HUTCHINSON —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon wanted on a warrant who was arrested Wednesday.

&nbsp;Blake Kayden Bryant, 22, Hutchinson, allegedly threatened a 48-year-old man with a knife and attempted to steal his vehicle in the 1600 block of East 17th Avenue in Hutchinson Tuesday evening, according to police.&nbsp;

Authorities found him after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday.

Brant is being held on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. He also faces possible charges of aggravated arson and criminal damage&nbsp; from earlier incidents Tuesday evening.

Bryant has previous convictions for robbery and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He is being held on a bond of $143,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599741778522.png" alt="Bryant-photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Bryant-photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon wanted on a warrant who was arrested Wednesday.&nbsp;Blake Kayden Bryant, 22, Hutchinson, allegedly threatened a 48-year-old man with a knife and attempted to steal his vehicle in the 1600 block of East 17th Avenue in Hutchinson Tuesday evening, according to police.&nbsp;Authorities found him after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday.Brant is being held on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. He also faces possible charges of aggravated arson and criminal damage&nbsp; from earlier incidents Tuesday evening.Bryant has previous convictions for robbery and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He is being held on a bond of $143,000.

Kansas felon jailed for alleged threat with knife

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Teachers in at least three states have died after bouts with the coronavirus since the dawn of the new school year, and a teachers’ union leader worries that the return to in-person classes will have a deadly impact across the U.S. if proper precautions aren’t taken.

AshLee DeMarinis was just 34 when she died Sunday after three weeks in the hospital. She taught social skills and special education at John Evans Middle School in Potosi, Missouri, about 70 miles southwest of St. Louis.

A third-grade teacher died Monday in South Carolina, and two other educators died recently in Mississippi. It’s unclear how many teachers in the U.S. have become ill with COVID-19 since the new school year began, but Mississippi alone has reported 604 cases among school teachers and staff.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said schools need guidelines such as mandatory face coverings and strict social distancing rules to reopen safely.

“If community spread is too high as it is in Missouri and Mississippi, if you don’t have the infrastructure of testing, and if you don’t have the safeguards that prevent the spread of viruses in the school, we believe that you cannot reopen in person,” Weingarten said.

Johnny Dunlap, a 39-year-old drama and forensics teacher at Dodge City High School in Kansas, said he considered quitting before the district made masks mandatory for teachers and students. Still, his history of bladder cancer and high blood pressure have left him with some angst about being around so many people. Existing health conditions can put people at higher risk for severe illness and death from the virus.

“I’m at a high school with close to 2,000 students so it kind of runs against the advice we have been given for half a year now,” Dunlap said.

The early phase of the pandemic claimed the lives of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/education">dozens of teachers</a>. The New York City Department of Education alone lost 31 teachers among 75 employees whose deaths were blamed on the coronavirus.

Across the U.S., the American Federation of Teachers lists 210 union members who have died. The list includes support staff and retirees as well as teachers.

The start of the new school year brought with it new fatalities.

In Oxford, Mississippi, 42-year-old Nacoma James taught at a middle school and helped coach high school football. He died Aug. 6 during the first week of classes, but was self-quarantining when teachers and students returned to the classroom, said Lafayette County School District Superintendent Adam Pugh.

Pugh recalled that James was a seventh-grade student when he began teaching 30 years ago.

“It was a hard punch to my stomach, when I heard,” Pugh said.

James worked with football players during summer workouts, but an investigation found no new cases linked to him, Pugh said.

Another Mississippi teacher died Sunday. History teacher Tom Slade recently posted on Facebook about his battle with pneumonia caused by the coronavirus.

Slade was teaching in-person when the academic year started on Aug. 6, Principal Raina Holmes said, but began quarantining after he had contact with someone who was positive at a church meeting. His last day of teaching was Aug. 21.

Slade was known for jokingly using a judge’s gavel to quiet noisy students.

“He always brought humor into his classroom and his students loved that part about him,” said Holmes.

In South Carolina, Demetria “Demi” Bannister, 28, died three days after being diagnosed with COVID-19, her school district said in a news release Wednesday. Bannister taught third grade in Columbia.

The district said Bannister was at Windsor Elementary School on Aug. 28 for a teacher work day, before classes resumed.

In Potosi, in-person classes started Aug. 24. DeMarinis was already hospitalized by then but had been in the school preparing for the year a couple of weeks earlier, her sister, Jennifer Heissenbuttel said.

Superintendent Alex McCaul said contact tracing determined she had no close contact with any teachers, students or staff.

DeMarinis grew up near New York but developed a passion for her rural school and Potosi, a town of 2,600 residents, Heissenbuttel said.

DeMarinis had wanted to teach special education since she was a child, when a special education teacher helped her overcome mild dyslexia.

“She had the patience of a saint. She was really meant for it,” Heissenbuttel said. “The kids loved her. She touched so many lives.”

DeMarinis had asthma, which can put someone more at risk from severe illness from COVID-19. She began feeling poorly around mid-August, Heissenbuttel said. After developing fever and shortness of breath, she was tested for the coronavirus and was soon hospitalized.

It’s unclear where DeMarinis picked up the virus.

Heissenbuttel is a nurse who works in a New York area hospital’s intensive care unit. Somehow, she managed to avoid the illness that her sister couldn’t.

“I thought it would be me, not her,” Heissenbuttel said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599693824380.png" alt="AshLee DeMarinis courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>AshLee DeMarinis courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Teachers in at least three states have died after bouts with the coronavirus since the dawn of the new school year, and a teachers’ union leader worries that the return to in-person classes will have a deadly impact across the U.S. if proper precautions aren’t taken.AshLee DeMarinis was just 34 when she died Sunday after three weeks in the hospital. She taught social skills and special education at John Evans Middle School in Potosi, Missouri, about 70 miles southwest of St. Louis.A third-grade teacher died Monday in South Carolina, and two other educators died recently in Mississippi. It’s unclear how many teachers in the U.S. have become ill with COVID-19 since the new school year began, but Mississippi alone has reported 604 cases among school teachers and staff.Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said schools need guidelines such as mandatory face coverings and strict social distancing rules to reopen safely.“If community spread is too high as it is in Missouri and Mississippi, if you don’t have the infrastructure of testing, and if you don’t have the safeguards that prevent the spread of viruses in the school, we believe that you cannot reopen in person,” Weingarten said.Johnny Dunlap, a 39-year-old drama and forensics teacher at Dodge City High School in Kansas, said he considered quitting before the district made masks mandatory for teachers and students. Still, his history of bladder cancer and high blood pressure have left him with some angst about being around so many people. Existing health conditions can put people at higher risk for severe illness and death from the virus.“I’m at a high school with close to 2,000 students so it kind of runs against the advice we have been given for half a year now,” Dunlap said.The early phase of the pandemic claimed the lives of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/education">dozens of teachers</a>. The New York City Department of Education alone lost 31 teachers among 75 employees whose deaths were blamed on the coronavirus.Across the U.S., the American Federation of Teachers lists 210 union members who have died. The list includes support staff and retirees as well as teachers.The start of the new school year brought with it new fatalities.In Oxford, Mississippi, 42-year-old Nacoma James taught at a middle school and helped coach high school football. He died Aug. 6 during the first week of classes, but was self-quarantining when teachers and students returned to the classroom, said Lafayette County School District Superintendent Adam Pugh.Pugh recalled that James was a seventh-grade student when he began teaching 30 years ago.“It was a hard punch to my stomach, when I heard,” Pugh said.James worked with football players during summer workouts, but an investigation found no new cases linked to him, Pugh said.Another Mississippi teacher died Sunday. History teacher Tom Slade recently posted on Facebook about his battle with pneumonia caused by the coronavirus.Slade was teaching in-person when the academic year started on Aug. 6, Principal Raina Holmes said, but began quarantining after he had contact with someone who was positive at a church meeting. His last day of teaching was Aug. 21.Slade was known for jokingly using a judge’s gavel to quiet noisy students.“He always brought humor into his classroom and his students loved that part about him,” said Holmes.In South Carolina, Demetria “Demi” Bannister, 28, died three days after being diagnosed with COVID-19, her school district said in a news release Wednesday. Bannister taught third grade in Columbia.The district said Bannister was at Windsor Elementary School on Aug. 28 for a teacher work day, before classes resumed.In Potosi, in-person classes started Aug. 24. DeMarinis was already hospitalized by then but had been in the school preparing for the year a couple of weeks earlier, her sister, Jennifer Heissenbuttel said.Superintendent Alex McCaul said contact tracing determined she had no close contact with any teachers, students or staff.DeMarinis grew up near New York but developed a passion for her rural school and Potosi, a town of 2,600 residents, Heissenbuttel said.DeMarinis had wanted to teach special education since she was a child, when a special education teacher helped her overcome mild dyslexia.“She had the patience of a saint. She was really meant for it,” Heissenbuttel said. “The kids loved her. She touched so many lives.”DeMarinis had asthma, which can put someone more at risk from severe illness from COVID-19. She began feeling poorly around mid-August, Heissenbuttel said. After developing fever and shortness of breath, she was tested for the coronavirus and was soon hospitalized.It’s unclear where DeMarinis picked up the virus.Heissenbuttel is a nurse who works in a New York area hospital’s intensive care unit. Somehow, she managed to avoid the illness that her sister couldn’t.“I thought it would be me, not her,” Heissenbuttel said.___

