By ELLE MOXLEY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2020-06-03/kansas-school-districts-funding-looks-good-on-paper-but-deep-cuts-are-expected-this-fall-due-to-the-pandemic">Kansas News Service</a>

Kansas school districts are trying to budget for some pretty big unknowns right now.

No
 one knows if it will even be safe to have students in schools in 
August, and everyone’s worried about the $650 million hole COVID-19 blew
 in the state’s budget. Administrators are worried that if the state’s 
economy doesn’t rebound soon, they’ll have to make deep cuts in the 
middle of next school year.

“There’s not a superintendent that 
isn’t preparing for something like that,” said Glen Suppes, the 
superintendent of the Smoky Valley Public Schools in Lindsborg. “We 
continue to hear optimism from (state education) Commissioner Randy 
Watson, and that schools are a priority for the governor.

“But I’m anxious to see how the tax revenues are going to come in.”

The
 fiscal year 2021 budget that Kansas lawmakers passed in March, before 
the pandemic hit, looked pretty good for public education. K-12 schools 
got an additional $120 million, money that the state’s high court has 
said needs to be spent on schools following <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2019-03-29/times-nearly-up-for-kansas-lawmakers-to-resolve-school-spending" target="_blank">a years-long funding battle</a>.

“The
 problem is that budget, when it was passed, was based on numbers last 
November that have dramatically changed,” said Mark Tallman with the 
Kansas Association of School Boards.

Because of the pandemic, 
Kansas is facing a huge budget shortfall. In an April 20 memo, the 
Kansas Legislative Research Department forecasted an 8% overall decline 
in revenue for the coming fiscal year.

Tallman said in a state that spends more than half its revenue on education, there’s no way cuts won’t touch K-12 schools.

“There
 are certainly things the governor and legislature could do, but all of 
those are kind of bad choices. In a simple world, if you just ... cut 8%
 out of the budget, you're taking very major cuts,” Tallman said.

In
 a big district like Shawnee Mission in Johnson County, an 8% cut would 
be the difference between ending the school year with a $7 million 
surplus — and a $13 million deficit.

And that’s before factoring 
in raises, which are top-of-mind in Shawnee Mission after a protracted 
contract dispute with the teachers union that dragged on for most of the
 school year that just ended.

“I guess I’m one of those that’s 
really concerned about the revenue,” board member Brad Stratton said 
during a budget workshop last week.

Stratton, who was first 
elected to the school board in 2015, wants to budget cautiously for the 
upcoming school year because he knows what happens when revenue 
collections fall short: Education pays the price.

“KSDE (the 
Kansas Department of Education) is presenting one number, and then 
there’s the reality our legislators and governor are going to have to 
face,” Stratton said.

Until
 lawmakers tell the state Department of Education otherwise, though, 
schools are stuck with the optimistic, pre-pandemic numbers.

But 
Kansas school superintendents can’t afford to be quite so optimistic. 
Suppes, the Smoky Valley superintendent, needs to make decisions about 
staffing now before the fiscal year resets July 1.

“Are we going 
to be paying coaches that may not coach a sport in the fall if we're 
shut down? Are we going to be paying bus drivers? And if we don't, yes, 
the district saves money, but on the other hand, there's another family 
without an income,” he said.

On top of that, Suppes says 
superintendents still don’t know what school will look like in the fall 
after the pandemic wiped out the final two months of this past school 
year. 

“Can we touch the playground equipment? Can we sit in the 
lunch room together where we have plexiglass between us at all times?” 
Suppes said. “And how will we even pass through the corridor safely?”

In
 a normal budget year, Wichita Public Schools Chief Financial Officer 
Susan Willis runs four or five budget scenarios. This year, she said 
she’s running 15.

Not only is Willis trying to account for how 
school might be changed by the coronavirus, but she also is trying to 
factor in the timing of potential budget cuts.

“What does it mean 
if they let us start the year with the increase that is due under the 
formula, but they come in with a cut in December? What are our options 
at that point?” Willis said.

Willis
 said Kansas schools are used to dealing with financial uncertainty. 
There was the Great Recession, the tax cuts imposed by former Gov. Sam 
Brownback and the prolonged school funding fight.

“But what makes 
this extremely challenging is we’re not as familiar with how we adapt 
the academic school year ... if we have to social distance,” Willis 
said.

Kansas has gotten $2 billion dollars from the federal 
government to pay for coronavirus-related expenses, like protective gear
 and ventilators. But that money isn’t meant to shore up state budgets. 
That kind of aid could still come — it did during the Great Recession — 
but according to Marguerite Roza, states shouldn’t count on it.

“We
 can’t even sort of look back at the last recession and say, ‘Here’s how
 we know this plays out’ because this is different,” said Roza, who runs
 the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, a research center for 
education financial policy.

Roza said states that delay making 
inevitable budget cuts could fare worse than states that act now to 
restrict spending. Missouri has already slashed K-12 funding by more 
than $130 million. Colorado has warned schools that significant cuts are
 coming.

But Kansas lawmakers have historically waited for the revenue consensus to come out in November before balancing the budgets.

“If
 states wait longer to revise their budget projections or announce any 
K-12 funding impact, that will send districts further into the future 
before making any spending changes, which could require deeper cuts,” 
Roza said. “The idea is if you can’t start saving money now, you’ll have
 to save more and more suddenly.”

