M respiratory masks and other protective equipment for sale. At the time, there was a mad scramble for supplies that pitted state and local governments against each other.

As outlined in court documents and interviews, his pitch reached a company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that was trying to help government agencies acquire PPE. In late March, it contacted the VA, which was dealing with a critical shortage of protective equipment.

The VA was suspicious of the price, about 15 times what it was paying amid the shortage, and alerted its inspector general, which brought in Homeland Security. That resulted in a sting that led to Parris.

“He had no means of producing any PPE,” Albence said. “It was just a scam.”

But it had some takers. Federal authorities say a Parris-controlled bank account received more than $7.4 million, with most appearing to come from unidentified entities trying to buy safety gear in March and April, according to court documents. He wired some of the money to accounts overseas, including more than $1.1 million to a Swiss company’s bank that authorities say may be a shell corporation.

The U.S. government seized more than $3.2 million from his accounts.

The Ponzi scheme was unrelated to the alleged attempt to defraud the VA but “is sufficiently similar to the conduct in this case that it is relevant to his plan, intent, and modus operandi,” according to a search warrant affidavit.

In the earlier case, Parris and his partners are accused of defrauding about 1,000 people out of at least $115 million from January 2012 to June 2018. They persuaded the victims to turn over their savings for what turned out to be nonexistent investments, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Another member of the partnership, Perry Santillo, pleaded guilty to fraud in November.

As part of the alleged scheme, Parris and the others bought the businesses of investment advisers who were retiring and leveraged the trust those advisers had built up over the years to pitch the bogus investments, with relatively modest returns, to their newly acquired clients.

Florida attorney Scott Silver, who represented some investors who sought to get their money back after the SEC shut down the operation, said there was little to recover because Parris and the others spent most of it.

He wasn’t surprised that Parris had been arrested in the COVID fraud case. “He’s already facing 20 years in prison,” he said. “What’s he worried about?”

Parris, who was charged in the case in January, grew up in Rochester, New York, and worked as an insurance agent, owned a dry cleaner and got involved in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully for city council and said he was vice president of a local African American Republican committee.

“So many people that know me, you know, trust me,” Parris said in a 2015 hearing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which later suspended his broker license.

One of Parris’ alleged victims in the Ponzi scheme, Jane Naylon, said she took guitar lessons from Parris’ father, a reverend at a local church and lost $150,000 in the fraud.

Naylon was dismayed when Parris was released on his own recognizance in the Ponzi scheme. When she learned he had been charged for PPE fraud, she said she was in shock, but also pleased.

“I’m ecstatic,” she said. “I hope he goes to jail for life.”