Teacher deaths raise alarms as new school year begins

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday, a sheriff's deputy on routine patrol observed an individual he was able to identify as Randal Bruce, 43, Independence, driving a vehicle, according to sheriff Ron Wade.

The deputy believed Bruce did not have a valid Kansas driver’s license due to past law enforcement contact. 

The deputy confirmed Bruce did not possess a valid driver’s license. He made contact with Bruce, and after a short investigation, determined Bruce was wanted on warrants in two other jurisdictions, did not have driver’s license, the vehicle registration was not in good standing, and the vehicle was not insured. 

The deputy also observed drug paraphernalia in plain-view in the vehicle. A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle, and inside deputies found marijuana, methamphetamines, and drug paraphernalia. Bruce was taken to Montgomery County Department of Corrections where it has been recommended, he be charged with possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia as well as traffic violations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599680808332.png" alt="Bruce has over a dozen previous convictions for burglary, theft, driving on the sidewalk, driving while suspended, flee and or attempt to elude, criminal trespass and for drugs, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Bruce has over a dozen previous convictions for burglary, theft, driving on the sidewalk, driving while suspended, flee and or attempt to elude, criminal trespass and for drugs, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.Just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday, a sheriff's deputy on routine patrol observed an individual he was able to identify as Randal Bruce, 43, Independence, driving a vehicle, according to sheriff Ron Wade.The deputy believed Bruce did not have a valid Kansas driver’s license due to past law enforcement contact. The deputy confirmed Bruce did not possess a valid driver’s license. He made contact with Bruce, and after a short investigation, determined Bruce was wanted on warrants in two other jurisdictions, did not have driver’s license, the vehicle registration was not in good standing, and the vehicle was not insured. The deputy also observed drug paraphernalia in plain-view in the vehicle. A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle, and inside deputies found marijuana, methamphetamines, and drug paraphernalia. Bruce was taken to Montgomery County Department of Corrections where it has been recommended, he be charged with possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia as well as traffic violations.

Kan. man with over a dozen convictions is back in jail

TOPEKA–Police continue to search for clues in the the July 14 murder of a Kansas woman and her 13-year-old daughter.

An anonymous donor gave Shawnee County Crime Stoppers $20,000 to be used as an enhanced reward for information leading to an arrest in the double homicide.

Just before 2a.m. July 14, police were dispatched to a home in the 500 block of SW 5th Street in Topeka on a report of a shooting, according to Lt. Kelvin Johnson.

 Upon arrival, officers located two deceased victims inside a residence with apparent gunshot wounds. They were later identified as Crystal D. Andrews, 37, and her daughter Mercedes M. Holford, 13 of Topeka. 

In addition to the $20,000 enhanced reward, Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $2,000, totaling a $22,000 reward offer, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598473191106.png" alt="Topeka Police released pictures of a person of interest walking near the home on the night of the homicide." />
 <figcaption>Topeka Police released pictures of a person of interest walking near the home on the night of the homicide.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA–Police continue to search for clues in the the July 14 murder of a Kansas woman and her 13-year-old daughter.An anonymous donor gave Shawnee County Crime Stoppers $20,000 to be used as an enhanced reward for information leading to an arrest in the double homicide.Just before 2a.m. July 14, police were dispatched to a home in the 500 block of SW 5th Street in Topeka on a report of a shooting, according to Lt. Kelvin Johnson. Upon arrival, officers located two deceased victims inside a residence with apparent gunshot wounds. They were later identified as Crystal D. Andrews, 37, and her daughter Mercedes M. Holford, 13 of Topeka. In addition to the $20,000 enhanced reward, Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $2,000, totaling a $22,000 reward offer, according to police spokesperson Gretchen Spiker.

Search continues in murder of Kan. woman, 13-year-old daughter

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on numerous drug charges following a traffic stop and search of his home.

Just before 4 p.m., Tuesday, police conducted a car stop in the area of SE 21st and SE Rice Road in Topeka, according to Lt. Manuel Munoz. During the investigation, officers located narcotics in the vehicle and applied for a search warrant for the driver’s residence located at 2530 SE Virginia in Topeka.

Officers transported Daniel Torres-Rocha, 46, of Topeka to Shawnee County Department of Corrections and booked him on requested charges of Possession of Cocaine w/Intent to Distribute within 1000’ of a School, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,&nbsp; Aggravated Child Endangerment and Traffic related charges, according to Munoz.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on numerous drug charges following a traffic stop and search of his home.Just before 4 p.m., Tuesday, police conducted a car stop in the area of SE 21st and SE Rice Road in Topeka, according to Lt. Manuel Munoz. During the investigation, officers located narcotics in the vehicle and applied for a search warrant for the driver’s residence located at 2530 SE Virginia in Topeka.Officers transported Daniel Torres-Rocha, 46, of Topeka to Shawnee County Department of Corrections and booked him on requested charges of Possession of Cocaine w/Intent to Distribute within 1000’ of a School, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,&nbsp; Aggravated Child Endangerment and Traffic related charges, according to Munoz.

Kan. man accused of child endangerment after cocaine found in home

Topeka —Kansas Department of Health Secretary Lee Norman, M.D. provided an update on clusters, testing and more during a Wednesday press conference.

On Wednesday afternoon, the state reported less than 500 new virus cases in Kansas since Monday and ten new deaths.

Norman said that due to the Labor Day holiday weekend, the KDHE had received few reports from county health departments and labs. "The numbers are running a little bit behind and are low."

When asked about giving a letter grade to the state on the response to the virus Norman said there are two groups. "One group gets a B+ and the other group gets a D. Some take the virus seriously and other say it's a bunch of hogwash. I think there will be very few naysayers eventually.&nbsp; There is going to be enough disease burden that everyone will be touched in some way by this(the virus).&nbsp;

Topeka —Kansas Department of Health Secretary Lee Norman, M.D. provided an update on clusters, testing and more during a Wednesday press conference.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKDHEnews%2Fvideos%2F674403709835994%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>OnO</div>On Wednesday afternoon, the state reported less than 500 new virus cases in Kansas since Monday and ten new deaths.Norman said that due to the Labor Day holiday weekend, the KDHE had received few reports from county health departments and labs. "The numbers are running a little bit behind and are low."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599671229159.png" alt="Wednesday Sept. 9, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Sept. 9, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>When asked about giving a letter grade to the state on the response to the virus Norman said there are two groups. "One group gets a B+ and the other group gets a D. Some take the virus seriously and other say it's a bunch of hogwash. I think there will be very few naysayers eventually.&nbsp; There is going to be enough disease burden that everyone will be touched in some way by this(the virus).&nbsp;

🎥 Dr. Norman on new virus report with less than 500 new cases

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hoping to replicate a strategy that has long been seen as key to his appeal among conservative voters, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he is adding 20 names to a list of Supreme Court candidates that he's pledged to choose from if he has future vacancies to fill.

