KANSAS CITY (AP) — Two Kansas City-area brothers have pleaded guilty in a scheme to defraud oil and gas investors out of millions of dollars.

Phil Hudnall, 49, of Lenexa, Kansas, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article243672742.html">reports</a>. Brian Hudnall, 43, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty midweek to the same charge. A third man accused in the scheme, Duc Nguyen, of Houston, Texas, pleaded not guilty this month to wire fraud.

According to court documents, Phil Hudnall, a former cross country coach, solicited more than $4 million from investors in 2019 by promising rapid returns of 20 to 30 percent on their investments.

Instead, Hudnall spent most of that money on a land deal and personal expenses, including a $100,000 sport utility vehicle. Brian Hudnall helped launder the money and took a cut for himself, court records said.

Phil Hudnall transferred more than $1 million to Nguyen to buy oil and gas equipment. But Nguyen spent the money on a car and at casinos instead, according to federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a civil case.

Under their plea agreements, the Hudnalls must repay their victims and forfeit $3.8 million. Sentencing dates have not been set.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Two Kansas City-area brothers have pleaded guilty in a scheme to defraud oil and gas investors out of millions of dollars.Phil Hudnall, 49, of Lenexa, Kansas, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article243672742.html">reports</a>. Brian Hudnall, 43, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty midweek to the same charge. A third man accused in the scheme, Duc Nguyen, of Houston, Texas, pleaded not guilty this month to wire fraud.According to court documents, Phil Hudnall, a former cross country coach, solicited more than $4 million from investors in 2019 by promising rapid returns of 20 to 30 percent on their investments.Instead, Hudnall spent most of that money on a land deal and personal expenses, including a $100,000 sport utility vehicle. Brian Hudnall helped launder the money and took a cut for himself, court records said.Phil Hudnall transferred more than $1 million to Nguyen to buy oil and gas equipment. But Nguyen spent the money on a car and at casinos instead, according to federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a civil case.Under their plea agreements, the Hudnalls must repay their victims and forfeit $3.8 million. Sentencing dates have not been set.

Kansas brothers plead guilty to oil, gas fraud

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three Republicans running seeking their party’s nomination for U.S. Senate in a competitive Kansas primary have launched ads opposing transgender rights.

Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said if elected he would offer legislation to withhold federal funds from institutions that allow transgender students in women’s sports.

“It’s important to remember these trans athletes destroyed the dreams of female athletes who trained their whole lives for the honor of winning that championship only to have it snatched away by a biological male,” Kobach said in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxZjGRC3RUA&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;fbclid=IwAR1n528OCHf7-okv9nmTEk-VO4OVAjGqamHfRm9NaGVSn28WlYLotVOU-Gg">campaign online video.</a>

Two of Kobach’s Republican rivals have traded their own barbs over transgender issues.

U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall attacked businessman Bob Hamilton in an ad that claims Hamilton “bankrolled a transgender rights group.” The claim is based on Bob Hamilton Plumbing’s past membership in the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce, a group that represents LGBT-friendly businesses in the Kansas City region.

Hamilton countered with his own ad calling Marshall’s claim false. “I’m a plumber. Public bathrooms stay separate,” Hamilton says in the ad as a graphic appears on the screen saying, “NO TRANSGENDER BATHROOMS.”

In a statement to The Star, Hamilton did not address a question about his company’s membership in the chamber and whether he stands by the decision to join. Hamilton sold the plumbing company in 2017, though it still carries his name and his name appears in ads.

The attacks against transgender rights are part of a pattern by Kansas Republicans, said Tom Witt, the executive director of Equality Kansas, the state’s leading LGBT organization.

“In the past four years we have had five bills introduced in the Kansas Legislature that single out transgender and gender non-conforming children… and now Kobach is taking this attack on little kids national,” Witt said.

State Sen. Barbara Bollier, the likely Democratic nominee in the Senate race, has praised the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling this week in favor of employment protections for LGBT workers. “Kobach and the Republican candidates want to divide people — even in the middle of a pandemic that has killed over 100,000 Americans,” she said in a statement.

GOP candidates are using transgender rights as a wedge issue much like same-sex marriage was used in past elections, said Stephanie Byers, a trans woman running for the Kansas House as a Democrat.

“There’s nobody else for them to pick on to unite their base together, so now they’re looking at trans people,” Byers said.

Kobach also likened the the fight over transgender rights to the previous battle over same-sex marriage and said Republicans need to take action to prevent a similar societal shift.

“Progressives ‘progress.’ Like the sharks of our imagination, they have to swim forward or they die,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592506181362.png" alt="Kris Kobach -photo Kobach for Senate Campaign" />
 <figcaption>Kris Kobach -photo Kobach for Senate Campaign</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three Republicans running seeking their party’s nomination for U.S. Senate in a competitive Kansas primary have launched ads opposing transgender rights.Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said if elected he would offer legislation to withhold federal funds from institutions that allow transgender students in women’s sports.“It’s important to remember these trans athletes destroyed the dreams of female athletes who trained their whole lives for the honor of winning that championship only to have it snatched away by a biological male,” Kobach said in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxZjGRC3RUA&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;fbclid=IwAR1n528OCHf7-okv9nmTEk-VO4OVAjGqamHfRm9NaGVSn28WlYLotVOU-Gg">campaign online video.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592496908105.jpeg" alt="Candidate Bob Hamilton" />
 <figcaption>Candidate Bob Hamilton</figcaption>
 </figure>Two of Kobach’s Republican rivals have traded their own barbs over transgender issues.U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall attacked businessman Bob Hamilton in an ad that claims Hamilton “bankrolled a transgender rights group.” The claim is based on Bob Hamilton Plumbing’s past membership in the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce, a group that represents LGBT-friendly businesses in the Kansas City region.Hamilton countered with his own ad calling Marshall’s claim false. “I’m a plumber. Public bathrooms stay separate,” Hamilton says in the ad as a graphic appears on the screen saying, “NO TRANSGENDER BATHROOMS.”In a statement to The Star, Hamilton did not address a question about his company’s membership in the chamber and whether he stands by the decision to join. Hamilton sold the plumbing company in 2017, though it still carries his name and his name appears in ads.The attacks against transgender rights are part of a pattern by Kansas Republicans, said Tom Witt, the executive director of Equality Kansas, the state’s leading LGBT organization.“In the past four years we have had five bills introduced in the Kansas Legislature that single out transgender and gender non-conforming children… and now Kobach is taking this attack on little kids national,” Witt said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585145252311.png" alt=" Barbara Bollier, a former Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat.&nbsp; photo by Jim McLean Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Barbara Bollier, a former Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat.&nbsp; photo by Jim McLean Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>State Sen. Barbara Bollier, the likely Democratic nominee in the Senate race, has praised the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling this week in favor of employment protections for LGBT workers. “Kobach and the Republican candidates want to divide people — even in the middle of a pandemic that has killed over 100,000 Americans,” she said in a statement.GOP candidates are using transgender rights as a wedge issue much like same-sex marriage was used in past elections, said Stephanie Byers, a trans woman running for the Kansas House as a Democrat.“There’s nobody else for them to pick on to unite their base together, so now they’re looking at trans people,” Byers said.Kobach also likened the the fight over transgender rights to the previous battle over same-sex marriage and said Republicans need to take action to prevent a similar societal shift.“Progressives ‘progress.’ Like the sharks of our imagination, they have to swim forward or they die,” he said.

