TOPEKA, Kan.&nbsp;—&nbsp;Gov. Laura Kelly will held a press conference at Monday to give an update regarding COVID-19 in Kansas.

She discussed the dramatic increase in virus deaths over the&nbsp; weekend, encouraged residents to get a flu shot (she got a flu shot last week) and answered questions about budget cuts and much more.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,513 to a total of 49,899 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 534, an increase of 23.

TOPEKA, Kan.&nbsp;—&nbsp;Gov. Laura Kelly will held a press conference at Monday to give an update regarding COVID-19 in Kansas.She discussed the dramatic increase in virus deaths over the&nbsp; weekend, encouraged residents to get a flu shot (she got a flu shot last week) and answered questions about budget cuts and much more.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F2745278769132017%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>The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,513 to a total of 49,899 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 534, an increase of 23.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600104258337.png" alt="Sept. 14 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Sept. 14 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

🎥 Governor gives update on COVID-19 in Kansas

By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/more-kansans-ever-believe-global-warming-yale-survey-shows">Kansas News Service</a>

Climate change is at the root of this year’s extreme weather events, 
from the wild swings between flooding and drought in Kansas to larger 
hurricanes and some of the worst wildfires the West has seen.

And the majority of Americans are starting to take notice, according to the latest survey from the <a href="https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/" target="_blank">Yale Program on Climate Change Communication</a>.

The
 climate opinion map, which was compiled from survey data from March 
2020, shows 72% of Americans believe that global warming is happening. 
At a local level, Kansans and Missourians aren’t far behind, with a 
little more than two-thirds believing that global warming is happening.

“Everyone
 by and large underestimates how much people care about this issue,” 
Yale School of Environment research scientist Jennifer Marlon said.

Because
 of that, she said, people are often afraid to bring up climate change 
because they’re worried that the other person will disagree with them.

The point of the survey
 is to figure out what Americans really think so that climate 
researchers can better understand what misconceptions or policy 
preferences are out there.

For example, in Kansas, there’s 
majority support for a wide range of climate-related policies. 
Eighty-five percent of people support funding research into renewable 
energy resources; 62% support setting strict limits on CO2 emissions 
from existing coal-fired power plants; and 80% support providing tax 
rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels.

Many 
politicians say they make decisions about priorities and votes based on 
constituent opinion, but when it comes to climate change, “they get it 
wrong,” Marlon said.

“They don’t know what public opinion actually is.”

Amber
 Campbell, an assistant professor of anthropology at Kansas State 
University, said ranchers and farmers in Kansas and Oklahoma mirror the 
Yale study.

Ten years ago, producers would tell Campbell the climate wasn’t changing, but she said <a href="https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/how-talk-about-climate-change-rural-america-don-t-say-those-two-words" target="_blank">they’d talk for hours about all the ways the weather was different </a>now than in the past. In her most recent surveys, they’re more willing to acknowledge it.

“The
 reality that weather is different than it was 30 years ago is becoming 
more and more apparent to people regardless of where they’re at in 
life,” Campbell said.

While there’s a growing 
understanding about the realities of climate change, there’s still a 
disconnect between what’s at stake. Two-thirds of Kansans think global 
warming will harm future generations and a majority believe global 
warming will harm plants, animals and people in developing countries.

But only 37% of Kansans think that global warming will harm them personally.

It’s
 the same across the country, a psychological phenomenon Marlon 
attributes&nbsp; to optimism bias. She said in some ways that’s good, because
 it prevents us from always worrying about worst-case scenarios, but 
ultimately we have to make sure we’re taking actions to protect 
ourselves against real and present dangers.

“We tend to sort of 
feel that we won’t be touched, like somehow we’re invincible or have a 
protective bubble around us,” she said. “Unfortunately, that’s not 
true.”

The data for the Yale Program on Climate Change comes from
 a national survey of more than 25,000 respondents. The team validated 
the local data model with independent surveys in California, Texas, 
Colorado and Ohio. For statewide level data, the margin of error is plus
 or minus 7 percentage points.

Brian Grimmett reports on the 
environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the 
Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en" target="_blank">@briangrimmett</a>
 or email him at grimmett@kmuw.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/2020/9/1600097589105.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/more-kansans-ever-believe-global-warming-yale-survey-shows">Kansas News Service</a>Climate change is at the root of this year’s extreme weather events, 
from the wild swings between flooding and drought in Kansas to larger 
hurricanes and some of the worst wildfires the West has seen.And the majority of Americans are starting to take notice, according to the latest survey from the <a href="https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/" target="_blank">Yale Program on Climate Change Communication</a>.The
 climate opinion map, which was compiled from survey data from March 
2020, shows 72% of Americans believe that global warming is happening. 
At a local level, Kansans and Missourians aren’t far behind, with a 
little more than two-thirds believing that global warming is happening.“Everyone
 by and large underestimates how much people care about this issue,” 
Yale School of Environment research scientist Jennifer Marlon said.Because
 of that, she said, people are often afraid to bring up climate change 
because they’re worried that the other person will disagree with them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600097644508.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Climate change policy</h2>The point of the survey
 is to figure out what Americans really think so that climate 
researchers can better understand what misconceptions or policy 
preferences are out there.For example, in Kansas, there’s 
majority support for a wide range of climate-related policies. 
Eighty-five percent of people support funding research into renewable 
energy resources; 62% support setting strict limits on CO2 emissions 
from existing coal-fired power plants; and 80% support providing tax 
rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels.Many 
politicians say they make decisions about priorities and votes based on 
constituent opinion, but when it comes to climate change, “they get it 
wrong,” Marlon said.“They don’t know what public opinion actually is.”Amber
 Campbell, an assistant professor of anthropology at Kansas State 
University, said ranchers and farmers in Kansas and Oklahoma mirror the 
Yale study.Ten years ago, producers would tell Campbell the climate wasn’t changing, but she said <a href="https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/how-talk-about-climate-change-rural-america-don-t-say-those-two-words" target="_blank">they’d talk for hours about all the ways the weather was different </a>now than in the past. In her most recent surveys, they’re more willing to acknowledge it.“The
 reality that weather is different than it was 30 years ago is becoming 
more and more apparent to people regardless of where they’re at in 
life,” Campbell said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600097677067.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Climate change risks</h2>While there’s a growing 
understanding about the realities of climate change, there’s still a 
disconnect between what’s at stake. Two-thirds of Kansans think global 
warming will harm future generations and a majority believe global 
warming will harm plants, animals and people in developing countries.But only 37% of Kansans think that global warming will harm them personally.It’s
 the same across the country, a psychological phenomenon Marlon 
attributes&nbsp; to optimism bias. She said in some ways that’s good, because
 it prevents us from always worrying about worst-case scenarios, but 
ultimately we have to make sure we’re taking actions to protect 
ourselves against real and present dangers.“We tend to sort of 
feel that we won’t be touched, like somehow we’re invincible or have a 
protective bubble around us,” she said. “Unfortunately, that’s not 
true.”The data for the Yale Program on Climate Change comes from
 a national survey of more than 25,000 respondents. The team validated 
the local data model with independent surveys in California, Texas, 
Colorado and Ohio. For statewide level data, the margin of error is plus
 or minus 7 percentage points.Brian Grimmett reports on the 
environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the 
Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en" target="_blank">@briangrimmett</a>
 or email him at grimmett@kmuw.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.

Yale: More Kansans than ever believe in global warming

WYANDOTTE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking the public for help to locate a vehicle believed involved.

On Monday, the Kansas Highway Patrol released a photo of&nbsp; a white, 2010-17 four-door Chevy Equinox with a sunroof and paper tags believed involved in the Wednesday Sept. 9 incident on Interstate 70 near Interstate 635 in Wyandotte County, according to a media release.

