WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Republicans in Congress are expected to meet Monday with President Donald Trump at the White House on the next&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">COVID-19&nbsp;</a>aid package as the crisis many hoped would have improved has dramatically worsened, just as emergency relief is expiring.

New divisions between the Senate GOP majority and the White House posed fresh challenges. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was prepared to roll out the $1 trillion package in a matter of days. But administration panned more virus testing money and interjected other priorities that could complicate quick passage.

Trump insisted again Sunday that the virus would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02b0c7bb496a21d9e09abb1d01cecf1a">“disappear,”&nbsp;</a>but the president’s view did not at all match projections from the leading health professionals straining to halt the U.S.’s alarming caseloads and death toll.

Lawmakers were returning to a Capitol still off-limits to tourists, another sign of the nation’s difficulty containing the coronavirus. Rather than easing, the pandemic’s devastating cycle was happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses were shutting down again, schools could not fully reopen and jobs were disappearing, all while federal aid expired.

Without a successful federal strategy, lawmakers are trying to draft one.

“It’s not going to magically disappear,” said a somber McConnell, R-Ky., last week during a visit to a hospital in his home state to thank front-line workers.

McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy were set to meet with Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin “to fine-tune” the legislation, acting chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Fox News.

The political stakes were high for all sides before the November election, but even more so for the nation, which now registered more coronavirus infections and a higher death count of 140,500 than any other country.

The package from McConnell had been quietly crafted behind closed doors for weeks and was expected to include $75 billion to help schools reopen, reduced unemployment benefits alongside a fresh round of direct $1,200 cash payments to Americans, and a sweeping five-year liability shield against coronavirus lawsuits.

But as the White House weighed in, the administration was panning some $25 billion in proposed new funds for testing and tracing, said one Republican familiar with the discussions. The administration’s objections were first reported by The Washington Post.

Trump was also reviving his push for a payroll tax break, which was being seriously considered, said another Republican. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks.

The new push from the White House put the administration at odds with GOP allies in Congress, a disconnect that threatened to upend an already difficult legislative process. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already passed Democrats’ vast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/55887a1d2b734020c8dae29004f087d6">$3 trillion proposal</a>&nbsp;and virus cases and deaths had only increased since.

Trump raised alarms on Capitol Hill when he suggested last month at a rally in Oklahoma that he wanted to slow virus testing. Some of Trump’s GOP allies wanted new money to help test and track the virus to contain its spread. Senate Democrats were investigating why the Trump administration had not yet spent some of $25 billion previously allocated for testing in an earlier aid bill.

The payroll tax Trump wanted also divided his party. Senate Republicans in particular opposed the payroll tax break as an insufficient response to millions of out-of-work Americans, especially as they tried to keep the total price tag of the aid package at no more than $1 trillion.

Trump said Sunday in the Fox News interview that he would consider not signing any bill unless it included the payroll tax break, which many GOP senators opposed.

As McConnell prepared to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal, he acknowledged it would not have full support. This would be the fifth virus aid package, after the $2.2 trillion bill passed in March, the largest U.S. intervention of its kind.

Just as the pandemic’s ferocious cycle was starting again, the first round of aid was running out.

A federal $600-a-week boost to regular unemployment benefits would expire at the end of the month. So, too, would the federal ban on evictions on millions of rental units.

With 17 straight weeks of unemployment claims topping 1 million — usually about 200,000 — many households were facing a cash crunch and losing employer-backed health insurance coverage.

Despite flickers of an economic upswing as states eased stay-at-home orders in May and June, the jobless rate remained at double digits, higher than it ever was in the last decade’s Great Recession.

Pelosi’s bill, approved in May, included $75 billion for testing and tracing to try to get a handle on the virus spread, funneled $100 billion to schools to safely reopen and called for $1 trillion to be sent to cash-strapped states to pay essential workers and prevent layoffs. The measure would give cash stipends to Americans, and bolster rental and mortgage and other safety net protections.

In the two months since Pelosi’s bill passed, the U.S. had 50,000 more deaths and 2 million more infections.