Republicans attack transgender rights in Kansas Senate race

By TOM SHINE <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/defense-work-offers-new-opportunities-spirit-aerosystems">Kansas News Service</a>

2020 has not been kind to aviation manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems. 
The continued grounding of the Boeing 737 Max — the company's most 
important program — was compounded by a near shutdown of commercial air 
traffic because of the pandemic. That has resulted in thousands of 
layoffs at Spirit since January, along with furloughs and pay cuts.

Despite the drumbeat of bad news, Spirit has consistently remained optimistic when discussing one topic: Its defense programs.

Spirit says about 15% of its revenue comes from defense work. It wants to grow that number to 40%.

The
 company already is part of the new B-21 bomber supply chain and has 
acquired one company and is in the process of acquiring another that 
does defense work.

"I'm pleasantly surprised as it relates to the
 number of new work opportunities that have been coming our way on the 
defense side," Mark Suchinski, Spirit's senior vice president and chief 
financial officer, said on an earnings conference call last month.

Steve Trimble is the defense editor for Aviation Week. He has covered aviation and the defense industry for nearly 20 years.

He
 talked with Tom Shine and The Range about Spirit's efforts to grow its 
defense business, what makes the company attractive to defense 
contractors and whether defense work is more stable than the commercial 
aviation industry.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Can
 you start by talking a little bit about defense spending in general? 
How much money is out there and who would be the big players in that 
pool?

There's a lot of money in defense. The defense 
budget at the moment is in the $730 billion range, thereabouts. The 
biggest defense contractor in the world is Lockheed Martin, and you've 
got Boeing and their defense division not too far behind. Northrop 
Grumman is another big player, with other companies like Raytheon, 
General Dynamics.

There are quite a few companies in that group, 
but few with the sort of capacity and industrial wherewithal of Spirit 
AeroSystems.

Spirit says ... that defense work makes up 
about 15% of their revenue and they want to grow that to about 40%. Is 
that realistic?

I'd say it's realistic. I mean, right 
now, at 15%, that makes them sort of a billion-dollar … company in the 
defense market. To go up to 40% at their current level of revenue would 
make them more like a $3 billion company in the defense market. And that
 should be achievable.

Obviously, you know already 
[Spirit] does some work on defense programs, notably the KC-46 tanker … 
Does that experience position Spirit better for more work in the future?

I
 think the things that really make Spirit AeroSystems stand out in the 
defense market was the win on the B-21 program. And also their 
commercial scale.

In the defense market … the trick is you're 
talking about really highly optimized, almost a handmade-type structure 
for very, very advanced aircraft or missiles. Spirit AeroSystems has the
 ability … to come in as sort of a hybrid model with very advanced 
manufacturing capabilities, but that could produce very high volumes, 
which lowers the [costs]. And that makes them really interesting for 
certain programs that are coming down the line.

The B-21 is … 
still in the development phase. They're about to start ramping up 
production, and as they ramp up production, Spirit AeroSystems is going 
to get a lot of revenue from that. There's a huge demand for bombers. So
 there's only an upside for that program at the moment.

When
 people talk about defense work, they assume that it's steadier than 
commercial work; there's fewer downcycles, fewer dips. Is that true?

I
 wouldn't say there's [not] downcycles, but there is some insulation. 
For example, the COVID-19 crisis. What happens in the commercial market?
 All of the airlines dropped their orders. They stopped flying. 
Everything immediately and very abruptly changes.

In the defense 
market, nothing changes. Everything pretty much goes on as before, for 
at least a little while. Now, you might see in two or three years the 
fiscal effect of the economic stimulus and the COVID-19 impact on the 
economy. That's going to put some new constraints on how much we can 
actually spend.

But the effect of things like this doesn't show 
up for another two or three budget cycles. So there's some insulation 
into long-term planning that you can do to shift your resources.

The Space Force is coming on board here soon. Is there going to be defense money available … for the Space Force?

[Spirit]
 announced in February the acquisition of a company in Maine called FMI 
... What they do are the very sort of exquisite types of thermal 
protection systems and high-temperature composite materials that you 
would use in rockets; very, very advanced missiles, hypersonic missiles.

So
 Spirit AeroSystems has sort of put themselves in a position for at 
least on the launch side of what the Space Force might be doing.

But
 certainly for the new kinds of weapons that are of great interest right
 now across the [Department of Defense] … They all want new hypersonic 
missiles, and they can't get them fast enough, pardon the pun. And FMI 
puts [Spirit] in a pretty good position.