Elle Moxley covers education for KCUR. You can reach her on Twitter @ellemoxley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591215691151.png" alt="Kansas schools face major uncertainty entering the 2020-21 school year, with many school administrators expecting drastic cuts in the fall once the state's budget fully absorbs the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>Kansas schools face major uncertainty entering the 2020-21 school year, with many school administrators expecting drastic cuts in the fall once the state's budget fully absorbs the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By ELLE MOXLEY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2020-06-03/kansas-school-districts-funding-looks-good-on-paper-but-deep-cuts-are-expected-this-fall-due-to-the-pandemic">Kansas News Service</a>Kansas school districts are trying to budget for some pretty big unknowns right now.No
 one knows if it will even be safe to have students in schools in 
August, and everyone’s worried about the $650 million hole COVID-19 blew
 in the state’s budget. Administrators are worried that if the state’s 
economy doesn’t rebound soon, they’ll have to make deep cuts in the 
middle of next school year.“There’s not a superintendent that 
isn’t preparing for something like that,” said Glen Suppes, the 
superintendent of the Smoky Valley Public Schools in Lindsborg. “We 
continue to hear optimism from (state education) Commissioner Randy 
Watson, and that schools are a priority for the governor.“But I’m anxious to see how the tax revenues are going to come in.”<h2>‘You’re talking very major cuts’</h2>The
 fiscal year 2021 budget that Kansas lawmakers passed in March, before 
the pandemic hit, looked pretty good for public education. K-12 schools 
got an additional $120 million, money that the state’s high court has 
said needs to be spent on schools following <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2019-03-29/times-nearly-up-for-kansas-lawmakers-to-resolve-school-spending" target="_blank">a years-long funding battle</a>.“The
 problem is that budget, when it was passed, was based on numbers last 
November that have dramatically changed,” said Mark Tallman with the 
Kansas Association of School Boards.Because of the pandemic, 
Kansas is facing a huge budget shortfall. In an April 20 memo, the 
Kansas Legislative Research Department forecasted an 8% overall decline 
in revenue for the coming fiscal year.Tallman said in a state that spends more than half its revenue on education, there’s no way cuts won’t touch K-12 schools.“There
 are certainly things the governor and legislature could do, but all of 
those are kind of bad choices. In a simple world, if you just ... cut 8%
 out of the budget, you're taking very major cuts,” Tallman said.In
 a big district like Shawnee Mission in Johnson County, an 8% cut would 
be the difference between ending the school year with a $7 million 
surplus — and a $13 million deficit.And that’s before factoring 
in raises, which are top-of-mind in Shawnee Mission after a protracted 
contract dispute with the teachers union that dragged on for most of the
 school year that just ended.“I guess I’m one of those that’s 
really concerned about the revenue,” board member Brad Stratton said 
during a budget workshop last week.Stratton, who was first 
elected to the school board in 2015, wants to budget cautiously for the 
upcoming school year because he knows what happens when revenue 
collections fall short: Education pays the price.“KSDE (the 
Kansas Department of Education) is presenting one number, and then 
there’s the reality our legislators and governor are going to have to 
face,” Stratton said.<h2>Factoring in cuts and the coronavirus</h2>Until
 lawmakers tell the state Department of Education otherwise, though, 
schools are stuck with the optimistic, pre-pandemic numbers.But 
Kansas school superintendents can’t afford to be quite so optimistic. 
Suppes, the Smoky Valley superintendent, needs to make decisions about 
staffing now before the fiscal year resets July 1.“Are we going 
to be paying coaches that may not coach a sport in the fall if we're 
shut down? Are we going to be paying bus drivers? And if we don't, yes, 
the district saves money, but on the other hand, there's another family 
without an income,” he said.On top of that, Suppes says 
superintendents still don’t know what school will look like in the fall 
after the pandemic wiped out the final two months of this past school 
year. “Can we touch the playground equipment? Can we sit in the 
lunch room together where we have plexiglass between us at all times?” 
Suppes said. “And how will we even pass through the corridor safely?”In
 a normal budget year, Wichita Public Schools Chief Financial Officer 
Susan Willis runs four or five budget scenarios. This year, she said 
she’s running 15.Not only is Willis trying to account for how 
school might be changed by the coronavirus, but she also is trying to 
factor in the timing of potential budget cuts.“What does it mean 
if they let us start the year with the increase that is due under the 
formula, but they come in with a cut in December? What are our options 
at that point?” Willis said.<h2>A new kind of challenge</h2>Willis
 said Kansas schools are used to dealing with financial uncertainty. 
There was the Great Recession, the tax cuts imposed by former Gov. Sam 
Brownback and the prolonged school funding fight.“But what makes 
this extremely challenging is we’re not as familiar with how we adapt 
the academic school year ... if we have to social distance,” Willis 
said.Kansas has gotten $2 billion dollars from the federal 
government to pay for coronavirus-related expenses, like protective gear
 and ventilators. But that money isn’t meant to shore up state budgets. 
That kind of aid could still come — it did during the Great Recession — 
but according to Marguerite Roza, states shouldn’t count on it.“We
 can’t even sort of look back at the last recession and say, ‘Here’s how
 we know this plays out’ because this is different,” said Roza, who runs
 the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, a research center for 
education financial policy.Roza said states that delay making 
inevitable budget cuts could fare worse than states that act now to 
restrict spending. Missouri has already slashed K-12 funding by more 
than $130 million. Colorado has warned schools that significant cuts are
 coming.But Kansas lawmakers have historically waited for the revenue consensus to come out in November before balancing the budgets.“If
 states wait longer to revise their budget projections or announce any 
K-12 funding impact, that will send districts further into the future 
before making any spending changes, which could require deeper cuts,” 
Roza said. “The idea is if you can’t start saving money now, you’ll have
 to save more and more suddenly.”Elle Moxley covers education for KCUR. You can reach her on Twitter @ellemoxley.

Kan. school funding looks good on paper, but deep cuts expected

LANE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9a.m. Wednesday in Lane County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 International Truck driven by Jesse A. Miller, 51, Fort Worth, TX., was stopped on Kansas 4 Highway just east of Kansas 23. 

A pedestrian identified as Charles D. Twa, 55, Sabinal, TX., was&nbsp; manually locking the rear steering pin onto the trailer. 

The truck driver exited the vehicle for unknown reason, got back into the vehicle, got the all clear sign from the lead vehicle not knowing the Twa was still under the trailer.

Twa was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Gernand Funeral Chapel. The KHP released no additional details.

LANE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9a.m. Wednesday in Lane County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 International Truck driven by Jesse A. Miller, 51, Fort Worth, TX., was stopped on Kansas 4 Highway just east of Kansas 23. A pedestrian identified as Charles D. Twa, 55, Sabinal, TX., was&nbsp; manually locking the rear steering pin onto the trailer. The truck driver exited the vehicle for unknown reason, got back into the vehicle, got the all clear sign from the lead vehicle not knowing the Twa was still under the trailer.Twa was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Gernand Funeral Chapel. The KHP released no additional details.

Man locking pin on truck's trailer dies in Kansas accident 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health officials want to randomly test Sedgwick County residents to determine the spread of coronavirus in the area.

The local health department will offer testing to 1,600 random residents next week.

Residents who get a call from the health department will be offered testing regardless of whether they have symptoms of COVID-19.

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

Testing in Sedgwick County will be held June 18 through June 20. Health officials are planning another round of random testing in mid-July to see if the virus spreads.

Kansas has continued to see coronavirus cases and COVID-19-related deaths increase. The state Department of Health and Environment reported Monday that the number of cases had reached 10,011, up 292 or 3% since Friday, and the number of deaths jumped 4.5%, up 9 to a total of 217 since the pandemic hit the state in early March.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591208066312.png" alt="photo courtesy HealthCore" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy HealthCore</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health officials want to randomly test Sedgwick County residents to determine the spread of coronavirus in the area.The local health department will offer testing to 1,600 random residents next week.Residents who get a call from the health department will be offered testing regardless of whether they have symptoms of COVID-19.For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.Testing in Sedgwick County will be held June 18 through June 20. Health officials are planning another round of random testing in mid-July to see if the virus spreads.Kansas has continued to see coronavirus cases and COVID-19-related deaths increase. The state Department of Health and Environment reported Monday that the number of cases had reached 10,011, up 292 or 3% since Friday, and the number of deaths jumped 4.5%, up 9 to a total of 217 since the pandemic hit the state in early March.

Kansas county will randomly test for coronavirus

TOPEKA — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the cause of a fire late Tuesday in Topeka.

Just after 11:30p.m., crews responded to a structure fire at 3740 S. Topeka Boulevard, according to Fire Marshal Todd Harrison

As they arrived,&nbsp; they found smoke and flames coming from the single story pay-day loan business.&nbsp;&nbsp;A search of the structure revealed no occupants.

A preliminary investigation indicates the fire was intentionally set, according to Harrison. The estimated dollar loss is $15,000.00.&nbsp; It was the second fire at the business in recent months. A fire in late February at the Loansmart business caused some $100,000 in damage.

&nbsp;Fire crews did not find working smoke detectors in the building.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591191384706.png" alt="Crews at the scene of the business fire&nbsp; &nbsp;Photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Crews at the scene of the business fire&nbsp; &nbsp;Photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — Law enforcement authorities are investigating the cause of a fire late Tuesday in Topeka.Just after 11:30p.m., crews responded to a structure fire at 3740 S. Topeka Boulevard, according to Fire Marshal Todd HarrisonAs they arrived,&nbsp; they found smoke and flames coming from the single story pay-day loan business.&nbsp;&nbsp;A search of the structure revealed no occupants.A preliminary investigation indicates the fire was intentionally set, according to Harrison. The estimated dollar loss is $15,000.00.&nbsp; It was the second fire at the business in recent months. A fire in late February at the Loansmart business caused some $100,000 in damage.&nbsp;Fire crews did not find working smoke detectors in the building.