“If we don’t invest the money now, it will be much worse,” Pelosi said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589232058595.png" alt="President Trump during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the White House Rose Garden in May-image courtesy White. House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the White House Rose Garden in May-image courtesy White. House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Republicans in Congress are expected to meet Monday with President Donald Trump at the White House on the next&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">COVID-19&nbsp;</a>aid package as the crisis many hoped would have improved has dramatically worsened, just as emergency relief is expiring.New divisions between the Senate GOP majority and the White House posed fresh challenges. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was prepared to roll out the $1 trillion package in a matter of days. But administration panned more virus testing money and interjected other priorities that could complicate quick passage.Trump insisted again Sunday that the virus would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/02b0c7bb496a21d9e09abb1d01cecf1a">“disappear,”&nbsp;</a>but the president’s view did not at all match projections from the leading health professionals straining to halt the U.S.’s alarming caseloads and death toll.Lawmakers were returning to a Capitol still off-limits to tourists, another sign of the nation’s difficulty containing the coronavirus. Rather than easing, the pandemic’s devastating cycle was happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses were shutting down again, schools could not fully reopen and jobs were disappearing, all while federal aid expired.Without a successful federal strategy, lawmakers are trying to draft one.“It’s not going to magically disappear,” said a somber McConnell, R-Ky., last week during a visit to a hospital in his home state to thank front-line workers.McConnell and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy were set to meet with Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin “to fine-tune” the legislation, acting chief of staff Mark Meadows said on Fox News.The political stakes were high for all sides before the November election, but even more so for the nation, which now registered more coronavirus infections and a higher death count of 140,500 than any other country.The package from McConnell had been quietly crafted behind closed doors for weeks and was expected to include $75 billion to help schools reopen, reduced unemployment benefits alongside a fresh round of direct $1,200 cash payments to Americans, and a sweeping five-year liability shield against coronavirus lawsuits.But as the White House weighed in, the administration was panning some $25 billion in proposed new funds for testing and tracing, said one Republican familiar with the discussions. The administration’s objections were first reported by The Washington Post.Trump was also reviving his push for a payroll tax break, which was being seriously considered, said another Republican. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks.The new push from the White House put the administration at odds with GOP allies in Congress, a disconnect that threatened to upend an already difficult legislative process. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi already passed Democrats’ vast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/55887a1d2b734020c8dae29004f087d6">$3 trillion proposal</a>&nbsp;and virus cases and deaths had only increased since.Trump raised alarms on Capitol Hill when he suggested last month at a rally in Oklahoma that he wanted to slow virus testing. Some of Trump’s GOP allies wanted new money to help test and track the virus to contain its spread. Senate Democrats were investigating why the Trump administration had not yet spent some of $25 billion previously allocated for testing in an earlier aid bill.The payroll tax Trump wanted also divided his party. Senate Republicans in particular opposed the payroll tax break as an insufficient response to millions of out-of-work Americans, especially as they tried to keep the total price tag of the aid package at no more than $1 trillion.Trump said Sunday in the Fox News interview that he would consider not signing any bill unless it included the payroll tax break, which many GOP senators opposed.“I want to see it,” he said.As McConnell prepared to roll out his $1 trillion-plus proposal, he acknowledged it would not have full support. This would be the fifth virus aid package, after the $2.2 trillion bill passed in March, the largest U.S. intervention of its kind.Just as the pandemic’s ferocious cycle was starting again, the first round of aid was running out.A federal $600-a-week boost to regular unemployment benefits would expire at the end of the month. So, too, would the federal ban on evictions on millions of rental units.With 17 straight weeks of unemployment claims topping 1 million — usually about 200,000 — many households were facing a cash crunch and losing employer-backed health insurance coverage.Despite flickers of an economic upswing as states eased stay-at-home orders in May and June, the jobless rate remained at double digits, higher than it ever was in the last decade’s Great Recession.Pelosi’s bill, approved in May, included $75 billion for testing and tracing to try to get a handle on the virus spread, funneled $100 billion to schools to safely reopen and called for $1 trillion to be sent to cash-strapped states to pay essential workers and prevent layoffs. The measure would give cash stipends to Americans, and bolster rental and mortgage and other safety net protections.In the two months since Pelosi’s bill passed, the U.S. had 50,000 more deaths and 2 million more infections.“If we don’t invest the money now, it will be much worse,” Pelosi said.

GOP leaders, Trump to discuss virus aid as crisis deepens

HUTCHINSON. — A domestic dispute on Friday night turned into a standoff on Saturday in Reno County.

&nbsp;Justin Mario Kidd, 47, rural Hutchinson, was involved in a domestic dispute between himself and his spouse around 8 p.m. Friday. This resulted in criminal charges being sent to the District Attorney for prosecution. The Sheriff’s Office exhausted resources that evening attempting to locate him while the spouse was placed into a shelter.

Late morning on Saturday, Kidd began to text his spouse again with suicidal threats. Deputies attempted to contact Justin at his residence and he walked into the street and fired twice at deputies. No injuries or damage to property occurred.

It took until just after 5 p.m. for the Reno County Emergency Response Team to talk him into coming out peacefully. Local neighbors were evacuated.

Kidd was booked on aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon and criminal threat charges. His bond is set at over $100,000.

Deputies executed a search warrant over the weekend at Kidd's residence and seized Eight firearms and ammunition.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595241791854.png" alt="Multiple agencies responded to the scene on Saturday in Reno County -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Multiple agencies responded to the scene on Saturday in Reno County -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON. — A domestic dispute on Friday night turned into a standoff on Saturday in Reno County.&nbsp;Justin Mario Kidd, 47, rural Hutchinson, was involved in a domestic dispute between himself and his spouse around 8 p.m. Friday. This resulted in criminal charges being sent to the District Attorney for prosecution. The Sheriff’s Office exhausted resources that evening attempting to locate him while the spouse was placed into a shelter.Late morning on Saturday, Kidd began to text his spouse again with suicidal threats. Deputies attempted to contact Justin at his residence and he walked into the street and fired twice at deputies. No injuries or damage to property occurred.It took until just after 5 p.m. for the Reno County Emergency Response Team to talk him into coming out peacefully. Local neighbors were evacuated.Kidd was booked on aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon and criminal threat charges. His bond is set at over $100,000.Deputies executed a search warrant over the weekend at Kidd's residence and seized Eight firearms and ammunition.

 47-year-old Kan. man arrested after firing at deputies Saturday

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.

&nbsp;Just before 3p.m. Friday, a sheriff’s deputy stopped a 2001 Chevy Blazer near 110th and U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The traffic stop resulted in the arrest of the driver and two occupants. 

The driver, Jimmy Clinton Lininger, 30, of Topeka was arrested on requested charges of criminal use of a weapon and he had an outstanding felony Shawnee County warrant. 