Not only FMI, but also 
the coupling of what FMI does ... with Spirit AeroSystems' manufacturing
 capacity and scale makes that really interesting to the defense 
department right now because they're essentially inventing a new supply 
chain for this new class of hypersonic weapons.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592578402621.jpeg" alt=" Hugo Phan / KMUW " />
 <figcaption> Hugo Phan / KMUW </figcaption>
 </figure>By TOM SHINE <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/defense-work-offers-new-opportunities-spirit-aerosystems">Kansas News Service</a>2020 has not been kind to aviation manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems. 
The continued grounding of the Boeing 737 Max — the company's most 
important program — was compounded by a near shutdown of commercial air 
traffic because of the pandemic. That has resulted in thousands of 
layoffs at Spirit since January, along with furloughs and pay cuts.Despite the drumbeat of bad news, Spirit has consistently remained optimistic when discussing one topic: Its defense programs.Spirit says about 15% of its revenue comes from defense work. It wants to grow that number to 40%.The
 company already is part of the new B-21 bomber supply chain and has 
acquired one company and is in the process of acquiring another that 
does defense work."I'm pleasantly surprised as it relates to the
 number of new work opportunities that have been coming our way on the 
defense side," Mark Suchinski, Spirit's senior vice president and chief 
financial officer, said on an earnings conference call last month.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592578471774.jpeg" alt=" Steve Trimble of Aviation Week. Credit Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption> Steve Trimble of Aviation Week. Credit Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Steve Trimble is the defense editor for Aviation Week. He has covered aviation and the defense industry for nearly 20 years.He
 talked with Tom Shine and The Range about Spirit's efforts to grow its 
defense business, what makes the company attractive to defense 
contractors and whether defense work is more stable than the commercial 
aviation industry.The interview was edited for length and clarity.Can
 you start by talking a little bit about defense spending in general? 
How much money is out there and who would be the big players in that 
pool?There's a lot of money in defense. The defense 
budget at the moment is in the $730 billion range, thereabouts. The 
biggest defense contractor in the world is Lockheed Martin, and you've 
got Boeing and their defense division not too far behind. Northrop 
Grumman is another big player, with other companies like Raytheon, 
General Dynamics.There are quite a few companies in that group, 
but few with the sort of capacity and industrial wherewithal of Spirit 
AeroSystems.Spirit says ... that defense work makes up 
about 15% of their revenue and they want to grow that to about 40%. Is 
that realistic?I'd say it's realistic. I mean, right 
now, at 15%, that makes them sort of a billion-dollar … company in the 
defense market. To go up to 40% at their current level of revenue would 
make them more like a $3 billion company in the defense market. And that
 should be achievable.Obviously, you know already 
[Spirit] does some work on defense programs, notably the KC-46 tanker … 
Does that experience position Spirit better for more work in the future?I
 think the things that really make Spirit AeroSystems stand out in the 
defense market was the win on the B-21 program. And also their 
commercial scale.In the defense market … the trick is you're 
talking about really highly optimized, almost a handmade-type structure 
for very, very advanced aircraft or missiles. Spirit AeroSystems has the
 ability … to come in as sort of a hybrid model with very advanced 
manufacturing capabilities, but that could produce very high volumes, 
which lowers the [costs]. And that makes them really interesting for 
certain programs that are coming down the line.The B-21 is … 
still in the development phase. They're about to start ramping up 
production, and as they ramp up production, Spirit AeroSystems is going 
to get a lot of revenue from that. There's a huge demand for bombers. So
 there's only an upside for that program at the moment.When
 people talk about defense work, they assume that it's steadier than 
commercial work; there's fewer downcycles, fewer dips. Is that true?I
 wouldn't say there's [not] downcycles, but there is some insulation. 
For example, the COVID-19 crisis. What happens in the commercial market?
 All of the airlines dropped their orders. They stopped flying. 
Everything immediately and very abruptly changes.In the defense 
market, nothing changes. Everything pretty much goes on as before, for 
at least a little while. Now, you might see in two or three years the 
fiscal effect of the economic stimulus and the COVID-19 impact on the 
economy. That's going to put some new constraints on how much we can 
actually spend.But the effect of things like this doesn't show 
up for another two or three budget cycles. So there's some insulation 
into long-term planning that you can do to shift your resources.The Space Force is coming on board here soon. Is there going to be defense money available … for the Space Force?[Spirit]
 announced in February the acquisition of a company in Maine called FMI 
... What they do are the very sort of exquisite types of thermal 
protection systems and high-temperature composite materials that you 
would use in rockets; very, very advanced missiles, hypersonic missiles.So
 Spirit AeroSystems has sort of put themselves in a position for at 
least on the launch side of what the Space Force might be doing.But
 certainly for the new kinds of weapons that are of great interest right
 now across the [Department of Defense] … They all want new hypersonic 
missiles, and they can't get them fast enough, pardon the pun. And FMI 
puts [Spirit] in a pretty good position.Not only FMI, but also 
the coupling of what FMI does ... with Spirit AeroSystems' manufacturing
 capacity and scale makes that really interesting to the defense 
department right now because they're essentially inventing a new supply 
chain for this new class of hypersonic weapons.

Defense work offers new opportunities for Kan. aircraft parts maker

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal Saturday shooting and have identified the victim as&nbsp;55 year-old Terry Tignor of Topeka.

Just before 6a.m. Saturday, officers responded to the 1200 block of SW Garfield in Topeka regarding an Aggravated Battery, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.

On arrival, officers located Tignor suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;

Police released no additional details late Saturday.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal Saturday shooting and have identified the victim as&nbsp;55 year-old Terry Tignor of Topeka.Just before 6a.m. Saturday, officers responded to the 1200 block of SW Garfield in Topeka regarding an Aggravated Battery, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith.On arrival, officers located Tignor suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; He was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp;Police released no additional details late Saturday.

Police ID Kansas man who died after reported shooting

By ALEX SMITH <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-06-18/as-kansas-and-missouri-reopen-new-research-says-states-still-lack-enough-contact-tracers-to-slow-covid-19">Kansas News Service</a>

Health experts say that contact tracers—health care workers whose job
 it is to reach out to individuals who may have been exposed to the 
coronavirus to instruct them to isolate—are essential to keep COVID-19 
from spreading. 

But updated research shows that both Kansas and 
Missouri lack adequate numbers of contact tracers even though both 
states have been gradually reopening for weeks. Still, some health 
officials dispute the findings.

While many cities, counties and 
states have made significant progress in COVID-19 preparedness, many 
others are still struggling on contact tracing, including Johnson 
County, Kansas, which has made huge strides in testing but still doesn’t
 have enough contact tracers.

“Right now, no,” wrote Johnson 
County health department spokeswoman Barbara Mitchell in an email, 
explaining that the county is currently understaffed and would be even 
further strained in the event of a new surge of COVID-19 cases.

Nationally,
 few states currently have enough of these workers, according to an 
analysis by NPR using data from George Washington University’s Contact 
Workforce Estimator.

Kansas currently has 12.33 contact tracers, 
including reserve workers, per 100,000 residents, short of the roughly 
17 per 100,000 needed, according to the analysis.

Missouri, 
meanwhile, has only .49 tracers per 100,000 residents, well below the 
roughly 14 per 100,000 needed there, the analysis shows.

However, 
the NPR analysis for Missouri only includes contact tracers working for 
the state health department, not those working in county and local 
health departments. The omission, which was not explained in the NPR 
report, likely makes the state’s capacity appear much lower than it 
actually is.

The George Washington University researchers based their estimates of contact tracer needs on 14-day case counts.

Health
 officials say that efforts to recruit contact tracers have been 
hampered by lack of funding and the time and effort required to hire and
 train these workers.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment 
spokeswoman Ashley Jones-Wisner wrote in an email that, so far, the 
state has generally managed to handle its contact tracing needs.

“Currently,
 our state has adequate contact tracers to assist local health 
departments with multiple surges should they request assistance,” 
Jones-Wisner wrote.

She explained that contact tracing is usually 
performed by people working in local and county health departments, and 
that state tracers are only used when local and county workers are 
overwhelmed.

She says that the state contact tracers, which 
include dozens of reassigned staff members and volunteers, have only 
been called upon to help in two local Kansas outbreaks, in Ford and 
Jackson counties.

Many state and local health departments, 
including Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas and Jackson County 
and the city of Kansas City in Missouri, are currently hiring full-time 
contact tracers to work on a temporary basis.

Missouri’s 
Department of Health and Senior Services did not immediately respond on 
Thursday to inquiries regarding contact tracers, but some local health 
departments in the Kansas City area indicated that they were struggling.

The
 Kansas City, Missouri, health department currently has a total of three
 full-time workers doing contact tracing, with other staff currently 
reassigned to do the work part time, according to spokesman Bill Snook.

Kansas
 City, Missouri has received no state or federal funding for contact 
tracing, Snook wrote in an email, and is currently funding the work 
through the local health levy.

Many of the city’s contact tracers have also been experiencing fatigue with the work.

“Some
 contacts or cases do not understand the need or want to comply our 
instructions which adds to the stress and emotional, mental and physical
 toll it takes on the multiple teams working multiple parts of the 
pandemic response,” Snook wrote in an email.

The Jackson County, 
Missouri, health department is aiming to complete its contact tracing 
team during the next two months, according to spokeswoman Kayla Parker.

Parker
 says the health department plans to have 10 contact tracers per 100,000
 residents, which she acknowledges is less than the recommended capacity
 of 15-30 tracers per 100,000. She notes that the health department did 
not receive the full amount of federal CARES funding it requested.

She says that lack of public cooperation also continues to derail contact tracing efforts.

