By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-08/the-kansas-economy-is-reopening-and-experts-say-nursing-homes-arent-ready">Kansas News Service</a>

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the 
requirements imposed on nursing homes by the Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid.

TOPEKA — Residents and patients in under-resourced
 nursing homes, where outbreaks have fueled more than half of Kansas’ 
coronavirus deaths, will likely pay the steepest price for the state 
reopening its economy.

Nursing homes, assisted living centers and 
similar state-licensed facilities don’t have enough protective gear or 
testing to shield the people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, 
experts say. And even if the facilities stay on lockdown, the state’s 
decision to lift stay-at-home orders could lead to more asymptomatic 
staff unwittingly carrying the virus to work.

“The more you open 
up the economy, the more you're going to have these rippling effects 
where staff members may be going home to other family members who are 
interacting with other parts of society,” said Carrie Henning-Smith, a 
professor of health policy and management at the University of 
Minnesota.

As of Friday, Kansas’ more than 450 long-term care 
facilities accounted for fewer than 1 in 10 of the state’s confirmed 
cases. Yet the 22 clusters of coronavirus linked to them are the single 
largest source of deaths from the pandemic with 85. <a href="https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-05-07/a-covid-19-hot-spot-in-prairie-village-now-accounts-for-57-known-cases-and-9-death" target="_blank">One cluster in Johnson County</a> has sickened nearly 60 and killed nine and another in <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/health-care/article241807416.html" target="_blank">Coffey County</a> has had similarly tragic results.

Here’s
 what nursing homes, health policy analysts and academics say needs to 
happen in order to save the lives of older people in Kansas and 
nationally.

COVID-19
 testing has become more common in Kansas in the past few weeks. Yet 
limited supplies mean testing remains largely reserved for people with 
symptoms or known exposure. Overall, the state has lagged most of the 
rest of the country in ramping up access.

Experts say places that 
care for older adults should test all staff regularly — once a week or 
more — regardless of whether they have symptoms. But that remains a 
distant goal for Kansas and the U.S.

“We're nowhere near that,” Henning-Smith said. “Any routine testing would be an improvement over what we have.”

Nursing
 homes and similar facilities rely on sending samples to external labs, 
but could better protect residents with rapid on-site testing.

“We
 could test any and everybody,” says Monte Coffman, executive director 
of Health Management of Kansas, which runs skilled care centers in 
Coffeyville and Iola. “That's how we (could) keep the virus out of 
institutional care.”

Staff
 at many long-term care facilities have spotty access to 
professional-grade protective gear. Instead, nursing home administrators
 say, they wear home-sewn fabric face coverings to help save surgical 
masks for critical times, like bedside care or serving newly admitted, 
temporarily quarantined residents.

Prices for professional gear 
spiked after the pandemic hit. Vendors who were slammed with orders sold
 to bigger buyers. LeadingAge Kansas, the state’s association for 
nonprofit aging services, looked into bulk purchasing for its members, 
but struck out.

CEO Debra Harmon Zehr said the market appears to 
be improving, and she welcomed the federal government’s decision to send
 two weeks of surgical masks, gowns and eye protection to nursing homes.

But, she said, it’s “too little, too late.”

“We
 don't have adequate testing, adequate funding, adequate supplies, and 
yet you've got this wolf in the chicken house,” she said, and “(we’re) 
expected to keep it at bay.”

Kansas
 is among 26 states that recommend but don’t require assisted living 
facilities to keep visitors out during the pandemic, according to <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/data-note-requirements-for-nursing-homes-and-assisted-living-facilities-in-response-to-covid-19-vary-across-states/" target="_blank">the Kaiser Family Foundation</a>. Nor has Kansas adopted requirements for staff to undergo daily coronavirus screenings and don protective gear.

Those
 steps are important, the health organization said, because the federal 
guidance on these measures is only for homes under their regulatory 
control, such as nursing facilities. Much long-term care falls under 
state control, such as assisted living centers.

The lack of 
requirements in states like Kansas is “shocking” given the risks of 
coronavirus spreading in a facility, said Joseph Ouslander, a professor 
of geriatric medicine at Florida Atlantic University and the executive 
editor of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

“It can be like a tinderbox,” he said. “It’s a perfect storm.”

While
 screening workers daily, donning protective gear and banning visitors 
can’t guarantee a facility will be outbreak-free, Ouslander sees them as
 basic steps that shouldn’t be decided facility-by-facility. States can 
require these measures, he said, without penalizing facilities that 
simply can’t get enough protective gear to fully comply.

A 
spokeswoman for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services 
said in an email that adopting the extra state requirements would take 
resources. And right now, she said, the agency’s staff is focused on 
infection-control efforts under guidance from the Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid.

Why aren’t outbreaks being disclosed publicly?

Many
 states publicly report a raft of details about coronavirus outbreaks in
 long-term care facilities, the Kaiser Family Foundation said, <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/state-reporting-of-cases-and-deaths-due-to-covid-19-in-long-term-care-facilities/" target="_blank">but, again, not Kansas</a>. Kansas doesn’t publicly list which nursing homes have COVID-19 cases and deaths.

Some
 local health departments have, like in Johnson County, where COVID-19 
outbreaks at long-term care facilities have killed 25 people. The county
 discloses case counts and deaths by facility <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/mapper.of.the.day.mod.#!/vizhome/covid19_joco_public/Dashboard" target="_blank">on its website</a>.

Advocacy
 groups want the information made public so communities can stay 
informed on the toll coronavirus is taking and demand better resources 
and care. Researchers want the data to scour for patterns, such as links
 between outbreaks, staffing levels and other measures of care.

<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/state-reporting-of-cases-and-deaths-due-to-covid-19-in-long-term-care-facilities/" target="_blank">Recent federal guidance</a> will push nursing homes to report cases and details directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“So
 we would expect to see some form of public data available at some 
point,” said Priya Chidambaram, a Medicaid expert at the Kaiser Family 
Foundation. “We don't have a timeline yet.”

Kansas
 nursing home advocates say they plan to make their case to Gov. Laura 
Kelly that elder care in the state needs more funding, something they’ve
 pressed in the Legislature year after year.

Low Medicaid 
reimbursement payments to nursing homes makes it hard for them to keep 
up quality in the best of times, advocates like LeadingAge argue. During
 a pandemic, it means homes can’t afford inflated prices for protective 
gear and other increased costs.

This week, <a href="https://kansaspublicradio.org/npr-news/nursing-home-association-asks-10-billion-federal-coronavirus-relief-funds" target="_blank">a national trade group</a>
 called on the Trump administration to dole out $10 billion in stimulus 
money to nursing homes, but they’ll have to compete with hospitals and 
other health care providers jostling for more of that pot, too.

Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas 
News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at 
celia@kcur.org. The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of
 KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on
 health, the social determinants of health and their connection to 
public policy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588962826494.png" alt="Protesters outside the Statehouse in Topeka demanded last month that Gov. Laura Kelly let businesses and activities return to normal. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Protesters outside the Statehouse in Topeka demanded last month that Gov. Laura Kelly let businesses and activities return to normal. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-08/the-kansas-economy-is-reopening-and-experts-say-nursing-homes-arent-ready">Kansas News Service</a>CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the 
requirements imposed on nursing homes by the Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid.TOPEKA — Residents and patients in under-resourced
 nursing homes, where outbreaks have fueled more than half of Kansas’ 
coronavirus deaths, will likely pay the steepest price for the state 
reopening its economy.Nursing homes, assisted living centers and 
similar state-licensed facilities don’t have enough protective gear or 
testing to shield the people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, 
experts say. And even if the facilities stay on lockdown, the state’s 
decision to lift stay-at-home orders could lead to more asymptomatic 
staff unwittingly carrying the virus to work.“The more you open 
up the economy, the more you're going to have these rippling effects 
where staff members may be going home to other family members who are 
interacting with other parts of society,” said Carrie Henning-Smith, a 
professor of health policy and management at the University of 
Minnesota.As of Friday, Kansas’ more than 450 long-term care 
facilities accounted for fewer than 1 in 10 of the state’s confirmed 
cases. Yet the 22 clusters of coronavirus linked to them are the single 
largest source of deaths from the pandemic with 85. <a href="https://www.kcur.org/community/2020-05-07/a-covid-19-hot-spot-in-prairie-village-now-accounts-for-57-known-cases-and-9-death" target="_blank">One cluster in Johnson County</a> has sickened nearly 60 and killed nine and another in <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/health-care/article241807416.html" target="_blank">Coffey County</a> has had similarly tragic results.Here’s
 what nursing homes, health policy analysts and academics say needs to 
happen in order to save the lives of older people in Kansas and 
nationally.<h2>Where are the tests?</h2>COVID-19
 testing has become more common in Kansas in the past few weeks. Yet 
limited supplies mean testing remains largely reserved for people with 
symptoms or known exposure. Overall, the state has lagged most of the 
rest of the country in ramping up access.Experts say places that 
care for older adults should test all staff regularly — once a week or 
more — regardless of whether they have symptoms. But that remains a 
distant goal for Kansas and the U.S.“We're nowhere near that,” Henning-Smith said. “Any routine testing would be an improvement over what we have.”Nursing
 homes and similar facilities rely on sending samples to external labs, 
but could better protect residents with rapid on-site testing.“We
 could test any and everybody,” says Monte Coffman, executive director 
of Health Management of Kansas, which runs skilled care centers in 
Coffeyville and Iola. “That's how we (could) keep the virus out of 
institutional care.”<h2>Where are the masks and gowns?</h2>Staff
 at many long-term care facilities have spotty access to 
professional-grade protective gear. Instead, nursing home administrators
 say, they wear home-sewn fabric face coverings to help save surgical 
masks for critical times, like bedside care or serving newly admitted, 
temporarily quarantined residents.Prices for professional gear 
spiked after the pandemic hit. Vendors who were slammed with orders sold
 to bigger buyers. LeadingAge Kansas, the state’s association for 
nonprofit aging services, looked into bulk purchasing for its members, 
but struck out.CEO Debra Harmon Zehr said the market appears to 
be improving, and she welcomed the federal government’s decision to send
 two weeks of surgical masks, gowns and eye protection to nursing homes.But, she said, it’s “too little, too late.”“We
 don't have adequate testing, adequate funding, adequate supplies, and 
yet you've got this wolf in the chicken house,” she said, and “(we’re) 
expected to keep it at bay.”<h2>Are the rules consistent at facilities?</h2>Kansas
 is among 26 states that recommend but don’t require assisted living 
facilities to keep visitors out during the pandemic, according to <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/data-note-requirements-for-nursing-homes-and-assisted-living-facilities-in-response-to-covid-19-vary-across-states/" target="_blank">the Kaiser Family Foundation</a>. Nor has Kansas adopted requirements for staff to undergo daily coronavirus screenings and don protective gear.Those
 steps are important, the health organization said, because the federal 
guidance on these measures is only for homes under their regulatory 
control, such as nursing facilities. Much long-term care falls under 
state control, such as assisted living centers.The lack of 
requirements in states like Kansas is “shocking” given the risks of 
coronavirus spreading in a facility, said Joseph Ouslander, a professor 
of geriatric medicine at Florida Atlantic University and the executive 
editor of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.“It can be like a tinderbox,” he said. “It’s a perfect storm.”While
 screening workers daily, donning protective gear and banning visitors 
can’t guarantee a facility will be outbreak-free, Ouslander sees them as
 basic steps that shouldn’t be decided facility-by-facility. States can 
require these measures, he said, without penalizing facilities that 
simply can’t get enough protective gear to fully comply.A 
spokeswoman for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services 
said in an email that adopting the extra state requirements would take 
resources. And right now, she said, the agency’s staff is focused on 
infection-control efforts under guidance from the Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid.<h2>Why aren’t outbreaks being disclosed publicly?</h2>Many
 states publicly report a raft of details about coronavirus outbreaks in
 long-term care facilities, the Kaiser Family Foundation said, <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/state-reporting-of-cases-and-deaths-due-to-covid-19-in-long-term-care-facilities/" target="_blank">but, again, not Kansas</a>. Kansas doesn’t publicly list which nursing homes have COVID-19 cases and deaths.Some
 local health departments have, like in Johnson County, where COVID-19 
outbreaks at long-term care facilities have killed 25 people. The county
 discloses case counts and deaths by facility <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/mapper.of.the.day.mod.#!/vizhome/covid19_joco_public/Dashboard" target="_blank">on its website</a>.Advocacy
 groups want the information made public so communities can stay 
informed on the toll coronavirus is taking and demand better resources 
and care. Researchers want the data to scour for patterns, such as links
 between outbreaks, staffing levels and other measures of care.<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/state-reporting-of-cases-and-deaths-due-to-covid-19-in-long-term-care-facilities/" target="_blank">Recent federal guidance</a> will push nursing homes to report cases and details directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“So
 we would expect to see some form of public data available at some 
point,” said Priya Chidambaram, a Medicaid expert at the Kaiser Family 
Foundation. “We don't have a timeline yet.”<h2>Will there be more money?</h2>Kansas
 nursing home advocates say they plan to make their case to Gov. Laura 
Kelly that elder care in the state needs more funding, something they’ve
 pressed in the Legislature year after year.Low Medicaid 
reimbursement payments to nursing homes makes it hard for them to keep 
up quality in the best of times, advocates like LeadingAge argue. During
 a pandemic, it means homes can’t afford inflated prices for protective 
gear and other increased costs.This week, <a href="https://kansaspublicradio.org/npr-news/nursing-home-association-asks-10-billion-federal-coronavirus-relief-funds" target="_blank">a national trade group</a>
 called on the Trump administration to dole out $10 billion in stimulus 
money to nursing homes, but they’ll have to compete with hospitals and 
other health care providers jostling for more of that pot, too.Celia
 Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas 
News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or email her at 
celia@kcur.org. The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of
 KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on
 health, the social determinants of health and their connection to 
public policy.

Economy is reopening, but experts say nursing homes aren’t ready

WASHINGTON, DC - There’s an incredible new opportunity for recovered&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;patients to help their community. 

In coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the&nbsp; American Red Cross (ARC) is seeking people who are fully recovered from COVID-19 to&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,163097fe&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">sign up to donate plasma</a>&nbsp;to help current&nbsp;COVID-19 patients.

If you have recovered from a positive&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;diagnosis and wish to be a convalescent plasma donor, or if you know somebody who has recovered and may want to help in this way, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,163097ff&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">COVID-19&nbsp;Convalescent Plasma Donor Information Page.</a>&nbsp;You could be eligible to help&nbsp;if you:

Historically, convalescent plasma has been used as a potentially lifesaving treatment when new diseases or infections develop quickly, and no treatments or vaccines are available yet.

&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,16309801&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">The&nbsp;Red Cross&nbsp;program</a>&nbsp;will allow for efficient distribution of convalescent plasma to wherever it’s needed most across the country. Your plasma may be the key to&nbsp;saving lives.

If you have recently recovered from&nbsp;COVID-19,&nbsp;please take a moment to learn more about our convalescent plasma program and fill out our <a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/plasma-donations-from-recovered-covid-19-patients.html?med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890">online form</a> to help those fighting&nbsp;the virus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588801216356.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ARCWASHINGTON, DC - There’s an incredible new opportunity for recovered&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;patients to help their community. In coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the&nbsp; American Red Cross (ARC) is seeking people who are fully recovered from COVID-19 to&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,163097fe&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">sign up to donate plasma</a>&nbsp;to help current&nbsp;COVID-19 patients.If you have recovered from a positive&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;diagnosis and wish to be a convalescent plasma donor, or if you know somebody who has recovered and may want to help in this way, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,163097ff&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">COVID-19&nbsp;Convalescent Plasma Donor Information Page.</a>&nbsp;You could be eligible to help&nbsp;if you:<ol>
 <li>Meet standard blood donation eligibility&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,16309800&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">(FAQs)</a></li><li>Have a verified, prior diagnosis&nbsp;of COVID-19</li><li>Are now symptom free and fully recovered&nbsp;from COVID-19</li>
 </ol>Historically, convalescent plasma has been used as a potentially lifesaving treatment when new diseases or infections develop quickly, and no treatments or vaccines are available yet.&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,16309801&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">The&nbsp;Red Cross&nbsp;program</a>&nbsp;will allow for efficient distribution of convalescent plasma to wherever it’s needed most across the country. Your plasma may be the key to&nbsp;saving lives.If you have recently recovered from&nbsp;COVID-19,&nbsp;please take a moment to learn more about our convalescent plasma program and fill out our <a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/plasma-donations-from-recovered-covid-19-patients.html?med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890">online form</a> to help those fighting&nbsp;the virus.