Fire Marshall: Blaze at Kan. business intentionally set

HUTCHINSON —Hutchinson Public Schools were the victim of an social media hoax Wednesday.

According to a Facebook post from Superintendent Mike Folks,&nbsp;"A very serious and alarming racist Facebook post happened overnight (Tuesday) by an individual who listed Hutchinson Public Schools as her employer."

The posts were about the national turmoil involving the killing of George Floyd.

"First and foremost, the school district will respond swiftly and harshly to all comments of this nature. Our research Wednesday morning finds the district does not have and has not had a Marsha Williams on staff who matches her Facebook profile. A check of all staff using her listed birthdate found none of our employees were born on that date."

Her (Facebook) profile has since been taken down.

"Again, USD 308 has policies in place that will be followed and will not tolerate any such activity by an employee."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579618707683.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON —Hutchinson Public Schools were the victim of an social media hoax Wednesday.According to a Facebook post from Superintendent Mike Folks,&nbsp;"A very serious and alarming racist Facebook post happened overnight (Tuesday) by an individual who listed Hutchinson Public Schools as her employer."The posts were about the national turmoil involving the killing of George Floyd."First and foremost, the school district will respond swiftly and harshly to all comments of this nature. Our research Wednesday morning finds the district does not have and has not had a Marsha Williams on staff who matches her Facebook profile. A check of all staff using her listed birthdate found none of our employees were born on that date."Her (Facebook) profile has since been taken down."Again, USD 308 has policies in place that will be followed and will not tolerate any such activity by an employee."

Kansas school district responds to social media hoax

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 159 to a total of 10,170, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

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

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 159 to a total of 10,170, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 222<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/2020/6/1591204185971.png" alt="June 3, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>June 3, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

SALINE COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 4:30a.m. Wednesday in Saline County.&nbsp;

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1990 Honda Shadow driven by&nbsp; Louis V. Swartz, 35, Salina, was northbound on Interstate 135 exiting to Interstate 70 eastbound.

The motorcycle left the roadway and then the riderless Honda slid across Interstate 70 and&nbsp; collided with a 2019 Dodge Caravan driven by James Shanks, 35, of Piketon, Ohio, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

What caused Swartz to come off the motorcycle is unknown. However&nbsp;a Kenworth tractor-trailer rig was reported to also have been involved with the the accident.&nbsp; The KHP has not indicated how the semi was involved.

EMS transported Swarts to the hospital in Salina. Shanks and four passengers in the van were not injured, according to Soldan.

The rented minivan sustained front-end damage and the motorcycle sustained damage to its side, Soldan said.

SALINE COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 4:30a.m. Wednesday in Saline County.&nbsp;The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1990 Honda Shadow driven by&nbsp; Louis V. Swartz, 35, Salina, was northbound on Interstate 135 exiting to Interstate 70 eastbound.The motorcycle left the roadway and then the riderless Honda slid across Interstate 70 and&nbsp; collided with a 2019 Dodge Caravan driven by James Shanks, 35, of Piketon, Ohio, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.What caused Swartz to come off the motorcycle is unknown. However&nbsp;a Kenworth tractor-trailer rig was reported to also have been involved with the the accident.&nbsp; The KHP has not indicated how the semi was involved.EMS transported Swarts to the hospital in Salina. Shanks and four passengers in the van were not injured, according to Soldan.Swarts was not wearing a helmet.The rented minivan sustained front-end damage and the motorcycle sustained damage to its side, Soldan said.

Man injured, riderless motorcycle involved in 2nd I-70 accident

More than 49,000 businesses in Kansas were able to secure federal Paycheck Protection Loans during the pandemic

By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-02/federal-paycheck-loans-the-difference-between-collapse-survival-for-small-kansas-businesses">Kansas News Service</a>&nbsp;

TOPEKA, Kansas — Pharmaceutical companies and large hotel chains <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/01/sba-ppp-public-companies/" target="_blank">snatched up </a>emergency COVID-19 federal loans meant for businesses<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/01/sba-ppp-public-companies/" target="_blank"> typically with 500 or fewer employees.</a>

In
 Kansas, however, it appears most of its $4.9 billion in Paycheck 
Protection Program money landed where Congress intended: on the books of
 small- to medium-size businesses and nonprofits — from a wine bar in 
Hays to a movie theater in Parsons.

“I was able to keep all my 
employees busy and fully paid,” said Troy Mentzer, the third member of 
his family to own The Pad, a Topeka fast-food restaurant that his 
grandfather started in 1961.

The PPP loans also saved some jobs 
for nearly 267,000 Kansans who suddenly found themselves out of work 
when stay-at-home orders and other restrictions aimed at slowing the 
spread of the coronavirus shut down thousands of businesses across the 
state.

Mentzer said the loan gave him enough “breathing room” to 
keep all of his workers on the payroll despite having to close the 
restaurant to dine-in customers for almost two months.

“I brought in my full crew every day,” he said, “and if we weren’t busy we cleaned.”

As of May 30, 49,375 Kansas businesses <a href="https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/PPP_Report_Net_200518.pdf" target="_blank">received</a>
 a share of PPP funding, which they must use primarily for payroll over a
 set period of time to have forgiven. (The rules of which<a href="http://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-22/millions-of-ppp-loan-forgiveness-requests-about-to-rain-on-banks" target="_blank"> are still in flux</a>, even as <a href="https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program#section-header-3" target="_blank">loan-forgiveness applications</a> are being accepted.)

The PPP came in two rounds — the first giving Kansas and other Midwestern states <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/07/business/small-business-loans-coronavirus.html" target="_blank">higher loans per small-business employee</a>
 than the rest of the U.S., especially states that had far more COVID-19
 cases. The average loan in the first round of PPP money in Kansas 
totaled just over $160,000 but dropped to around $30,000 in the second 
round.

The PPP wasn’t just for small businesses, but also for 
nonprofits, like museums, churches and an organization that provides 
legal assistance to low-income Kansans.

The<a href="https://cosmo.org/" target="_blank"> Cosmosphere and Space Center </a>in
 Hutchinson, which is one of the state’s top tourist attractions, closed
 March 16. Officials believe the drop in foot traffic will translate to 
an estimated loss of $1.4 million.

It received a $406,000 PPP loan, which president and CEO Jim Remar said went to keeping most of his 60-person staff on board.

“It allowed us to bring back staff, do some deep cleaning of high-traffic areas and some maintenance,” Remar said.

It
 also gave his top staff an opportunity to “reflect on what it is we do”
 and to formulate a plan for protecting visitors when the museum reopens
 next month, he said, as well as protecting children if the annual 
summer space camp can take place.

“We’ve been working with our local health department and have a good plan in place,” he said.

Just up the road in McPherson, Luke Aichele missed out on getting a loan in the first round.

“By
 the time I got around to applying for PPP, all that money was gone,” 
said Aichele, a barber who made headlines by attempting to reopen his 
shop<a href="https://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/news/20200511/warrant-for-barber-causes-outrage" target="_blank"> in defiance of state and local health orders</a>.

He
 recently testified in front of a Kansas legislative committee, saying 
many of the loans went to businesses that were less affected by COVID-19
 than his because they were allowed to remain open.