Parris is now jailed in Atlanta and is expected to be transferred to Washington to face charges in the VA case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585145128626.png" alt="Counterfeit COVID-19 test kits-photo courtesy&nbsp;U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement" />
 <figcaption>Counterfeit COVID-19 test kits-photo courtesy&nbsp;U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A 39-year-old former investment manager in Georgia was already facing federal charges that he robbed hundreds of retirees of their savings in a Ponzi scheme when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the rapid spread of COVID-19</a>&nbsp;presented an opportunity.Christopher A. Parris started pitching himself as a broker of surgical masks amid the nationwide scramble for protective equipment in the first desperate weeks of the outbreak, federal authorities said. He was soon taking in millions of dollars.Except there were no masks.Law enforcement officials say Parris is part of what they are calling a wave of fraud tied to the outbreak.Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is leading a nationwide crackdown. It has opened over 370 cases and so far arrested 11 people, as part of “Operation Stolen Promise,” according to Matthew Albence, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.“It’s incredibly rampant and it’s growing by the day,” Albence said. “We’re just scratching the surface of this criminal activity. ”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589472461621.png" alt="From a fake #COVID19 test kit photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Patrol" />
 <figcaption>From a fake #COVID19 test kit photo courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>Parris was on pretrial release for the alleged Ponzi scheme when he was arrested last month in what authorities say was an attempt to secure an order for more than $750 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs for 125 million face masks and other equipment.“He was trying to sell something he didn’t even have,” said Jere T. Miles, the special agent in charge of the New Orleans office of Homeland Security Investigations, which worked the case with the VA Office of Inspector General. “That’s just outright, blatant fraud.”Parris has not yet entered a plea to fraud charges and his lawyers did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.Nationwide, investigators have turned up more than false purveyors of PPE. They have uncovered an array of counterfeit or adulterated products, from COVID-19 tests kits and treatments to masks and cleaning products.Steve Francis, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which is overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says authorities have tracked counterfeits flowing into the U.S. from 20 countries and for sale through thousands of websites.“There are people popping up who have never been in the business of securing equipment on a large scale,” Francis said.Enter Parris.From his home outside Atlanta, he claimed to represent a company with 3M respiratory masks and other protective equipment for sale. At the time, there was a mad scramble for supplies that pitted state and local governments against each other.As outlined in court documents and interviews, his pitch reached a company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that was trying to help government agencies acquire PPE. In late March, it contacted the VA, which was dealing with a critical shortage of protective equipment.The VA was suspicious of the price, about 15 times what it was paying amid the shortage, and alerted its inspector general, which brought in Homeland Security. That resulted in a sting that led to Parris.“He had no means of producing any PPE,” Albence said. “It was just a scam.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589472644008.png" alt="Coronavirus test kits that were not FDA approved-photo U.S. courtesy Customs and Border patrol" />
 <figcaption>Coronavirus test kits that were not FDA approved-photo U.S. courtesy Customs and Border patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>But it had some takers. Federal authorities say a Parris-controlled bank account received more than $7.4 million, with most appearing to come from unidentified entities trying to buy safety gear in March and April, according to court documents. He wired some of the money to accounts overseas, including more than $1.1 million to a Swiss company’s bank that authorities say may be a shell corporation.The U.S. government seized more than $3.2 million from his accounts.The Ponzi scheme was unrelated to the alleged attempt to defraud the VA but “is sufficiently similar to the conduct in this case that it is relevant to his plan, intent, and modus operandi,” according to a search warrant affidavit.In the earlier case, Parris and his partners are accused of defrauding about 1,000 people out of at least $115 million from January 2012 to June 2018. They persuaded the victims to turn over their savings for what turned out to be nonexistent investments, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.Another member of the partnership, Perry Santillo, pleaded guilty to fraud in November.As part of the alleged scheme, Parris and the others bought the businesses of investment advisers who were retiring and leveraged the trust those advisers had built up over the years to pitch the bogus investments, with relatively modest returns, to their newly acquired clients.Florida attorney Scott Silver, who represented some investors who sought to get their money back after the SEC shut down the operation, said there was little to recover because Parris and the others spent most of it.He wasn’t surprised that Parris had been arrested in the COVID fraud case. “He’s already facing 20 years in prison,” he said. “What’s he worried about?”Parris, who was charged in the case in January, grew up in Rochester, New York, and worked as an insurance agent, owned a dry cleaner and got involved in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully for city council and said he was vice president of a local African American Republican committee.“So many people that know me, you know, trust me,” Parris said in a 2015 hearing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which later suspended his broker license.One of Parris’ alleged victims in the Ponzi scheme, Jane Naylon, said she took guitar lessons from Parris’ father, a reverend at a local church and lost $150,000 in the fraud.Naylon was dismayed when Parris was released on his own recognizance in the Ponzi scheme. When she learned he had been charged for PPE fraud, she said she was in shock, but also pleased.“I’m ecstatic,” she said. “I hope he goes to jail for life.”Parris is now jailed in Atlanta and is expected to be transferred to Washington to face charges in the VA case.___

Virus unleashes wave of fraud in US amid fear and scarcity

HUTCHINSON —One person was injured in an accident just before 8p.m. Friday in Hutchinson.

A vehicle driven by Ashley Cain, 37, Hutchinson was traveling in the 1400 Block of E. 26th Street and struck an ATV driven by a 13-year-old boy, according to Hutchinson Police.

EMS transported the boy to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Police released no additional details late Saturday.

HUTCHINSON —One person was injured in an accident just before 8p.m. Friday in Hutchinson.A vehicle driven by Ashley Cain, 37, Hutchinson was traveling in the 1400 Block of E. 26th Street and struck an ATV driven by a 13-year-old boy, according to Hutchinson Police.EMS transported the boy to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Police released no additional details late Saturday.