The list include Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas,&nbsp; Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, Christopher Landau, the current ambassador to Mexico, and Gregory Katsas, a Trump nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and and Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Attorney General

“Every one of these individuals will ensure equal justice, equal treatment and equal rights for citizens of every race, color, religion and creed," Trump said at the White House. Trump also warned his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, would select “radical justices” who would “fundamentally transform America," even though Biden has never outlined his list of potential choices.

The release, less than two months before the election, is aimed at repeating the strategy that Trump employed during his 2016 campaign, when he released a similar list of could-be judges in a bid to win over conservative and evangelical voters who had doubts about his conservative bonafides.

“The president is very excited to share who he would nominate to the Supreme Court," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said ahead of the announcement. She said Trump “wants Constitution-abiding judges, he wants textualists who believe the words of a statute actually are what they are, not subject to interpretation.”

The high court is currently divided 5-4 between conservatives and liberals. While there is no current vacancy on the court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, has been undergoing cancer treatment, and three others members of the court are in their 70s and 80s.

Trump has already remade the federal bench for a generation. And any vacancy in the highest court would give the president the ability to shape its future for decades to come if he is reelected in November.

Trump has stressed that power as he has campaigned, claiming that the winner of the upcoming presidential election “could have anywhere from two to four, to maybe even five” Supreme Court justices to pick, though that would require an extraordinary level of turnover.

“You will change this country around. It will be irreversible,” he said last month in Minnesota.

Trump released two lists with a total of 21 names of potential Supreme Court nominees during his previous presidential campaign and added another five names in 2017 after becoming president. Trump’s two nominees to the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, were both drawn from Trump’s list.

Even in a race reshaped by the pandemic and the national reckoning over race, Trump's appointments of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh remain among his crowning achievements and are frequently noted at his rallies.

The cultural battle over Kavanaugh’s confirmation, in particular, remains an electrifying moment for many on the right and one that Trump continues to highlight as he tries to replicate the excitement that fight generated on the right and make the race an us-vs.-them battle over American values and cancel culture.

“Did you ever see anything like that? Justice Kavanaugh. People forget. You know, time goes by, they forget. We don’t forget. I don’t forget,” Trump told a rally crowd last month in New Hampshire. “They’re destroying the livelihoods of innocent people.”

For the president's allies, the list is seen as a way to excite his base as well as well as remind voters of what's at stake come November.

“I think it's very important way for the president to reaffirm his commitment to an issue that many conservatives and Republicans see as a priority," said Leonard Leo, the longtime executive vice president of the conservative Federalist Society who participated in the Kavanaugh and Gorsuch confirmations. “This a great way to remind people pf the legacy he’s already established for himself in this area.”

Trump’s rival for the presidency, Joe Biden, has promised to nominate a Black woman to the high court if given the chance. Biden, too, has said he’s working on a list of potential nominees, but the campaign has given no indication that it will release names before the November election. Democrats believe doing so would unnecessarily distract from Biden’s focus on Trump’s handling of the pandemic and the economy, while also giving the president and his allies fresh targets to attack.

“We are putting together a list of a group of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to be in the court. I am not going to release that until we go further down the line of vetting them as well,” Biden said in June.

Biden advisers acknowledge that the Supreme Court vacancy four years ago helped Trump with white evangelicals and some chamber-of-commerce Republicans who disliked the first-time candidate or were wary of his conservative credentials. This year, Biden’s team sees those same groups as less up for grabs. Many remain firmly with Trump, they reason, while others already have bailed on him and won’t be wooed back by another list of potential justices for a vacancy that doesn’t yet exist.

But Trump pushed back. He said that, apart from “matters of war and peace, the nomination of a Supreme Court justice is the most important decision an American president can make” and that, “For this reason, candidates for president owe the American people a specific list of individuals they’d consider for the United States Supreme Court."

Any list may also be meaningless. Either man’s ability to get any future choice on the court depends on having a majority in the Senate, which confirms nominees. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the chamber to Democrats’ 45, with two independents who caucus with the Democrats.

The court’s oldest members are Justice Ginsburg and Justice Stephen Breyer, 82, both liberals, and Justice Clarence Thomas, 72, and Justice Samuel Alito, 70, two conservatives. Ginsburg made news this summer when she announced she is being treated for a recurrence of cancer but has no plans to step down.

Regardless of party, presidents tend to look for the same characteristics in potential Supreme Court picks. Stellar legal credentials are a must. All of the current justices attended Harvard or Yale law school, though Ginsburg left Harvard and graduated from Columbia. And they tend to be old enough to have a distinguished legal career but young enough to serve for decades. That generally means nominees are in their late 40s or 50s.

More recently, nominees have also previously clerked for a Supreme Court justice, an early mark of legal smarts. Five of the current justices previously clerked at the Supreme Court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599684356428.png" alt="President Trump during Wednesday's statement on judicial appointments -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during Wednesday's statement on judicial appointments -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Hoping to replicate a strategy that has long been seen as key to his appeal among conservative voters, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he is adding 20 names to a list of Supreme Court candidates that he's pledged to choose from if he has future vacancies to fill.The list include Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas,&nbsp; Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, Christopher Landau, the current ambassador to Mexico, and Gregory Katsas, a Trump nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and and Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Attorney General“Every one of these individuals will ensure equal justice, equal treatment and equal rights for citizens of every race, color, religion and creed," Trump said at the White House. Trump also warned his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, would select “radical justices” who would “fundamentally transform America," even though Biden has never outlined his list of potential choices.The release, less than two months before the election, is aimed at repeating the strategy that Trump employed during his 2016 campaign, when he released a similar list of could-be judges in a bid to win over conservative and evangelical voters who had doubts about his conservative bonafides.“The president is very excited to share who he would nominate to the Supreme Court," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said ahead of the announcement. She said Trump “wants Constitution-abiding judges, he wants textualists who believe the words of a statute actually are what they are, not subject to interpretation.”The high court is currently divided 5-4 between conservatives and liberals. While there is no current vacancy on the court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, has been undergoing cancer treatment, and three others members of the court are in their 70s and 80s.Trump has already remade the federal bench for a generation. And any vacancy in the highest court would give the president the ability to shape its future for decades to come if he is reelected in November.Trump has stressed that power as he has campaigned, claiming that the winner of the upcoming presidential election “could have anywhere from two to four, to maybe even five” Supreme Court justices to pick, though that would require an extraordinary level of turnover.“You will change this country around. It will be irreversible,” he said last month in Minnesota.Trump released two lists with a total of 21 names of potential Supreme Court nominees during his previous presidential campaign and added another five names in 2017 after becoming president. Trump’s two nominees to the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, were both drawn from Trump’s list.Even in a race reshaped by the pandemic and the national reckoning over race, Trump's appointments of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh remain among his crowning achievements and are frequently noted at his rallies.The cultural battle over Kavanaugh’s confirmation, in particular, remains an electrifying moment for many on the right and one that Trump continues to highlight as he tries to replicate the excitement that fight generated on the right and make the race an us-vs.-them battle over American values and cancel culture.“Did you ever see anything like that? Justice Kavanaugh. People forget. You know, time goes by, they forget. We don’t forget. I don’t forget,” Trump told a rally crowd last month in New Hampshire. “They’re destroying the livelihoods of innocent people.”For the president's allies, the list is seen as a way to excite his base as well as well as remind voters of what's at stake come November.“I think it's very important way for the president to reaffirm his commitment to an issue that many conservatives and Republicans see as a priority," said Leonard Leo, the longtime executive vice president of the conservative Federalist Society who participated in the Kavanaugh and Gorsuch confirmations. “This a great way to remind people pf the legacy he’s already established for himself in this area.”Trump’s rival for the presidency, Joe Biden, has promised to nominate a Black woman to the high court if given the chance. Biden, too, has said he’s working on a list of potential nominees, but the campaign has given no indication that it will release names before the November election. Democrats believe doing so would unnecessarily distract from Biden’s focus on Trump’s handling of the pandemic and the economy, while also giving the president and his allies fresh targets to attack.“We are putting together a list of a group of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to be in the court. I am not going to release that until we go further down the line of vetting them as well,” Biden said in June.Biden advisers acknowledge that the Supreme Court vacancy four years ago helped Trump with white evangelicals and some chamber-of-commerce Republicans who disliked the first-time candidate or were wary of his conservative credentials. This year, Biden’s team sees those same groups as less up for grabs. Many remain firmly with Trump, they reason, while others already have bailed on him and won’t be wooed back by another list of potential justices for a vacancy that doesn’t yet exist.But Trump pushed back. He said that, apart from “matters of war and peace, the nomination of a Supreme Court justice is the most important decision an American president can make” and that, “For this reason, candidates for president owe the American people a specific list of individuals they’d consider for the United States Supreme Court."Any list may also be meaningless. Either man’s ability to get any future choice on the court depends on having a majority in the Senate, which confirms nominees. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the chamber to Democrats’ 45, with two independents who caucus with the Democrats.The court’s oldest members are Justice Ginsburg and Justice Stephen Breyer, 82, both liberals, and Justice Clarence Thomas, 72, and Justice Samuel Alito, 70, two conservatives. Ginsburg made news this summer when she announced she is being treated for a recurrence of cancer but has no plans to step down.Regardless of party, presidents tend to look for the same characteristics in potential Supreme Court picks. Stellar legal credentials are a must. All of the current justices attended Harvard or Yale law school, though Ginsburg left Harvard and graduated from Columbia. And they tend to be old enough to have a distinguished legal career but young enough to serve for decades. That generally means nominees are in their late 40s or 50s.More recently, nominees have also previously clerked for a Supreme Court justice, an early mark of legal smarts. Five of the current justices previously clerked at the Supreme Court.___