“It really wasn’t going to people trying to keep their employees on,” he argued.

Still, he said, he was approved for a loan in the second round of PPP money.

A
 small-town movie house is “barely a break-even business” under the best
 of circumstances, said Pat Haley, who co-owns The Parsons Theater in 
the southeast Kansas community of about 10,000 people.

The movie 
theater was forced to close March 17 to comply with orders aimed at 
slowing the spread of the coronavirus, and Haley wasn’t sure he would 
still have a viable business when allowed to reopen.

“It’s been very, very difficult,” Haley said.

A $24,000 PPP loan combined with a $10,000 disaster payment, he said, provided just enough cash “to keep us going.”

“Without
 them, I’m not sure what we would have done,” Haley said. “We would have
 had debts that we simply couldn’t pay and probably would have had to 
eventually look at bankruptcy.”

Recipients are required to spend 
75% of PPP money on payroll. The remaining 25% can cover essential 
business expenses such as mortgage payments, rent and utilities.

Haley said it would have been helpful to have more flexibility, “something more like 60/40.”

That
 flexibility might be on the way. The U.S. House recently approved 
legislation to ease restrictions on small businesses as they seek to 
have their PPP loans forgiven. The bill reduces the amount business 
owners must spend on payroll to 60% allowing them to use the remaining 
40% to cover other expenses. It also:

The overwhelming margin by which the House approved the bill (417-1) makes it more likely the U.S. Senate will follow suit.

That’s
 good news to Shaun Musil, who was hesitant to apply for a PPP loan 
fearing he wouldn’t be able to meet the forgiveness criteria.

“We didn’t want to have a bunch of loans to pay back,” Musil said. “That was my biggest fear.”

Musil
 and his wife, Heather, own the Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro &amp; 
Market in Hays. Their small, mostly part-time staff includes several 
Fort Hays University students. If too many of them “graduated and moved 
on,” Musil was worried he might not be in strict compliance with those 
rules, which he said, seemed to be “changing daily.”

“Running a 
small business, we’re all hands on deck and we didn’t have time to read 
all the information that was coming out,” he said.

They applied 
anyway and got what Musil described as a “small loan” — just enough to 
cover a couple of weeks of payroll. Now that the bistro has reopened, 
Musil’s focus is on “getting people back in the seats.”

“We hope they feel safe, but I can’t judge what people are thinking,” he said.

<a href="https://silverlakebank.com/" target="_blank">The Silver Lake Bank i</a>s
 one of many Kansas community banks with a history of being a Small 
Business Administration lender. Bank president Pat Gideon said that made
 it more ready to start handling applications as soon as the PPP 
launched.

On the Friday of the launch, Gideon said, his staff made
 sure at 4:30 a.m. the application portal was working. By 6:30 a.m., 
they had pushed through the first application.

“We ran until 10 p.m. that Friday night,” he said, and all that weekend.

The
 first $342 billion ran out within five days, and Silver Lake Bank, 
which has five branches in northeast Kansas, had processed 186 loans 
worth $34 million.

The biggest was a Topeka-based food production 
business got the Silver Lake Bank’s largest loan of $2.7 million. A 
home-based vegetable hot house that needed only $1,200 was the recipient
 of its smallest.

Most of the loans went to help “owner,-operator businesses” retain workers, Gideon said. “They kept people off unemployment.”

More than 500 Kansas banks, credit unions and other types of lending institutions participated in the program.

The
 first round of PPP money had all but run out when Don Kipper, the owner
 of a small toy store in Los Angeles, connected with Gideon through a 
mutual acquaintance. Kipper’s bank wasn’t responding to him.

Gideon
 did, and he was intrigued by Kip’s Toyland, which was started in 1945 
by Don’s father. He had been a prisoner of war in World War II, and when
 he got back to the U.S., he decided to sell only child-powered toys — 
none rely on batteries or electricity.

“It’s a great story and this (the pandemic) was going to close them down,” Gideon said. “So, we secured the money for them.”

The approximately $30,000 loan allowed Kipper to stay in business and continue paying his small staff.

“It reminds me of that movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Pat is that guy,” Kipper said. “He made it happen.”

Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.&nbsp;Scott Canon is managing editor of the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/scottcanon" target="_blank">@ScottCanon</a> or email scott@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591121842063.png" alt="Troy Mentzer is an owner of The Pad, a restaurant in Topeka that received a federal loan during the coronavirus. Jim McLean photo" />
 <figcaption>Troy Mentzer is an owner of The Pad, a restaurant in Topeka that received a federal loan during the coronavirus. Jim McLean photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>More than 49,000 businesses in Kansas were able to secure federal Paycheck Protection Loans during the pandemic</h2>By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-02/federal-paycheck-loans-the-difference-between-collapse-survival-for-small-kansas-businesses">Kansas News Service</a>&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kansas — Pharmaceutical companies and large hotel chains <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/01/sba-ppp-public-companies/" target="_blank">snatched up </a>emergency COVID-19 federal loans meant for businesses<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/01/sba-ppp-public-companies/" target="_blank"> typically with 500 or fewer employees.</a>In
 Kansas, however, it appears most of its $4.9 billion in Paycheck 
Protection Program money landed where Congress intended: on the books of
 small- to medium-size businesses and nonprofits — from a wine bar in 
Hays to a movie theater in Parsons.“I was able to keep all my 
employees busy and fully paid,” said Troy Mentzer, the third member of 
his family to own The Pad, a Topeka fast-food restaurant that his 
grandfather started in 1961.The PPP loans also saved some jobs 
for nearly 267,000 Kansans who suddenly found themselves out of work 
when stay-at-home orders and other restrictions aimed at slowing the 
spread of the coronavirus shut down thousands of businesses across the 
state.Mentzer said the loan gave him enough “breathing room” to 
keep all of his workers on the payroll despite having to close the 
restaurant to dine-in customers for almost two months.“I brought in my full crew every day,” he said, “and if we weren’t busy we cleaned.”<h2>High demand</h2>As of May 30, 49,375 Kansas businesses <a href="https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/PPP_Report_Net_200518.pdf" target="_blank">received</a>
 a share of PPP funding, which they must use primarily for payroll over a
 set period of time to have forgiven. (The rules of which<a href="http://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-22/millions-of-ppp-loan-forgiveness-requests-about-to-rain-on-banks" target="_blank"> are still in flux</a>, even as <a href="https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program#section-header-3" target="_blank">loan-forgiveness applications</a> are being accepted.)The PPP came in two rounds — the first giving Kansas and other Midwestern states <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/07/business/small-business-loans-coronavirus.html" target="_blank">higher loans per small-business employee</a>
 than the rest of the U.S., especially states that had far more COVID-19
 cases. The average loan in the first round of PPP money in Kansas 
totaled just over $160,000 but dropped to around $30,000 in the second 
round.The PPP wasn’t just for small businesses, but also for 
nonprofits, like museums, churches and an organization that provides 
legal assistance to low-income Kansans.The<a href="https://cosmo.org/" target="_blank"> Cosmosphere and Space Center </a>in
 Hutchinson, which is one of the state’s top tourist attractions, closed
 March 16. Officials believe the drop in foot traffic will translate to 
an estimated loss of $1.4 million.It received a $406,000 PPP loan, which president and CEO Jim Remar said went to keeping most of his 60-person staff on board.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591121929614.png" alt="The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, houses the Apollo 13 command module. The nonprofit received $406,000 in PPP money. Courtesy of the Cosmosphere" />
 <figcaption>The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, houses the Apollo 13 command module. The nonprofit received $406,000 in PPP money. Courtesy of the Cosmosphere</figcaption>
 </figure>“It allowed us to bring back staff, do some deep cleaning of high-traffic areas and some maintenance,” Remar said.It
 also gave his top staff an opportunity to “reflect on what it is we do”
 and to formulate a plan for protecting visitors when the museum reopens
 next month, he said, as well as protecting children if the annual 
summer space camp can take place.“We’ve been working with our local health department and have a good plan in place,” he said.Just up the road in McPherson, Luke Aichele missed out on getting a loan in the first round.“By
 the time I got around to applying for PPP, all that money was gone,” 
said Aichele, a barber who made headlines by attempting to reopen his 
shop<a href="https://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/news/20200511/warrant-for-barber-causes-outrage" target="_blank"> in defiance of state and local health orders</a>.He
 recently testified in front of a Kansas legislative committee, saying 
many of the loans went to businesses that were less affected by COVID-19
 than his because they were allowed to remain open.“It really wasn’t going to people trying to keep their employees on,” he argued.Still, he said, he was approved for a loan in the second round of PPP money.<h2>A lifeline</h2>A
 small-town movie house is “barely a break-even business” under the best
 of circumstances, said Pat Haley, who co-owns The Parsons Theater in 
the southeast Kansas community of about 10,000 people.The movie 
theater was forced to close March 17 to comply with orders aimed at 
slowing the spread of the coronavirus, and Haley wasn’t sure he would 
still have a viable business when allowed to reopen.“It’s been very, very difficult,” Haley said.A $24,000 PPP loan combined with a $10,000 disaster payment, he said, provided just enough cash “to keep us going.”“Without
 them, I’m not sure what we would have done,” Haley said. “We would have
 had debts that we simply couldn’t pay and probably would have had to 
eventually look at bankruptcy.”Recipients are required to spend 
75% of PPP money on payroll. The remaining 25% can cover essential 
business expenses such as mortgage payments, rent and utilities.Haley said it would have been helpful to have more flexibility, “something more like 60/40.”That
 flexibility might be on the way. The U.S. House recently approved 
legislation to ease restrictions on small businesses as they seek to 
have their PPP loans forgiven. The bill reduces the amount business 
owners must spend on payroll to 60% allowing them to use the remaining 
40% to cover other expenses. It also:<ol>
 <li>Extends the window for using the funds from eight to 24 weeks.</li><li>Delays a June 30 deadline for rehiring workers to Dec. 31, 2020.</li><li>Gives more leeway to business owners who show they couldn’t rehire workers due to safety standards.</li><li>Gives recipients that don’t have their loans forgiven more time to pay them back.</li>
 </ol>The overwhelming margin by which the House approved the bill (417-1) makes it more likely the U.S. Senate will follow suit.That’s
 good news to Shaun Musil, who was hesitant to apply for a PPP loan 
fearing he wouldn’t be able to meet the forgiveness criteria.“We didn’t want to have a bunch of loans to pay back,” Musil said. “That was my biggest fear.”Musil
 and his wife, Heather, own the Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro &amp; 
Market in Hays. Their small, mostly part-time staff includes several 
Fort Hays University students. If too many of them “graduated and moved 
on,” Musil was worried he might not be in strict compliance with those 
rules, which he said, seemed to be “changing daily.”“Running a 
small business, we’re all hands on deck and we didn’t have time to read 
all the information that was coming out,” he said.They applied 
anyway and got what Musil described as a “small loan” — just enough to 
cover a couple of weeks of payroll. Now that the bistro has reopened, 
Musil’s focus is on “getting people back in the seats.”“We hope they feel safe, but I can’t judge what people are thinking,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591121969237.png" alt="Silver Lake Bank President Pat Gideon said, combined, his five branches in northeast Kansas processed 186 loans worth $34 million in the first round of federal PPP money. Jim McLean photo" />
 <figcaption>Silver Lake Bank President Pat Gideon said, combined, his five branches in northeast Kansas processed 186 loans worth $34 million in the first round of federal PPP money. Jim McLean photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘It worked fantastic’</h2><a href="https://silverlakebank.com/" target="_blank">The Silver Lake Bank i</a>s
 one of many Kansas community banks with a history of being a Small 
Business Administration lender. Bank president Pat Gideon said that made
 it more ready to start handling applications as soon as the PPP 
launched.On the Friday of the launch, Gideon said, his staff made
 sure at 4:30 a.m. the application portal was working. By 6:30 a.m., 
they had pushed through the first application.“We ran until 10 p.m. that Friday night,” he said, and all that weekend.The
 first $342 billion ran out within five days, and Silver Lake Bank, 
which has five branches in northeast Kansas, had processed 186 loans 
worth $34 million.The biggest was a Topeka-based food production 
business got the Silver Lake Bank’s largest loan of $2.7 million. A 
home-based vegetable hot house that needed only $1,200 was the recipient
 of its smallest.Most of the loans went to help “owner,-operator businesses” retain workers, Gideon said. “They kept people off unemployment.”More than 500 Kansas banks, credit unions and other types of lending institutions participated in the program.<h2>California connection</h2>The
 first round of PPP money had all but run out when Don Kipper, the owner
 of a small toy store in Los Angeles, connected with Gideon through a 
mutual acquaintance. Kipper’s bank wasn’t responding to him.Gideon
 did, and he was intrigued by Kip’s Toyland, which was started in 1945 
by Don’s father. He had been a prisoner of war in World War II, and when
 he got back to the U.S., he decided to sell only child-powered toys — 
none rely on batteries or electricity.“It’s a great story and this (the pandemic) was going to close them down,” Gideon said. “So, we secured the money for them.”The approximately $30,000 loan allowed Kipper to stay in business and continue paying his small staff.“It reminds me of that movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Pat is that guy,” Kipper said. “He made it happen.”Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.&nbsp;Scott Canon is managing editor of the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/scottcanon" target="_blank">@ScottCanon</a> or email scott@kcur.org.

Federal loans the difference between small business collapse, survival

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature are near an agreement on a compromise coronavirus measure to give lawmakers some oversight of the spending federal relief funds and protect businesses from pandemic-related lawsuits.

Kelly called lawmakers back to Topeka for a special session that convenes Wednesday after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a5e30a0ec7a5943ada9f03af22ee1970">she vetoed&nbsp;</a>a sweeping coronavirus bill they approved May 21 before adjourning their annual session. It would have curbed Kelly’s power to direct the state’s pandemic response, given legislative leaders the final say over the spending of $1.25 billion in federal relief funds and protected businesses, medical providers and nursing homes from lawsuits.

It’s similar to the bill Kelly vetoed but differs in enough details for GOP leaders to hope she would sign it.

In a statement Wednesday, the governor said, “I will support this bipartisan bill that was created with input from Republicans, Democrats, and stakeholders that I believe will provide the framework our state needs as we continue on the path to recovery. To be clear, there are parts of this bill that I do not support. However, my priority is and will always be the interests of Kansans first. I believe that the majority of this legislation accomplishes that and upholds my commitment to work across the aisle to move our state forward.”

A state of emergency Kelly declared for the pandemic is set to expire June 10, and she wants lawmakers to extend it so that she can continue to tap broad emergency powers. The new plan would extend the existing state of emergency until Sept. 15 but limit the governor’s power to close businesses, something she did until late May.