Annette Marie Martin, 52, of Topeka was arrested on a requested charge of distribution of heroin, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. 

Rebecca Ellen Pollock, 46, of Topeka was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. All three subjects are being held in the Jackson County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595089698125.png" alt="Pollock photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Pollock photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects on drug charges after a traffic stop.&nbsp;Just before 3p.m. Friday, a sheriff’s deputy stopped a 2001 Chevy Blazer near 110th and U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The traffic stop resulted in the arrest of the driver and two occupants. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595089780153.png" alt="Lininger photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Lininger photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>The driver, Jimmy Clinton Lininger, 30, of Topeka was arrested on requested charges of criminal use of a weapon and he had an outstanding felony Shawnee County warrant. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595089730413.png" alt="Martin photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Martin photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>Annette Marie Martin, 52, of Topeka was arrested on a requested charge of distribution of heroin, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Rebecca Ellen Pollock, 46, of Topeka was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. All three subjects are being held in the Jackson County Jail.

Kansas woman accused of heroin distribution after traffic stop

WICHITA, KAN. (AP) — A Kansas man charged with shooting at police during protests last month told a co-worker that he “emptied a whole clip” on officers after his sister was hit with a rubber bullet while holding a baby.

An arrest affidavit released Friday in the criminal case against 28-year-old Henry Parker of Wichita says he admitted to the co-worker that he’d fired on officers early on June 2 but told her “don't tell on me."

Parker, who has denied any involvement in the shooting, is charged with 19 counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer and one count of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

None of the officers was shot, but police said one officer’s helmet was hit by bullet pieces that had ricocheted near the officers.

Police Chief Gordon Ramsay has previously said officers fired tear gas, smoke rounds, flash grenades and foam bullets into the crowd that morning after rioters threw objects at police and refused to leave. The unrest followed a mostly peaceful protest calling for the end of police brutality in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591371389592.png" alt="Parker photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Parker photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. (AP) — A Kansas man charged with shooting at police during protests last month told a co-worker that he “emptied a whole clip” on officers after his sister was hit with a rubber bullet while holding a baby.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591210505871.png" alt="Parker as seen from police body camera -photo courtesy Wichita police" />
 <figcaption>Parker as seen from police body camera -photo courtesy Wichita police</figcaption>
 </figure>An arrest affidavit released Friday in the criminal case against 28-year-old Henry Parker of Wichita says he admitted to the co-worker that he’d fired on officers early on June 2 but told her “don't tell on me."Parker, who has denied any involvement in the shooting, is charged with 19 counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer and one count of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.None of the officers was shot, but police said one officer’s helmet was hit by bullet pieces that had ricocheted near the officers.Police Chief Gordon Ramsay has previously said officers fired tear gas, smoke rounds, flash grenades and foam bullets into the crowd that morning after rioters threw objects at police and refused to leave. The unrest followed a mostly peaceful protest calling for the end of police brutality in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd.

Affidavit: Kan. protest suspect said he 'emptied a whole clip' at police

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.&nbsp;

Just after 9:30a.m. Friday,&nbsp; Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office personnel, including all six K9 officers and their K9 partners, along with members of the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle seen at a vacant building in the 500 block of SE Dupont Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 A citizen reported two male subjects arrived in a truck and forced entry into the building. Upon arrival the deputies found the truck still parked at the address but the two suspects were no longer on scene. 

The truck was found to be a stolen vehicle from Topeka.

The witness gave sufficient details to responding officers that led them to a residence in the 4400 block of SE Weekley Court.

After three hours of attempting to make contact with the suspect, a search warrant was granted and the suspect was located inside the residence. Deputies took Cecil C. North, 40, of Topeka&nbsp;into custody and transported him to the Law Enforcement Center for further questioning.

North was later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of burglary, theft and interference with law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594986251234.png" alt="North photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>North photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.&nbsp;Just after 9:30a.m. Friday,&nbsp; Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office personnel, including all six K9 officers and their K9 partners, along with members of the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle seen at a vacant building in the 500 block of SE Dupont Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. A citizen reported two male subjects arrived in a truck and forced entry into the building. Upon arrival the deputies found the truck still parked at the address but the two suspects were no longer on scene. The truck was found to be a stolen vehicle from Topeka.The witness gave sufficient details to responding officers that led them to a residence in the 4400 block of SE Weekley Court.After three hours of attempting to make contact with the suspect, a search warrant was granted and the suspect was located inside the residence. Deputies took Cecil C. North, 40, of Topeka&nbsp;into custody and transported him to the Law Enforcement Center for further questioning.North was later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of burglary, theft and interference with law enforcement.

Six K-9 officers, partners help arrest Kansas burglary suspect

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A gun range violated the civil rights of a Muslim woman by not allowing her to shoot unless she removed a religious head covering, an advocacy group said Thursday.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations asked the U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;in a letter&nbsp;for a civil rights probe into the denial of services by Frontier Justice during an incident earlier this year at one of their gun ranges located in the suburban Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6990099-Missouri-Gun-Range-Letter.html">Click here </a>to read the letter

“The law demands equal access to public accommodations regardless of your race, color, religion and national origin," said CAIR attorney Zanah Ghalawanji. “So Frontier Justice has disregarded and violated the civil rights protections by actively excluding Muslim women who wear the hijab from their business.”

The company, which touts on its&nbsp;<a href="https://frontier-justice.com/about-frontier-justice/">website</a>&nbsp;its core values of “Faith, Family and Freedom,” has facilities in Lee's Summit, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas. It said in an email that head coverings are a safety risk because they could catch the hot brass when firing a firearm.