Trump releases list of new possible Supreme Court picks

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accidental shooting and have made an arrest.

Just after 4p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a reported shooting at a home in the 700 block of South Sycamore in Wichita, according to Captain Jason Stephens.

At the scene, first responders found 18-year-old Jeremy Retana dead from a gunshot wound to his head.

Investigators learned that a 21-year-old man identified as Christian Concha had shown his gun to a 10-year-old and a 9-year-old who were visiting the home. Concha let each child handle the gun and then he left it loaded and unattended as he left to go to a convenience store along with a woman who was supposed to be baby sitting the boys.

While Concha and the woman were away, the 9-year-old picked up the gun and accidentally discharged it, fatally injuring Retana, according to Stephens.

Police arrested Concha and <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20053404">booked him into jail</a> on requested charges of felony murder and aggravated child endangerment.

"The shooter was a 9-year-old child who cannot be held culpable for a criminal offense," said Stephens.&nbsp;&nbsp;"There is a statute known as felony murder, which can be charged when an individual commits an underlying, inherently dangerous offense and in this case, that offense is aggravated child endangerment by allowing the children to have access to this firearm intentionally," he said.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599601969333.png" alt="Police on the scene of the accidental shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the accidental shooting investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accidental shooting and have made an arrest.Just after 4p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a reported shooting at a home in the 700 block of South Sycamore in Wichita, according to Captain Jason Stephens.At the scene, first responders found 18-year-old Jeremy Retana dead from a gunshot wound to his head.Investigators learned that a 21-year-old man identified as Christian Concha had shown his gun to a 10-year-old and a 9-year-old who were visiting the home. Concha let each child handle the gun and then he left it loaded and unattended as he left to go to a convenience store along with a woman who was supposed to be baby sitting the boys.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599666241069.png" alt="Concha-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Concha-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>While Concha and the woman were away, the 9-year-old picked up the gun and accidentally discharged it, fatally injuring Retana, according to Stephens.Police arrested Concha and <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20053404">booked him into jail</a> on requested charges of felony murder and aggravated child endangerment."The shooter was a 9-year-old child who cannot be held culpable for a criminal offense," said Stephens.&nbsp;&nbsp;"There is a statute known as felony murder, which can be charged when an individual commits an underlying, inherently dangerous offense and in this case, that offense is aggravated child endangerment by allowing the children to have access to this firearm intentionally," he said.The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

Gun owner jailed after Kan. boy accidentally kills teen

TOPEKA —The Kansas Chamber of Commerce is urging Governor Kelly to reconsider her decision to <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1451/Policy-for-release-of-COVID-19-outbreaks">disclose the </a>business names and locations of active COVID-19 outbreaks across the state. The new<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas"> policy started Wednesday.</a>&nbsp; The cluster summary identifies 177 locations.

<a href="https://files.constantcontact.com/a5e2b90b001/a2cbf406-834e-4595-a98a-7628299adc51.pdf">Click here to read</a> the letter from the Kansas Chamber to Governor Kelly.

The governor's Sept. 2 media release announcing the decision, stated Kansas will follow White House guidance on releasing the information. 

The Chamber's letter state's, "we were unable to find any guidance publicly released by the White House that recommends disclosing the names and locations of individual businesses.&nbsp; In fact, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests the opposite, that “businesses and employers are encouraged to coordinate with state and local health officials to obtain timely and accurate information to inform appropriate responses” (Source: Interim Guidance for Businesses and&nbsp; Employers Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), May 2020). This action by your administration is anything but an effort to coordinate with the business community."

“By sharing where the outbreaks take place, Kansans will be better informed about the threat of COVID-19 in their schools and communities, and will be better prepared to contain and stop the spread of the virus," Kelly said during her press conference on Labor Day.

Active locations will be released when there are five or more confirmed cases associated to the location, according to the governor's office.&nbsp; "For private businesses, the name of the business will only be released if there are 20 or more cases associated with the location. In Kansas, an outbreak is defined as two or more cases associated with one known exposure."

The Kansas Chamber said, "We have made every effort to serve as a resource to the administration during this pandemic, which is why we are so perplexed by this heavy-handed response. What is the ultimate goal of notifying the public of a breakout location? Employers are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines for confidentially notifying their employees of possible exposure. We have not heard of any businesses not following such protocol."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595327875164.png" alt="Laura Kelly" />
 <figcaption>Laura Kelly</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Chamber of Commerce is urging Governor Kelly to reconsider her decision to <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1451/Policy-for-release-of-COVID-19-outbreaks">disclose the </a>business names and locations of active COVID-19 outbreaks across the state. The new<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas"> policy started Wednesday.</a>&nbsp; The cluster summary identifies 177 locations.<a href="https://files.constantcontact.com/a5e2b90b001/a2cbf406-834e-4595-a98a-7628299adc51.pdf">Click here to read</a> the letter from the Kansas Chamber to Governor Kelly.The governor's Sept. 2 media release announcing the decision, stated Kansas will follow White House guidance on releasing the information. The Chamber's letter state's, "we were unable to find any guidance publicly released by the White House that recommends disclosing the names and locations of individual businesses.&nbsp; In fact, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests the opposite, that “businesses and employers are encouraged to coordinate with state and local health officials to obtain timely and accurate information to inform appropriate responses” (Source: Interim Guidance for Businesses and&nbsp; Employers Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), May 2020). This action by your administration is anything but an effort to coordinate with the business community."“By sharing where the outbreaks take place, Kansans will be better informed about the threat of COVID-19 in their schools and communities, and will be better prepared to contain and stop the spread of the virus," Kelly said during her press conference on Labor Day.Active locations will be released when there are five or more confirmed cases associated to the location, according to the governor's office.&nbsp; "For private businesses, the name of the business will only be released if there are 20 or more cases associated with the location. In Kansas, an outbreak is defined as two or more cases associated with one known exposure."The Kansas Chamber said, "We have made every effort to serve as a resource to the administration during this pandemic, which is why we are so perplexed by this heavy-handed response. What is the ultimate goal of notifying the public of a breakout location? Employers are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines for confidentially notifying their employees of possible exposure. We have not heard of any businesses not following such protocol."