Convalescent COVID plasma donations sought by Red Cross and FDA

<a href="https://northplattepost.com">North Platte Post</a>

Dr. Carol Fassbinder-Orth is a Creighton University biologist, honeybee expert and beekeeper. In this episode of the Post Podcast from North Platte, Neb., she talks about the "murder hornet" with Eagle's Scott Carlson — how it got here, what threat it poses and more.

<a href="https://northplattepost.com">North Platte Post</a>Dr. Carol Fassbinder-Orth is a Creighton University biologist, honeybee expert and beekeeper. In this episode of the Post Podcast from North Platte, Neb., she talks about the "murder hornet" with Eagle's Scott Carlson — how it got here, what threat it poses and more.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/815590951&color=%232b7fb4&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe></div>

🎙 Post Podcast: Bee expert discusses 'murder hornet'

BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect who tried but failed to hide from them.

Just after 1p.m. Friday, deputies attempted execute arrest warrants at 260 N. Washington just north of the City of Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

&nbsp;Deputies had three felony warrants for John Paul Zapata but were unable to make contact with the individual him. While deputies were at the location, Zapata took photographs of the Sheriff’s vehicles setting outside of his residence and sent them to other people. 

These other individuals promptly notified the Sheriff’s Office, confirming Zapata was inside the house. 

Zapata also stated in his text messages law enforcement was going to have to come in and get him. Deputies continued to knock and announce their presence and Zapata refused to come to the door. 

A search warrant was obtained, and deputies repeatedly tried to make contact by voice and telephone. Zapata refused to cooperate.

The Sheriff’s office has executed search warrants at this residence before resulting in recovery of guns, methamphetamine and currency, according to Bellendir.

The Sheriff’s office was hesitant to make a forced entry immediately. Teargas was deployed twice. Sheriff’s officers forced entry and after a thorough search of the house Zapata was found hiding in a crawlspace to avoid the effects of the teargas. He refused to come out at which time several Sheriff’s deputies went into the crawlspace and removed him.

Zapata was placed under arrest at about 5:00 PM and transported to the Barton County Jail and booked on charges of interference with law enforcement officer, criminal threat, felony warrant for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, felony warrant for domestic battery, stalking as well as violation of the PFA and other charges. Zapata is being held without bond on one of the felony warrants and various bonds amounts on the other charges.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Great Bend Fire Department and EMS as well as the K9 officer and a detective from the Great Bend Police Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588988120890.png" alt="Zapata photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Zapata photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect who tried but failed to hide from them.Just after 1p.m. Friday, deputies attempted execute arrest warrants at 260 N. Washington just north of the City of Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.&nbsp;Deputies had three felony warrants for John Paul Zapata but were unable to make contact with the individual him. While deputies were at the location, Zapata took photographs of the Sheriff’s vehicles setting outside of his residence and sent them to other people. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588988548314.png" alt="Deputies on the scene of the arrest Friday -photo Barton Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Deputies on the scene of the arrest Friday -photo Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>These other individuals promptly notified the Sheriff’s Office, confirming Zapata was inside the house. Zapata also stated in his text messages law enforcement was going to have to come in and get him. Deputies continued to knock and announce their presence and Zapata refused to come to the door. A search warrant was obtained, and deputies repeatedly tried to make contact by voice and telephone. Zapata refused to cooperate.The Sheriff’s office has executed search warrants at this residence before resulting in recovery of guns, methamphetamine and currency, according to Bellendir.The Sheriff’s office was hesitant to make a forced entry immediately. Teargas was deployed twice. Sheriff’s officers forced entry and after a thorough search of the house Zapata was found hiding in a crawlspace to avoid the effects of the teargas. He refused to come out at which time several Sheriff’s deputies went into the crawlspace and removed him.Zapata was placed under arrest at about 5:00 PM and transported to the Barton County Jail and booked on charges of interference with law enforcement officer, criminal threat, felony warrant for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, felony warrant for domestic battery, stalking as well as violation of the PFA and other charges. Zapata is being held without bond on one of the felony warrants and various bonds amounts on the other charges.The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Great Bend Fire Department and EMS as well as the K9 officer and a detective from the Great Bend Police Department.

Friends help Kansas deputies in arrest of wanted suspect

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police are concerned about a rise in deadly shootings across the region.

Seven people died over a five-day period. The killings included an 18-year-old shot in a vehicle, a homicide outside downtown lofts, a fatal police shooting and two men allegedly killed by one shooter. Three homicides also were reported over the past week in Johnson County, Kansas.

Data maintained by the Star shows there have been 60 killings so far in 2020, compared to 48 at this time last year, when leaders vowed to take action and Kansas City police implemented changes aimed at increasing the focus on violent crimes.

Police Capt. David Jackson said a crime reduction initiative introduced last year, which uses geographic information to show where a crime is most like to occur, has shown promise. Some of the city’s most violent neighborhoods have seen a 24% drop in crime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588949536387.png" alt="Matthew D. Harris&nbsp;faces two counts of Murder and two counts of Armed Criminal Action in connection with the fatal shootings of two men in the early morning hours Wednesday in a Kansas City apartment and at a gas station, according to Jackson Co. Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker." />
 <figcaption>Matthew D. Harris&nbsp;faces two counts of Murder and two counts of Armed Criminal Action in connection with the fatal shootings of two men in the early morning hours Wednesday in a Kansas City apartment and at a gas station, according to Jackson Co. Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police are concerned about a rise in deadly shootings across the region.Seven people died over a five-day period. The killings included an 18-year-old shot in a vehicle, a homicide outside downtown lofts, a fatal police shooting and two men allegedly killed by one shooter. Three homicides also were reported over the past week in Johnson County, Kansas.Data maintained by the Star shows there have been 60 killings so far in 2020, compared to 48 at this time last year, when leaders vowed to take action and Kansas City police implemented changes aimed at increasing the focus on violent crimes.Police Capt. David Jackson said a crime reduction initiative introduced last year, which uses geographic information to show where a crime is most like to occur, has shown promise. Some of the city’s most violent neighborhoods have seen a 24% drop in crime.

Violent week in Kansas City: 7 dead in 5 days

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Stay-at-home orders are beginning to lift in the Kansas City metro, and people will begin coming into closer contact. But the coronavirus pandemic is not over. That means conversations about how to stay safe will involve the new and potentially uncomfortable idea of contact tracing.

“We absolutely know that when the stay-at-home orders are lifted, that we will see increased incidents of cases and therefore we will also see an increased need for additional contact tracing,” says Ashley Wegner, the health planning and policy section chief of the Clay County Public Health Center.

After a health care provider notifies the health department that a person has tested positive for the virus, a staff member calls the person and works to figure out whether they’ve spent more than 10 minutes within a six-foot radius of another person while infected.

“It’s not the government policing us,” Wegner told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-05-05/health-officials-worry-kansas-city-doesnt-have-enough-contact-tracers-to-hold-back-the-next-wave-of-covid-19?mc_cid=1da545c4af&amp;mc_eid=45fc700640">KCUR-FM</a>. “This is what we need to do to keep the community open so people can go to work.”

The number of contacts can vary from person to person. Health care workers on the frontlines will have more contacts compared to people working from home.

“You could identify 30 to 50 contacts for one person just because they’re going to work every day because they have coworkers and then have patients,” Wegner says.

It can take time for a contact tracer to gain a patient’s trust. Someone might struggle with remembering who they came in contact with or be reluctant to admit they didn’t follow the stay-at-home directive.

With a list of people who came in contact with an infected person, the contact tracer notifies everyone on the list and asks them to self-quarantine.

“We run through the signs and symptoms and make sure that they’re not having any symptoms,” says Cass County epidemiologist Brooklyn Lampe. “And then we’re also looking at if they have any underlying health conditions that would put them at high risk.”

Businesses in Clay County began to re-open this week, and Wegner says she’s confident her county is ready to respond, with enough contact tracers to handle a surge of cases.

In Kansas City, where the stay-at-home directive remains in place until later next week, the Health Department has roughly a quarter of the workers it needs.