The victim's vehicle was shot at while they westbound on Interstate 70 near 38th Street. The suspect vehicle occupied by a white or Hispanic female driver in her 20s and a white or Hispanic male shooter with black hair in his 20s, continued southbound on Interstate 635.

Anyone with information on the suspect vehicle or the suspects is asked to contact the Kansas Highway Patrol.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600101144435.png" alt="Suspect vehicle believed involved in&nbsp; I-70 shooting" />
 <figcaption>Suspect vehicle believed involved in&nbsp; I-70 shooting</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and asking the public for help to locate a vehicle believed involved.On Monday, the Kansas Highway Patrol released a photo of&nbsp; a white, 2010-17 four-door Chevy Equinox with a sunroof and paper tags believed involved in the Wednesday Sept. 9 incident on Interstate 70 near Interstate 635 in Wyandotte County, according to a media release.The victim's vehicle was shot at while they westbound on Interstate 70 near 38th Street. The suspect vehicle occupied by a white or Hispanic female driver in her 20s and a white or Hispanic male shooter with black hair in his 20s, continued southbound on Interstate 635.Anyone with information on the suspect vehicle or the suspects is asked to contact the Kansas Highway Patrol.

KHP asks for help to ID suspects involved in I-70 shooting

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1513 to a total of 49,899 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 534, an increase of 23

<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 1513 to a total of 49,899 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 534, an increase of 23<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/2020/9/1600104258337.png" alt="Monday Sept. 14, 2020 KDHE Image" />
 <figcaption>Monday Sept. 14, 2020 KDHE Image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend shooting that fatally injured a 22-year-old&nbsp; man identified as Christian Waters of Wichita.

Just after 4a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a shooting at a home in the 1300 block of north Volutsia in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located Waters, who had been shot.&nbsp; He was transported to an area hospital where he died.

The investigation revealed several individuals were at a gathering at the home.&nbsp; During the gathering, a disturbance ensued between Waters and a suspect.&nbsp; The suspect fired multiple rounds that struck Waters.

This was not a random incident, and a lack of cooperation with this investigation has affected police from learning all the details of this case.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that fatally injured a 22-year-old man.

Just after 4a.m. Saturday, police responded to the shooting at a residence in the 1300 block of north Volutsia in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers located a 22-year-old victim who had been shot.&nbsp; EMS transported him to an area hospital where he died.

This was not a random incident, and investigators are working to determine all the circumstances of what occurred.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599924995398.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Saturday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Saturday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend shooting that fatally injured a 22-year-old&nbsp; man identified as Christian Waters of Wichita.Just after 4a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a shooting at a home in the 1300 block of north Volutsia in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located Waters, who had been shot.&nbsp; He was transported to an area hospital where he died.The investigation revealed several individuals were at a gathering at the home.&nbsp; During the gathering, a disturbance ensued between Waters and a suspect.&nbsp; The suspect fired multiple rounds that struck Waters.This was not a random incident, and a lack of cooperation with this investigation has affected police from learning all the details of this case.---------SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that fatally injured a 22-year-old man.Just after 4a.m. Saturday, police responded to the shooting at a residence in the 1300 block of north Volutsia in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers located a 22-year-old victim who had been shot.&nbsp; EMS transported him to an area hospital where he died.This was not a random incident, and investigators are working to determine all the circumstances of what occurred.

Police: Witnesses not cooperating in fatal shooting investigation

BUTLER COUNTY (AP) — A man fatally shot himself with deputy’s gun following a standoff with police outside a home east of Wichita, authorities in south-central Kansas said.

The incident began Sunday morning when Butler County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the home for a domestic violence report, KAKE-TV reported.

 Arriving deputies said they were confronted by a man who lived at home and who initially barricaded himself in the house. He later ran from the house to a bus parked outside before approaching deputies, officials said.

Sheriff Kelly Herzet said deputies used stun guns and other less-than-lethal options to try to subdue the man, but those attempts failed. The man then reached for one of the deputy’s guns and shot himself in the chest, Herzet said.

The man was treated by medics, but died at the scene, officials said. Authorities had not released the man’s name by Monday morning.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation will investigate the shooting.

A woman who originally reported the domestic violence and her two children were not at the house when the shooting occurred, police said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600098355918.png" alt="Deputies on the scene near the standoff -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Deputies on the scene near the standoff -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY (AP) — A man fatally shot himself with deputy’s gun following a standoff with police outside a home east of Wichita, authorities in south-central Kansas said.The incident began Sunday morning when Butler County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the home for a domestic violence report, KAKE-TV reported. Arriving deputies said they were confronted by a man who lived at home and who initially barricaded himself in the house. He later ran from the house to a bus parked outside before approaching deputies, officials said.Sheriff Kelly Herzet said deputies used stun guns and other less-than-lethal options to try to subdue the man, but those attempts failed. The man then reached for one of the deputy’s guns and shot himself in the chest, Herzet said.The man was treated by medics, but died at the scene, officials said. Authorities had not released the man’s name by Monday morning.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation will investigate the shooting.A woman who originally reported the domestic violence and her two children were not at the house when the shooting occurred, police said.

Man in standoff with Kan. deputies kills self with officer’s gun

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/13/broken-teeth-and-black-eyes-kansas-domestic-violence-shelters-scramble-for-space/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Since the 
pandemic began in March, the Family Crisis Center in Wichita has 
stretched its resources thin to provide space for survivors of domestic 
violence and their families to recuperate.

Amanda Meyers, executive 
director for the crisis center, said she had to cut capacity by 
two-thirds in the 25-person shelter to maintain proper social distancing
 and avoid cross-contamination.

“It’s a momentous 
challenge, to say the least, to not only keep people safe from their 
potential abuser or attacker but from a global pandemic as well,” Meyers
 said.

Domestic violence support 
programs offering emergency shelter across Kansas were already often at 
capacity and turning to alternative methods before the pandemic. Amid 
COVID-19, programs are struggling with added alternative housing costs 
and no discernible end to the pandemic.

Last year, Kansas sexual 
and domestic violence services and programs served nearly 70,000 people 
statewide. Of those, 4,591 people found refuge in places like the Family
 Crisis Center’s emergency shelter.

From the 2018 fiscal year 
to the 2019 fiscal year, Meyers said, the organization’s hotel budget 
for shelter overflow increased by more than 700%. During the pandemic, 
the crisis center has rented between three and five hotel rooms each 
night and spent over $10,000 each month to house those in need.

“We were seeing more 
broken teeth and black eyes and chunks of hair being pulled out because 
people weren’t going to school or work,” Meyers said. “Even at maximum 
capacity, we had to provide services to those in need because domestic 
violence knows no boundaries, not even a pandemic.”

In April, the Wichita 
Police department reported a 65% increase in aggravated battery domestic
 violence cases and a 39% increase in aggravated assault domestic 
violence cases compared to the same time period during the previous 
three years.

Despite these reports, 
many programs statewide saw a decrease in the frequency of hotline phone
 calls and shelter requests, said Joyce Grover, executive director of 
the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. The shelters,
 however, never ceased to provide services, and calls have returned to 
pre-pandemic rates, she said.

“Unfortunately, many 
shelters are congregate-style living arrangements where people share a 
bathroom or a kitchen, and that is a challenge for social distancing,” 
Grover said.

That is true at the YWCA 
Center for Safety and Empowerment in Topeka’s emergency shelter. It is a
 one-family home with 19 beds, but with so many off limits, it turned to
 hotels to bridge the gap, said Becca Spielman, executive director of 
the center.

“It’s important for people
 to understand that we will never turn someone away who needs shelter. 
It just might not be in a conventional way,” Spielman said.

In west Kansas, Options 
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services also turned to hotels because its 
14-bed shelter now only sleeps a family of four. Moving into temporary 
housing is already a disorienting process, so the organization provides a
 prep kit of essentials for families moving into the hotel, said 
executive director Jennifer Hecker.