“It saddens us that anyone would say we are not inclusive, given that we serve all races and religions every single day in all of our stores,” Frontier Justice President Bren Brown said in a statement. “We pride ourselves on this fact, and we strongly believe in America and the second amendment that is for every single American.”

Rania Barakat recounted during a Facebook Live news conference Thursday an incident that unfolded on Jan. 1 at the Frontier Justice gun range in Missouri when she went with her husband there to shoot.

The couple waited in line for an hour that day, she said, and when they approached the cashier to pay she was told that she must remove her hijab in order to use the facilities. Barakat said she had shot at other gun ranges without having to remove her hijab.

Frontier Justice employees cited the company's dress code policy, which is posted on its website: "Hats, caps, bandanas, or any other head covering will be removed in the facility, except baseball caps facing forward.”

Barakat said she was told by the range's manager that it was “a safety issue." She said they left when it became clear they weren't going to let them shoot.

“I've encountered racism before, but it was never to the point someone told me I had to remove my scarf in order to enter a facility or do any type of activity like this,” she said. “It was very shocking to both my husband and I.”

She later discovered online reviews about Frontier Justice that were written by other Muslim women who had also been told they needed to remove their hijabs to shoot.

“To have this happen to me personally, it was very sad and, you know, frustrating," Barakat said. “And I would never want anyone to go through what I went through.”

Moussa Elbayoumy, chairman of the CAIR's Kansas board, said the local chapter had received a number of reports around the same time about that same facility from other Muslim women who were also told they had to remove their hijabs to shoot.

He contended the range's policy is not based on any legitimate safety concerns, but is meant to exclude Muslim women.

“Frontier Justice, you know, says they value faith, family and freedom,” Ghalawanji said. “That appears to be their motto, but, however, their actions tell us that they have shown otherwise.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594984731375.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A gun range violated the civil rights of a Muslim woman by not allowing her to shoot unless she removed a religious head covering, an advocacy group said Thursday.The Council on American-Islamic Relations asked the U.S. Department of Justice&nbsp;in a letter&nbsp;for a civil rights probe into the denial of services by Frontier Justice during an incident earlier this year at one of their gun ranges located in the suburban Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area.<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6990099-Missouri-Gun-Range-Letter.html">Click here </a>to read the letter“The law demands equal access to public accommodations regardless of your race, color, religion and national origin," said CAIR attorney Zanah Ghalawanji. “So Frontier Justice has disregarded and violated the civil rights protections by actively excluding Muslim women who wear the hijab from their business.”The company, which touts on its&nbsp;<a href="https://frontier-justice.com/about-frontier-justice/">website</a>&nbsp;its core values of “Faith, Family and Freedom,” has facilities in Lee's Summit, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas. It said in an email that head coverings are a safety risk because they could catch the hot brass when firing a firearm.“It saddens us that anyone would say we are not inclusive, given that we serve all races and religions every single day in all of our stores,” Frontier Justice President Bren Brown said in a statement. “We pride ourselves on this fact, and we strongly believe in America and the second amendment that is for every single American.”Rania Barakat recounted during a Facebook Live news conference Thursday an incident that unfolded on Jan. 1 at the Frontier Justice gun range in Missouri when she went with her husband there to shoot.The couple waited in line for an hour that day, she said, and when they approached the cashier to pay she was told that she must remove her hijab in order to use the facilities. Barakat said she had shot at other gun ranges without having to remove her hijab.Frontier Justice employees cited the company's dress code policy, which is posted on its website: "Hats, caps, bandanas, or any other head covering will be removed in the facility, except baseball caps facing forward.”Barakat said she was told by the range's manager that it was “a safety issue." She said they left when it became clear they weren't going to let them shoot.“I've encountered racism before, but it was never to the point someone told me I had to remove my scarf in order to enter a facility or do any type of activity like this,” she said. “It was very shocking to both my husband and I.”She later discovered online reviews about Frontier Justice that were written by other Muslim women who had also been told they needed to remove their hijabs to shoot.“To have this happen to me personally, it was very sad and, you know, frustrating," Barakat said. “And I would never want anyone to go through what I went through.”Moussa Elbayoumy, chairman of the CAIR's Kansas board, said the local chapter had received a number of reports around the same time about that same facility from other Muslim women who were also told they had to remove their hijabs to shoot.He contended the range's policy is not based on any legitimate safety concerns, but is meant to exclude Muslim women.“Frontier Justice, you know, says they value faith, family and freedom,” Ghalawanji said. “That appears to be their motto, but, however, their actions tell us that they have shown otherwise.”

Muslim woman says gun range in KC ordered her to remove hijab

GRAY COUNTY – A Gray County sheriff’s deputy was shot early Saturday morning when responding to the report of a domestic dispute, and the suspect was later discovered dead inside the home.

Just after 1a.m. Saturday, the Gray County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). KBI agents, the High Risk Warrant Team and the Crime Scene Response Team responded, according to a media release from the KBI.

Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 10:50 p.m., Friday, July 17, Gray County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence at 609 E. Ave. A in Cimarron, Kan. after a domestic dispute was reported at the location. When they responded to the home, they observed two subjects exiting the residence. After questioning them, deputies became concerned for the safety of the homeowner still inside, 49-year-old Kevin Trahern.