Kansas City’s 19 contact tracers aren’t enough to handle the nearly 600 cases confirmed as of Monday, says Kansas City Health Department Deputy director Tracie McClendon-Cole.

“We’re not currently able to handle necessarily the capacity that we need to in order to make sure that we’re testing the results as well as following up with each person who has identified as COVID positive in Kansas City,” McClendon-Cole says.

Efforts are underway to increase the workforce. Next week, the Jackson County Legislature is set to vote on spending $5 million on contact tracing. Kansas is recruiting volunteers to do the work.

Contact tracing is not a new idea. It’s been used to fight Ebola and tuberculosis across the world. In Kansas City, contact tracers were already busy stopping the spread of communicable diseases before the novel coronavirus arrived. Now, in addition to tracing contacts of people who contracted COVID-19, they still have to keep up with their usual work managing outbreaks of syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea, says McClendon-Cole.

On Sunday, the city posted job openings for five additional contact tracers after the City Council approved funding from the health levy in late April. This falls well short of the 75 to 150 contact tracers McClendon-Cole says the city should have. The National Association of County and City Health Officials estimates a city needs 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 people, which would equal about 148 workers for Kansas City.

“We’re hoping that as we move further into this period, especially as the federal government starts releasing more funds, that more will flow to the local level and we’ll be able to add to our staff,” McClendon-Cole says.

Counties should have gotten federal CARES Act payments on Wednesday, according to an announcement from Missouri State Treasurer. Kansas City hopes this funding will trickle down to the city.

In Kansas, while local health departments conduct investigations, the state is in the process of recruiting 400 volunteers, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokeswoman Kristi Zears.

“With many LHDs (local health departments) overburdened with case counts and community spread, it makes disease investigation very challenging,” Zears said in an email.

Lafayette County, about 35 miles east of Kansas City, has been training its health department’s board members and volunteers in case there’s a surge in cases, says Lafayette County Health Director Tom Emerson.

“It’s been tough sometimes, but we haven’t been overwhelmed yet. We have had to work weekends and after hours, but that’s just part of it,” Emerson says. “So our current staff has handled what we have now.”

To help manage workload in Clay County, the health department has a text message system that can be used to reach back out to people who are self-quarantined after being exposed to someone with the virus.

“We can, you know, a couple of times a day send out an automatic text that says, ‘Hey, do you have any symptoms? Yes or no?’” Wegner says. “If not, we go about our business. If you do, then yes, we need to have another conversation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588193586788.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman discussed contact tracers during the governor's press conference Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman discussed contact tracers during the governor's press conference Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Stay-at-home orders are beginning to lift in the Kansas City metro, and people will begin coming into closer contact. But the coronavirus pandemic is not over. That means conversations about how to stay safe will involve the new and potentially uncomfortable idea of contact tracing.“We absolutely know that when the stay-at-home orders are lifted, that we will see increased incidents of cases and therefore we will also see an increased need for additional contact tracing,” says Ashley Wegner, the health planning and policy section chief of the Clay County Public Health Center.After a health care provider notifies the health department that a person has tested positive for the virus, a staff member calls the person and works to figure out whether they’ve spent more than 10 minutes within a six-foot radius of another person while infected.“It’s not the government policing us,” Wegner told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-05-05/health-officials-worry-kansas-city-doesnt-have-enough-contact-tracers-to-hold-back-the-next-wave-of-covid-19?mc_cid=1da545c4af&amp;mc_eid=45fc700640">KCUR-FM</a>. “This is what we need to do to keep the community open so people can go to work.”The number of contacts can vary from person to person. Health care workers on the frontlines will have more contacts compared to people working from home.“You could identify 30 to 50 contacts for one person just because they’re going to work every day because they have coworkers and then have patients,” Wegner says.It can take time for a contact tracer to gain a patient’s trust. Someone might struggle with remembering who they came in contact with or be reluctant to admit they didn’t follow the stay-at-home directive.With a list of people who came in contact with an infected person, the contact tracer notifies everyone on the list and asks them to self-quarantine.“We run through the signs and symptoms and make sure that they’re not having any symptoms,” says Cass County epidemiologist Brooklyn Lampe. “And then we’re also looking at if they have any underlying health conditions that would put them at high risk.”Businesses in Clay County began to re-open this week, and Wegner says she’s confident her county is ready to respond, with enough contact tracers to handle a surge of cases.In Kansas City, where the stay-at-home directive remains in place until later next week, the Health Department has roughly a quarter of the workers it needs.Kansas City’s 19 contact tracers aren’t enough to handle the nearly 600 cases confirmed as of Monday, says Kansas City Health Department Deputy director Tracie McClendon-Cole.“We’re not currently able to handle necessarily the capacity that we need to in order to make sure that we’re testing the results as well as following up with each person who has identified as COVID positive in Kansas City,” McClendon-Cole says.Efforts are underway to increase the workforce. Next week, the Jackson County Legislature is set to vote on spending $5 million on contact tracing. Kansas is recruiting volunteers to do the work.Contact tracing is not a new idea. It’s been used to fight Ebola and tuberculosis across the world. In Kansas City, contact tracers were already busy stopping the spread of communicable diseases before the novel coronavirus arrived. Now, in addition to tracing contacts of people who contracted COVID-19, they still have to keep up with their usual work managing outbreaks of syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea, says McClendon-Cole.On Sunday, the city posted job openings for five additional contact tracers after the City Council approved funding from the health levy in late April. This falls well short of the 75 to 150 contact tracers McClendon-Cole says the city should have. The National Association of County and City Health Officials estimates a city needs 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 people, which would equal about 148 workers for Kansas City.“We’re hoping that as we move further into this period, especially as the federal government starts releasing more funds, that more will flow to the local level and we’ll be able to add to our staff,” McClendon-Cole says.Counties should have gotten federal CARES Act payments on Wednesday, according to an announcement from Missouri State Treasurer. Kansas City hopes this funding will trickle down to the city.In Kansas, while local health departments conduct investigations, the state is in the process of recruiting 400 volunteers, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokeswoman Kristi Zears.“With many LHDs (local health departments) overburdened with case counts and community spread, it makes disease investigation very challenging,” Zears said in an email.Lafayette County, about 35 miles east of Kansas City, has been training its health department’s board members and volunteers in case there’s a surge in cases, says Lafayette County Health Director Tom Emerson.“It’s been tough sometimes, but we haven’t been overwhelmed yet. We have had to work weekends and after hours, but that’s just part of it,” Emerson says. “So our current staff has handled what we have now.”To help manage workload in Clay County, the health department has a text message system that can be used to reach back out to people who are self-quarantined after being exposed to someone with the virus.“We can, you know, a couple of times a day send out an automatic text that says, ‘Hey, do you have any symptoms? Yes or no?’” Wegner says. “If not, we go about our business. If you do, then yes, we need to have another conversation.”

Health officials worry not enough contact tracers In Kansas

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As coronavirus hotspots erupted at major U.S. meatpacking plants, experts criticized extremely tight working conditions that made the factories natural high risk contagion locations. But some Midwestern politicians have pointed the finger at the workers' living conditions, suggesting crowded homes bear some blame.

The comments — including a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice's remark that an outbreak didn't seem to have come from “regular folks” — outraged workers and advocates who slammed them as elitist and critical of immigrants, who make up a big share of America's meatpacking workforce.

And the remarks stood in contrast to public U.S. outpourings of gratitude for other essential workers like police officers, health care professionals and grocery store workers.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, generated ire last month when discussing the closure of a Smithfield pork plant in Sioux Falls that infected 1,000 employees and people who came in contact with the workers, saying “99% of what’s going on today wasn’t happening inside the facility.”

The spread of the virus happened "more at home, where these employees were going home and spreading some of the virus because a lot of these folks who work at this plant live in the community, the same building, sometimes in the same apartment,” she said on Fox News.

Noem's comments created a foundation for blaming virus outbreaks on the meatpackers' home lives instead of conditions at plants, where employees often worked shoulder to shoulder with little to no protective gear as U.S. virus cases surged, said Taneeza Islam, who runs the refugee and immigrant support group South Dakota Voices for Peace.

Her group organized a letter to Noem to ask "her to listen to the people who have been directly impacted because she has not done that yet, which is very telling about her position in terms of being on the side of the people or being on the side of business.”