But hotel rooms are not 
cheap, and the expenses have put a serious dent in the Hays program’s 
coffers. Hecker said the organization spent its entire hotel budget for 
2020 on two clients in two weeks at the beginning of the pandemic.

“Our limitations on 
fundraising has been a very big challenge when we can’t gather in person
 or do any of the usual fundraising methods,” Hecker said. “We are 
relying on donations from generous individuals, local businesses, 
churches and<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9de77ba5-cf24-4513-962e-2081a8ebb20c"> state grants</a> throughout the pandemic.”

Lately, Hecker said, she 
has received more phone calls about how to help combat this crisis. She 
encourages advocacy. If more people talk about and understand the ways 
domestic violence can negatively impact the survivor and a community, 
she believes, more robust funding will follow.

Without a clear timeline 
for when these shelters will return to full capacity, Hecker knows the 
best she can do is focus on providing services.

“We absolutely have no 
crystal ball here,” Hecker said. “We don’t know how many people we will 
need to put in the hotel or for how long. It’s completely unpredictable 
and the one thing we really can’t control.”

<a href="https://www.kcsdv.org/">Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence</a>

<a href="https://www.wichitafamilycrisiscenter.org/">Wichita Family Crisis Center</a>&nbsp;

Counties served: Cowley, Sedgwick, Sumner

<a href="https://help4abuse.org/">Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services</a>

Counties served: Cheyenne,
 Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, 
Rawlins, Rooks, Russell, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Trego, 
Wallace

24/7 live chat options: 1) Text “HOPE” to 847411, 2) download My Mobile Options, a free live chat app, or 3) visit <a href="https://help4abuse.org/">the website</a>

<a href="http://www.ywcaneks.org/">YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment</a>

Counties served: Jackson, Shawnee, Wabaunsee

<a href="http://www.thehotline.org/">National Domestic Violence Hotline</a>

800-799-7233 or text “LOVEIS” to 22522

<a href="https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline">National Sexual Assault Hotline</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600093792807.png" alt="The Wichita Family Crisis Center reduced capacity by two-thirds at their 25-person shelter in order to maintain social distancing. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Wichita Family Crisis Center reduced capacity by two-thirds at their 25-person shelter in order to maintain social distancing. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/13/broken-teeth-and-black-eyes-kansas-domestic-violence-shelters-scramble-for-space/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Since the 
pandemic began in March, the Family Crisis Center in Wichita has 
stretched its resources thin to provide space for survivors of domestic 
violence and their families to recuperate.Amanda Meyers, executive 
director for the crisis center, said she had to cut capacity by 
two-thirds in the 25-person shelter to maintain proper social distancing
 and avoid cross-contamination.“It’s a momentous 
challenge, to say the least, to not only keep people safe from their 
potential abuser or attacker but from a global pandemic as well,” Meyers
 said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600093865367.png" alt="Moving into temporary housing is already a disorienting process, so Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services provides a kit of essentials for families moving into a hotel room. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Moving into temporary housing is already a disorienting process, so Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services provides a kit of essentials for families moving into a hotel room. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Domestic violence support 
programs offering emergency shelter across Kansas were already often at 
capacity and turning to alternative methods before the pandemic. Amid 
COVID-19, programs are struggling with added alternative housing costs 
and no discernible end to the pandemic.Last year, Kansas sexual 
and domestic violence services and programs served nearly 70,000 people 
statewide. Of those, 4,591 people found refuge in places like the Family
 Crisis Center’s emergency shelter.From the 2018 fiscal year 
to the 2019 fiscal year, Meyers said, the organization’s hotel budget 
for shelter overflow increased by more than 700%. During the pandemic, 
the crisis center has rented between three and five hotel rooms each 
night and spent over $10,000 each month to house those in need.“We were seeing more 
broken teeth and black eyes and chunks of hair being pulled out because 
people weren’t going to school or work,” Meyers said. “Even at maximum 
capacity, we had to provide services to those in need because domestic 
violence knows no boundaries, not even a pandemic.”In April, the Wichita 
Police department reported a 65% increase in aggravated battery domestic
 violence cases and a 39% increase in aggravated assault domestic 
violence cases compared to the same time period during the previous 
three years.Despite these reports, 
many programs statewide saw a decrease in the frequency of hotline phone
 calls and shelter requests, said Joyce Grover, executive director of 
the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. The shelters,
 however, never ceased to provide services, and calls have returned to 
pre-pandemic rates, she said.“Unfortunately, many 
shelters are congregate-style living arrangements where people share a 
bathroom or a kitchen, and that is a challenge for social distancing,” 
Grover said.That is true at the YWCA 
Center for Safety and Empowerment in Topeka’s emergency shelter. It is a
 one-family home with 19 beds, but with so many off limits, it turned to
 hotels to bridge the gap, said Becca Spielman, executive director of 
the center.“It’s important for people
 to understand that we will never turn someone away who needs shelter. 
It just might not be in a conventional way,” Spielman said.In west Kansas, Options 
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services also turned to hotels because its 
14-bed shelter now only sleeps a family of four. Moving into temporary 
housing is already a disorienting process, so the organization provides a
 prep kit of essentials for families moving into the hotel, said 
executive director Jennifer Hecker.But hotel rooms are not 
cheap, and the expenses have put a serious dent in the Hays program’s 
coffers. Hecker said the organization spent its entire hotel budget for 
2020 on two clients in two weeks at the beginning of the pandemic.“Our limitations on 
fundraising has been a very big challenge when we can’t gather in person
 or do any of the usual fundraising methods,” Hecker said. “We are 
relying on donations from generous individuals, local businesses, 
churches and<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/9de77ba5-cf24-4513-962e-2081a8ebb20c"> state grants</a> throughout the pandemic.”Lately, Hecker said, she 
has received more phone calls about how to help combat this crisis. She 
encourages advocacy. If more people talk about and understand the ways 
domestic violence can negatively impact the survivor and a community, 
she believes, more robust funding will follow.Without a clear timeline 
for when these shelters will return to full capacity, Hecker knows the 
best she can do is focus on providing services.“We absolutely have no 
crystal ball here,” Hecker said. “We don’t know how many people we will 
need to put in the hotel or for how long. It’s completely unpredictable 
and the one thing we really can’t control.”<h2>Programs and services</h2><a href="https://www.kcsdv.org/">Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence</a>Counties served: Statewide24/7 Kansas Crisis Hotline: 888-363-2287<a href="https://www.wichitafamilycrisiscenter.org/">Wichita Family Crisis Center</a>&nbsp;Counties served: Cowley, Sedgwick, Sumner24/7 crisis line at 316-267-SAFE<a href="https://help4abuse.org/">Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services</a>Counties served: Cheyenne,
 Decatur, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, 
Rawlins, Rooks, Russell, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Trego, 
Wallace24/7 help line: 800-794-462424/7 live chat options: 1) Text “HOPE” to 847411, 2) download My Mobile Options, a free live chat app, or 3) visit <a href="https://help4abuse.org/">the website</a><a href="http://www.ywcaneks.org/">YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment</a>Counties served: Jackson, Shawnee, Wabaunsee24/7 help line: 888-822-2983<a href="http://www.thehotline.org/">National Domestic Violence Hotline</a>800-799-7233 or text “LOVEIS” to 22522<a href="https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline">National Sexual Assault Hotline</a>800-656-4673

‘Broken teeth and black eyes’: Kan. domestic violence shelters scramble for space

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Numerous Wichita bars are ignoring a local health directive ordering them to shut down at 11 p.m. because of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday night. 

City and county officials say the bars that are ignoring the curfew order from Sedgwick County health officials may be vulnerable to lawsuits if their patrons or employees get sick or they could lose their city liquor licenses. 