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, three deputies from the Gray County Sheriff’s Office entered the house to try to locate Trahern. They entered through the back door, and a deputy started down the basement stairs when Trahern fired shots through the basement door, striking the deputy three times. The deputy returned fire, and all deputies retreated to safety.

Deputies rendered aid to the injured deputy who had been shot in his legs and foot. EMS transported the deputy to Western Plains Regional Hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. He has since been released from the hospital.

Following the shooting, a standoff at the residence ensued. Multiple agencies assisted including the KBI High Risk Warrant Team, the Dodge City Police Department tactical team, the Garden City Police Department tactical team, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Ford County Sheriff’s

Office, and the Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office.

At approximately 1:40 p.m. Saturday afternoon, law enforcement officers entered the residence

and found Trahern deceased inside, from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

An autopsy will be performed. The KBI will conduct an independent and complete investigation into this incident.

The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.

GRAY COUNTY — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating after a Kansas sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded during an investigation of an alleged domestic disturbance Saturday in Gray County.

According to the Gray County Sheriff's office, deputies responded early Saturday to the&nbsp; 600 block of East Avenue A near Cimarron in southwest Kansas.

A woman reported&nbsp; that a man may have injured himself with a firearm. While law enforcement was investigating, shots were fired from the basement of the home injuring one officer in the lower leg.&nbsp;

EMS transported the deputy to&nbsp;Western Plains Regional hospital in Dodge City, and his injuries are not considered life-threatening, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The suspect barricaded himself in the home.

Just after 1:30pm. Saturday, deputies broke into the home and found the suspect dead.

GRAY COUNTY — A Kansas sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded during an investigation of an alleged domestic disturbance Saturday in Gray County.

A woman reported&nbsp; that a man may have injured himself with a firearm. While law enforcement was investigating, shots were fired from the basement of the home injuring one officer in the lower leg.&nbsp;He was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition. 

The suspect was still believed to be barricaded inside his residence.&nbsp;

 Special Agents from the KBI and members of their Tactical Team, KHP Troopers, Ford County Sheriff’s Office Command Staff and Deputies along with members of the Dodge City PD SWAT Unit, Garden City PD SWAT Unit and the Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office as well as Gray and Ford County EMS were on the scene.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595185296179.png" alt="SWAT team on the scene of the standoff photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>SWAT team on the scene of the standoff photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>GRAY COUNTY – A Gray County sheriff’s deputy was shot early Saturday morning when responding to the report of a domestic dispute, and the suspect was later discovered dead inside the home.Just after 1a.m. Saturday, the Gray County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). KBI agents, the High Risk Warrant Team and the Crime Scene Response Team responded, according to a media release from the KBI.Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 10:50 p.m., Friday, July 17, Gray County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence at 609 E. Ave. A in Cimarron, Kan. after a domestic dispute was reported at the location. When they responded to the home, they observed two subjects exiting the residence. After questioning them, deputies became concerned for the safety of the homeowner still inside, 49-year-old Kevin Trahern.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595109786144.png" alt="Near the scene of the standoff Saturday in southwest Kansas -photo by Grand Demars courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Near the scene of the standoff Saturday in southwest Kansas -photo by Grand Demars courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, three deputies from the Gray County Sheriff’s Office entered the house to try to locate Trahern. They entered through the back door, and a deputy started down the basement stairs when Trahern fired shots through the basement door, striking the deputy three times. The deputy returned fire, and all deputies retreated to safety.Deputies rendered aid to the injured deputy who had been shot in his legs and foot. EMS transported the deputy to Western Plains Regional Hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. He has since been released from the hospital.Following the shooting, a standoff at the residence ensued. Multiple agencies assisted including the KBI High Risk Warrant Team, the Dodge City Police Department tactical team, the Garden City Police Department tactical team, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Ford County Sheriff’sOffice, and the Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office.At approximately 1:40 p.m. Saturday afternoon, law enforcement officers entered the residenceand found Trahern deceased inside, from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.An autopsy will be performed. The KBI will conduct an independent and complete investigation into this incident.The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.GRAY COUNTY — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating after a Kansas sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded during an investigation of an alleged domestic disturbance Saturday in Gray County.According to the Gray County Sheriff's office, deputies responded early Saturday to the&nbsp; 600 block of East Avenue A near Cimarron in southwest Kansas.A woman reported&nbsp; that a man may have injured himself with a firearm. While law enforcement was investigating, shots were fired from the basement of the home injuring one officer in the lower leg.&nbsp;EMS transported the deputy to&nbsp;Western Plains Regional hospital in Dodge City, and his injuries are not considered life-threatening, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The suspect barricaded himself in the home.Just after 1:30pm. Saturday, deputies broke into the home and found the suspect dead.---------GRAY COUNTY — A Kansas sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded during an investigation of an alleged domestic disturbance Saturday in Gray County.According to the Gray County Sheriff's office, deputies responded early Saturday to the&nbsp; 600 block of East Avenue A near Cimarron in southwest Kansas.A woman reported&nbsp; that a man may have injured himself with a firearm. While law enforcement was investigating, shots were fired from the basement of the home injuring one officer in the lower leg.&nbsp;He was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition. The suspect was still believed to be barricaded inside his residence.&nbsp; Special Agents from the KBI and members of their Tactical Team, KHP Troopers, Ford County Sheriff’s Office Command Staff and Deputies along with members of the Dodge City PD SWAT Unit, Garden City PD SWAT Unit and the Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office as well as Gray and Ford County EMS were on the scene.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

KBI: Wounded SW Kan. sheriff's deputy released from the hospital

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Spirit AeroSystems sent some employees notices about voluntary layoffs, citing the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and the grounding of the 737 Max. 