Noem wasn't alone. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, also a Republican, took heat for remarks last month after a meatpacking plant virus outbreak in his state.

“Well, we see people concentrated together," Ricketts said. "And that’s certainly true with our food processors where you have people together. But it can also be true in households if you have multiple generations of people living together, or a lot of people living in a household.”

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar cited crowded meatpacking worker living conditions in a call last week with members of Congress, according to a story first reported by Politico. Agency spokesman Michael Caputo on Thursday defended Azar's remarks as “nothing more than a statement of the obvious.”

Achut Deng, a Sudanese refugee who works at the Sioux Falls plant, said after Noem's remarks that the comments offended her, calling them “ridiculous.”

Many of Smithfield's Sioux Falls employees live in well-maintained apartment complexes near the plant, some in multi-generational homes so older family members can be cared for. Others have single-family units and Deng, who was infected and recovered, believes she caught the virus at the plant because she lives only with her three children who have been out of school.

In Wisconsin, Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack appeared to downplay the impact of an outbreak at the JBS Packerland beef plant in Green Bay while hearing arguments on a lawsuit seeking to strike down the state's stay-at-home order. Coronavirus cases in Brown County, where Green Bay lies, jumped from 60 to about 800 in two weeks, a state government lawyer told justices this week.

“These were due to the meatpacking, though,” responded Roggensack, part of the court's conservative majority. “That’s where Brown County got the flare. It wasn’t just the regular folks in Brown County.”

Christine Neumann Ortiz, executive director of the Wisconsin-based Latino advocacy group Voces de la Frontera, said Roggensack's comments “reflected elitist disdain for workers.”

“It shows she considers their lives less worthy,” Ortiz said. “It’s an abhorrent comment, especially at this moment.”

A court spokesman, Tom Sheehan, said Roggensack was prohibited by court rules from responding.

Many U.S. meat plant workers are Latino but in recent years, particularly in the upper Midwest, African immigrants have taken meatpacking jobs. About 40 languages are spoken by workers at the Sioux Falls plant, the Centers for Disease Control has said.

Ortiz said many Latino and immigrant families with workers in the sector “are very family-oriented” and that could contribute to the virus' spread. But she insisted that the greater threats are workplace conditions and policies she claimed encourage workers to come in sick and do not provide enough worker virus testing.

In South Dakota, Noem said she made her meatpacking company worker living condition comments after the Sioux Falls plant closed and public health officials' focus shifted to stopping the outbreak where the workers lived.

She agreed to speak personally with some meatpacking workers after advocacy groups made the demand. Those calls, organized through Smithfield, were scheduled for Thursday night and Friday.

In Nebraska, meatpacking worker advocates disputed Ricketts' suggestion that an outbreak could have happened because of crowded worker households at the Tyson Foods beef plant in Dakota City, where hundreds were infected.

“The governor’s statement that this is a community issue is completely untrue,” said Rose Godinez, legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, and the daughter of retired meatpacking workers.

She said plant workers told her that most employees who tested positive own or rent their homes and in general do not live in crowded, small dwellings.

Godinez said Ricketts' comments appeared aimed at “trying to deflect some of the companies’ failures.”

Blaming workers for workplace safety and illnesses is a longstanding tactic by companies seeking to avoid responsibility, said Celeste Monforton, a Texas State University lecturer and workplace safety expert.

“If these workers are deemed to be critical infrastructure workers, deemed to be essential workers, they deserve the utmost respect, the highest level of protection," she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588342380364.jpeg" alt="Northwest Health testing pork plant workers at Triumph in St. Joseph" />
 <figcaption>Northwest Health testing pork plant workers at Triumph in St. Joseph</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As coronavirus hotspots erupted at major U.S. meatpacking plants, experts criticized extremely tight working conditions that made the factories natural high risk contagion locations. But some Midwestern politicians have pointed the finger at the workers' living conditions, suggesting crowded homes bear some blame.The comments — including a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice's remark that an outbreak didn't seem to have come from “regular folks” — outraged workers and advocates who slammed them as elitist and critical of immigrants, who make up a big share of America's meatpacking workforce.And the remarks stood in contrast to public U.S. outpourings of gratitude for other essential workers like police officers, health care professionals and grocery store workers.South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, generated ire last month when discussing the closure of a Smithfield pork plant in Sioux Falls that infected 1,000 employees and people who came in contact with the workers, saying “99% of what’s going on today wasn’t happening inside the facility.”The spread of the virus happened "more at home, where these employees were going home and spreading some of the virus because a lot of these folks who work at this plant live in the community, the same building, sometimes in the same apartment,” she said on Fox News.Noem's comments created a foundation for blaming virus outbreaks on the meatpackers' home lives instead of conditions at plants, where employees often worked shoulder to shoulder with little to no protective gear as U.S. virus cases surged, said Taneeza Islam, who runs the refugee and immigrant support group South Dakota Voices for Peace.Her group organized a letter to Noem to ask "her to listen to the people who have been directly impacted because she has not done that yet, which is very telling about her position in terms of being on the side of the people or being on the side of business.”Noem wasn't alone. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, also a Republican, took heat for remarks last month after a meatpacking plant virus outbreak in his state.“Well, we see people concentrated together," Ricketts said. "And that’s certainly true with our food processors where you have people together. But it can also be true in households if you have multiple generations of people living together, or a lot of people living in a household.”U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar cited crowded meatpacking worker living conditions in a call last week with members of Congress, according to a story first reported by Politico. Agency spokesman Michael Caputo on Thursday defended Azar's remarks as “nothing more than a statement of the obvious.”Achut Deng, a Sudanese refugee who works at the Sioux Falls plant, said after Noem's remarks that the comments offended her, calling them “ridiculous.”Many of Smithfield's Sioux Falls employees live in well-maintained apartment complexes near the plant, some in multi-generational homes so older family members can be cared for. Others have single-family units and Deng, who was infected and recovered, believes she caught the virus at the plant because she lives only with her three children who have been out of school.In Wisconsin, Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack appeared to downplay the impact of an outbreak at the JBS Packerland beef plant in Green Bay while hearing arguments on a lawsuit seeking to strike down the state's stay-at-home order. Coronavirus cases in Brown County, where Green Bay lies, jumped from 60 to about 800 in two weeks, a state government lawyer told justices this week.“These were due to the meatpacking, though,” responded Roggensack, part of the court's conservative majority. “That’s where Brown County got the flare. It wasn’t just the regular folks in Brown County.”Christine Neumann Ortiz, executive director of the Wisconsin-based Latino advocacy group Voces de la Frontera, said Roggensack's comments “reflected elitist disdain for workers.”“It shows she considers their lives less worthy,” Ortiz said. “It’s an abhorrent comment, especially at this moment.”A court spokesman, Tom Sheehan, said Roggensack was prohibited by court rules from responding.Many U.S. meat plant workers are Latino but in recent years, particularly in the upper Midwest, African immigrants have taken meatpacking jobs. About 40 languages are spoken by workers at the Sioux Falls plant, the Centers for Disease Control has said.Ortiz said many Latino and immigrant families with workers in the sector “are very family-oriented” and that could contribute to the virus' spread. But she insisted that the greater threats are workplace conditions and policies she claimed encourage workers to come in sick and do not provide enough worker virus testing.In South Dakota, Noem said she made her meatpacking company worker living condition comments after the Sioux Falls plant closed and public health officials' focus shifted to stopping the outbreak where the workers lived.She agreed to speak personally with some meatpacking workers after advocacy groups made the demand. Those calls, organized through Smithfield, were scheduled for Thursday night and Friday.In Nebraska, meatpacking worker advocates disputed Ricketts' suggestion that an outbreak could have happened because of crowded worker households at the Tyson Foods beef plant in Dakota City, where hundreds were infected.“The governor’s statement that this is a community issue is completely untrue,” said Rose Godinez, legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, and the daughter of retired meatpacking workers.She said plant workers told her that most employees who tested positive own or rent their homes and in general do not live in crowded, small dwellings.Godinez said Ricketts' comments appeared aimed at “trying to deflect some of the companies’ failures.”Blaming workers for workplace safety and illnesses is a longstanding tactic by companies seeking to avoid responsibility, said Celeste Monforton, a Texas State University lecturer and workplace safety expert.“If these workers are deemed to be critical infrastructure workers, deemed to be essential workers, they deserve the utmost respect, the highest level of protection," she said.