Kan. Chamber asks Gov. not to name sites of virus outbreaks

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/09/kansas-names-businesses-schools-churches-long-term-care-facilities-with-covid-19-outbreaks/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas 
Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday released for the first
 time the names and places associated with active outbreaks of COVID-19 
across the state.

The list includes seven 
Greek houses at Kansas State University, plus eight other universities 
and colleges, more than two-dozen long-term care facilities, four 
religious gatherings, two public schools and six sports teams.

KDHE also reported 495 
Kansas residents have died from the novel coronavirus, an 8% increase 
from last week. Health officials have documented 47,410 cases since the 
virus was first detected in Kansas in early March.

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/02/kansas-health-secretary-wary-of-lake-perry-motorcycle-rally-im-sure-well-see-an-outbreak/">Gov. Laura Kelly’s office last week announced</a>
 the decision to begin naming the locations connected to five or more 
confirmed cases of COVID-19. For private businesses, the threshold for 
being named publicly is 20 cases.

“One of the things we’re 
sensitive to is we want to grow business,” KDHE secretary Lee Norman 
said during last week’s briefing. “We want to help businesses thrive and
 be safe places for people to do commerce. That’s why we set that for 
private businesses.”

Seven business groups, 
including the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, sent a letter to the governor 
on Wednesday asking her not to move forward with plans to identify 
active cases associated with businesses.

In addition to the Kansas 
Chamber, the letter was sent on behalf of Associated General Contractors
 of Kansas, Kansas Livestock Association, Kansas Bankers Association, 
National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Builders Association,
 and Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“We are unsure what the 
benefit of this disclosure offers, other than a public shaming of 
businesses where an outbreak occurs,” said Kansas Chamber president and 
CEO Alan Cobb. “That said, we are curious what legal basis or authority 
exists for the state to adopt this policy and whether the governor and 
her administration have considered any possible legal ramifications 
against either the state or a business impacted by this policy decision.
 We have seen Kansas businesses go above and beyond the call to protect 
their employees, customers, and Kansans during the last five months.”

KDHE reported the Amazon 
Fulfillment Center in Kansas City has 42 active cases, and eight 
businesses where food is handled are associated with more than 2,000 
cases. They include 594 at Cargill and 647 at National Beef meatpacking 
plants in Dodge City.

Norman said public 
identification of hot spots will give residents information they need to
 make decisions about their own safety. But it’s a departure from the 
first five months of the pandemic, when officials considered the 
information to be classified.

In June, <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article243305606.html">the Kansas City Star first reported</a>
 on a secret internal document that detailed every active outbreak. The 
document was made available through an open records request by Columbia 
University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation.

Kansas Reflector has 
submitted an open records request seeking the name, location and number 
of cases for any business associated with an active cluster of any size.

KDHE identified clusters 
associated with religious gatherings at Faith Chapel Assembly of God in 
Louisburg (21), Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Junction City (7), 
Hannah’s House in Independence (9) and Plevna Church in Plevna (14).

The largest cluster among 
higher education institutions is at Benedictine College in Atchison, 
where there are 98 active cases. There are also outbreaks associated 
with Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg 
State University, Dodge City Community College, Hutchinson Community 
College, Bethel College and Hesston College.

At K-State, there are 60 
cases spread among Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Sigma Phi, 
Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Theta Xi.

KDHE’s report says 31 
cases in Cherokee County are associated with the Maranatha Church Camp 
in Everton, Missouri, and nine cases are associated with the We Buy 
BlaKCK event in Kansas City.

The largest outbreak at a long-term care facility is at Holiday Resort in Emporia, where there are 88 cases.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599677747477.png" alt="Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, says the identification of COVID-19 hot spots will help guide residents in decisions about their personal safety. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, says the identification of COVID-19 hot spots will help guide residents in decisions about their personal safety. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/09/kansas-names-businesses-schools-churches-long-term-care-facilities-with-covid-19-outbreaks/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas 
Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday released for the first
 time the names and places associated with active outbreaks of COVID-19 
across the state.The list includes seven 
Greek houses at Kansas State University, plus eight other universities 
and colleges, more than two-dozen long-term care facilities, four 
religious gatherings, two public schools and six sports teams.KDHE also reported 495 
Kansas residents have died from the novel coronavirus, an 8% increase 
from last week. Health officials have documented 47,410 cases since the 
virus was first detected in Kansas in early March.<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/09/02/kansas-health-secretary-wary-of-lake-perry-motorcycle-rally-im-sure-well-see-an-outbreak/">Gov. Laura Kelly’s office last week announced</a>
 the decision to begin naming the locations connected to five or more 
confirmed cases of COVID-19. For private businesses, the threshold for 
being named publicly is 20 cases.“One of the things we’re 
sensitive to is we want to grow business,” KDHE secretary Lee Norman 
said during last week’s briefing. “We want to help businesses thrive and
 be safe places for people to do commerce. That’s why we set that for 
private businesses.”Seven business groups, 
including the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, sent a letter to the governor 
on Wednesday asking her not to move forward with plans to identify 
active cases associated with businesses.In addition to the Kansas 
Chamber, the letter was sent on behalf of Associated General Contractors
 of Kansas, Kansas Livestock Association, Kansas Bankers Association, 
National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Builders Association,
 and Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.“We are unsure what the 
benefit of this disclosure offers, other than a public shaming of 
businesses where an outbreak occurs,” said Kansas Chamber president and 
CEO Alan Cobb. “That said, we are curious what legal basis or authority 
exists for the state to adopt this policy and whether the governor and 
her administration have considered any possible legal ramifications 
against either the state or a business impacted by this policy decision.
 We have seen Kansas businesses go above and beyond the call to protect 
their employees, customers, and Kansans during the last five months.”KDHE reported the Amazon 
Fulfillment Center in Kansas City has 42 active cases, and eight 
businesses where food is handled are associated with more than 2,000 
cases. They include 594 at Cargill and 647 at National Beef meatpacking 
plants in Dodge City.Norman said public 
identification of hot spots will give residents information they need to
 make decisions about their own safety. But it’s a departure from the 
first five months of the pandemic, when officials considered the 
information to be classified.In June, <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article243305606.html">the Kansas City Star first reported</a>
 on a secret internal document that detailed every active outbreak. The 
document was made available through an open records request by Columbia 
University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation.Kansas Reflector has 
submitted an open records request seeking the name, location and number 
of cases for any business associated with an active cluster of any size.KDHE identified clusters 
associated with religious gatherings at Faith Chapel Assembly of God in 
Louisburg (21), Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Junction City (7), 
Hannah’s House in Independence (9) and Plevna Church in Plevna (14).The largest cluster among 
higher education institutions is at Benedictine College in Atchison, 
where there are 98 active cases. There are also outbreaks associated 
with Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg 
State University, Dodge City Community College, Hutchinson Community 
College, Bethel College and Hesston College.At K-State, there are 60 
cases spread among Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Sigma Phi, 
Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Theta Xi.KDHE’s report says 31 
cases in Cherokee County are associated with the Maranatha Church Camp 
in Everton, Missouri, and nine cases are associated with the We Buy 
BlaKCK event in Kansas City.The largest outbreak at a long-term care facility is at Holiday Resort in Emporia, where there are 88 cases.<div><div class="flourish-embed flourish-table" data-src="visualisation/3696581" data-url="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/3696581/embed" aria-label=""><script src="https://public.flourish.studio/resources/embed.js"></script></div></div>

Kansas reveals names of sites with COVID-19 outbreaks

MONTGOMERY COUNTY–&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Independence Police Department announced Wednesday that a Governor’s reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the disappearance and suspected murder of 37-year-old Detreck Foster of Independence, Kan., according to a media release from the KBI.