“One
 obstacle we continue to face is resistance from some individuals in the
 community to provide information,” Parker wrote in an email. “In order 
to protect our population, it is imperative that people respond to our 
calls and give their contacts.”

Alex Smith is a health reporter for KCUR 89.3.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592578627821.png" alt="Ashley Peterson is a contact tracer for the Kansas City Health Department. Kansas City Health Department photo" />
 <figcaption>Ashley Peterson is a contact tracer for the Kansas City Health Department. Kansas City Health Department photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALEX SMITH <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-06-18/as-kansas-and-missouri-reopen-new-research-says-states-still-lack-enough-contact-tracers-to-slow-covid-19">Kansas News Service</a>Health experts say that contact tracers—health care workers whose job
 it is to reach out to individuals who may have been exposed to the 
coronavirus to instruct them to isolate—are essential to keep COVID-19 
from spreading. But updated research shows that both Kansas and 
Missouri lack adequate numbers of contact tracers even though both 
states have been gradually reopening for weeks. Still, some health 
officials dispute the findings.While many cities, counties and 
states have made significant progress in COVID-19 preparedness, many 
others are still struggling on contact tracing, including Johnson 
County, Kansas, which has made huge strides in testing but still doesn’t
 have enough contact tracers.“Right now, no,” wrote Johnson 
County health department spokeswoman Barbara Mitchell in an email, 
explaining that the county is currently understaffed and would be even 
further strained in the event of a new surge of COVID-19 cases.Nationally,
 few states currently have enough of these workers, according to an 
analysis by NPR using data from George Washington University’s Contact 
Workforce Estimator.Kansas currently has 12.33 contact tracers, 
including reserve workers, per 100,000 residents, short of the roughly 
17 per 100,000 needed, according to the analysis.Missouri, 
meanwhile, has only .49 tracers per 100,000 residents, well below the 
roughly 14 per 100,000 needed there, the analysis shows.However, 
the NPR analysis for Missouri only includes contact tracers working for 
the state health department, not those working in county and local 
health departments. The omission, which was not explained in the NPR 
report, likely makes the state’s capacity appear much lower than it 
actually is.The George Washington University researchers based their estimates of contact tracer needs on 14-day case counts.Health
 officials say that efforts to recruit contact tracers have been 
hampered by lack of funding and the time and effort required to hire and
 train these workers.Kansas Department of Health and Environment 
spokeswoman Ashley Jones-Wisner wrote in an email that, so far, the 
state has generally managed to handle its contact tracing needs.“Currently,
 our state has adequate contact tracers to assist local health 
departments with multiple surges should they request assistance,” 
Jones-Wisner wrote.She explained that contact tracing is usually 
performed by people working in local and county health departments, and 
that state tracers are only used when local and county workers are 
overwhelmed.She says that the state contact tracers, which 
include dozens of reassigned staff members and volunteers, have only 
been called upon to help in two local Kansas outbreaks, in Ford and 
Jackson counties.Many state and local health departments, 
including Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas and Jackson County 
and the city of Kansas City in Missouri, are currently hiring full-time 
contact tracers to work on a temporary basis.Missouri’s 
Department of Health and Senior Services did not immediately respond on 
Thursday to inquiries regarding contact tracers, but some local health 
departments in the Kansas City area indicated that they were struggling.The
 Kansas City, Missouri, health department currently has a total of three
 full-time workers doing contact tracing, with other staff currently 
reassigned to do the work part time, according to spokesman Bill Snook.Kansas
 City, Missouri has received no state or federal funding for contact 
tracing, Snook wrote in an email, and is currently funding the work 
through the local health levy.Many of the city’s contact tracers have also been experiencing fatigue with the work.“Some
 contacts or cases do not understand the need or want to comply our 
instructions which adds to the stress and emotional, mental and physical
 toll it takes on the multiple teams working multiple parts of the 
pandemic response,” Snook wrote in an email.The Jackson County, 
Missouri, health department is aiming to complete its contact tracing 
team during the next two months, according to spokeswoman Kayla Parker.Parker
 says the health department plans to have 10 contact tracers per 100,000
 residents, which she acknowledges is less than the recommended capacity
 of 15-30 tracers per 100,000. She notes that the health department did 
not receive the full amount of federal CARES funding it requested.She says that lack of public cooperation also continues to derail contact tracing efforts.“One
 obstacle we continue to face is resistance from some individuals in the
 community to provide information,” Parker wrote in an email. “In order 
to protect our population, it is imperative that people respond to our 
calls and give their contacts.”Alex Smith is a health reporter for KCUR 89.3.&nbsp;

Research: States still lack enough contact tracers to slow virus

SEWARD COUNTY —&nbsp;One person died in an accident during just after 8:30p.m. Saturday in Seward County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Seward County was in pursuit of a 2006 Jeep Liberty driven by&nbsp; Carlos Garcia-Alamos, 34, Liberal, on&nbsp;County Road 13 seven miles north and three miles east of the Kansas 53 and U.S. 83 Junction.

The driver&nbsp; failed to navigate a right turn on County Road 13 and entered the east ditch. The Jeep overturned once and the driver was ejected.

EMS transported Garcia-Alamos to&nbsp;Southwest Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. 

Authorities have not released details on what prompted the chase. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

SEWARD COUNTY —&nbsp;One person died in an accident during just after 8:30p.m. Saturday in Seward County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Seward County was in pursuit of a 2006 Jeep Liberty driven by&nbsp; Carlos Garcia-Alamos, 34, Liberal, on&nbsp;County Road 13 seven miles north and three miles east of the Kansas 53 and U.S. 83 Junction.The driver&nbsp; failed to navigate a right turn on County Road 13 and entered the east ditch. The Jeep overturned once and the driver was ejected.EMS transported Garcia-Alamos to&nbsp;Southwest Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Authorities have not released details on what prompted the chase. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. man dies after being ejected from Jeep during chase, crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects after the execution of. search warrant Friday in the 6100 block of SW 27th Street, according to Shawnee County Deputy Shayna Anderson.

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrant Unit and the US Marshals Task Force apprehended Keegien R. Hamilton, 26, of Topeka on a felony arrest warrant.&nbsp;

This also led to the arrest of Megan H. Cline, 26, of Topeka, on a requested charge of felony interference with law enforcement and multiple drug charges.

Hamilton was booked on a requested charged of felon in possession of a firearm, multiple drug charges and the felony warrant, according to Anderson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592666804651.png" alt="Hamilton" />
 <figcaption>Hamilton</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects after the execution of. search warrant Friday in the 6100 block of SW 27th Street, according to Shawnee County Deputy Shayna Anderson.The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrant Unit and the US Marshals Task Force apprehended Keegien R. Hamilton, 26, of Topeka on a felony arrest warrant.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592666782036.png" alt="Cline" />
 <figcaption>Cline</figcaption>
 </figure>This also led to the arrest of Megan H. Cline, 26, of Topeka, on a requested charge of felony interference with law enforcement and multiple drug charges.Hamilton was booked on a requested charged of felon in possession of a firearm, multiple drug charges and the felony warrant, according to Anderson.

U.S. Marshals Task force makes arrest of 2 in Kan. drug bust

SHERMAN COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating 2 Florida men on multiple charges after a chase on Interstate 70 in portions of eastern Colorado and northwest Kansas.