Kansas teen hospitalized after vehicle strikes ATV

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House on Friday, an election-year measure designed to brace&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e95a6d2d0a721fcffb4efb9435b84f4f">a U.S. economy in free fall</a>&nbsp;and a health care system struggling to contain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8ab8ee4bdac227eb98804d3200d7d9e7">a pandemic still pummeling the country</a>.

The 208-199 vote, over strong Republican opposition, advances what boils down to a campaign-season display of Democratic economic and health-care priorities. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. Any product would probably be the last major COVID-19 response bill before November’s presidential and congressional elections.

The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. It would deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service.

“Not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way, it is irresponsible because it’s only going to cost more,” warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “More in terms of lives, livelihood, cost to the budget, cost to our democracy.”

Republicans mocked the bill as a bloated Democratic wish-list that was dead on arrival in the GOP-led Senate and, for good measure, faced a White House veto threat. Party leaders say they want to assess how $3 trillion approved earlier is working and see if some states’ partial business reopenings would spark an economic revival that would ease the need for more safety net programs.

Republicans are also sorting through internal divisions and awaiting stronger signals from President Donald Trump about what he will support.

“Phase Four is going to happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, using Washington insider-speak for the measure. “But it’s going to happen in a much better way for the American people.”

Trump and top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are insisting the next measure should protect reopening businesses from liability lawsuits. The president is also demanding a cut to payroll taxes, but GOP leaders are not yet onboard.

The daylong debate painted a Capitol scene that’s become common in the era of coronavirus, even as it remains disconcerting. The sparsely populated House floor was dotted with lawmakers and aides wearing protective masks and even gloves, though some Republicans lacked them.

Many members looked shaggier and sported beards they had not worn weeks ago. Roll call votes lasted over an hour each because lawmakers were voting in small groups to limit crowding.

To enhance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/95f4b1ce45413f5e6b162221a456894a">the bill’s political impact</a>, Democrats named their measure “The Heroes Act” for the payments it would provide front-line emergency workers. With more than 86,000 Americans dead, 1.4 million confirmed infections and 36 million filing unemployment claims in an frozen economy, Democrats saw GOP opposition as an easy campaign-season target.

“Are you kidding me?” said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, of Republican assertions that it was time to stop spending more money. “Where do you guys live? Food lines at our food banks around the block? In the United States of America?”

Republicans saw the bill as a Democratic political blunder. They said overly generous unemployment benefits discouraged people from returning to work, and attacked language helping immigrants in the U.S. illegally get federal benefits. They also singled out provisions helping states set up voting by mail and easing the marijuana industry’s access to banks.

“It may help the cannabis industry, but it won’t help Main Street,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Clearly, the bipartisan consensus that produced four previous coronavirus bills is crumbling quickly. Polls show GOP voters are satisfied with the federal response and aren’t agitating for more. Self-branded deficit hawks are citing the massive increase in the spiraling $25 trillion national debt.

Some congressional aides said the Democratic bill’s real price tag could breach $3.5 trillion. A partial estimate of tax provisions alone revealed eye-popping costs: $412 billion to renew $1,200 cash payments to individuals, more than $100 billion to pay health insurance premiums for the unemployed and $164 billion to make an “employee retention” tax credit for businesses more generous.

Republicans leaders faced disunity between conservatives who feel enough has been done and pragmatists who back rescuing the Postal Service from looming insolvency and delivering cash to revenue-starved state and local governments. The huge price tag and a lack of consultation with Republicans by Pelosi cemented GOP opposition.

“This bill is nothing more than the Democratic policy agenda masquerading as a response to the coronavirus crisis,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. He said the bill is “going nowhere, and is going nowhere fast.”

Pelosi overcame party divisions of her own. Some moderate Democrats opposed the package for its price tag and politically fraught provisions like assisting marijuana businesses. A few progressive Democrats were upset because it did not do more, such as guaranteeing workers’ salaries and bolstering their health insurance coverage.

Those for whom the vote was most politically risky were the 30, mostly freshmen, from House districts that backed Trump in 2016. One, Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, labeled the measure “bloated” and said she’d vote no.