The five-page notice that went out Friday says both reduced overall demand for new commercial airplanes, and that  as a result, “production rates for commercial aircraft have fallen from historic highs to much lower volumes. 

The notice says there is “no expectation for a quick recovery.” It is unclear how many employees are affected. The announcement follows months of layoffs and furloughs in the aviation industry.&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Spirit AeroSystems sent some employees notices about voluntary layoffs, citing the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and the grounding of the 737 Max. The five-page notice that went out Friday says both reduced overall demand for new commercial airplanes, and that as a result, “production rates for commercial aircraft have fallen from historic highs to much lower volumes. The notice says there is “no expectation for a quick recovery.” It is unclear how many employees are affected. The announcement follows months of layoffs and furloughs in the aviation industry.&nbsp;

Kansas aircraft parts maker seeks voluntary layoffs

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Daniel Lewis Lee, a condemned man and convicted murderer, was asked if he wanted to make a final statement from the execution chamber, with its institutional green-tiled walls and plate-glass interior window, moments before he too would die.

He did. He leaned his head up and we locked eyes.

“You’re killing an innocent man,” Lee said, looking directly at me.

Those were his last words. He said them to me.

Lee’s execution, one of two that I witnessed this past week at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, played out slowly, after painstaking hours of final, futile legal appeals, before prison officials administered a lethal injection and the federal government carried out capital punishment for the first time in almost two decades. A third execution came later in the week.

Before the lethal injection for Lee, there had been a lot of waiting. Prison officials searched me extensively each time I arrived, then sent me back to my hotel during the legal maneuvering, only to call me back to the maximum-security facility.

As part of a small group of other reporters, I was an official witness to Lee’s death, one that took place in the middle of a pandemic.

Lee, who was convicted of killing an Arkansas gun dealer, his wife and young daughter in the late 1990s, was scheduled to be executed Monday at 4 p.m. EDT.

But there would be a long wait as his legal appeals made their way to the Supreme Court. Along with other reporters, I was lodged inside a former bowling alley that was now a prison staff training center. It was guarded by heavily armed prison officers. We were all wearing blue surgical masks. Our temperatures were taken.

We could carry only identification into the prison as we loaded into two unmarked white vans that took us a short distance down “Justice Drive” to the penitentiary building for a security screening.

Inside, correction officers outfitted in full protective gear — N95 masks, face shields, gloves and paper gowns — told us we’d be going through the equivalent of a souped-up airport screening. They even took my glasses to X-ray them.

But then came another delay. Officials told us to grab dinner, so we did, then returned to the prison and waited. By midnight, all of us left again for our hotels nearby.

At 2:10 a.m. the Supreme Court ruled the execution could proceed. About a minute or so later, a Bureau of Prisons official was on the phone saying the execution was scheduled for 4:15 a.m.

We rushed back to the prison. The clock in the van read 4:16 when we hopped out and headed into the execution chamber.

Lee was already there — strapped to a gurney.

We were brought into a small witness room. There were plastic chairs facing the window, a notepad, a pen, small bottle of hand sanitizer and a single sanitizing wipe on each seat. A correction officer pulled the large metal door closed and a booming click echoed through the room. We were locked in.

The curtain was shut, but I could hear noises coming from the other side of the wall. We couldn’t make small talk. A man, albeit a convicted murderer, who was supposed to die soon could probably hear us.

We were all uncomfortable. A reporter next to me scribbled “legal issue?” on his notepad and gestured to me. “I guess so,” I replied.

There was no clock in the room. We lost track of how long we had been in there. Eventually someone asked if anyone knew what time it was. When a correction officer replied it was 6:10 a.m., there was a collective gasp of surprise.

At 7:46 a.m. the curtain began to rise slowly. By that time we’d been locked in the room with Lee just on the other side of the glass, strapped in, for nearly four hours.

There he was. His arms were strapped down and a light blue sheet covered most of his body. I was annoyed with one of the reporters who was moving around vying for a better view. Of a man’s death. It bothered me somehow, even though we were all there.

A U.S. marshal inside the room with Lee picked up a black phone hanging on the green tiled wall.

“This is the marshal inside the execution chamber,” he said. Washington headquarters was on the other end. The marshal asked if there were any legal impediments that would prohibit the execution. He listened, then said, “I understand there are no impediments.”

And then Lee said those last words, looking right at me.

He rested his head back down and the drug quickly did its deadly work. His lips turned blue. His chest stopped moving. He was pronounced dead.

I rushed back to my computer and filed my story.

It wouldn’t sink in until later that I had just watched a man die. My face was one of the last he saw. I’ve been a crime reporter for years, but this felt different. It was clinical. It was like watching someone go to sleep.

And there wasn’t much time to dwell on the experience, because another execution was scheduled for the next day.

Wesley Ira Purkey was convicted of kidnapping a 16-year-old girl from her Kansas neighborhood, raping and killing her in the late 1990s and also killing an 80-year-old.

But his time to die too was already delayed well into the evening. We arrived at the staff training center at 4 p.m. But this time we weren’t allowed to leave.

As the hours ticked by, everyone became more anxious, at times pacing in circles.

By 10 p.m., the Bureau of Prisons officials offered us peanuts and chips. They didn’t want to let us go back to the hotels because it would take too long to bring us all back through security.