Just after 1p.m. Thursday, deputies in Colorado notified Kansas authorities they were in pursuit of a 2007 Dodge Ram and a 2012 Nissan Pickup eastbound on Interstate 0 just west of the Kit Carson County Line, according to Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod Heilman.&nbsp;

A short time later, the suspects ditched the Nissan and continued eastbound in the Dodge.&nbsp; The pickup struck spike strips placed by deputies in Colorado and the KHP but continued traveling on rims until a KHP trooper forced it off the road near mile post 9 in Sherman County.

The two suspects later identified as 24-year-old Taylor Lee Epperhart and 23-year-old Cody M. Rupert both of Florida ran from the vehicle.&nbsp;

Due to temperatures near 90 degrees, they didn't run far. Both are being held in the Kit Carson County Jail in Burlington, Colorado facing multiple charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592591248054.png" alt="Rupert photo Kit Carson County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Rupert photo Kit Carson County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SHERMAN COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating 2 Florida men on multiple charges after a chase on Interstate 70 in portions of eastern Colorado and northwest Kansas.Just after 1p.m. Thursday, deputies in Colorado notified Kansas authorities they were in pursuit of a 2007 Dodge Ram and a 2012 Nissan Pickup eastbound on Interstate 0 just west of the Kit Carson County Line, according to Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod Heilman.&nbsp;A short time later, the suspects ditched the Nissan and continued eastbound in the Dodge.&nbsp; The pickup struck spike strips placed by deputies in Colorado and the KHP but continued traveling on rims until a KHP trooper forced it off the road near mile post 9 in Sherman County.The two suspects later identified as 24-year-old Taylor Lee Epperhart and 23-year-old Cody M. Rupert both of Florida ran from the vehicle.&nbsp;Due to temperatures near 90 degrees, they didn't run far. Both are being held in the Kit Carson County Jail in Burlington, Colorado facing multiple charges.

2 suspects in stolen pickup jailed after NW Kan. high speed chase

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting the sent five people to the hospital early Saturday.

Just after 3 a.m., police responded to a shooting call at a motel in the 3700 block of North Rock Road in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp;

 Upon arrival, officers contacted a 20-year-old male, an 18-year-old male, and a 65-year-old female who all had sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.&nbsp; They were transported to area hospitals for medical treatment.&nbsp; Officers also located multiple shell casings outside of the motel building and vehicles that had been damaged by gunfire.

A &nbsp;19-year-old male and a 24-year-old male who were at the incident on Rock road later arrived at an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed a party was occurring in a room of the motel, and a disturbance ensued.&nbsp; The disturbance continued outside, leading to multiple shots being fired, striking the five individuals.&nbsp; The 65-year-old was struck while in a room and was not part of the disturbance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592686353125.png" alt="The shooting occurred in the 3700 Block of North Rock Road Wichita -Google image" />
 <figcaption>The shooting occurred in the 3700 Block of North Rock Road Wichita -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting the sent five people to the hospital early Saturday.Just after 3 a.m., police responded to a shooting call at a motel in the 3700 block of North Rock Road in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers contacted a 20-year-old male, an 18-year-old male, and a 65-year-old female who all had sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.&nbsp; They were transported to area hospitals for medical treatment.&nbsp; Officers also located multiple shell casings outside of the motel building and vehicles that had been damaged by gunfire.A &nbsp;19-year-old male and a 24-year-old male who were at the incident on Rock road later arrived at an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed a party was occurring in a room of the motel, and a disturbance ensued.&nbsp; The disturbance continued outside, leading to multiple shots being fired, striking the five individuals.&nbsp; The 65-year-old was struck while in a room and was not part of the disturbance.

Police: 5 wounded after gunfire during party at Kansas motel

OSAGE COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just after 2p.m. Saturday in Osage County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Yamaha Venture Royale driven by&nbsp; Bryan Thomas Holland, 49, Ottawa,&nbsp;was westbound on K268 and the Kansas 368.

The motorcycle rear-ended a 1995 Ford F150 driven by Arthur C. Hogelin, 72, Vasser, that&nbsp;was stopped at the intersection on K268 westbound waiting to turn south on K368.

Holland was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger&nbsp; on the motorcycle Stacy L. Holland, 48, Ottawa, to a Topeka hospital where she died.

Hogelin was not injured. The occupants of the motorcycle were wearing helmets, according to the KHP.

OSAGE COUNTY — Two people died in an accident just after 2p.m. Saturday in Osage County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1993 Yamaha Venture Royale driven by&nbsp; Bryan Thomas Holland, 49, Ottawa,&nbsp;was westbound on K268 and the Kansas 368.The motorcycle rear-ended a 1995 Ford F150 driven by Arthur C. Hogelin, 72, Vasser, that&nbsp;was stopped at the intersection on K268 westbound waiting to turn south on K368.Holland was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger&nbsp; on the motorcycle Stacy L. Holland, 48, Ottawa, to a Topeka hospital where she died.Hogelin was not injured. The occupants of the motorcycle were wearing helmets, according to the KHP.

Kansas man, woman die after motorcycle rear-ends pickup

HAMILTON COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a homicide that occurred Friday in Syracuse, Kansas

At 11:57 a.m., a 911 call was received reporting a shooting in Syracuse, according to a media release from the KBI.

 When deputies from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Country Café apartments at 503 E. Ave. A, Apt. 9, they discovered a man inside the apartment who had died from gunshot wounds. The coroner pronounced the man dead at the scene.

He was later identified as 21-year-old Kevin A. Palma-Rodriguez of Syracuse.

A search warrant was conducted by the KBI High Risk Warrant Team at a residence at&nbsp;310 W. Hwy 50, Apt. 9, in&nbsp;Syracuse. Then, an arrest warrant was issued for first-degree murder for 25-year-old Amner Y. Tejada-Vigil, also known as Jeovany Vijil. He lives at the Syracuse residence where the search warrant was conducted. Tejada-Vigil has not yet been located, or arrested.

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at 620-384-5616. A tip can also be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592684694156.png" alt="Amner Y. Tejada-Vigil&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Amner Y. Tejada-Vigil&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>HAMILTON COUNTY–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a homicide that occurred Friday in Syracuse, KansasAt 11:57 a.m., a 911 call was received reporting a shooting in Syracuse, according to a media release from the KBI. When deputies from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Country Café apartments at 503 E. Ave. A, Apt. 9, they discovered a man inside the apartment who had died from gunshot wounds. The coroner pronounced the man dead at the scene.He was later identified as 21-year-old Kevin A. Palma-Rodriguez of Syracuse.A search warrant was conducted by the KBI High Risk Warrant Team at a residence at&nbsp;310 W. Hwy 50, Apt. 9, in&nbsp;Syracuse. Then, an arrest warrant was issued for first-degree murder for 25-year-old Amner Y. Tejada-Vigil, also known as Jeovany Vijil. He lives at the Syracuse residence where the search warrant was conducted. Tejada-Vigil has not yet been located, or arrested.Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at 620-384-5616. A tip can also be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>.

KBI issues arrest warrant for alleged SW Kan. murder suspect

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — More than a century after the arrival of the railroads to the Flint Hills of Kansas, a large-scale track expansion is tearing up a scenic stretch in some of the last remaining tallgrass prairie left in the nation.