Liberal Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., told reporters that she’d also oppose the bill. She said if constituents ask her if the bill would put money in their pockets or preserve their health care, “I can’t tell them yes.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589593696332.png" alt="Moments after the U.S. House passed a new $3 trillion coronavirus aid package, which includes money for state and local governments, coronavirus testing, and cash payments to individuals. Members will also take up a House rules change to allow proxy voting-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Moments after the U.S. House passed a new $3 trillion coronavirus aid package, which includes money for state and local governments, coronavirus testing, and cash payments to individuals. Members will also take up a House rules change to allow proxy voting-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House on Friday, an election-year measure designed to brace&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e95a6d2d0a721fcffb4efb9435b84f4f">a U.S. economy in free fall</a>&nbsp;and a health care system struggling to contain&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8ab8ee4bdac227eb98804d3200d7d9e7">a pandemic still pummeling the country</a>.The 208-199 vote, over strong Republican opposition, advances what boils down to a campaign-season display of Democratic economic and health-care priorities. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. Any product would probably be the last major COVID-19 response bill before November’s presidential and congressional elections.The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. It would deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589593817267.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her news conference Thursday" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her news conference Thursday</figcaption>
 </figure>“Not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way, it is irresponsible because it’s only going to cost more,” warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “More in terms of lives, livelihood, cost to the budget, cost to our democracy.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m in Washington to vote against Speaker Pelosi’s $3 trillion spending bill. This is a partisan attempt to take advantage of a crisis to pass a socialist wish list &amp; reckless spending. Instead, Congress needs to work together on meaningful legislation for Kansans and Americans. <a href="https://t.co/eTl3QiKMWw">pic.twitter.com/eTl3QiKMWw</a>&mdash; Rep. Ron Estes (@RepRonEstes) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRonEstes/status/1261414271788826624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Republicans mocked the bill as a bloated Democratic wish-list that was dead on arrival in the GOP-led Senate and, for good measure, faced a White House veto threat. Party leaders say they want to assess how $3 trillion approved earlier is working and see if some states’ partial business reopenings would spark an economic revival that would ease the need for more safety net programs.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a>’s 1,800 page, $3 trillion boondoggle: -Funds Planned Parenthood -Bails out fiscally irresponsible states -Hands out millions to the “arts” -Discourages people from going back to work This socialist wish list is a sham, and a waste of time.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1261378054900920321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Republicans are also sorting through internal divisions and awaiting stronger signals from President Donald Trump about what he will support.“Phase Four is going to happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, using Washington insider-speak for the measure. “But it’s going to happen in a much better way for the American people.”Trump and top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are insisting the next measure should protect reopening businesses from liability lawsuits. The president is also demanding a cut to payroll taxes, but GOP leaders are not yet onboard.The daylong debate painted a Capitol scene that’s become common in the era of coronavirus, even as it remains disconcerting. The sparsely populated House floor was dotted with lawmakers and aides wearing protective masks and even gloves, though some Republicans lacked them.Many members looked shaggier and sported beards they had not worn weeks ago. Roll call votes lasted over an hour each because lawmakers were voting in small groups to limit crowding.To enhance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/95f4b1ce45413f5e6b162221a456894a">the bill’s political impact</a>, Democrats named their measure “The Heroes Act” for the payments it would provide front-line emergency workers. With more than 86,000 Americans dead, 1.4 million confirmed infections and 36 million filing unemployment claims in an frozen economy, Democrats saw GOP opposition as an easy campaign-season target.“Are you kidding me?” said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, of Republican assertions that it was time to stop spending more money. “Where do you guys live? Food lines at our food banks around the block? In the United States of America?”Republicans saw the bill as a Democratic political blunder. They said overly generous unemployment benefits discouraged people from returning to work, and attacked language helping immigrants in the U.S. illegally get federal benefits. They also singled out provisions helping states set up voting by mail and easing the marijuana industry’s access to banks.“It may help the cannabis industry, but it won’t help Main Street,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.Clearly, the bipartisan consensus that produced four previous coronavirus bills is crumbling quickly. Polls show GOP voters are satisfied with the federal response and aren’t agitating for more. Self-branded deficit hawks are citing the massive increase in the spiraling $25 trillion national debt.Some congressional aides said the Democratic bill’s real price tag could breach $3.5 trillion. A partial estimate of tax provisions alone revealed eye-popping costs: $412 billion to renew $1,200 cash payments to individuals, more than $100 billion to pay health insurance premiums for the unemployed and $164 billion to make an “employee retention” tax credit for businesses more generous.Republicans leaders faced disunity between conservatives who feel enough has been done and pragmatists who back rescuing the Postal Service from looming insolvency and delivering cash to revenue-starved state and local governments. The huge price tag and a lack of consultation with Republicans by Pelosi cemented GOP opposition.“This bill is nothing more than the Democratic policy agenda masquerading as a response to the coronavirus crisis,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. He said the bill is “going nowhere, and is going nowhere fast.”Pelosi overcame party divisions of her own. Some moderate Democrats opposed the package for its price tag and politically fraught provisions like assisting marijuana businesses. A few progressive Democrats were upset because it did not do more, such as guaranteeing workers’ salaries and bolstering their health insurance coverage.Those for whom the vote was most politically risky were the 30, mostly freshmen, from House districts that backed Trump in 2016. One, Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, labeled the measure “bloated” and said she’d vote no.Liberal Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., told reporters that she’d also oppose the bill. She said if constituents ask her if the bill would put money in their pockets or preserve their health care, “I can’t tell them yes.”