The owner of the Blu Night Club in western Wichita, Darren Greiving, said staying open late is important to his business’ economic survival.  So far city and county officials have not issued any citations related to the curfew.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600088774219.png" alt="Photo courtesy Blu Nightclub Wichita" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Blu Nightclub Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Numerous Wichita bars are ignoring a local health directive ordering them to shut down at 11 p.m. because of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday night. City and county officials say the bars that are ignoring the curfew order from Sedgwick County health officials may be vulnerable to lawsuits if their patrons or employees get sick or they could lose their city liquor licenses. The owner of the Blu Night Club in western Wichita, Darren Greiving, said staying open late is important to his business’ economic survival. So far city and county officials have not issued any citations related to the curfew.

Many Wichita bars ignoring local coronavirus curfew order

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s unemployment safety net is looking increasingly shaky, with a $300-a-week federal jobless benefit from the Trump administration running out just weeks after it began and millions of laid-off Americans nearing an end to their state unemployment aid.

Most Americans who exhaust their state’s unemployment benefits — typically after six months — will transition to an emergency federal program that provides an additional 13 weeks of aid. Yet they still face a looming deadline: By year’s end, nearly all the federal unemployment supports will expire. Unless Congress extends those programs, millions of jobless Americans could be cut off.

Their struggles come against the backdrop of an ailing job market with 13 million unemployed people and the pace of layoffs still elevated six months after the viral pandemic flattened the economy. Applications for unemployment benefits first spiked in the week of March 21, when they reached 3.3 million, then more than doubled the next week to a record 6.9 million. That means that anyone who began receiving state unemployment benefits then will have to shift to an emergency federal program in the coming weeks.

Separately, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is administering the $300-a-week federal benefit, said Thursday that the agency is providing money to cover six weeks, from the start of August through the end of this week, with no extension in sight.

Nearly all states have applied for the $300-a-week benefit. But only 17 have managed to upgrade their computers systems to actually distribute the payments. As a result, while many states will likely issue checks for several weeks, the money will be retroactive to early August and will cover only through mid-September.

Trump’s $300-a-week jobless aid program was created by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f67dd310113355f4effe13dfcf4ac3b8?utm_source=piano&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=morningwire&amp;pnespid=huUw9P9VBF2N3gQRJP9rReQYsCZixU6HOEfit00g">an executive order last month</a>&nbsp;after a more generous version adopted by Congress expired and Trump and Congress failed to reach agreement on a new aid package.

Through July, people out of work amid the coronavirus pandemic were receiving $600 a week in federal aid on top of their state unemployment benefits. For many recipients, the $600 federal check exceeded their state benefits and kept them afloat as the economy crumbled. But Republicans in Congress opposed the $600, arguing that it was so high as to discourage many of the unemployed from looking for a job.

On Thursday, Senate Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3588901312dec9607b6cd22bc83029c2">blocked legislation</a>&nbsp;that would have extended the extra $300 payment and provided more money for schools. The Democrats favored restoring the full $600-a-week jobless benefit as well as more money for states, localities and small businesses.

Also Thursday, the Labor Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf" target="_blank">reported&nbsp;</a>that applications for unemployment aid were unchanged last week at 884,000, and the number of laid-off workers who applied for aid under a separate program for the self-employed and contract workers increased. The figures indicated that companies are still cutting an unusually large number of jobs.

Other recent evidence also suggests that the job market’s improvement may be weakening after solid gains through spring and most of summer. The number of people seeking jobless aid each week still far exceeds the number who did so in any week on record before this year.

Hiring has slowed since June, and a rising number of laid-off workers now say they regard their job loss as permanent. The number of people who are continuing to receive state unemployment benefits rose last week, after five weeks of declines, to 13.4 million, evidence that employers aren’t hiring enough to offset layoffs.

For those who have run out of state unemployment benefits, the next step will be to transition to a federal program known as Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC. It’s among the alphabet soup of additional supports that were established by the $2 trillion aid package that Congress approved this spring. The emergency program lasts for 13 weeks and is now paying benefits to 1.4 million people.

One of them is Mike Walsh, who lives in Orlando, and is receiving PEUC because Florida’s state unemployment benefits last only 12 weeks. Along with North Carolina, that’s the fewest number of weeks provided by any state.

Before the pandemic, Walsh, 53, worked as a transportation manager for conventions and gatherings in Orlando and around the country. If a trade group brought 40,000 of its members to Orlando for an annual convention, Walsh would coordinate the buses needed to shuttle them from dozens of hotels to the convention center and theme parks. He traveled to Washington, D.C. to manage 2,200 buses that arrived for President Barack Obama’s inaugural in 2009.

Walsh doesn’t know when the convention business, where he has worked for 33 years, will return. Yet that might not be until next spring, likely long after his unemployment checks will have run out. His current $244 payment and savings are covering his expenses for now, but he doesn’t want to run through all his savings. If his money runs too low he’ll take any job.

“I’ll be the one standing at the door, telling you, ‘Welcome to Walmart,’ ” he said.

If the PEUC program expires, unemployed workers can then apply for what’s called Extended Benefits, which lasts from 13 to 20 weeks in most states, though only six weeks in Florida. Extended Benefits kick in when a state’s unemployment rate crosses a specific threshold. All states are currently paying these benefits, which is providing checks to 241,000 people.

Then there is the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, or PUA. It is a new source of support set up by the government’s relief package and is now providing aid to 14.6 million of the unemployed, more than the regular state programs are covering. Its coverage lasts for 39 weeks.

But not necessarily for those who have been laid off more recently. On Dec. 31, the PEUC and PUA will expire. That will leave only state benefits and the Extended Benefits programs. With unemployment likely to remain high until then, many of the jobless could be left desperate.

“There will still be a need for unemployment benefits then,” said Elizabeth Pancotti, a policy analyst at Employ America, an advocacy group.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The temporary $300-a-week unemployment insurance boost implemented by President Donald Trump will end, with no extension in sight.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that it has distributed $30 billion of the $44 billion it had set aside for the benefit. The agency said the fund was enough to cover six weeks of additional jobless aid starting Aug. 1, so unemployed workers won't receive any more after this week.

FEMA emphasized that all eligible recipients will get the $300 boost to cover six weeks, a period that ended Sept. 5.

Some states had technical obstacles that have delayed the payments, and the federal government is still in the process of approving other states' plans to distribute the money. Eligible workers who have not yet received the $300-a-week supplement or have received less than six weeks' worth, will receive payments for their full share, according to FEMA. After that, the fund will be dry.

The program was designed to leave money to deal with natural disasters, such as the wildfires now sweeping the West, even after the unemployment boost was gone.

Trump created the program after a more generous $600-a-week benefit adopted by Congress expired. The federal government initially did not have an estimate of how long the money would last, but six weeks is in line with what experts expected.

The Trump administration and congressional Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on a new coronavirus relief package that would include an extension of the unemployment supplement.

Recipients have said the extra jolt of money from the federal government kept them afloat as the economy cratered amid stay-at-home orders and business closings. On Thursday, the government reported that 13.4 million Americans continue to receive state unemployment benefits, although not all of them are receiving the additional $300.

The extra weekly payments came with a significant string attached: It was available only to people receiving at least $100 a week in other unemployment insurance benefits. That cut out hundreds of thousands of low-wage earners, people who had jobs for short periods and gig workers.

One of them is Philip Tuley of Clearlake Oaks, California.

His unemployment benefits come to $65 a week, or $260 a month. It was so low because Tuley, 63, had previously taken a year off after spending two decades as an assistant educator at a school district in rural Northern California. He had been substituting recently and was about to return to his district full time when the pandemic struck.

His unemployment benefit was so small because it was based on his average earnings over a two-year period. He said he’s been turned away from a local food bank because its shelves were bare.

Tuley said Trump’s order is to blame for the predicament he and other low-wage workers are in.

"To have him choose that people who didn’t get $100 were excluded, that’s just -- forgive me — it seems sheer evil,” Tuley said.