Some blame meatpacking workers, not plants, for virus spread

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A top Republican legislator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5754325796fa71b55a24b02648406648">who worked with Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly</a>&nbsp;on a plan for expanding Medicaid in Kansas announced Friday that he is not seeking re-election.

Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning said it’s time for him to focus again on his wife and business. The Overland Park Republican is the retired CEO of an eye care and optical surgery company and was expected to have a tough re-election race this year.

“Throughout this journey, I have promoted fiscally responsible policy and remained focused on evaluation all legislation in a practical and pragmatic fashion,” Denning said.

Denning was elected to the House in 2010 and to the Senate in 2012, becoming its No. 2 leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6974366ea0c04c7d9a3e0624b6573fa0">in 2016.</a>&nbsp;The only candidate so far in his Kansas City-area district is Democratic Rep. Cindy Holscher of Overland Park.

He helped block Medicaid expansion in 2019 but outlined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/59fe470d42cb538a734572660a7d84b4" target="_blank">his own plan</a>&nbsp;in October before working with Kelly on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f5cf2666dc8dbd4b88e1f313e28a655d">a bipartisan proposal</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f5cf2666dc8dbd4b88e1f313e28a655d"></a>hasn’t gotten a vote.

In 2019, Denning&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/439928cb258248bb90b22f6abe7ee81e">sued The Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;over a freelancer’s column that criticized him for opposing Medicaid expansion, alleging the column defamed him by falsely attributing statements to him. A judge dismissed the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588956743770.png" alt="Senator Denning and Gov. Laura Kelly on the day they announced the Medicaid expansion agreement" />
 <figcaption>Senator Denning and Gov. Laura Kelly on the day they announced the Medicaid expansion agreement</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A top Republican legislator&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5754325796fa71b55a24b02648406648">who worked with Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly</a>&nbsp;on a plan for expanding Medicaid in Kansas announced Friday that he is not seeking re-election.Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning said it’s time for him to focus again on his wife and business. The Overland Park Republican is the retired CEO of an eye care and optical surgery company and was expected to have a tough re-election race this year.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It is with great thought and reflection that I announce I will not seek another term in the Kansas Legislature. &quot;No legislator will accomplish everything they set out to do, but we do our best to ensure our district is represented and that we serve our people responsibly.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/l30tQdfnnw">pic.twitter.com/l30tQdfnnw</a>&mdash; Jim Denning (@JimDenning4KS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimDenning4KS/status/1258776250748932097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Throughout this journey, I have promoted fiscally responsible policy and remained focused on evaluation all legislation in a practical and pragmatic fashion,” Denning said.Denning was elected to the House in 2010 and to the Senate in 2012, becoming its No. 2 leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6974366ea0c04c7d9a3e0624b6573fa0">in 2016.</a>&nbsp;The only candidate so far in his Kansas City-area district is Democratic Rep. Cindy Holscher of Overland Park.He helped block Medicaid expansion in 2019 but outlined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/59fe470d42cb538a734572660a7d84b4" target="_blank">his own plan</a>&nbsp;in October before working with Kelly on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f5cf2666dc8dbd4b88e1f313e28a655d">a bipartisan proposal</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f5cf2666dc8dbd4b88e1f313e28a655d"></a>hasn’t gotten a vote.In 2019, Denning&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/439928cb258248bb90b22f6abe7ee81e">sued The Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;over a freelancer’s column that criticized him for opposing Medicaid expansion, alleging the column defamed him by falsely attributing statements to him. A judge dismissed the case.___

Kansas GOP leader pushing Medicaid plan not running again

SALINE COUNTY —Rolling Hills Zoo announced Friday that its male snow leopard, Gobi, was found dead in his indoor quarters by his keepers during morning rounds on May 4, according to a media release.

There were no indications that anything was wrong prior to his death.&nbsp; A gross necropsy has been performed.&nbsp;&nbsp; Tests showed that Gobi was negative for SARS and COVID-19.&nbsp; The zoo is now awaiting further results from the histopathology.&nbsp;

Gobi, was born on May 25, 2009, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. He moved to Rolling Hills Zoo on April 7, 2011.&nbsp; Snow leopards are typically solitary animals in the wild, and although he was paired with several females at RHZ, he never produced offspring.&nbsp;&nbsp; In captivity snow leopards have been known to live as long as 22 years, but life in the wild is much harder, so the life expectancy is more likely to be 10 – 12 years.&nbsp;

According to his keepers, Gobi was sassy, headstrong and stubborn, and loved attention and interactions with his keepers.&nbsp; Some of his favorite games were playing chase as the keepers ran along the outside of his habitat and stocking his keepers at supper time.&nbsp;

“He loved to play hide and seek,” shared Kira Noda, relief keeper. &nbsp;“We would play where I would ‘hide’ behind the rocks and he would pounce from the other side when he found me. He wouldn’t shift inside for the night until we played both chase and hide and seek.”

“He could brighten any day with his chuffs, tail twitches and spunky personality, and always had to add his two cents to a conversation,” said his keeper, Siarra Abker. &nbsp;&nbsp;“Sometimes he would act like he was not paying attention to us, but his tail would always give him away because whenever we talked to him his tail would twitch, so we knew he was listening even if it didn’t seem like it.”

Gobi was trained to present different body parts which allowed the keepers to do physical exams on a regular basis.&nbsp; He was also trained to present his tail to his keepers so it could eventually be used for injections should the need arise.&nbsp; With the trainings, his favorite treat was chicken, and he also loved the sensory enrichment of rhino hay and nutmeg.&nbsp;

As one of the zoo’s featured artists, Gobi loved to paint.&nbsp; One of the keepers’ favorite memories was when they were painting with Gobi and he flicked paint at one of the keepers because she used too much paint and he was offended. &nbsp;It was his way of showing her who was in charge, and it wasn’t the keepers.&nbsp;

According to the Snow Leopard Trust, while exact numbers are unknown, there may be as few as 3,920 snow leopards left in the wild and probably no more than 6,390. Known throughout the world for their beautiful coats, this elusive cat faces numerous threats including poaching for snow leopard parts. Between 2008 and 2016, one snow leopard was reportedly killed and traded every day, 220 – 450 cats per year, and the true extent of the problem is thought to be even bigger. Other threats include habitat loss, mining and climate change.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588968406118.jpeg" alt="Gobi would have turned 11-year-old this month-&nbsp;Photo courtesy Rolling Hills Zoo" />
 <figcaption>Gobi would have turned 11-year-old this month-&nbsp;Photo courtesy Rolling Hills Zoo</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Rolling Hills Zoo announced Friday that its male snow leopard, Gobi, was found dead in his indoor quarters by his keepers during morning rounds on May 4, according to a media release.There were no indications that anything was wrong prior to his death.&nbsp; A gross necropsy has been performed.&nbsp;&nbsp; Tests showed that Gobi was negative for SARS and COVID-19.&nbsp; The zoo is now awaiting further results from the histopathology.&nbsp;Gobi, was born on May 25, 2009, at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. He moved to Rolling Hills Zoo on April 7, 2011.&nbsp; Snow leopards are typically solitary animals in the wild, and although he was paired with several females at RHZ, he never produced offspring.&nbsp;&nbsp; In captivity snow leopards have been known to live as long as 22 years, but life in the wild is much harder, so the life expectancy is more likely to be 10 – 12 years.&nbsp;According to his keepers, Gobi was sassy, headstrong and stubborn, and loved attention and interactions with his keepers.&nbsp; Some of his favorite games were playing chase as the keepers ran along the outside of his habitat and stocking his keepers at supper time.&nbsp;“He loved to play hide and seek,” shared Kira Noda, relief keeper. &nbsp;“We would play where I would ‘hide’ behind the rocks and he would pounce from the other side when he found me. He wouldn’t shift inside for the night until we played both chase and hide and seek.”“He could brighten any day with his chuffs, tail twitches and spunky personality, and always had to add his two cents to a conversation,” said his keeper, Siarra Abker. &nbsp;&nbsp;“Sometimes he would act like he was not paying attention to us, but his tail would always give him away because whenever we talked to him his tail would twitch, so we knew he was listening even if it didn’t seem like it.”Gobi was trained to present different body parts which allowed the keepers to do physical exams on a regular basis.&nbsp; He was also trained to present his tail to his keepers so it could eventually be used for injections should the need arise.&nbsp; With the trainings, his favorite treat was chicken, and he also loved the sensory enrichment of rhino hay and nutmeg.&nbsp;As one of the zoo’s featured artists, Gobi loved to paint.&nbsp; One of the keepers’ favorite memories was when they were painting with Gobi and he flicked paint at one of the keepers because she used too much paint and he was offended. &nbsp;It was his way of showing her who was in charge, and it wasn’t the keepers.&nbsp;According to the Snow Leopard Trust, while exact numbers are unknown, there may be as few as 3,920 snow leopards left in the wild and probably no more than 6,390. Known throughout the world for their beautiful coats, this elusive cat faces numerous threats including poaching for snow leopard parts. Between 2008 and 2016, one snow leopard was reportedly killed and traded every day, 220 – 450 cats per year, and the true extent of the problem is thought to be even bigger. Other threats include habitat loss, mining and climate change.