Some legislators are also expecting a debate on expanding the state’s Medicaid program. That's been a priority for Kelly since she took office.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591192801455.png" alt="Lawmakers at the Kansas Statehouse for the special session Wednesday&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Lawmakers at the Kansas Statehouse for the special session Wednesday&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature are near an agreement on a compromise coronavirus measure to give lawmakers some oversight of the spending federal relief funds and protect businesses from pandemic-related lawsuits.Kelly called lawmakers back to Topeka for a special session that convenes Wednesday after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a5e30a0ec7a5943ada9f03af22ee1970">she vetoed&nbsp;</a>a sweeping coronavirus bill they approved May 21 before adjourning their annual session. It would have curbed Kelly’s power to direct the state’s pandemic response, given legislative leaders the final say over the spending of $1.25 billion in federal relief funds and protected businesses, medical providers and nursing homes from lawsuits.It’s similar to the bill Kelly vetoed but differs in enough details for GOP leaders to hope she would sign it.In a statement Wednesday, the governor said, “I will support this bipartisan bill that was created with input from Republicans, Democrats, and stakeholders that I believe will provide the framework our state needs as we continue on the path to recovery. To be clear, there are parts of this bill that I do not support. However, my priority is and will always be the interests of Kansans first. I believe that the majority of this legislation accomplishes that and upholds my commitment to work across the aisle to move our state forward.”A state of emergency Kelly declared for the pandemic is set to expire June 10, and she wants lawmakers to extend it so that she can continue to tap broad emergency powers. The new plan would extend the existing state of emergency until Sept. 15 but limit the governor’s power to close businesses, something she did until late May.Some legislators are also expecting a debate on expanding the state’s Medicaid program. That's been a priority for Kelly since she took office.&nbsp;

Kan. lawmakers, governor near agreement on new COVID-19 measure

TOPEKA – The Legislature should enact a law governing COVID-19 contact tracing to provide a legal framework for the protection of personal information and civil liberties, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt recommended Monday.

“While contact tracing is a familiar tool to the public health community, the anticipated scope of expansion of the practice during the COVID-19 pandemic is certain to present challenging legal issues not addressed by current Kansas law,” Schmidt wrote last week to bipartisan legislative leaders and the governor. 

“Already, concerns have been raised about whether and how cellphone location data may be used to track the movements of Kansans, [a]nd major global data companies have announced they are developing technologies specifically to enable automated contact tracing through individuals’ cellphones. At least one lawsuit has been filed and resolved when the local government involved agreed to change its low-tech data-collection practices. All of this is occurring without even a basic statutory architecture to guide development and deployment of the practice and management of the sensitive personal information collected.”

Contact tracing, which is the practice of public health officials identifying persons with whom an infected individual has had contact, is considered by many public health officials key to enabling a safe reopening and economic recovery. It is used to identify new outbreaks of the virus and contain them before they can spread widely. Contact tracing is well-accepted in the public health community, but the absence of law governing the practice causes unease for many Kansans.

“Much of this is unplowed legal ground, and I recognize that the relatively short time available [during the special session] will not allow development of a thoughtful, comprehensive contact-tracing statute,” Schmidt wrote. “More thorough study in an interim committee or during the next regular legislative session no doubt will be advisable. But perhaps crafting a simple, basic framework to guide development of the practice at least through the remainder of this year is possible and advisable.”

The attorney general said he will work with other state leaders on a bill draft if there is legislative interest in acting on the subject during the special session. He said a bill should address basic questions such as:

<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/letter-to-gov-kelly-and-legislative-leaders-contact-tracing.pdf?sfvrsn=9dabac1a_2">Click here </a>to read a copy of the attorney general’s letter to legislative leaders and the governor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590504469923.png" alt="KDHD Secretary Dr. Lee Norman has frequently discussed the importance of contact tracing in the battle against coronavirus." />
 <figcaption>KDHD Secretary Dr. Lee Norman has frequently discussed the importance of contact tracing in the battle against coronavirus.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA – The Legislature should enact a law governing COVID-19 contact tracing to provide a legal framework for the protection of personal information and civil liberties, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt recommended Monday.“While contact tracing is a familiar tool to the public health community, the anticipated scope of expansion of the practice during the COVID-19 pandemic is certain to present challenging legal issues not addressed by current Kansas law,” Schmidt wrote last week to bipartisan legislative leaders and the governor. “Already, concerns have been raised about whether and how cellphone location data may be used to track the movements of Kansans, [a]nd major global data companies have announced they are developing technologies specifically to enable automated contact tracing through individuals’ cellphones. At least one lawsuit has been filed and resolved when the local government involved agreed to change its low-tech data-collection practices. All of this is occurring without even a basic statutory architecture to guide development and deployment of the practice and management of the sensitive personal information collected.”Contact tracing, which is the practice of public health officials identifying persons with whom an infected individual has had contact, is considered by many public health officials key to enabling a safe reopening and economic recovery. It is used to identify new outbreaks of the virus and contain them before they can spread widely. Contact tracing is well-accepted in the public health community, but the absence of law governing the practice causes unease for many Kansans.“Much of this is unplowed legal ground, and I recognize that the relatively short time available [during the special session] will not allow development of a thoughtful, comprehensive contact-tracing statute,” Schmidt wrote. “More thorough study in an interim committee or during the next regular legislative session no doubt will be advisable. But perhaps crafting a simple, basic framework to guide development of the practice at least through the remainder of this year is possible and advisable.”The attorney general said he will work with other state leaders on a bill draft if there is legislative interest in acting on the subject during the special session. He said a bill should address basic questions such as:<ol>
 <li>Is participation voluntary or mandatory?</li><li>Will contact information remain private and confidential?</li><li>May cellphone location data be used?</li><li>What data may be collected?</li><li>Who is authorized to collect, possess or access the collected data?</li><li>For what purposes may collected data be used?</li><li>How long may collected data be retained by the government.</li>
 </ol><a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/letter-to-gov-kelly-and-legislative-leaders-contact-tracing.pdf?sfvrsn=9dabac1a_2">Click here </a>to read a copy of the attorney general’s letter to legislative leaders and the governor.

Kan. AG recommends a law to regulate contact tracing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Protests were largely peaceful and the nation's streets were calmer than they have been in days since the killing of George Floyd set off demonstrations that at times brought violence and destruction along with pleas to stop police brutality and injustice against African Americans.

There were scattered reports of looting in New York City overnight, and as of Wednesday morning there had been over 9,000 arrests nationwide since the unrest began following Floyd's death May 25 in Minneapolis. But there was a marked quiet compared with the unrest of the past few nights, which included fires and shootings in some cities.

The calmer night came as many cities intensified their curfews, with authorities in New York and Washington ordering people off streets while it was still daylight.

A block away from the White House, thousands of demonstrators massed following a crackdown a day earlier when officers on foot and horseback aggressively drove peaceful protesters away from Lafayette Park, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to do a photo op at nearby St. John’s Church. Tuesday's protesters faced law enforcement personnel who stood behind a black chain-link fence that was put up overnight to block access to the park.

“Last night pushed me way over the edge,” said Jessica DeMaio, 40, of Washington, who attended a Floyd protest Tuesday for the first time. “Being here is better than being at home feeling helpless.”

Pastors at the church prayed with demonstrators and handed out water bottles. The crowd remained in place after the city’s 7 p.m. curfew passed, defying warnings that the response from law enforcement could be even more forceful. But the crowd Tuesday was peaceful, even polite. At one point, the crowd booed when a protester climbed a light post and took down a street sign. A chant went up: “Peaceful protest!”