A handful of states kicked in an additional $100 per person to enhance the payment. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, was the lone governor to decline the additional weekly benefit, according to an AP tally of the states.

FEMA’s announcement came as Democrats in the U.S. Senate scuttled a scaled-back GOP coronavirus aid plan, arguing that it was too stingy. That bill includes continuing a $300 weekly unemployment supplement until late December.

Paula Ridenti, 33, who lives in Waltham, Massachusetts, gets $202 a week in regular unemployment benefits since she stopped working at a grocery store in March when her children's schools closed, so the $600 supplement was a major help.

But she’s still waiting for her checks with the $300 boost. She should get that money eventually, but in the meantime she has been trying to figure out how to make do on an income that adds up to just about half her monthly $1,600 rent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s unemployment safety net is looking increasingly shaky, with a $300-a-week federal jobless benefit from the Trump administration running out just weeks after it began and millions of laid-off Americans nearing an end to their state unemployment aid.Most Americans who exhaust their state’s unemployment benefits — typically after six months — will transition to an emergency federal program that provides an additional 13 weeks of aid. Yet they still face a looming deadline: By year’s end, nearly all the federal unemployment supports will expire. Unless Congress extends those programs, millions of jobless Americans could be cut off.Their struggles come against the backdrop of an ailing job market with 13 million unemployed people and the pace of layoffs still elevated six months after the viral pandemic flattened the economy. Applications for unemployment benefits first spiked in the week of March 21, when they reached 3.3 million, then more than doubled the next week to a record 6.9 million. That means that anyone who began receiving state unemployment benefits then will have to shift to an emergency federal program in the coming weeks.Separately, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is administering the $300-a-week federal benefit, said Thursday that the agency is providing money to cover six weeks, from the start of August through the end of this week, with no extension in sight.Nearly all states have applied for the $300-a-week benefit. But only 17 have managed to upgrade their computers systems to actually distribute the payments. As a result, while many states will likely issue checks for several weeks, the money will be retroactive to early August and will cover only through mid-September.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596920200204.png" alt="President Trump signed the executive order at his New Jersey golf club- photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump signed the executive order at his New Jersey golf club- photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>Trump’s $300-a-week jobless aid program was created by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f67dd310113355f4effe13dfcf4ac3b8?utm_source=piano&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=morningwire&amp;pnespid=huUw9P9VBF2N3gQRJP9rReQYsCZixU6HOEfit00g">an executive order last month</a>&nbsp;after a more generous version adopted by Congress expired and Trump and Congress failed to reach agreement on a new aid package.Through July, people out of work amid the coronavirus pandemic were receiving $600 a week in federal aid on top of their state unemployment benefits. For many recipients, the $600 federal check exceeded their state benefits and kept them afloat as the economy crumbled. But Republicans in Congress opposed the $600, arguing that it was so high as to discourage many of the unemployed from looking for a job.On Thursday, Senate Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3588901312dec9607b6cd22bc83029c2">blocked legislation</a>&nbsp;that would have extended the extra $300 payment and provided more money for schools. The Democrats favored restoring the full $600-a-week jobless benefit as well as more money for states, localities and small businesses.Also Thursday, the Labor Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf" target="_blank">reported&nbsp;</a>that applications for unemployment aid were unchanged last week at 884,000, and the number of laid-off workers who applied for aid under a separate program for the self-employed and contract workers increased. The figures indicated that companies are still cutting an unusually large number of jobs.Other recent evidence also suggests that the job market’s improvement may be weakening after solid gains through spring and most of summer. The number of people seeking jobless aid each week still far exceeds the number who did so in any week on record before this year.Hiring has slowed since June, and a rising number of laid-off workers now say they regard their job loss as permanent. The number of people who are continuing to receive state unemployment benefits rose last week, after five weeks of declines, to 13.4 million, evidence that employers aren’t hiring enough to offset layoffs.For those who have run out of state unemployment benefits, the next step will be to transition to a federal program known as Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC. It’s among the alphabet soup of additional supports that were established by the $2 trillion aid package that Congress approved this spring. The emergency program lasts for 13 weeks and is now paying benefits to 1.4 million people.One of them is Mike Walsh, who lives in Orlando, and is receiving PEUC because Florida’s state unemployment benefits last only 12 weeks. Along with North Carolina, that’s the fewest number of weeks provided by any state.Before the pandemic, Walsh, 53, worked as a transportation manager for conventions and gatherings in Orlando and around the country. If a trade group brought 40,000 of its members to Orlando for an annual convention, Walsh would coordinate the buses needed to shuttle them from dozens of hotels to the convention center and theme parks. He traveled to Washington, D.C. to manage 2,200 buses that arrived for President Barack Obama’s inaugural in 2009.Walsh doesn’t know when the convention business, where he has worked for 33 years, will return. Yet that might not be until next spring, likely long after his unemployment checks will have run out. His current $244 payment and savings are covering his expenses for now, but he doesn’t want to run through all his savings. If his money runs too low he’ll take any job.“I’ll be the one standing at the door, telling you, ‘Welcome to Walmart,’ ” he said.If the PEUC program expires, unemployed workers can then apply for what’s called Extended Benefits, which lasts from 13 to 20 weeks in most states, though only six weeks in Florida. Extended Benefits kick in when a state’s unemployment rate crosses a specific threshold. All states are currently paying these benefits, which is providing checks to 241,000 people.Then there is the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, or PUA. It is a new source of support set up by the government’s relief package and is now providing aid to 14.6 million of the unemployed, more than the regular state programs are covering. Its coverage lasts for 39 weeks.But not necessarily for those who have been laid off more recently. On Dec. 31, the PEUC and PUA will expire. That will leave only state benefits and the Extended Benefits programs. With unemployment likely to remain high until then, many of the jobless could be left desperate.“There will still be a need for unemployment benefits then,” said Elizabeth Pancotti, a policy analyst at Employ America, an advocacy group.________WASHINGTON (AP) —The temporary $300-a-week unemployment insurance boost implemented by President Donald Trump will end, with no extension in sight.The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that it has distributed $30 billion of the $44 billion it had set aside for the benefit. The agency said the fund was enough to cover six weeks of additional jobless aid starting Aug. 1, so unemployed workers won't receive any more after this week.FEMA emphasized that all eligible recipients will get the $300 boost to cover six weeks, a period that ended Sept. 5.Some states had technical obstacles that have delayed the payments, and the federal government is still in the process of approving other states' plans to distribute the money. Eligible workers who have not yet received the $300-a-week supplement or have received less than six weeks' worth, will receive payments for their full share, according to FEMA. After that, the fund will be dry.The program was designed to leave money to deal with natural disasters, such as the wildfires now sweeping the West, even after the unemployment boost was gone.Trump created the program after a more generous $600-a-week benefit adopted by Congress expired. The federal government initially did not have an estimate of how long the money would last, but six weeks is in line with what experts expected.The Trump administration and congressional Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on a new coronavirus relief package that would include an extension of the unemployment supplement.Recipients have said the extra jolt of money from the federal government kept them afloat as the economy cratered amid stay-at-home orders and business closings. On Thursday, the government reported that 13.4 million Americans continue to receive state unemployment benefits, although not all of them are receiving the additional $300.The extra weekly payments came with a significant string attached: It was available only to people receiving at least $100 a week in other unemployment insurance benefits. That cut out hundreds of thousands of low-wage earners, people who had jobs for short periods and gig workers.One of them is Philip Tuley of Clearlake Oaks, California.His unemployment benefits come to $65 a week, or $260 a month. It was so low because Tuley, 63, had previously taken a year off after spending two decades as an assistant educator at a school district in rural Northern California. He had been substituting recently and was about to return to his district full time when the pandemic struck.His unemployment benefit was so small because it was based on his average earnings over a two-year period. He said he’s been turned away from a local food bank because its shelves were bare.Tuley said Trump’s order is to blame for the predicament he and other low-wage workers are in."To have him choose that people who didn’t get $100 were excluded, that’s just -- forgive me — it seems sheer evil,” Tuley said.A handful of states kicked in an additional $100 per person to enhance the payment. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, was the lone governor to decline the additional weekly benefit, according to an AP tally of the states.FEMA’s announcement came as Democrats in the U.S. Senate scuttled a scaled-back GOP coronavirus aid plan, arguing that it was too stingy. That bill includes continuing a $300 weekly unemployment supplement until late December.Paula Ridenti, 33, who lives in Waltham, Massachusetts, gets $202 a week in regular unemployment benefits since she stopped working at a grocery store in March when her children's schools closed, so the $600 supplement was a major help.But she’s still waiting for her checks with the $300 boost. She should get that money eventually, but in the meantime she has been trying to figure out how to make do on an income that adds up to just about half her monthly $1,600 rent.