Kansas zoo investigates death of snow leopard

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly and&nbsp;Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, discuss the latest updates regarding COVID-19.   

The governor also announced the state received an $8 million grant to enhance early childhood education in Kansas.

In compliance with the governor’s Executive Order limiting mass gatherings in Kansas, the press briefings are held virtually, done with 10&nbsp;total people (or less) in the room. 

The room limit will be strictly enforced in an effort to comply with CDC and KDHE recommended social distancing policies. This number includes

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly and&nbsp;Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, discuss the latest updates regarding COVID-19.   The governor also announced the state received an $8 million grant to enhance early childhood education in Kansas.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F728967931256339%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>In compliance with the governor’s Executive Order limiting mass gatherings in Kansas, the press briefings are held virtually, done with 10&nbsp;total people (or less) in the room. The room limit will be strictly enforced in an effort to comply with CDC and KDHE recommended social distancing policies. This number includes

🎥 Gov. Kelly update on the battle against coronavirus

For some, it could mean choosing between a paycheck and their health

By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-08/for-some-kansans-going-back-to-work-in-a-pandemic-could-mean-risking-their-lives">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA — The economic shutdown driven by the COVID-19 outbreak put Sherri Calderwood out of work. 

Then her job waiting tables opened up again.

But
 that opportunity came with a tough choice, one she shares with millions
 of other Americans: Somehow manage without a paycheck or risk her 
health earning a living.

Several years ago, she had a blood 
disease that required doctors to remove her spleen, a fist-sized organ 
that helps the body fight infection.

With a weakened immune 
system, Calderwood fears returning to work at Topeka’s Hanover Pancake 
House, a diner that’s been her “home away from home” for the past 21 
years.

“I’ve always felt safe,” she said, “Now I don’t, and I don’t know how to handle it.”

Closed
 for more than a month, the restaurant reopened a few weeks ago for 
carryout orders. Eager to overcome her fears, Calderwood volunteered to 
work a partial shift hoping it would prepare her to come back full time 
when the dining room reopened the following week.

That
 excitement turned to panic when she overheard a few coworkers talking 
about how they had largely ignored Gov. Laura Kelly’s stay-at-home order
 while the restaurant was closed.

“I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my God, I 
haven’t left my house and here I am standing with people that have been 
out running around,’” Calderwood said.

“So, the panic attack got worse,” she said. “I couldn’t breathe.”

Seeing
 Calderwood in distress, owner Scott Albrecht walked her to the door and
 told her it was OK to stay home for another couple of weeks.

Still in tears, she couldn’t make herself leave.

“I thought, ‘If I walked out this door, I’m never going to have my job back,’” she said.

Calderwood is determined to show up for work on May 18 even if she hasn’t entirely put her fears to rest.

“I just have to suck it up and do it,” she said. “(The job) isn’t just my livelihood, it’s my life.”

Calderwood’s
 anxiety mirrors that of untold others forced to weigh the need to pay 
their bills against the risks of returning to work with cases of 
COVID-19 still on the rise.

Buttressing those concerns are <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/01/848931228/essential-workers-plan-may-day-strikes-others-demand-end-to-covid-19-lockdowns" target="_blank">reports of the virus’ toll on essential workers </a>forced to stay on the job during the height of the pandemic.

Soaring infection rates in <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-04/despite-meatpacking-plants-efforts-kansas-workers-say-were-right-next-to-each-other" target="_blank">southwest Kansas meatpacking plants </a>also serve as a cautionary tale to people being called back to workplaces where mitigation measures are hard to put into practice.

At
 the restaurant, Albrecht has rearranged tables and blocked off every 
other booth to comply with social distancing rules. He’s purchased masks
 for his workers but doesn’t require that they wear them. However, they 
are required to disinfect tables and chairs after every use.

Some retailers are encouraging people to wear masks and attempting to
 make social distancing easier by reconfiguring areas where people 
gather such as checkout lines.

Those kinds of<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/225/How-to-protect-yourself-and-others" target="_blank"> basic precautions,</a>
 said Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and 
Environment, significantly reduce the risk of exposure to the 
coronavirus.

“But you cannot mitigate risk down to zero,” he said.

Employers that ignore mitigation guidelines or half-heartedly enforce them are Karen Davis’ concern.

She
 said she lost her job in a Johnson County dental clinic because she 
questioned whether enough was being done to protect patients and 
employees.

“I ended up only working there like a day and a half,” Davis said. “I just knew it wasn’t safe.”

Since
 going public with her concerns, Davis has fielded a steady stream of 
complaints from other hygienists afraid to confront their bosses.

“They’re private messaging and calling me,” she said.

Among other things, Davis worries some clinics aren’t providing hygienists with masks capable of blocking <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/COVID19InfectionControlForAerosolGeneratingProcedures.pdf" target="_blank">particles put into the air by common procedures</a> such as cleaning or scaling teeth.

The
 head of the Kansas Dental Association said his members “understand the 
gravity of the situation” and are taking steps to ensure the safety of 
their workers and patients.

Even though there have been “no instances of COVID-19 transmission from dental treatment,” KDA Director Kevin Robertson said in <a href="https://files.constantcontact.com/0650eda1201/9f813f33-cfda-4a61-9c50-d3a49e376615.pdf" target="_blank">a recent letter to the governor,</a> Kansas dentists are providing a “heightened level of infection control” as they resume practicing.

That
 includes screening patients for the virus, expanding the use of 
personal protective equipment and adhering to social distancing 
safeguards, Robertson said in the letter co-signed by the association’s 
president and the chair of its reopening task force.

People
 worried about returning to work because of an underlying health 
condition or an employer’s failure to take steps to mitigate the spread 
of the virus have options, at least when it comes to collecting 
unemployment.

In some states, workers who decline to return to 
work are no longer eligible for benefits. But Kelly decided to handle 
those situations differently in Kansas.

“We are going to deal with that on a case-by-case basis,” she said.

That means people <a href="https://www.dol.ks.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/job-refusal-info.pdf" target="_blank">can continue receiving benefits</a>
 as long as they “have good cause for declining the work,” said Laurel 
Klein Searles, the head of the unemployment division at the Kansas 
Department of Labor.

Kansans on unemployment who refuse a job 
offer must notify the agency when they file their weekly claim, Klein 
Searles said. The employer who extended the offer should also alert the 
agency that it had been declined, she said.

To avoid 
he-said-she-said disputes, Klein Searles said, people claiming to have 
an underlying health condition should be prepared to provide supporting 
documentation.

“We need that,” she said, “to prove, ‘Yes, I am at high risk and I do have good cause for rejecting this job offer.’”

Nearly 240,000 Kansans have filed for unemployment since March 14.