Trump, meanwhile, amplified his hard-line calls from Monday, when he threatened to send in the military to restore order if governors didn’t do it.

“NYC, CALL UP THE NATIONAL GUARD,” he tweeted. “The lowlifes and losers are ripping you apart. Act fast!”

Thousands of people remained in the streets of New York City Tuesday night, undeterred by an 8 p.m. curfew, though most streets were clear by early Wednesday other than police who were patrolling some areas. Midtown Manhattan was pocked with battered storefronts after Monday’s protests.

Protests also passed across the U.S., including in Los Angeles, Miami, St. Paul, Minnesota, Columbia, South Carolina and Houston, where the police chief talked to peaceful demonstrators, vowing reforms.

“God as my witness, change is coming,” Art Acevedo said. “And we’re going to do it the right way.”

More than 20,000 National Guard members have been called up in 29 states to deal with the violence. New York is not among them, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he does not want the Guard. On Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo called what happened in the city “a disgrace.”

“The NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night,” Cuomo said at a briefing in Albany.

He said the mayor underestimated the problem, and the nation’s largest police force was not deployed in sufficient numbers, though the city had said it doubled the usual police presence.

Tuesday marked the eighth straight night of the protests, which began after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd's neck while the handcuffed black man called out that he couldn't breathe. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been fired and charged with murder.

The mother of George Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, said she wanted the world to know that her little girl lost a good father.

“I want everybody to know that this is what those officers took,” Roxie Washington said during a Minneapolis news conference with her young daughter at her side. “I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good.”

Some protesters framed the burgeoning movement as a necessity after a string of killings by police.

“It feels like it’s just been an endless cascade of hashtags of black people dying, and it feels like nothing’s really being done by our political leaders to actually enact real change,” said Christine Ohenzuwa, 19, who attended a peaceful protest at the Minnesota state Capitol in St. Paul. “There’s always going to be a breaking point. I think right now, we’re seeing the breaking point around the country.”

“I live in this state. It’s really painful to see what’s going on, but it’s also really important to understand that it’s connected to a system of racial violence,” she said.

Meanwhile, governors and mayors, Republicans and Democrats alike, rejected Trump's threat to send in the military, with some saying troops would be unnecessary and others questioning whether the government has such authority and warning that such a step would be dangerous.

A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the president is not rushing to send in the military and that his goal was to pressure governors to deploy more National Guard members.

Such use of the military would mark a stunning federal intervention rarely seen in modern American history.

Amid the protests, nine states and the District of Columbia held presidential primaries that tested the nation’s ability to run elections while balancing a pandemic and sweeping social unrest. Joe Biden won hundreds more delegates and was on the cusp of formally securing the Democratic presidential nomination.

Also Tuesday, Minnesota opened an investigation into whether the Minneapolis Police Department has a pattern of discrimination against minorities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591180588986.png" alt="A calm night in Kansas City. Protesters and police at West 46th and Terrace in Kansas City on Tuesday evening- photo by Leslie Augilar courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>A calm night in Kansas City. Protesters and police at West 46th and Terrace in Kansas City on Tuesday evening- photo by Leslie Augilar courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Protests were largely peaceful and the nation's streets were calmer than they have been in days since the killing of George Floyd set off demonstrations that at times brought violence and destruction along with pleas to stop police brutality and injustice against African Americans.There were scattered reports of looting in New York City overnight, and as of Wednesday morning there had been over 9,000 arrests nationwide since the unrest began following Floyd's death May 25 in Minneapolis. But there was a marked quiet compared with the unrest of the past few nights, which included fires and shootings in some cities.The calmer night came as many cities intensified their curfews, with authorities in New York and Washington ordering people off streets while it was still daylight.A block away from the White House, thousands of demonstrators massed following a crackdown a day earlier when officers on foot and horseback aggressively drove peaceful protesters away from Lafayette Park, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to do a photo op at nearby St. John’s Church. Tuesday's protesters faced law enforcement personnel who stood behind a black chain-link fence that was put up overnight to block access to the park.“Last night pushed me way over the edge,” said Jessica DeMaio, 40, of Washington, who attended a Floyd protest Tuesday for the first time. “Being here is better than being at home feeling helpless.”Pastors at the church prayed with demonstrators and handed out water bottles. The crowd remained in place after the city’s 7 p.m. curfew passed, defying warnings that the response from law enforcement could be even more forceful. But the crowd Tuesday was peaceful, even polite. At one point, the crowd booed when a protester climbed a light post and took down a street sign. A chant went up: “Peaceful protest!”Trump, meanwhile, amplified his hard-line calls from Monday, when he threatened to send in the military to restore order if governors didn’t do it.“NYC, CALL UP THE NATIONAL GUARD,” he tweeted. “The lowlifes and losers are ripping you apart. Act fast!”Thousands of people remained in the streets of New York City Tuesday night, undeterred by an 8 p.m. curfew, though most streets were clear by early Wednesday other than police who were patrolling some areas. Midtown Manhattan was pocked with battered storefronts after Monday’s protests.Protests also passed across the U.S., including in Los Angeles, Miami, St. Paul, Minnesota, Columbia, South Carolina and Houston, where the police chief talked to peaceful demonstrators, vowing reforms.“God as my witness, change is coming,” Art Acevedo said. “And we’re going to do it the right way.”More than 20,000 National Guard members have been called up in 29 states to deal with the violence. New York is not among them, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he does not want the Guard. On Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo called what happened in the city “a disgrace.”“The NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night,” Cuomo said at a briefing in Albany.He said the mayor underestimated the problem, and the nation’s largest police force was not deployed in sufficient numbers, though the city had said it doubled the usual police presence.Tuesday marked the eighth straight night of the protests, which began after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd's neck while the handcuffed black man called out that he couldn't breathe. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been fired and charged with murder.The mother of George Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, said she wanted the world to know that her little girl lost a good father.“I want everybody to know that this is what those officers took,” Roxie Washington said during a Minneapolis news conference with her young daughter at her side. “I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good.”Some protesters framed the burgeoning movement as a necessity after a string of killings by police.“It feels like it’s just been an endless cascade of hashtags of black people dying, and it feels like nothing’s really being done by our political leaders to actually enact real change,” said Christine Ohenzuwa, 19, who attended a peaceful protest at the Minnesota state Capitol in St. Paul. “There’s always going to be a breaking point. I think right now, we’re seeing the breaking point around the country.”“I live in this state. It’s really painful to see what’s going on, but it’s also really important to understand that it’s connected to a system of racial violence,” she said.Meanwhile, governors and mayors, Republicans and Democrats alike, rejected Trump's threat to send in the military, with some saying troops would be unnecessary and others questioning whether the government has such authority and warning that such a step would be dangerous.A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the president is not rushing to send in the military and that his goal was to pressure governors to deploy more National Guard members.Such use of the military would mark a stunning federal intervention rarely seen in modern American history.Amid the protests, nine states and the District of Columbia held presidential primaries that tested the nation’s ability to run elections while balancing a pandemic and sweeping social unrest. Joe Biden won hundreds more delegates and was on the cusp of formally securing the Democratic presidential nomination.Also Tuesday, Minnesota opened an investigation into whether the Minneapolis Police Department has a pattern of discrimination against minorities.___

Nation's streets calmest in days, protests largely peaceful

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is no longer shielding renters and homeowners who are financially strapped because of the coronavirus pandemic from being evicted or having lenders foreclose on their mortgages.