$300 in US jobless aid ends as more seek help

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police are investigating after a 41-year-old man was found dead inside an apartment in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sunday.

Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesman Officer Dustin Dierenfeldt said officers were called to the apartment in southeastern Kansas City, Kansas, shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday after gunshots were fired.

Officers found the dead man inside with a gunshot wound to the head.

Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting. Police said a person of interest had been identified in the case and that person was cooperating with investigators.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600045436562.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Sunday photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Sunday photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police are investigating after a 41-year-old man was found dead inside an apartment in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sunday.Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesman Officer Dustin Dierenfeldt said officers were called to the apartment in southeastern Kansas City, Kansas, shortly before 10 a.m. Sunday after gunshots were fired.Officers found the dead man inside with a gunshot wound to the head.Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting. Police said a person of interest had been identified in the case and that person was cooperating with investigators.

Police ID suspect in fatal Kan. apartment shooting

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Saturday in Wichita.&nbsp;

A 2005 Ducati motorcycle driven by a 43-year-old man was westbound on Kellogg Drive collided with a northbound 2004 Lincoln Navigator driven by a 17-year-old at the intersection of Main Street, according to officer Charley Davidson.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not release his name on Sunday. The accident remains under investigation, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600078049038.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the Saturday night fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the Saturday night fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9p.m. Saturday in Wichita.&nbsp;A 2005 Ducati motorcycle driven by a 43-year-old man was westbound on Kellogg Drive collided with a northbound 2004 Lincoln Navigator driven by a 17-year-old at the intersection of Main Street, according to officer Charley Davidson.The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not release his name on Sunday. The accident remains under investigation, according to Davidson.

43-year-old Kansas man dies after motorcycle accident

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating multiple individuals stemming from ongoing gambling investigations in Wichita.

Officers arrested 11 individuals over the past three weeks in response to multiple citizen complaints of illegal gambling at multiple locations throughout Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

WPD Vice Investigations Section began proactive enforcement operations at local locations that were allowing gambling on the premises. In addition to the arrests, police also seized firearms, cash, and gambling devices as part of these investigations.

According to Davidson, police arrested the following:

&nbsp;Arlando Trotter, 49,&nbsp; Wichita – multiple counts of commercial gambling and possession of gambling devices.

The cases will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769553039.png" alt="Arlando Trotter photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Arlando Trotter photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating multiple individuals stemming from ongoing gambling investigations in Wichita.Officers arrested 11 individuals over the past three weeks in response to multiple citizen complaints of illegal gambling at multiple locations throughout Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.WPD Vice Investigations Section began proactive enforcement operations at local locations that were allowing gambling on the premises. In addition to the arrests, police also seized firearms, cash, and gambling devices as part of these investigations.According to Davidson, police arrested the following:&nbsp;Arlando Trotter, 49,&nbsp; Wichita – multiple counts of commercial gambling and possession of gambling devices.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769640599.png" alt="William Borboa, 55, Wichita – possession of a firearm by a felon, commercial gambling." />
 <figcaption>William Borboa, 55, Wichita – possession of a firearm by a felon, commercial gambling.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769684901.png" alt="James Bradford, 42, Wichita – commercial gambling." />
 <figcaption>James Bradford, 42, Wichita – commercial gambling.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769721920.png" alt="Valerie Henry, 54, Wichita – commercial gambling." />
 <figcaption>Valerie Henry, 54, Wichita – commercial gambling.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769773942.png" alt="Theraesa Ponds, 44, Wichita – permit gambling, possession of marijuana." />
 <figcaption>Theraesa Ponds, 44, Wichita – permit gambling, possession of marijuana.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769805994.png" alt="Antoine White, 33, Wichita – commercial gambling." />
 <figcaption>Antoine White, 33, Wichita – commercial gambling.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769846389.png" alt="Virgil Vaughn, 59, Wichita – commercial gambling, traffic charges." />
 <figcaption>Virgil Vaughn, 59, Wichita – commercial gambling, traffic charges.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769887295.png" alt="Volonda Trotter, 59, Wichita – two counts of commercial gambling." />
 <figcaption>Volonda Trotter, 59, Wichita – two counts of commercial gambling.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769928399.png" alt="Kenneth Porter, 45, Wichita – two counts of commercial gambling, possession of marijuana." />
 <figcaption>Kenneth Porter, 45, Wichita – two counts of commercial gambling, possession of marijuana.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599769972577.png" alt="Lewis Iverson, 49, Wichita – two counts of commercial gambling." />
 <figcaption>Lewis Iverson, 49, Wichita – two counts of commercial gambling.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599770011025.png" alt="Artis Washington, 61, Wichita – two counts of commercial gambling." />
 <figcaption>Artis Washington, 61, Wichita – two counts of commercial gambling.</figcaption>
 </figure>The cases will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Police make multiple arrests in Kan. gambling bust

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ordered the Kansas Secretary of State’s office to allow state Sen. Julia Lynn to remove her name from November’s ballot so she can care for her ailing sister.

The judge in Shawnee County found Friday that the Olathe Republican had submitted all of the necessary documentation, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article245671060.html" target="_blank">reports.</a>

At issue was technical issues with the initial version of the doctor’s note she submitted attesting to the fact that her sister required continuous care. The note, which she turned in on the Sept. 1 deadline for withdrawing, had the doctor’s name along with a handwritten notation by a nurse in the doctor’s office.

The following day, Lynn was told she needed to obtain a doctor’s note with a handwritten signature. Lynn said in a petition that it was provided a day later but that the Kansas Secretary of State rejected it for arriving a day late.

In the initial denial, the office of Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said that Lynn had turned in a note signed by a nurse instead of a doctor.

Schwab, was ordered to remove her name from any ballots and notify the Johnson County Republican Party Committee of the vacancy in the election.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1570125128613.png" alt="Senator Julia Lynn" />
 <figcaption>Senator Julia Lynn</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ordered the Kansas Secretary of State’s office to allow state Sen. Julia Lynn to remove her name from November’s ballot so she can care for her ailing sister.The judge in Shawnee County found Friday that the Olathe Republican had submitted all of the necessary documentation, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article245671060.html" target="_blank">reports.</a>At issue was technical issues with the initial version of the doctor’s note she submitted attesting to the fact that her sister required continuous care. The note, which she turned in on the Sept. 1 deadline for withdrawing, had the doctor’s name along with a handwritten notation by a nurse in the doctor’s office.The following day, Lynn was told she needed to obtain a doctor’s note with a handwritten signature. Lynn said in a petition that it was provided a day later but that the Kansas Secretary of State rejected it for arriving a day late.In the initial denial, the office of Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said that Lynn had turned in a note signed by a nurse instead of a doctor.Schwab, was ordered to remove her name from any ballots and notify the Johnson County Republican Party Committee of the vacancy in the election.

Judge orders officials to remove Kan. Senator from ballot

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9p.m. on Saturday in Wichita.