Jim
 McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service is a 
collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public 
Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks or 
email jim@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588962352579.png" alt="Sherri Calderwood has worked at a Topeka diner for 21 years but a health condition has her afraid to return during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jim McLean / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Sherri Calderwood has worked at a Topeka diner for 21 years but a health condition has her afraid to return during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jim McLean / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>For some, it could mean choosing between a paycheck and their health</h2>By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-08/for-some-kansans-going-back-to-work-in-a-pandemic-could-mean-risking-their-lives">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA — The economic shutdown driven by the COVID-19 outbreak put Sherri Calderwood out of work. Then her job waiting tables opened up again.But
 that opportunity came with a tough choice, one she shares with millions
 of other Americans: Somehow manage without a paycheck or risk her 
health earning a living.Several years ago, she had a blood 
disease that required doctors to remove her spleen, a fist-sized organ 
that helps the body fight infection.With a weakened immune 
system, Calderwood fears returning to work at Topeka’s Hanover Pancake 
House, a diner that’s been her “home away from home” for the past 21 
years.“I’ve always felt safe,” she said, “Now I don’t, and I don’t know how to handle it.”Closed
 for more than a month, the restaurant reopened a few weeks ago for 
carryout orders. Eager to overcome her fears, Calderwood volunteered to 
work a partial shift hoping it would prepare her to come back full time 
when the dining room reopened the following week.“I was so excited,” she said.That
 excitement turned to panic when she overheard a few coworkers talking 
about how they had largely ignored Gov. Laura Kelly’s stay-at-home order
 while the restaurant was closed.“I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my God, I 
haven’t left my house and here I am standing with people that have been 
out running around,’” Calderwood said.“So, the panic attack got worse,” she said. “I couldn’t breathe.”Seeing
 Calderwood in distress, owner Scott Albrecht walked her to the door and
 told her it was OK to stay home for another couple of weeks.Still in tears, she couldn’t make herself leave.“I thought, ‘If I walked out this door, I’m never going to have my job back,’” she said.Calderwood is determined to show up for work on May 18 even if she hasn’t entirely put her fears to rest.“I just have to suck it up and do it,” she said. “(The job) isn’t just my livelihood, it’s my life.”<h2>Reason for concern</h2>Calderwood’s
 anxiety mirrors that of untold others forced to weigh the need to pay 
their bills against the risks of returning to work with cases of 
COVID-19 still on the rise.Buttressing those concerns are <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/01/848931228/essential-workers-plan-may-day-strikes-others-demand-end-to-covid-19-lockdowns" target="_blank">reports of the virus’ toll on essential workers </a>forced to stay on the job during the height of the pandemic.Soaring infection rates in <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-04/despite-meatpacking-plants-efforts-kansas-workers-say-were-right-next-to-each-other" target="_blank">southwest Kansas meatpacking plants </a>also serve as a cautionary tale to people being called back to workplaces where mitigation measures are hard to put into practice.At
 the restaurant, Albrecht has rearranged tables and blocked off every 
other booth to comply with social distancing rules. He’s purchased masks
 for his workers but doesn’t require that they wear them. However, they 
are required to disinfect tables and chairs after every use.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588962503558.png" alt="Seating has been restricted to comply with social distancing rules. Jim McLean photo" />
 <figcaption>Seating has been restricted to comply with social distancing rules. Jim McLean photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Some retailers are encouraging people to wear masks and attempting to
 make social distancing easier by reconfiguring areas where people 
gather such as checkout lines.Those kinds of<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/225/How-to-protect-yourself-and-others" target="_blank"> basic precautions,</a>
 said Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and 
Environment, significantly reduce the risk of exposure to the 
coronavirus.“But you cannot mitigate risk down to zero,” he said.Employers that ignore mitigation guidelines or half-heartedly enforce them are Karen Davis’ concern.She
 said she lost her job in a Johnson County dental clinic because she 
questioned whether enough was being done to protect patients and 
employees.“I ended up only working there like a day and a half,” Davis said. “I just knew it wasn’t safe.”Since
 going public with her concerns, Davis has fielded a steady stream of 
complaints from other hygienists afraid to confront their bosses.“They’re private messaging and calling me,” she said.Among other things, Davis worries some clinics aren’t providing hygienists with masks capable of blocking <a href="https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/COVID19InfectionControlForAerosolGeneratingProcedures.pdf" target="_blank">particles put into the air by common procedures</a> such as cleaning or scaling teeth.The
 head of the Kansas Dental Association said his members “understand the 
gravity of the situation” and are taking steps to ensure the safety of 
their workers and patients.Even though there have been “no instances of COVID-19 transmission from dental treatment,” KDA Director Kevin Robertson said in <a href="https://files.constantcontact.com/0650eda1201/9f813f33-cfda-4a61-9c50-d3a49e376615.pdf" target="_blank">a recent letter to the governor,</a> Kansas dentists are providing a “heightened level of infection control” as they resume practicing.That
 includes screening patients for the virus, expanding the use of 
personal protective equipment and adhering to social distancing 
safeguards, Robertson said in the letter co-signed by the association’s 
president and the chair of its reopening task force.<h2>Options for some</h2>People
 worried about returning to work because of an underlying health 
condition or an employer’s failure to take steps to mitigate the spread 
of the virus have options, at least when it comes to collecting 
unemployment.In some states, workers who decline to return to 
work are no longer eligible for benefits. But Kelly decided to handle 
those situations differently in Kansas.“We are going to deal with that on a case-by-case basis,” she said.That means people <a href="https://www.dol.ks.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/job-refusal-info.pdf" target="_blank">can continue receiving benefits</a>
 as long as they “have good cause for declining the work,” said Laurel 
Klein Searles, the head of the unemployment division at the Kansas 
Department of Labor.Kansans on unemployment who refuse a job 
offer must notify the agency when they file their weekly claim, Klein 
Searles said. The employer who extended the offer should also alert the 
agency that it had been declined, she said.To avoid 
he-said-she-said disputes, Klein Searles said, people claiming to have 
an underlying health condition should be prepared to provide supporting 
documentation.“We need that,” she said, “to prove, ‘Yes, I am at high risk and I do have good cause for rejecting this job offer.’”Nearly 240,000 Kansans have filed for unemployment since March 14.Jim
 McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service is a 
collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public 
Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks or 
email jim@kcur.org.

For some Kansans, going back to work could mean risking their lives

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 357 to a total of 6501, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 357 to a total of 6501, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 152<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588958244088.png" alt="May 8, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>May 8, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch
Post</a>


HUTCHINSON — 
The digital differences between students in Kansas K-12 education have been brought into sharp relief this year.

"We've
 known for several years that children, especially those who live in 
some of the more remote rural areas, or those who live in high poverty 
areas just do not have access to broadband internet either at all or to a
 reliable supplier," said KASB Advocacy and Outreach Specialist Leah 
Fliter. "We've known that. It's something that the state has been 
attempting to work on through a broadband task force, but you know, it's
 been slow going."

The federal level may provide some hope in that regard if proposed legislation makes it into the next COVID-19 stimulus bill.

"The
 Emergency Educational Connections Act, that's a bill that would provide
 $4 billion for internet connectivity across the nation," Fliter said. 
"It would assist with broadband devices, with Wi-Fi hotspots and other 
connectivity issues for students across the United States."

The 
National Center for Education Statistics estimates 14 percent of 
school-aged children didn’t have home internet access in 2017. Kansas 
was slightly below that national rate.

"In Kansas, that's 70,000 kids we estimate do not have broadband internet access at home," Fliter said.

For
 those who think online delivery might be the solution to a long-term 
teacher shortage in the state, in order for that to be viable, the 
students need to have internet access at home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588957609333.jpeg" alt="1588933801473.jpeg" />
 <figcaption>1588933801473.jpeg</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch
Post</a>
HUTCHINSON — 
The digital differences between students in Kansas K-12 education have been brought into sharp relief this year."We've
 known for several years that children, especially those who live in 
some of the more remote rural areas, or those who live in high poverty 
areas just do not have access to broadband internet either at all or to a
 reliable supplier," said KASB Advocacy and Outreach Specialist Leah 
Fliter. "We've known that. It's something that the state has been 
attempting to work on through a broadband task force, but you know, it's
 been slow going."The federal level may provide some hope in that regard if proposed legislation makes it into the next COVID-19 stimulus bill."The
 Emergency Educational Connections Act, that's a bill that would provide
 $4 billion for internet connectivity across the nation," Fliter said. 
"It would assist with broadband devices, with Wi-Fi hotspots and other 
connectivity issues for students across the United States."The 
National Center for Education Statistics estimates 14 percent of 
school-aged children didn’t have home internet access in 2017. Kansas 
was slightly below that national rate."In Kansas, that's 70,000 kids we estimate do not have broadband internet access at home," Fliter said.For
 those who think online delivery might be the solution to a long-term 
teacher shortage in the state, in order for that to be viable, the 
students need to have internet access at home.