House approves new $3T coronavirus relief bill

COWLEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged theft at several stores in Kansas and asking the public to help identify suspects.

On April 30, an Arkansas City resident reported the theft of a wallet from her purse while shopping at Dillons, 425 N. Summit Street in Arkansas City, according to police.

A short time later, the victim’s credit card allegedly was used to make a large purchase of gift cards and clothing at Walmart, 2701 N. Summit Street.

Investigators were able to recover video surveillance footage. However, the images show three suspects wearing masks and hats in Dillons. Two of the three suspects also appear on surveillance footage from Walmart, with masks, which makes identifying the suspects difficult.

Police learned Tuesday that the Arkansas City suspects possibly were captured on video in two separate stores in Wichita, committing the same crimes during the prior weekend.

The video surveillance from a grocery store in Wichita shows the three suspects allegedly looking into shopping carts, identifying open purses and removing wallets. Credit cards stolen in this fashion were used later at another retail outlet to purchase gift cards.

The two male suspects look similar and police suspect they could be related. They appear to be in their 40s and may be between 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall, each weighing between 230 and 260 pounds.

The female suspect appears to be in her late 50s or 60s and is shorter, possibly 5-foot-2 to 5-foot-6, weighing 190 to 220 pounds. The suspects may be traveling in a newer gray or silver sport utility vehicle.

Anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of any of these suspects should immediately contact the Arkansas City Police Department at (620) 441-4444.

Those wishing to remain anonymous also may contact Cowley County Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.

Call (620) 442-7777 in Arkansas City or (620) 221-7777 in Winfield, or visit www.tipsubmit.com or accs.crimestoppersweb.com to make an anonymous report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589455932066.png" alt="Security camera image -Arkansas City Police" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image -Arkansas City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged theft at several stores in Kansas and asking the public to help identify suspects.On April 30, an Arkansas City resident reported the theft of a wallet from her purse while shopping at Dillons, 425 N. Summit Street in Arkansas City, according to police.A short time later, the victim’s credit card allegedly was used to make a large purchase of gift cards and clothing at Walmart, 2701 N. Summit Street.Investigators were able to recover video surveillance footage. However, the images show three suspects wearing masks and hats in Dillons. Two of the three suspects also appear on surveillance footage from Walmart, with masks, which makes identifying the suspects difficult.Police learned Tuesday that the Arkansas City suspects possibly were captured on video in two separate stores in Wichita, committing the same crimes during the prior weekend.The video surveillance from a grocery store in Wichita shows the three suspects allegedly looking into shopping carts, identifying open purses and removing wallets. Credit cards stolen in this fashion were used later at another retail outlet to purchase gift cards.The two male suspects look similar and police suspect they could be related. They appear to be in their 40s and may be between 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall, each weighing between 230 and 260 pounds.The female suspect appears to be in her late 50s or 60s and is shorter, possibly 5-foot-2 to 5-foot-6, weighing 190 to 220 pounds. The suspects may be traveling in a newer gray or silver sport utility vehicle.Anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of any of these suspects should immediately contact the Arkansas City Police Department at (620) 441-4444.Those wishing to remain anonymous also may contact Cowley County Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest.Call (620) 442-7777 in Arkansas City or (620) 221-7777 in Winfield, or visit www.tipsubmit.com or accs.crimestoppersweb.com to make an anonymous report.-----