Kelly allowed an executive order that had banned new evictions and foreclosures to expire May 26. Her office confirmed Monday that the executive order no longer was in place.

The Democratic governor let the ban on evictions and mortgage foreclosures expire the same day she lifted statewide restrictions on businesses and left it to each of the state’s 105 counties to decide whether they would remain closed. The state’s unemployment rate sourced to 11.2% in April from 2.8% in March after Kelly imposed a statewide stay at home order through May 3.

Renters’ advocates warned that unemployment benefits and one-time federal stimulus checks won’t be enough to keep people in their homes.

“They were getting their paperwork ready in April to file evictions and as soon as the moratorium is lifted they’re going to file them,” said Brandon Irwin, an organizer with the housing reform coalition Rent Zero Kansas.

Irwin added that what’s “distressing” and “in many ways evil” is that despite communities reopening and relaxing coronavirus rules, “There’s still people at really high risk.”

Nearly 8,600 evictions were conducted in Kansas in 2016, the latest year for which data is available, according to Eviction Lab at Princeton University. The figure represents an eviction rate of 2.3%.

Some landlords and apartment owners said evictions are likely weeks away and emphasized that they’re willing to work with tenants who have fallen behind.

Cathy Payne, who owns several rental properties in Wichita, said 40% of her renters struggled but have caught up on payments. No evictions are planned, she said.

“Some even borrowing from family to pay,” she said. “The stimulus check helped them, too.”

Kansas has reported more than 10,000 coronavirus cases since the pandemic reached the state in early March. Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday that the state has had 220 COVID-19-related deaths, up three from Monday.

Kelly’s office said improvements in the state’s handling of unemployment claims led Kelly to allow evictions and foreclosures to proceed.

In March, the state Department of Labor’s antiquated computer systems and small staff were quickly overwhelmed by a wave of calls and online applications for unemployment benefits. On some days, calls exceeded a million.

Some Kansans were unable to obtain benefits or get through to a real person at the agency for weeks. Recently, the agency’s performance has improved and officials have dramatically reduced the number of unprocessed claims.

“As a result, the governor felt comfortable lifting this order at this time and she will continue to monitor the situation over the coming weeks and months,” Kelly spokeswoman Lauren Fitzgerald said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586440392187.png" alt="Kansas Governor Laura Kelly's executive order expired May 26." />
 <figcaption>Kansas Governor Laura Kelly's executive order expired May 26.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is no longer shielding renters and homeowners who are financially strapped because of the coronavirus pandemic from being evicted or having lenders foreclose on their mortgages.Kelly allowed an executive order that had banned new evictions and foreclosures to expire May 26. Her office confirmed Monday that the executive order no longer was in place.The Democratic governor let the ban on evictions and mortgage foreclosures expire the same day she lifted statewide restrictions on businesses and left it to each of the state’s 105 counties to decide whether they would remain closed. The state’s unemployment rate sourced to 11.2% in April from 2.8% in March after Kelly imposed a statewide stay at home order through May 3.Renters’ advocates warned that unemployment benefits and one-time federal stimulus checks won’t be enough to keep people in their homes.“They were getting their paperwork ready in April to file evictions and as soon as the moratorium is lifted they’re going to file them,” said Brandon Irwin, an organizer with the housing reform coalition Rent Zero Kansas.Irwin added that what’s “distressing” and “in many ways evil” is that despite communities reopening and relaxing coronavirus rules, “There’s still people at really high risk.”Nearly 8,600 evictions were conducted in Kansas in 2016, the latest year for which data is available, according to Eviction Lab at Princeton University. The figure represents an eviction rate of 2.3%.Some landlords and apartment owners said evictions are likely weeks away and emphasized that they’re willing to work with tenants who have fallen behind.Cathy Payne, who owns several rental properties in Wichita, said 40% of her renters struggled but have caught up on payments. No evictions are planned, she said.“Some even borrowing from family to pay,” she said. “The stimulus check helped them, too.”Kansas has reported more than 10,000 coronavirus cases since the pandemic reached the state in early March. Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday that the state has had 220 COVID-19-related deaths, up three from Monday.Kelly’s office said improvements in the state’s handling of unemployment claims led Kelly to allow evictions and foreclosures to proceed.In March, the state Department of Labor’s antiquated computer systems and small staff were quickly overwhelmed by a wave of calls and online applications for unemployment benefits. On some days, calls exceeded a million.Some Kansans were unable to obtain benefits or get through to a real person at the agency for weeks. Recently, the agency’s performance has improved and officials have dramatically reduced the number of unprocessed claims.“As a result, the governor felt comfortable lifting this order at this time and she will continue to monitor the situation over the coming weeks and months,” Kelly spokeswoman Lauren Fitzgerald said in a statement.

Kansans no longer shielded from evictions, foreclosures

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A coronavirus outbreak at a Kansas City paper plant has infected more than 200 people, health officials announced Tuesday.

The Kansas City Health Department said the first employee at Aspen Paper Products tested positive in mid-May. As cases continued to increase, Aspen tested all its employees on Friday and Saturday. The Kansas City plant employs about 850 people.

Health officials are working with Aspen to increase cleaning and personal protection equipment.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A coronavirus outbreak at a Kansas City paper plant has infected more than 200 people, health officials announced Tuesday.The Kansas City Health Department said the first employee at Aspen Paper Products tested positive in mid-May. As cases continued to increase, Aspen tested all its employees on Friday and Saturday. The Kansas City plant employs about 850 people.Health officials are working with Aspen to increase cleaning and personal protection equipment.

Virus outbreak at Kansas City paper plant infects 200-plus

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend shooting and have identified the victims as 41-year-old Talisha Fay Johnson and 38-year-old Anthony Michael Johnson, both of Overland Park, according to Kansas City, Kansas police.

They were shot to death while driving Saturday night on an exit ramp from Interstate 70. Two juveniles in the car were not harmed

Police arrested the suspect, 21-year-old Isaiah Montez Taylor, of Overland Park, at the scene. He faces requested charges of&nbsp; second-degree murder and aggravated endangering a child, according to online jail records.

Police believe the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591132896609.png" alt="Taylor photo Wyandotte County" />
 <figcaption>Taylor photo Wyandotte County</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend shooting and have identified the victims as 41-year-old Talisha Fay Johnson and 38-year-old Anthony Michael Johnson, both of Overland Park, according to Kansas City, Kansas police.They were shot to death while driving Saturday night on an exit ramp from Interstate 70. Two juveniles in the car were not harmedPolice arrested the suspect, 21-year-old Isaiah Montez Taylor, of Overland Park, at the scene. He faces requested charges of&nbsp; second-degree murder and aggravated endangering a child, according to online jail records.Police believe the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute.&nbsp;

Suspect jailed for shooting that killed 2 on I-70

PRATT COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Tuesday in Pratt County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Buick&nbsp;Rendezvous driven by Jacob R. Davis, 35,&nbsp; Macksville,&nbsp;was southbound on NE 70th Avenue just North of 90th two miles northwest of Preston.

The vehicle left the roadway to the west, came back onto the roadway, entered the east ditch, struck the embankment and rolled.

PRATT COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Tuesday in Pratt County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Buick&nbsp;Rendezvous driven by Jacob R. Davis, 35,&nbsp; Macksville,&nbsp;was southbound on NE 70th Avenue just North of 90th two miles northwest of Preston.The vehicle left the roadway to the west, came back onto the roadway, entered the east ditch, struck the embankment and rolled.Davis was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Larrison Mortuary in Pratt. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.