The multiyear project by BNSF Railway to build a second main line of track in Kansas got little public attention until construction this year on a nearly 42-mile stretch of track that the railroad is laying from Ellinor to El Dorado. Located south of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, the new line will run alongside much of Highway 177, a national scenic byway through the Flint Hills.

The work is occurring along the railroad’s right-of-way and 19 parcels of land it is acquiring, BNSF spokeswoman Amy Casas said in an email.

The project involves eight minor wetland fills, realignment of streams at three locations, seven new bridges and 36 culvert extensions, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers documents.

When Wichita resident Clayton Jamison and his wife traveled to Cottonwood Falls in late May, he was shocked as they came over a rise in the road a few miles north of Cassoday and saw the size of the excavation.

“It looked like a bomb went off,” Jamison said.

At one time, 150 million acres of tallgrass prairie stretched from Texas to Canada. Today only 4% of that ecosystem survives, with the largest piece in the Flint Hills, according to the Flint Hills Learning Center.

The Flint Hills, once an ancient inland seaway, has very shallow soil and hard limestone rocks that kept settlers from plowing it. Tallgrass prairie grasses grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall, with roots that extend up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) deep. Its ecosystem supports threatened species like prairie chickens.

“Up there that is a special place,” Jamison said of the Flint Hills. “It is just one of those things that have been that way for millennium times. It hasn’t changed a lot.”

BNSF said its earth moving is only temporary and that it will restore the area and plant native grass as required by its state construction stormwater permit and in “voluntary consultation” with The Nature Conservancy.

“We are also a big supporter of the ongoing efforts to preserve the tall grass prairie of the Flint Hills,” Casas wrote, noting donations the railroad has made to such efforts.

The Nature Conservancy said in an email that its land protection director is scheduled to look at the rail expansion project with BNSF next week.

“It’s always unfortunate to lose more native prairie, especially in the Flint Hills, which is the last uninterrupted expanse of tallgrass prairie in North America,” said Laura Rose Clawson, spokeswoman for The Nature Conservancy. “We understand the necessity of BNSF’s expansion project, but we hope they take steps to mitigate this loss of prairie.”

No environmental impact statement or public notice was required because the work is allowed under an existing nationwide permit, said Mark Frazier, regulatory branch chief for the Corps of Engineers’ Kansas City district.

The Corps, which has jurisdiction over U.S. waters, considered the impacts of each of the project’s 42 water crossings separately, Frazier said.

But even if federal regulators had considered the Flint Hills rail expansion as a single project, Frazier does not believe an environmental impact statement would have been required.

“When you consider them as separate projects the way we did for these permits, most of the impacts were temporary to allow for construction. Then they will be restored once they are done working,” said Sarah Reznicek, the Corps’ regulatory project manager who handled its review.

The expansion is being done to help with the transportation of consumer goods. BNSF said the project supports its customers’ growth. It noted that the railroad has invested about $815 million in Kansas during the last five years to maintain the railroad and expand it where needed.

Officials in the area say most of the complaints they have heard are from visitors, not locals.

“It’s not bothering us,” Chase County Register of Deeds Kathy Swift said.

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — More than a century after the arrival of the railroads to the Flint Hills of Kansas, a large-scale track expansion is tearing up a scenic stretch in some of the last remaining tallgrass prairie left in the nation.The multiyear project by BNSF Railway to build a second main line of track in Kansas got little public attention until construction this year on a nearly 42-mile stretch of track that the railroad is laying from Ellinor to El Dorado. Located south of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, the new line will run alongside much of Highway 177, a national scenic byway through the Flint Hills.The work is occurring along the railroad’s right-of-way and 19 parcels of land it is acquiring, BNSF spokeswoman Amy Casas said in an email.The project involves eight minor wetland fills, realignment of streams at three locations, seven new bridges and 36 culvert extensions, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers documents.When Wichita resident Clayton Jamison and his wife traveled to Cottonwood Falls in late May, he was shocked as they came over a rise in the road a few miles north of Cassoday and saw the size of the excavation.“It looked like a bomb went off,” Jamison said.At one time, 150 million acres of tallgrass prairie stretched from Texas to Canada. Today only 4% of that ecosystem survives, with the largest piece in the Flint Hills, according to the Flint Hills Learning Center.The Flint Hills, once an ancient inland seaway, has very shallow soil and hard limestone rocks that kept settlers from plowing it. Tallgrass prairie grasses grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall, with roots that extend up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) deep. Its ecosystem supports threatened species like prairie chickens.“Up there that is a special place,” Jamison said of the Flint Hills. “It is just one of those things that have been that way for millennium times. It hasn’t changed a lot.”BNSF said its earth moving is only temporary and that it will restore the area and plant native grass as required by its state construction stormwater permit and in “voluntary consultation” with The Nature Conservancy.“We are also a big supporter of the ongoing efforts to preserve the tall grass prairie of the Flint Hills,” Casas wrote, noting donations the railroad has made to such efforts.The Nature Conservancy said in an email that its land protection director is scheduled to look at the rail expansion project with BNSF next week.“It’s always unfortunate to lose more native prairie, especially in the Flint Hills, which is the last uninterrupted expanse of tallgrass prairie in North America,” said Laura Rose Clawson, spokeswoman for The Nature Conservancy. “We understand the necessity of BNSF’s expansion project, but we hope they take steps to mitigate this loss of prairie.”No environmental impact statement or public notice was required because the work is allowed under an existing nationwide permit, said Mark Frazier, regulatory branch chief for the Corps of Engineers’ Kansas City district.The Corps, which has jurisdiction over U.S. waters, considered the impacts of each of the project’s 42 water crossings separately, Frazier said.But even if federal regulators had considered the Flint Hills rail expansion as a single project, Frazier does not believe an environmental impact statement would have been required.“When you consider them as separate projects the way we did for these permits, most of the impacts were temporary to allow for construction. Then they will be restored once they are done working,” said Sarah Reznicek, the Corps’ regulatory project manager who handled its review.The expansion is being done to help with the transportation of consumer goods. BNSF said the project supports its customers’ growth. It noted that the railroad has invested about $815 million in Kansas during the last five years to maintain the railroad and expand it where needed.Officials in the area say most of the complaints they have heard are from visitors, not locals.“It’s not bothering us,” Chase County Register of Deeds Kathy Swift said.

Major railroad expansion tearing up Flint Hills in Kansas

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) — A suburban Kansas City couple left their 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy behind for weeks after they moved, returning only periodically to bring him food, according to court records.

Janine Allen, 30, and Brendon Luke, 29, were each being held on $250,000 bond on charges of felony abuse or neglect of a child.

Police learned the boy was left by himself in a Blue Springs home while they monitored him with an in-home video system from their new home a couple of miles away, according to&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/hhollingsworth/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/QORMGK04/AllenLuke_Redacted.pdf">court records</a>.

The mother allegedly told witnesses she did not want him to damage the walls of the families’ new home. In a home-surveillance video later obtained by police, the boy says, “I want out. I don’t like this, mommy.”