Just before midnight came more food — Lunchables, dug out from a prison fridge somewhere.

At 2:45 a.m. — about 11 hours after we arrived — we were told to leave our electronics and loaded back into the vans. This time we stopped just outside of the execution chamber.

And we sat there for five hours. I dozed off for a bit in my seat.

Eventually, after Purkey’s legal avenues were exhausted, we were brought into the witness room. The curtain rose at 7:55 a.m. We were again looking into the execution chamber. The same officials were standing beside Purkey, his arms strapped down with black restraints. He apologized to the family of the teenage girl he killed and to his own daughter.

“I deeply regret the pain and suffering I caused to Jennifer’s family,” he said. “I am deeply sorry. I deeply regret the pain I caused to my daughter, who I love so very much. This sanitized murder really does not serve no purpose whatsoever. Thank you.”&nbsp;

I glanced over at his spiritual adviser — a Zen Buddhist priest who had sued the Bureau of Prisons to try to stop the execution because of fears over the coronavirus. He was wearing a mask under a face shield and appeared to be praying. I wondered if he was afraid he’d get the virus. I wondered if I would get the virus.

A few minutes later, Purkey was declared dead. The curtain came down.

In one week, I had spent more than 32 hours inside a prison. And watched two men die.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574950995361.png" alt="&nbsp;Wesley Purkey from Kansas was convicted of kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old girl before dismembering, burning and dumping her body in a septic pond. He also was convicted in a state court in Kansas after using a claw hammer to kill an 80-year-old woman who had polio." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Wesley Purkey from Kansas was convicted of kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old girl before dismembering, burning and dumping her body in a septic pond. He also was convicted in a state court in Kansas after using a claw hammer to kill an 80-year-old woman who had polio.</figcaption>
 </figure> By MICHAEL BALSAMOTERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Daniel Lewis Lee, a condemned man and convicted murderer, was asked if he wanted to make a final statement from the execution chamber, with its institutional green-tiled walls and plate-glass interior window, moments before he too would die.He did. He leaned his head up and we locked eyes.“You’re killing an innocent man,” Lee said, looking directly at me.Those were his last words. He said them to me.Lee’s execution, one of two that I witnessed this past week at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, played out slowly, after painstaking hours of final, futile legal appeals, before prison officials administered a lethal injection and the federal government carried out capital punishment for the first time in almost two decades. A third execution came later in the week.Before the lethal injection for Lee, there had been a lot of waiting. Prison officials searched me extensively each time I arrived, then sent me back to my hotel during the legal maneuvering, only to call me back to the maximum-security facility.As part of a small group of other reporters, I was an official witness to Lee’s death, one that took place in the middle of a pandemic.Lee, who was convicted of killing an Arkansas gun dealer, his wife and young daughter in the late 1990s, was scheduled to be executed Monday at 4 p.m. EDT.But there would be a long wait as his legal appeals made their way to the Supreme Court. Along with other reporters, I was lodged inside a former bowling alley that was now a prison staff training center. It was guarded by heavily armed prison officers. We were all wearing blue surgical masks. Our temperatures were taken.We could carry only identification into the prison as we loaded into two unmarked white vans that took us a short distance down “Justice Drive” to the penitentiary building for a security screening.Inside, correction officers outfitted in full protective gear — N95 masks, face shields, gloves and paper gowns — told us we’d be going through the equivalent of a souped-up airport screening. They even took my glasses to X-ray them.But then came another delay. Officials told us to grab dinner, so we did, then returned to the prison and waited. By midnight, all of us left again for our hotels nearby.At 2:10 a.m. the Supreme Court ruled the execution could proceed. About a minute or so later, a Bureau of Prisons official was on the phone saying the execution was scheduled for 4:15 a.m.We rushed back to the prison. The clock in the van read 4:16 when we hopped out and headed into the execution chamber.Lee was already there — strapped to a gurney.We were brought into a small witness room. There were plastic chairs facing the window, a notepad, a pen, small bottle of hand sanitizer and a single sanitizing wipe on each seat. A correction officer pulled the large metal door closed and a booming click echoed through the room. We were locked in.The curtain was shut, but I could hear noises coming from the other side of the wall. We couldn’t make small talk. A man, albeit a convicted murderer, who was supposed to die soon could probably hear us.We were all uncomfortable. A reporter next to me scribbled “legal issue?” on his notepad and gestured to me. “I guess so,” I replied.There was no clock in the room. We lost track of how long we had been in there. Eventually someone asked if anyone knew what time it was. When a correction officer replied it was 6:10 a.m., there was a collective gasp of surprise.At 7:46 a.m. the curtain began to rise slowly. By that time we’d been locked in the room with Lee just on the other side of the glass, strapped in, for nearly four hours.There he was. His arms were strapped down and a light blue sheet covered most of his body. I was annoyed with one of the reporters who was moving around vying for a better view. Of a man’s death. It bothered me somehow, even though we were all there.A U.S. marshal inside the room with Lee picked up a black phone hanging on the green tiled wall.“This is the marshal inside the execution chamber,” he said. Washington headquarters was on the other end. The marshal asked if there were any legal impediments that would prohibit the execution. He listened, then said, “I understand there are no impediments.”And then Lee said those last words, looking right at me.He rested his head back down and the drug quickly did its deadly work. His lips turned blue. His chest stopped moving. He was pronounced dead.I rushed back to my computer and filed my story.It wouldn’t sink in until later that I had just watched a man die. My face was one of the last he saw. I’ve been a crime reporter for years, but this felt different. It was clinical. It was like watching someone go to sleep.And there wasn’t much time to dwell on the experience, because another execution was scheduled for the next day.Wesley Ira Purkey was convicted of kidnapping a 16-year-old girl from her Kansas neighborhood, raping and killing her in the late 1990s and also killing an 80-year-old.But his time to die too was already delayed well into the evening. We arrived at the staff training center at 4 p.m. But this time we weren’t allowed to leave.As the hours ticked by, everyone became more anxious, at times pacing in circles.By 10 p.m., the Bureau of Prisons officials offered us peanuts and chips. They didn’t want to let us go back to the hotels because it would take too long to bring us all back through security.Just before midnight came more food — Lunchables, dug out from a prison fridge somewhere.At 2:45 a.m. — about 11 hours after we arrived — we were told to leave our electronics and loaded back into the vans. This time we stopped just outside of the execution chamber.And we sat there for five hours. I dozed off for a bit in my seat.Eventually, after Purkey’s legal avenues were exhausted, we were brought into the witness room. The curtain rose at 7:55 a.m. We were again looking into the execution chamber. The same officials were standing beside Purkey, his arms strapped down with black restraints. He apologized to the family of the teenage girl he killed and to his own daughter.“I deeply regret the pain and suffering I caused to Jennifer’s family,” he said. “I am deeply sorry. I deeply regret the pain I caused to my daughter, who I love so very much. This sanitized murder really does not serve no purpose whatsoever. Thank you.”&nbsp;I glanced over at his spiritual adviser — a Zen Buddhist priest who had sued the Bureau of Prisons to try to stop the execution because of fears over the coronavirus. He was wearing a mask under a face shield and appeared to be praying. I wondered if he was afraid he’d get the virus. I wondered if I would get the virus.A few minutes later, Purkey was declared dead. The curtain came down.In one week, I had spent more than 32 hours inside a prison. And watched two men die.___