Police&nbsp; responded to the injury accident at Hillside and Zimmerly involving a silver 2003 Dodge Neon and a black 2014 Chevy Suburban, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the 21-year-old driver of the Neon who had critical injuries.&nbsp; He was taken to an area hospital where he died, according to Davidson.&nbsp;

The investigation revealed a 43-year-old female was driving the Suburban along with three passengers and turned south on Hillside from Zimmerly.&nbsp; The 21-year-old in the Dodge was&nbsp; northbound on Hillside and struck the Suburban, causing his fatal injuries.&nbsp; The occupants of the Suburban were not injured.

Speed and alcohol involving the Neon are believed to a factor in the accident, according to Davidson.&nbsp; Police have not released names of the drivers.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 9p.m. on Saturday in Wichita.Police&nbsp; responded to the injury accident at Hillside and Zimmerly involving a silver 2003 Dodge Neon and a black 2014 Chevy Suburban, according to officer Charley Davidson.Upon arrival, officers contacted the 21-year-old driver of the Neon who had critical injuries.&nbsp; He was taken to an area hospital where he died, according to Davidson.&nbsp;The investigation revealed a 43-year-old female was driving the Suburban along with three passengers and turned south on Hillside from Zimmerly.&nbsp; The 21-year-old in the Dodge was&nbsp; northbound on Hillside and struck the Suburban, causing his fatal injuries.&nbsp; The occupants of the Suburban were not injured.Speed and alcohol involving the Neon are believed to a factor in the accident, according to Davidson.&nbsp; Police have not released names of the drivers.

Police: Speed, alcohol a factor in fatal Kan. crash

By DANIEL C. VOCK, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/10/immigration-agency-cuts-of-800-kansas-city-jobs-expected-to-trigger-backlogs-delays-nationwide/'">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON
 — Members of Congress from the Kansas City region scored a victory last
 month when a federal immigration agency backed off plans that would 
have led to thousands of layoffs of government employees in the metro 
area.

But
 their relief was short lived, as the agency now intends to furlough 800
 of its local private contractors instead — a move expected to set off 
immigration backlogs and processing delays throughout the nation.

The
 Kansas City furloughs are the latest result of budget shortfalls at 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which earlier this summer <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/11/covid-19-stimulus-deal-us-immigration-services-plans-furloughs/3344178001/">threatened to furlough two-thirds of all its workers</a> across the country, raising the specter of a severely damaged immigration system and outraging lawmakers.

The
 news that Kansas City still could sustain an 800-job hit has produced 
fresh objections from bipartisan members of Congress from both Missouri 
and Kansas, who wrote the agency saying “the economic impact of such a 
reduction will be felt for years to come.”

But
 the job cuts also more broadly could further delay the ability of USCIS
 to process green cards, work authorizations and other 
immigration-related documents nationwide.&nbsp;

Those
 backlogs, immigration advocates say, could slow any economic recovery, 
if companies in fields like technology and health care cannot hire the 
workers they need quickly.

The
 800 people who are being furloughed work for a contractor at the 
National Benefit Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. USCIS uses the 
processing center to collect information, conduct background checks and 
prepare a variety of applications for local field offices.&nbsp;

But
 the agency says demand for immigration paperwork has dropped 
dramatically this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented many 
people from traveling and the Trump administration has raised more 
procedural obstacles to legal immigration.&nbsp;

That
 has caused a financial crisis for USCIS, because 96% of its revenue 
comes from application fees — not general tax revenues.&nbsp;

“USCIS
 has seen a 50% drop in receipts and incoming fees starting in March and
 estimates that application and petition receipts will stay well below 
plan through the end of (September). This dramatic drop in revenue has 
made it impossible for our agency to operate at full capacity,” a USCIS 
spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The
 immigration agency has been threatening to issue mass layoffs since 
late spring and, until recently, said it would have to send 13,000 of 
its 20,000 employees home at the end of August.&nbsp;

A week before the cutbacks were set to take place, though, USCIS deputy director for policy Joseph Edlow <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-averts-furlough-of-nearly-70-of-workforce">announced</a> the agency would avoid such widespread furloughs.

Members
 of Congress from the Kansas City area, particularly Sen. Roy Blunt, a 
Missouri Republican, and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat, 
worked across party lines to avoid the threatened furloughs, which would
 have hit the bi-state area hard. USCIS employs 3,100 people in the 
region.&nbsp;

The U.S. House unanimously passed <a href="https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-cleaver-s-bipartisan-bill-to-prevent-uscis-furloughs-passes-house-of">legislation authored by Cleaver</a>
 in late August that would have helped the agency halt the furloughs by 
immediately increasing the agency’s revenue from so-called premium 
processing, or special faster services. The agency announced its own 
plan to fend off furloughs before the Senate could take up the measure.

To
 cancel the furloughs, though, Edlow said the agency had to make other 
cuts in the short term. To get things back on track for the long term, 
USCIS wants Congress to provide $1.2 billion in emergency funding.&nbsp;

“Averting
 this furlough comes at a severe operational cost that will increase 
backlogs and wait times across the board, with no guarantee we can avoid
 future furloughs. A return to normal operating procedures requires 
congressional intervention to sustain the agency through fiscal year 
2021,” which ends in September 2021, Edlow said.

One
 of the ways USCIS is saving money is by reducing the number of contract
 employees it uses in the Kansas City area. Before the pandemic, the 
agency used 1,300 workers from contracting business Pacific Architects 
and Engineers to help process applications. Now it will use just 500. 
The move is expected to save $9 million through the end of November.&nbsp;

The
 agency expects the cutbacks will increase backlogs and processing 
delays throughout the country. They also come at a time when the 
agency’s 86 field offices have scaled back their operations. The field 
offices were closed from March until July because of the pandemic.&nbsp;

Now
 that they’re open again, they are still conducting half as many 
interviews as they were before the March closures for health reasons.&nbsp;

The
 slowdown at the field offices, though, means that fewer cases need to 
be prepared for them. Cutting the size of the contract at the National 
Benefit Center will better meet the current workload, a USCIS 
spokesperson said.

Those moves have not gone over well with the Kansas City area’s congressional delegation.

“The
 jobs at the National Benefit Center support the livelihoods of many 
Kansas families and allow legal immigration applications to be processed
 without interruption,” said Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat. “I 
am very disappointed that the USCIS would end these jobs without working
 with Congress on possible solutions.”

Davids was one of several area lawmakers to criticize USCIS for the furlough of contract employees in <a href="https://www.blunt.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/USCIS%20Contract%20Letter%20Final.pdf">a letter last week.</a>&nbsp;

Davids,
 Blunt and Cleaver were joined by Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of 
Missouri and Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts of Kansas and Republican Rep. 
Sam Graves of Missouri in signing the letter.

They asked for a briefing from the agency, which USCIS held on Friday.

Diane
 Rish, the associate director of government relations for the American 
Immigration Lawyers Association, said the delays USCIS is predicting as a
 result of furloughing the private contractors will only make things 
worse for a system that has been experiencing longer and longer delays 
in processing key immigration documents.

The Trump administration has repeatedly slowed down those processes, she said.

One
 of the most significant changes came in the fall of 2017, just a few 
months after the president took office. That’s when USCIS started 
requiring in-person interviews for applicants seeking work permits, 
along with several other categories of potential immigrants.&nbsp;

Trump
 administration officials acknowledged at the time that the new steps 
would increase processing times, but said they were necessary to prevent
 fraud.

Now
 that USCIS says its capacity to handle in-person interviews is reduced,
 Rish said, the agency could simply rescind the interview requirement.