Governor Laura Kelly recently signed an executive order offering the $5,000 reward.

Detreck Foster was reported missing on May 12. He was last seen around April 12 in Independence. KBI agents and detectives from the Independence Police Department are conducting the case as a homicide based upon findings during the investigation into Foster’s disappearance.

Foster was a black male, 5-foot-9 inches tall, who weighed approximately 190 pounds. He had black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Independence Police Department at 620-332-1700. Tips can also be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>. Individuals with information leading to the apprehension of those responsible for Detreck Foster’s disappearance or murder are eligible for the $5,000 reward.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599674719946.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY–&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Independence Police Department announced Wednesday that a Governor’s reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the disappearance and suspected murder of 37-year-old Detreck Foster of Independence, Kan., according to a media release from the KBI.Governor Laura Kelly recently signed an executive order offering the $5,000 reward.Detreck Foster was reported missing on May 12. He was last seen around April 12 in Independence. KBI agents and detectives from the Independence Police Department are conducting the case as a homicide based upon findings during the investigation into Foster’s disappearance.Foster was a black male, 5-foot-9 inches tall, who weighed approximately 190 pounds. He had black hair and brown eyes.Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, or the Independence Police Department at 620-332-1700. Tips can also be submitted online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar" target="_blank">https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar</a>. Individuals with information leading to the apprehension of those responsible for Detreck Foster’s disappearance or murder are eligible for the $5,000 reward.

KBI: Reward offered in murder of Kansas man

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 496to a total of 47,410 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 495, an increase of 10.

<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 496to a total of 47,410 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 495, an increase of 10.<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/2020/9/1599671229159.png" alt="Wednesday Sept. 9, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Sept. 9, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate prepared to vote this week on a trimmed-down Republican coronavirus relief package, though it only has a slim chance of passage in the face of Democrats’ insistence for more sweeping aid.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released the approximately $500 billion measure on Tuesday as senators returned to Washington for an abbreviated pre-election session, but hopes were dimming for another coronavirus relief bill — or much else.

Republicans struggling to retain their Senate majority this fall have been divided, with some GOP senators in close races anxious to respond further to the pandemic, even as conservatives are tiring of all the spending and passing legislation in concert with liberal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

McConnell called the package “a targeted proposal that focuses on several of the most urgent aspects of this crisis, the issues where bipartisanship should be especially possible.” They included school aid, new money for vaccines and testing, and a second round of the popular Paycheck Protection Program for smaller businesses.

Democrats demanded a far larger bill, including hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments, more generous jobless benefits, and help for renters and homeowners, along with other provisions in the House Democrats’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3c1ea3456f7d906dabf3ed336f6c1ad0">$3.5 billion relief bill</a>&nbsp;that passed in May.

“Get real, Mitch McConnell,” Pelosi said during a Bloomberg interview. “It’s only a ‘check the box’ so that some of his endangered Republican senators can go home and say, ‘Well, see, I tried.’ But it isn’t trying. It is not even an attempt to do the right thing.”

Republican senators such as Susan Collins of Maine are eager to show constituents they are continuing to work to ease the pandemic’s disastrous impact on jobs, businesses and health. But many Senate Republicans are resisting more spending, and the scaled-back bill is roughly half the size of a measure McConnell unveiled earlier this summer.

McConnell’s move Tuesday would clear the way for a Thursday test vote in which Democrats were sure to block the legislation. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement that the bill “doesn’t come close to addressing the problems and is headed nowhere.”

McConnell’s bill would provide $105 billion to help schools reopen, enact a shield against lawsuits for businesses and others that are powering ahead to reopen, create a scaled-back $300-per-week supplemental jobless benefit, and write off $10 billion in earlier debt at the U.S. Postal Service. There’s $31 billion for a coronavirus vaccine, $16 billion for virus testing and $15 billion to help child care providers reopen. There is additionally $20 billion for farmers.

The package will also include a school choice initiative sought by Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz and others that would provide a tax break, for two years, for people who donate to nonprofit organizations offering private school scholarships.

It would also provide for a $258 billion second round of paycheck protection subsidies.

But it won’t contain another round of $1,200 direct payments going out under President Donald Trump’s name and the new $300 weekly jobless benefit would expire just after Christmas, on Dec. 27. The GOP bill also lacks funding for election security that lawmakers from both parties have supported.

At least one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, said Tuesday he would oppose the bill, refusing new spending that piles on debt. It’s a sign of the troubles McConnell has faced in crafting a bill his own party would support.

Pelosi, D-Calif., continues to demand a package totaling $2.2 trillion, and while Trump’s negotiators have signaled a willingness to inch further in her direction, a significant gap remains.

Talks between top Democrats and the Trump administration broke off last month and remain off track, with the bipartisan unity that drove almost $3 trillion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2099a53bb8adf2def7ee7329ea322f9d">COVID-19 rescue legislation into law</a>&nbsp;this spring replaced by toxic partisanship and a return to Washington dysfunction.

Expectations in July and August that a fifth bipartisan pandemic response bill would eventually be birthed despite increased obstacles has been replaced by genuine pessimism. Recent COVID-related conversations among key players have led to nothing.

Democrats seem secure in their political position, with Trump and several Senate GOP incumbents lagging in the polls. Trump is seeking to sideline the pandemic as a campaign issue, and Republicans aren’t interested in a deal on Democratic terms — even as needs like school aid enjoy widespread support.

Poisonous relationships among key leaders like Pelosi and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows give little reason for confidence about overcoming obstacles on the cost, scope and details of a potential relief bill. Pelosi recently referred to Meadows as “whatever his name is,” while the Meadows-run White House during a press briefing ran a video loop of Pelosi’s controversial visit to a San Francisco hair salon.

The relationship between Pelosi and her preferred negotiating partner, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, is civil but isn’t generating much in the way of results, other than a promise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2c635b4e14e17ec6db0b13dfb089aa8c">avoid a government shutdown</a>&nbsp;at the end of the month by keeping a government-wide temporary spending bill free of controversy. That measure is likely to keep the government running into December. It’s likely to contain a bunch of lower-profile steps, such as an extension of the federal flood insurance program and a temporary reauthorization of spending from the highway trust fund.

But if talks continue to falter, there’s little to keep lawmakers in Washington long, particularly with the election fast approaching.

One Republican in leadership, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, said he was “disappointed” they had not reached agreement sooner. “On all of this money, the longer we wait the less effective it is, whether it’s money for elections — which particularly have one day that’s the target — or money for back to school,” said Blunt.