A Children’s Division worker involved with the family since October the child was “increasingly violent” toward the family and believed he needed residential placement, but his mother hadn’t completed the required paperwork, according to court documents. The worker was unaware the child had been abandoned, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article243646527.html">reports</a>.

Allen’s attorney P.J. O’Connor told McClatchy News there is more to the case than what is in the arrest affidavit.

“I’ve just entered my appearance on the case and there is a lot more to the story than what’s been presented in the probable cause statement,” O’Connor said in an email. “Until I’ve viewed all the evidence I don’t want to comment any further.”

Luke does not have an attorney listed in court records.

In early June, concerned residents told Blue Springs police the wheelchair-bound child had been left in the home for weeks, prompting the investigation.

When a police officer went to the home, Allen told him through a doorbell camera that the boy was OK and she could see him on camera, according to court records. Later, Allen explained to investigators that she and her husband monitored the boy with a two-way radio and camera that provides alerts of movements and noises inside the house, police said.

She told the officers her son knew how to call 911 and her phone number in an emergency.

A Children’s Mercy clinic told investigators the boy is “medically complex” and shouldn’t be left unsupervised, police said. In September, the boy was at the clinic for a “suspicious” broken arm following an altercation with his mother, according to court documents. A school resource officer said the boy needs help using the bathroom and eating and also with mobility.

Inside the home, investigators reported finding feces and it smelled of urine. There was a telephone with no dial tone.

The family’s new home was “extremely large in size” with a basement large enough for the boy and other children to have their own rooms, police said.

According to police, video shows the child attempting for more than 20 minutes to get out of his locked room with a small piece of wire. Another video shows Luke “throwing food on the floor” in the boy’s room before leaving the house within six minutes, police say.

On June 11, Allen told investigators the boy was left in the home since Mother’s Day, which was May 10, according to court documents. She said leaving her son in the house was the best option to protect her family from violence, police say.

Jackson County Family Court obtained emergency custody of the boy. Luke took him to a residential facility in southern Missouri a day later, despite the custody order, police say.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592654135623.png" alt="Brendon Luke, 29, photos Blue Springs Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Brendon Luke, 29, photos Blue Springs Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) — A suburban Kansas City couple left their 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy behind for weeks after they moved, returning only periodically to bring him food, according to court records.Janine Allen, 30, and Brendon Luke, 29, were each being held on $250,000 bond on charges of felony abuse or neglect of a child.Police learned the boy was left by himself in a Blue Springs home while they monitored him with an in-home video system from their new home a couple of miles away, according to&nbsp;<a href="file:///C:/Users/hhollingsworth/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/QORMGK04/AllenLuke_Redacted.pdf">court records</a>.The mother allegedly told witnesses she did not want him to damage the walls of the families’ new home. In a home-surveillance video later obtained by police, the boy says, “I want out. I don’t like this, mommy.”A Children’s Division worker involved with the family since October the child was “increasingly violent” toward the family and believed he needed residential placement, but his mother hadn’t completed the required paperwork, according to court documents. The worker was unaware the child had been abandoned, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article243646527.html">reports</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592654115976.png" alt="Janine Allen&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Janine Allen&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Allen’s attorney P.J. O’Connor told McClatchy News there is more to the case than what is in the arrest affidavit.“I’ve just entered my appearance on the case and there is a lot more to the story than what’s been presented in the probable cause statement,” O’Connor said in an email. “Until I’ve viewed all the evidence I don’t want to comment any further.”Luke does not have an attorney listed in court records.In early June, concerned residents told Blue Springs police the wheelchair-bound child had been left in the home for weeks, prompting the investigation.When a police officer went to the home, Allen told him through a doorbell camera that the boy was OK and she could see him on camera, according to court records. Later, Allen explained to investigators that she and her husband monitored the boy with a two-way radio and camera that provides alerts of movements and noises inside the house, police said.She told the officers her son knew how to call 911 and her phone number in an emergency.A Children’s Mercy clinic told investigators the boy is “medically complex” and shouldn’t be left unsupervised, police said. In September, the boy was at the clinic for a “suspicious” broken arm following an altercation with his mother, according to court documents. A school resource officer said the boy needs help using the bathroom and eating and also with mobility.Inside the home, investigators reported finding feces and it smelled of urine. There was a telephone with no dial tone.The family’s new home was “extremely large in size” with a basement large enough for the boy and other children to have their own rooms, police said.According to police, video shows the child attempting for more than 20 minutes to get out of his locked room with a small piece of wire. Another video shows Luke “throwing food on the floor” in the boy’s room before leaving the house within six minutes, police say.On June 11, Allen told investigators the boy was left in the home since Mother’s Day, which was May 10, according to court documents. She said leaving her son in the house was the best option to protect her family from violence, police say.Jackson County Family Court obtained emergency custody of the boy. Luke took him to a residential facility in southern Missouri a day later, despite the custody order, police say.

Kansas City couple accused of abandoning boy, 12, with palsy

PHOENIX (AP) — When the coronavirus flared in China’s capital this week, Beijing canceled flights, suspended reopenings and described the situation as “extremely grave.” But with cases rising in some U.S. states, local officials have balked at even requiring people to wear masks.

In the United States, which has the most confirmed cases and deaths in the world, authorities wrestled Wednesday with balancing demands for constitutional rights and personal freedom with warnings from health officials that being lax will have deadly consequences.

China responded to a new outbreak in Beijing by scrapping more than 60% of its flights to the capital, canceling classes and strengthening requirements for social distancing. It was a sharp retreat for the nation that declared victory over COVID-19 in March.

China’s actions follow about 137 new cases, a fraction of the number some U.S. states see each day. In Arizona, more than 1,100 people visited emergency rooms on Tuesday alone with positive or suspected cases. Alabama also is running out of hospital space, stirring impassioned debate over a mask requirement. Other states that haven’t mandated face coverings, like Texas and Florida, are seeing infections soar.

With masks becoming a political symbol, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has taken aim at President Donald Trump’s approach to the pandemic.

“Donald Trump wants to style himself as a wartime president. Unlike any other wartime leader, he takes no responsibility, he exercises no leadership, now he has just flat surrendered the fight,” Biden said Wednesday.

Biden has worn a mask repeatedly at public events, while Trump hasn’t, even on occasions such as touring auto factory floors when they are required. Aides say Trump believes they’re unflattering and that wearing one projects weakness.

The mask debate is playing out nationwide, notably in hard-hit states where face coverings have become a political and cultural debate.

Hundreds of medical professionals signed a letter urging Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to require them. Facing mounting pressure to act as cases surge, the Republican said cities were free to mandate masks.

Ducey, who removed his mask before speaking to reporters, said there were vastly different rates of infection across the state.

“For some things, a statewide directive or executive order works very well,” he said. “If you have 12 or 13 counties that say ‘pound sand’ on an executive order ... it’s a self-defeating executive order.”

Ducey has attributed Arizona’s soaring cases to increased testing. The state has been doing more tests, which can yield more cases, but health experts say a better way to see if more people are getting sick is to look at the percentage of positive tests. When that percentage rises, it means the outbreak is worsening — not just that more people are getting tested.

Arizona has the nation’s highest seven-day average positive test rate: 17.7%, or about double the national average and well above the 10% threshold that health officials find worrisome. It also has the most new cases per capita in the U.S. in the past 14 days. The state’s leading hospital system says it’s almost running out of beds.