“The
 administration is saying they’re enforcing a legal immigration system,”
 she said, “(but) people in line who are trying to comply with the law 
are being thrown into a system that is now taking longer and longer, 
making it almost impossible to comply with the law.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599756953779.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DANIEL C. VOCK, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/10/immigration-agency-cuts-of-800-kansas-city-jobs-expected-to-trigger-backlogs-delays-nationwide/'">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON
 — Members of Congress from the Kansas City region scored a victory last
 month when a federal immigration agency backed off plans that would 
have led to thousands of layoffs of government employees in the metro 
area.But
 their relief was short lived, as the agency now intends to furlough 800
 of its local private contractors instead — a move expected to set off 
immigration backlogs and processing delays throughout the nation.The
 Kansas City furloughs are the latest result of budget shortfalls at 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which earlier this summer <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/11/covid-19-stimulus-deal-us-immigration-services-plans-furloughs/3344178001/">threatened to furlough two-thirds of all its workers</a> across the country, raising the specter of a severely damaged immigration system and outraging lawmakers.The
 news that Kansas City still could sustain an 800-job hit has produced 
fresh objections from bipartisan members of Congress from both Missouri 
and Kansas, who wrote the agency saying “the economic impact of such a 
reduction will be felt for years to come.”But
 the job cuts also more broadly could further delay the ability of USCIS
 to process green cards, work authorizations and other 
immigration-related documents nationwide.&nbsp;Those
 backlogs, immigration advocates say, could slow any economic recovery, 
if companies in fields like technology and health care cannot hire the 
workers they need quickly.The
 800 people who are being furloughed work for a contractor at the 
National Benefit Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. USCIS uses the 
processing center to collect information, conduct background checks and 
prepare a variety of applications for local field offices.&nbsp;But
 the agency says demand for immigration paperwork has dropped 
dramatically this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented many 
people from traveling and the Trump administration has raised more 
procedural obstacles to legal immigration.&nbsp;That
 has caused a financial crisis for USCIS, because 96% of its revenue 
comes from application fees — not general tax revenues.&nbsp;“USCIS
 has seen a 50% drop in receipts and incoming fees starting in March and
 estimates that application and petition receipts will stay well below 
plan through the end of (September). This dramatic drop in revenue has 
made it impossible for our agency to operate at full capacity,” a USCIS 
spokesperson said in an emailed statement.<h2>Threats of mass layoffs</h2>The
 immigration agency has been threatening to issue mass layoffs since 
late spring and, until recently, said it would have to send 13,000 of 
its 20,000 employees home at the end of August.&nbsp;A week before the cutbacks were set to take place, though, USCIS deputy director for policy Joseph Edlow <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-averts-furlough-of-nearly-70-of-workforce">announced</a> the agency would avoid such widespread furloughs.Members
 of Congress from the Kansas City area, particularly Sen. Roy Blunt, a 
Missouri Republican, and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat, 
worked across party lines to avoid the threatened furloughs, which would
 have hit the bi-state area hard. USCIS employs 3,100 people in the 
region.&nbsp;The U.S. House unanimously passed <a href="https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-cleaver-s-bipartisan-bill-to-prevent-uscis-furloughs-passes-house-of">legislation authored by Cleaver</a>
 in late August that would have helped the agency halt the furloughs by 
immediately increasing the agency’s revenue from so-called premium 
processing, or special faster services. The agency announced its own 
plan to fend off furloughs before the Senate could take up the measure.To
 cancel the furloughs, though, Edlow said the agency had to make other 
cuts in the short term. To get things back on track for the long term, 
USCIS wants Congress to provide $1.2 billion in emergency funding.&nbsp;“Averting
 this furlough comes at a severe operational cost that will increase 
backlogs and wait times across the board, with no guarantee we can avoid
 future furloughs. A return to normal operating procedures requires 
congressional intervention to sustain the agency through fiscal year 
2021,” which ends in September 2021, Edlow said.One
 of the ways USCIS is saving money is by reducing the number of contract
 employees it uses in the Kansas City area. Before the pandemic, the 
agency used 1,300 workers from contracting business Pacific Architects 
and Engineers to help process applications. Now it will use just 500. 
The move is expected to save $9 million through the end of November.&nbsp;The
 agency expects the cutbacks will increase backlogs and processing 
delays throughout the country. They also come at a time when the 
agency’s 86 field offices have scaled back their operations. The field 
offices were closed from March until July because of the pandemic.&nbsp;Now
 that they’re open again, they are still conducting half as many 
interviews as they were before the March closures for health reasons.&nbsp;The
 slowdown at the field offices, though, means that fewer cases need to 
be prepared for them. Cutting the size of the contract at the National 
Benefit Center will better meet the current workload, a USCIS 
spokesperson said.<h2>Kansas City delegation</h2>Those moves have not gone over well with the Kansas City area’s congressional delegation.“The
 jobs at the National Benefit Center support the livelihoods of many 
Kansas families and allow legal immigration applications to be processed
 without interruption,” said Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat. “I 
am very disappointed that the USCIS would end these jobs without working
 with Congress on possible solutions.”Davids was one of several area lawmakers to criticize USCIS for the furlough of contract employees in <a href="https://www.blunt.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/USCIS%20Contract%20Letter%20Final.pdf">a letter last week.</a>&nbsp;Davids,
 Blunt and Cleaver were joined by Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of 
Missouri and Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts of Kansas and Republican Rep. 
Sam Graves of Missouri in signing the letter.They asked for a briefing from the agency, which USCIS held on Friday.Diane
 Rish, the associate director of government relations for the American 
Immigration Lawyers Association, said the delays USCIS is predicting as a
 result of furloughing the private contractors will only make things 
worse for a system that has been experiencing longer and longer delays 
in processing key immigration documents.The Trump administration has repeatedly slowed down those processes, she said.One
 of the most significant changes came in the fall of 2017, just a few 
months after the president took office. That’s when USCIS started 
requiring in-person interviews for applicants seeking work permits, 
along with several other categories of potential immigrants.&nbsp;Trump
 administration officials acknowledged at the time that the new steps 
would increase processing times, but said they were necessary to prevent
 fraud.Now
 that USCIS says its capacity to handle in-person interviews is reduced,
 Rish said, the agency could simply rescind the interview requirement.“The
 administration is saying they’re enforcing a legal immigration system,”
 she said, “(but) people in line who are trying to comply with the law 
are being thrown into a system that is now taking longer and longer, 
making it almost impossible to comply with the law.”<h2>Blaming the pandemic</h2>Rish also questioned USCIS’ claim that its budget troubles are related to the slowdown in cases brought on by the coronavirus.&nbsp;The
 agency proposed raising several fees — some by as much as 80% — last 
November, citing budget concerns. Recently, USCIS finalized those fee 
hikes, which are now set to take effect in October.Immigration
 lawyers did see a dip in cases when the coronavirus pandemic first 
struck the United States in March and April, but the number of cases has
 returned to “similar levels” to pre-pandemic levels since then, Rish 
said. USCIS caseloads usually climb right before fee hikes, so there 
will likely be even more applications filed in the coming weeks, she 
added.USCIS officials said the higher fees would not be enough to cover the drop in revenue it faced this year.&nbsp;In
 fact, USCIS has to periodically revise its fees to keep up with its 
expenses. The fee hikes scheduled to take effect next month will amount 
to a weighted average increase of 20%, compared to 21% increases the 
last time the agency changed its fees in December 2016.“USCIS
 is required to examine incoming and outgoing expenditures and make 
adjustments based on that analysis. These overdue adjustments in fees 
are necessary to efficiently and fairly administer our nation’s lawful 
immigration system, secure the homeland and protect Americans,” Edlow, 
the agency’s deputy director, said in a statement.With
 the rising number of applications and fewer people to process them, 
Rish predicted that the effects of the furloughs in the Kansas City area
 would be far-reaching.&nbsp;“These
 are applications that are filed from all over the country,” she said, 
“so all states and all cities are going to feel the impacts of these 
furloughs.”Daniel C. Vock is a correspondent for the States Newsroom Washington, D.C., bureau.