The Senate returned Tuesday to resume its diet of judicial and administration nominations. The House doesn’t come back until Sept. 14 for a schedule laden with lower-profile measures such as clean-energy legislation and a bill to decriminalize marijuana. Some Democrats are expected to continue to take advantage of remote voting and may not return to Washington at all.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599653805831.png" alt="Members of the U.S. Senate discuss the legislation Tuesday afternoon -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Members of the U.S. Senate discuss the legislation Tuesday afternoon -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate prepared to vote this week on a trimmed-down Republican coronavirus relief package, though it only has a slim chance of passage in the face of Democrats’ insistence for more sweeping aid.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released the approximately $500 billion measure on Tuesday as senators returned to Washington for an abbreviated pre-election session, but hopes were dimming for another coronavirus relief bill — or much else.Republicans struggling to retain their Senate majority this fall have been divided, with some GOP senators in close races anxious to respond further to the pandemic, even as conservatives are tiring of all the spending and passing legislation in concert with liberal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.McConnell called the package “a targeted proposal that focuses on several of the most urgent aspects of this crisis, the issues where bipartisanship should be especially possible.” They included school aid, new money for vaccines and testing, and a second round of the popular Paycheck Protection Program for smaller businesses.Democrats demanded a far larger bill, including hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments, more generous jobless benefits, and help for renters and homeowners, along with other provisions in the House Democrats’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3c1ea3456f7d906dabf3ed336f6c1ad0">$3.5 billion relief bill</a>&nbsp;that passed in May.“Get real, Mitch McConnell,” Pelosi said during a Bloomberg interview. “It’s only a ‘check the box’ so that some of his endangered Republican senators can go home and say, ‘Well, see, I tried.’ But it isn’t trying. It is not even an attempt to do the right thing.”Republican senators such as Susan Collins of Maine are eager to show constituents they are continuing to work to ease the pandemic’s disastrous impact on jobs, businesses and health. But many Senate Republicans are resisting more spending, and the scaled-back bill is roughly half the size of a measure McConnell unveiled earlier this summer.McConnell’s move Tuesday would clear the way for a Thursday test vote in which Democrats were sure to block the legislation. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement that the bill “doesn’t come close to addressing the problems and is headed nowhere.”McConnell’s bill would provide $105 billion to help schools reopen, enact a shield against lawsuits for businesses and others that are powering ahead to reopen, create a scaled-back $300-per-week supplemental jobless benefit, and write off $10 billion in earlier debt at the U.S. Postal Service. There’s $31 billion for a coronavirus vaccine, $16 billion for virus testing and $15 billion to help child care providers reopen. There is additionally $20 billion for farmers.The package will also include a school choice initiative sought by Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz and others that would provide a tax break, for two years, for people who donate to nonprofit organizations offering private school scholarships.It would also provide for a $258 billion second round of paycheck protection subsidies.But it won’t contain another round of $1,200 direct payments going out under President Donald Trump’s name and the new $300 weekly jobless benefit would expire just after Christmas, on Dec. 27. The GOP bill also lacks funding for election security that lawmakers from both parties have supported.At least one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, said Tuesday he would oppose the bill, refusing new spending that piles on debt. It’s a sign of the troubles McConnell has faced in crafting a bill his own party would support.Pelosi, D-Calif., continues to demand a package totaling $2.2 trillion, and while Trump’s negotiators have signaled a willingness to inch further in her direction, a significant gap remains.Talks between top Democrats and the Trump administration broke off last month and remain off track, with the bipartisan unity that drove almost $3 trillion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2099a53bb8adf2def7ee7329ea322f9d">COVID-19 rescue legislation into law</a>&nbsp;this spring replaced by toxic partisanship and a return to Washington dysfunction.Expectations in July and August that a fifth bipartisan pandemic response bill would eventually be birthed despite increased obstacles has been replaced by genuine pessimism. Recent COVID-related conversations among key players have led to nothing.Democrats seem secure in their political position, with Trump and several Senate GOP incumbents lagging in the polls. Trump is seeking to sideline the pandemic as a campaign issue, and Republicans aren’t interested in a deal on Democratic terms — even as needs like school aid enjoy widespread support.Poisonous relationships among key leaders like Pelosi and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows give little reason for confidence about overcoming obstacles on the cost, scope and details of a potential relief bill. Pelosi recently referred to Meadows as “whatever his name is,” while the Meadows-run White House during a press briefing ran a video loop of Pelosi’s controversial visit to a San Francisco hair salon.The relationship between Pelosi and her preferred negotiating partner, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, is civil but isn’t generating much in the way of results, other than a promise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2c635b4e14e17ec6db0b13dfb089aa8c">avoid a government shutdown</a>&nbsp;at the end of the month by keeping a government-wide temporary spending bill free of controversy. That measure is likely to keep the government running into December. It’s likely to contain a bunch of lower-profile steps, such as an extension of the federal flood insurance program and a temporary reauthorization of spending from the highway trust fund.But if talks continue to falter, there’s little to keep lawmakers in Washington long, particularly with the election fast approaching.One Republican in leadership, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, said he was “disappointed” they had not reached agreement sooner. “On all of this money, the longer we wait the less effective it is, whether it’s money for elections — which particularly have one day that’s the target — or money for back to school,” said Blunt.The Senate returned Tuesday to resume its diet of judicial and administration nominations. The House doesn’t come back until Sept. 14 for a schedule laden with lower-profile measures such as clean-energy legislation and a bill to decriminalize marijuana. Some Democrats are expected to continue to take advantage of remote voting and may not return to Washington at all.

Senate to vote on trimmed-down virus relief package

BY BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-school-bus-equation-complicated-coronavirus-and-social-distancing">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — A standard school bus can hold as 
many as 72 students, as long as you pack them in three to a bench. That 
just isn’t possible during a pandemic.

And according to Wichita 
Public Schools Transportation Director Lisa Riveros, following the 
6-foot social distancing recommendation would “reduce it down to as many
 as 10, 11, 12 passengers.”

Count
 busing among the numerous challenges Kansas school districts are facing
 as they head back to school this week. Some can’t find enough drivers. 
Others aren’t in the position to add more buses or routes. That’s left 
districts looking to do everything they can to reduce the number of kids
 they have to transport.

Last year, before the coronavirus changed everything, the Wichita district had more than 16,000 students ride the bus.

Riveros
 said it started the year with about 3,000 students, because only 
elementary schools are starting the year with in-person classes. The 
district also saw many families enroll in remote learning, which offsets
 the reduced bus capacity.

And because the district already used a
 staggered schedule (one bus does three separate routes at different 
times for elementary, junior high and high school), she doesn’t expect 
to need more buses if the older students ever go back to in-person 
classes.

“Our hope is to do it with what we have,” she said.

While
 the district will spread students out as much as possible on a bus, 
Riveros said there are other ways to keep people safe. Siblings will sit
 together, buses will be loaded back to front, and masks are required.

It’s also purchased a new <a href="https://zoono.com/pages/corona-virus">disinfecta</a><a href="https://zoono.com/pages/corona-virus" target="_blank">nt known as Zoono 71</a>
 to spray inside the buses. It’s supposed to create a microscopic 
barrier that adheres to surfaces and physically ruptures virus cells, 
like COVID-19. Once sprayed, the surface coating lasts for a couple of 
weeks.

While the new disinfectant might make people feel safer, it’s probably not that important. According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0522-cdc-updates-covid-transmission.html#:~:text=Based%20on%20data%20from%20lab,the%20main%20way%20the%20virus" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, the coronavirus is mainly spread through close person-to-person contact or respiratory droplets, not from surfaces.

Just
 northwest of Wichita, the small school district of Maize has a hard 
time finding interested and qualified drivers in a normal year. Add in a
 couple of retirements and general challenges from COVID-19, and 
Superintendent Chad Higgins said it’s even harder.

“More buses 
and more bus routes really isn’t an option because it’s the drivers,” he
 said. “It doesn’t matter how many buses you have if you don’t have 
anyone to drive them.”

Maize’s problem is threefold: It can’t add
 buses or routes, each bus carries fewer students and routes need to be 
as short as possible.

Ultimately, Higgins said he decided to 
reduce the number of students who ride buses by limiting eligibility to 
those who live more than 2.5 miles away. He also asked parents in that 
group to drive their students to school if possible. Most parents, he 
said, have been understanding.

Limiting eligibility wasn’t even 
the district’s first choice, though. It considered having one school bus
 do multiple routes to the elementary schools, before moving on to kids 
in the older grades. But that would have had some students at the school
 building well before class started, and the district doesn’t have the 
staff to watch that many kids so early.

“One solution will cause another problem,” Higgins said. “And that’s really been the whole story of this opening schools saga.”