Ducey said roughly 300 National Guardsmen would help with contact tracing. Several restaurants and other businesses have closed because staff tested positive in the last week.

The same thing is happening in parts of Florida, where people under 35 are testing positive at a higher rate since the pandemic began, contributing to a surge in cases, officials said Wednesday.

The coastal city of St. Petersburg had three popular bars close after employees tested positive, and it’s now requiring workers who have contact with the public to wear masks — which some hard-hit cities in southern Florida have been doing for weeks.

Mayor Rick Kriseman said he also plans to require people to cover their faces in businesses and other public spaces.

“We can wear a mask, protect others and ourselves, or we can contribute to someone’s death. Maybe even our own,” Kriseman said.

The Democrat said Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has encouraged people to use masks but not mandated them.

DeSantis said he has no intention of closing Florida’s economy again despite the statewide spike in new cases, which topped 1,000 Wednesday for the 15th consecutive day. He said many of those getting sick are young and unlikely to suffer serious illness or death.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Fears about growing numbers of infections in younger people pushed officials in the San Antonio area to order masks in public as infections keep rising in Texas.

“What we are doing here is to protect the life and safety of the San Antonio community,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said, adding that most infections in the area are in people younger than 40.

Later Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said local governments could force businesses to require customers and workers to wear masks but that he wouldn’t issue a statewide order. The second-most-populated state set daily records for new COVID-19 cases, with 3,129, and hospitalizations. The 2,793 hospitalizations mark a daily high for the 10th time in 11 days.

In Montgomery, Alabama, where cases are spiking, the issue of masks erupted during a City Council meeting, where members rejected a proposal to mandate them at public gatherings of 25 or more.

Dr. Bill Saliski, a lung specialist at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, called on the city to pass a mask requirement and declared: “If this continues the way we’re going, we’re going to be overrun.”

Some city leaders voiced concern about trampling on people’s rights.

“I think to make somebody do something or require somebody to wear something is an overreach,” councilman Brantley Lyons said.

Since the virus emerged in China late last year and spread worldwide, there have been more than 8.3 million confirmed cases and over 447,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Experts say the true toll is much higher. The U.S. death toll has exceeded 117,000.

European nations, which embarked on a wide-scale reopening this week, watched Asia and the Americas with trepidation.

After lockdown restrictions were relaxed in Iran, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said he realized the extent of the challenge when he took a domestic flight.

<figure>
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 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) — When the coronavirus flared in China’s capital this week, Beijing canceled flights, suspended reopenings and described the situation as “extremely grave.” But with cases rising in some U.S. states, local officials have balked at even requiring people to wear masks.In the United States, which has the most confirmed cases and deaths in the world, authorities wrestled Wednesday with balancing demands for constitutional rights and personal freedom with warnings from health officials that being lax will have deadly consequences.China responded to a new outbreak in Beijing by scrapping more than 60% of its flights to the capital, canceling classes and strengthening requirements for social distancing. It was a sharp retreat for the nation that declared victory over COVID-19 in March.China’s actions follow about 137 new cases, a fraction of the number some U.S. states see each day. In Arizona, more than 1,100 people visited emergency rooms on Tuesday alone with positive or suspected cases. Alabama also is running out of hospital space, stirring impassioned debate over a mask requirement. Other states that haven’t mandated face coverings, like Texas and Florida, are seeing infections soar.With masks becoming a political symbol, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has taken aim at President Donald Trump’s approach to the pandemic.“Donald Trump wants to style himself as a wartime president. Unlike any other wartime leader, he takes no responsibility, he exercises no leadership, now he has just flat surrendered the fight,” Biden said Wednesday.Biden has worn a mask repeatedly at public events, while Trump hasn’t, even on occasions such as touring auto factory floors when they are required. Aides say Trump believes they’re unflattering and that wearing one projects weakness.The mask debate is playing out nationwide, notably in hard-hit states where face coverings have become a political and cultural debate.Hundreds of medical professionals signed a letter urging Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to require them. Facing mounting pressure to act as cases surge, the Republican said cities were free to mandate masks.Ducey, who removed his mask before speaking to reporters, said there were vastly different rates of infection across the state.“For some things, a statewide directive or executive order works very well,” he said. “If you have 12 or 13 counties that say ‘pound sand’ on an executive order ... it’s a self-defeating executive order.”Ducey has attributed Arizona’s soaring cases to increased testing. The state has been doing more tests, which can yield more cases, but health experts say a better way to see if more people are getting sick is to look at the percentage of positive tests. When that percentage rises, it means the outbreak is worsening — not just that more people are getting tested.Arizona has the nation’s highest seven-day average positive test rate: 17.7%, or about double the national average and well above the 10% threshold that health officials find worrisome. It also has the most new cases per capita in the U.S. in the past 14 days. The state’s leading hospital system says it’s almost running out of beds.Ducey said roughly 300 National Guardsmen would help with contact tracing. Several restaurants and other businesses have closed because staff tested positive in the last week.The same thing is happening in parts of Florida, where people under 35 are testing positive at a higher rate since the pandemic began, contributing to a surge in cases, officials said Wednesday.The coastal city of St. Petersburg had three popular bars close after employees tested positive, and it’s now requiring workers who have contact with the public to wear masks — which some hard-hit cities in southern Florida have been doing for weeks.Mayor Rick Kriseman said he also plans to require people to cover their faces in businesses and other public spaces.“We can wear a mask, protect others and ourselves, or we can contribute to someone’s death. Maybe even our own,” Kriseman said.The Democrat said Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has encouraged people to use masks but not mandated them.DeSantis said he has no intention of closing Florida’s economy again despite the statewide spike in new cases, which topped 1,000 Wednesday for the 15th consecutive day. He said many of those getting sick are young and unlikely to suffer serious illness or death.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.Fears about growing numbers of infections in younger people pushed officials in the San Antonio area to order masks in public as infections keep rising in Texas.“What we are doing here is to protect the life and safety of the San Antonio community,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said, adding that most infections in the area are in people younger than 40.Later Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said local governments could force businesses to require customers and workers to wear masks but that he wouldn’t issue a statewide order. The second-most-populated state set daily records for new COVID-19 cases, with 3,129, and hospitalizations. The 2,793 hospitalizations mark a daily high for the 10th time in 11 days.In Montgomery, Alabama, where cases are spiking, the issue of masks erupted during a City Council meeting, where members rejected a proposal to mandate them at public gatherings of 25 or more.Dr. Bill Saliski, a lung specialist at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, called on the city to pass a mask requirement and declared: “If this continues the way we’re going, we’re going to be overrun.”Some city leaders voiced concern about trampling on people’s rights.“I think to make somebody do something or require somebody to wear something is an overreach,” councilman Brantley Lyons said.Since the virus emerged in China late last year and spread worldwide, there have been more than 8.3 million confirmed cases and over 447,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Experts say the true toll is much higher. The U.S. death toll has exceeded 117,000.European nations, which embarked on a wide-scale reopening this week, watched Asia and the Americas with trepidation.After lockdown restrictions were relaxed in Iran, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said he realized the extent of the challenge when he took a domestic flight.“Many people have become careless, frustrated with wearing masks,” he said.