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/2020/9/1599658948250.png" alt=" A First Student school bus in Wichita pulls up to pick up a waiting student. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> A First Student school bus in Wichita pulls up to pick up a waiting student. Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>BY BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-school-bus-equation-complicated-coronavirus-and-social-distancing">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — A standard school bus can hold as 
many as 72 students, as long as you pack them in three to a bench. That 
just isn’t possible during a pandemic.And according to Wichita 
Public Schools Transportation Director Lisa Riveros, following the 
6-foot social distancing recommendation would “reduce it down to as many
 as 10, 11, 12 passengers.”Count
 busing among the numerous challenges Kansas school districts are facing
 as they head back to school this week. Some can’t find enough drivers. 
Others aren’t in the position to add more buses or routes. That’s left 
districts looking to do everything they can to reduce the number of kids
 they have to transport.Busing in an urban districtLast year, before the coronavirus changed everything, the Wichita district had more than 16,000 students ride the bus.Riveros
 said it started the year with about 3,000 students, because only 
elementary schools are starting the year with in-person classes. The 
district also saw many families enroll in remote learning, which offsets
 the reduced bus capacity.And because the district already used a
 staggered schedule (one bus does three separate routes at different 
times for elementary, junior high and high school), she doesn’t expect 
to need more buses if the older students ever go back to in-person 
classes.“Our hope is to do it with what we have,” she said.While
 the district will spread students out as much as possible on a bus, 
Riveros said there are other ways to keep people safe. Siblings will sit
 together, buses will be loaded back to front, and masks are required.It’s also purchased a new <a href="https://zoono.com/pages/corona-virus">disinfecta</a><a href="https://zoono.com/pages/corona-virus" target="_blank">nt known as Zoono 71</a>
 to spray inside the buses. It’s supposed to create a microscopic 
barrier that adheres to surfaces and physically ruptures virus cells, 
like COVID-19. Once sprayed, the surface coating lasts for a couple of 
weeks.While the new disinfectant might make people feel safer, it’s probably not that important. According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0522-cdc-updates-covid-transmission.html#:~:text=Based%20on%20data%20from%20lab,the%20main%20way%20the%20virus" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, the coronavirus is mainly spread through close person-to-person contact or respiratory droplets, not from surfaces.Busing in a rural areaJust
 northwest of Wichita, the small school district of Maize has a hard 
time finding interested and qualified drivers in a normal year. Add in a
 couple of retirements and general challenges from COVID-19, and 
Superintendent Chad Higgins said it’s even harder.“More buses 
and more bus routes really isn’t an option because it’s the drivers,” he
 said. “It doesn’t matter how many buses you have if you don’t have 
anyone to drive them.”Maize’s problem is threefold: It can’t add
 buses or routes, each bus carries fewer students and routes need to be 
as short as possible.Ultimately, Higgins said he decided to 
reduce the number of students who ride buses by limiting eligibility to 
those who live more than 2.5 miles away. He also asked parents in that 
group to drive their students to school if possible. Most parents, he 
said, have been understanding.Limiting eligibility wasn’t even 
the district’s first choice, though. It considered having one school bus
 do multiple routes to the elementary schools, before moving on to kids 
in the older grades. But that would have had some students at the school
 building well before class started, and the district doesn’t have the 
staff to watch that many kids so early.“One solution will cause another problem,” Higgins said. “And that’s really been the whole story of this opening schools saga.”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.

Kan. school bus equation complicated by virus, social distancing

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for <a href="https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/">the Nobel Peace Prize</a> for his efforts in the Middle East.

Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the far-right Progress Party, said Trump should be considered because of his work “for a peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel which opens up for possible peace in the Middle East.”

“No matter how Trump acts at home and what he says at press conferences, he has absolutely a chance at getting the Nobel Peace Prize,” Tybring-Gjedde, told The Associated Press.

He said he nominated Trump on Wednesday, adding that “Donald Trump meets the criteria” for<a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/"> the Nobel Peace Prize</a>.

Tybring-Gjedde was also one of two Norwegian lawmakers who nominated Trump for the peace prize in 2018 for his efforts to bring reconciliation between North and South Korea.

Any national lawmaker can nominate someone for the<a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/"> Nobel Peace Prize.</a>

The process of considering candidates and awarding the prize is done in Norway, in contrast to the other Nobel Prizes, which are awarded in neighboring Sweden. Nominations must be sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee by Feb. 1.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee doesn’t publicly comment on nominees. Under its rules, the information is required to be kept secret for 50 years.

“It is now to hope that the Nobel Committee is able to consider what Trump has achieved internationally and that it does not stumble in established prejudice against the US President,” Tybring-Gjedde said in a Facebook post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597334632566.png" alt="President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House August 13 to announce the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.- Photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House August 13 to announce the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.- Photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for <a href="https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/">the Nobel Peace Prize</a> for his efforts in the Middle East.Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the far-right Progress Party, said Trump should be considered because of his work “for a peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel which opens up for possible peace in the Middle East.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you! <a href="https://t.co/S2kgsPh77l">https://t.co/S2kgsPh77l</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1303678141173575680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“No matter how Trump acts at home and what he says at press conferences, he has absolutely a chance at getting the Nobel Peace Prize,” Tybring-Gjedde, told The Associated Press.He said he nominated Trump on Wednesday, adding that “Donald Trump meets the criteria” for<a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/"> the Nobel Peace Prize</a>.Tybring-Gjedde was also one of two Norwegian lawmakers who nominated Trump for the peace prize in 2018 for his efforts to bring reconciliation between North and South Korea.Any national lawmaker can nominate someone for the<a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/"> Nobel Peace Prize.</a>The process of considering candidates and awarding the prize is done in Norway, in contrast to the other Nobel Prizes, which are awarded in neighboring Sweden. Nominations must be sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee by Feb. 1.The Norwegian Nobel Committee doesn’t publicly comment on nominees. Under its rules, the information is required to be kept secret for 50 years.“It is now to hope that the Nobel Committee is able to consider what Trump has achieved internationally and that it does not stumble in established prejudice against the US President,” Tybring-Gjedde said in a Facebook post.

President Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

WICHITA —Despite over 100 who attended and spoke out against masks during Tuesday's <a href="https://wichitaks.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&amp;clip_id=3989">9-hour council meeting</a>, the Wichita&nbsp;City Council&nbsp; voted to extend the existing mask order until October 21.

The ordinance is in line with Sedgwick County’s order that begins September 9.

The Council also voted to lift the mandate prior to October 21 if the rate of virus&nbsp;positive percentage falls below 5 percent in Wichita.&nbsp;

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County local health officer Dr. Gerald Minns signed a new emergency public health order Thursday, according to a media release from the county. It will take effect Sept. 9 and remain in effect until midnight Oct. 21. 

Residents are sill required to wear masks or face coverings in public spaces. Children age 5 or younger are not required to wear masks. Masks with valves or vents are not allowed.

The order adopts Phase 2 of the Governor's Ad Astra Plan which allows groups of up to 15 people that must be located 6 feet away from other groups.

Businesses will be required to continue operating at 50 percent of the fire code occupancy and close to the public at 11p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599649734872.png" alt="Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple answers questions during the 9 hour council meeting -image courtesy city of Wichita." />
 <figcaption>Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple answers questions during the 9 hour council meeting -image courtesy city of Wichita.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —Despite over 100 who attended and spoke out against masks during Tuesday's <a href="https://wichitaks.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&amp;clip_id=3989">9-hour council meeting</a>, the Wichita&nbsp;City Council&nbsp; voted to extend the existing mask order until October 21. The ordinance is in line with Sedgwick County’s order that begins September 9.The Council also voted to lift the mandate prior to October 21 if the rate of virus&nbsp;positive percentage falls below 5 percent in Wichita.&nbsp;-----------SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Sedgwick County local health officer Dr. Gerald Minns signed a new emergency public health order Thursday, according to a media release from the county. It will take effect Sept. 9 and remain in effect until midnight Oct. 21. Residents are sill required to wear masks or face coverings in public spaces. Children age 5 or younger are not required to wear masks. Masks with valves or vents are not allowed.The order adopts Phase 2 of the Governor's Ad Astra Plan which allows groups of up to 15 people that must be located 6 feet away from other groups.Businesses will be required to continue operating at 50 percent of the fire code occupancy and close to the public at 11p.m.Minns will continue to review and monitor COVID-19 trends in the community and will consider lifting restrictions when trends move in a positive direction.