One reporter, witness to two executions, haunting last words

By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-16/kansas-prisons-prepare-for-possible-second-coronavirus-outbreak-behind-bars">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE — As an inmate at the Wichita Work Release 
Facility with only a few months left on his sentence, Timothy Lesher 
enjoyed freedoms that many in prison don’t. He was a line cook at a 
Wichita restaurant and bought saline solution from Walmart to clean his 
CPAP machine, which helps him breathe at night.

But after a few 
dozen inmates and employees at the facility tested positive for COVID-19
 in April, Lesher and about 200 other men <a href="https://www.kwch.com/content/news/Increase-in-Sedgwick-County-COVID-19-cases-linked-to-cluster-at-Wichita-Work-Release-Facility-570454251.html" target="_blank">were moved</a>
 to the Lansing Correctional Facility in northeast Kansas. It was 
supposed to increase social distancing among the Wichita inmates by 
putting them in a larger facility.

The bus ride to the new prison 
was overflowing, Lesher told his wife, Dee Lesher. And by that point, 
Lansing already had one of the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-12/family-says-lansing-correctional-facility-worker-died-this-week-from-covid-19" target="_blank">largest coronavirus outbreaks in the country</a>.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">Kansas topped 20,000 coronavirus cases</a>
 this month, fueled by a dramatic increase in positive test results. The
 Kansas Department of Corrections said it is taking precautions against 
what seems to be an inevitable increase behind bars, keeping 
restrictions on family visits and continuing to encourage handwashing 
and mask wearing among inmates and staff.

“Increased numbers in 
communities have us pretty concerned right now,” said Randy Bowman, 
executive director of public affairs at the Kansas Department of 
Corrections.

Yet Dee Lesher and an inmate at the Topeka 
Correctional Facility told the Kansas News Service that prisoners are 
not getting enough information or access to health care. Some aren’t 
wearing state-provided masks.

“I don't feel this pandemic is being
 taken seriously enough by the prison,” an inmate at the state’s only 
correctional facility for women said in an email. She spoke on the 
condition of anonymity because she said she was afraid of retaliation 
from prison staff. “I doubt if we’re ready for a 2nd (sic) wave.”

The
 Lansing prison has seen 946 cases overall, with four inmates and two 
staff members who died. Facility-wide testing revealed about half of the
 men incarcerated there were positive for the virus, the majority of 
them asymptomatic.

During the outbreak in Lansing, which the 
corrections department announced was contained in June, Timothy Lesher 
had to wear the same dirty clothes day after day. His wife said he told 
her he was only allowed to bring two sets of clothing to Lansing from 
Wichita, and wasn’t able to do laundry. He and other men from the 
Wichita facility were fed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for three 
meals a day.

The meals have gotten better, Dee Lesher said, though Timothy, 
previously a minimum security inmate, is still on lockdown 22 hours a 
day. He’s stopped using his CPAP machine because he doesn’t have access 
to saline to clean it. And he also doesn’t have access to all of his 
prescribed medication for his blood pressure and kidney conditions.

“He’s scared. I’m scared for him,” she said. “I’m scared for the other prisoners.”

Her
 husband told her it’s still hard for inmates to get their questions 
answered by staff. And many inmates aren’t careful about wearing masks 
or washing their hands.

“It’s like a zoo,” she said. “Because they have no clue. It’s frustrating.”

The Topeka Correctional Facility, which houses women, has had 11 cases of COVID-19.

The
 inmate who spoke on condition of anonymity says she often goes days 
without soap in her bathroom, despite telling officers that they haven’t
 been ordering enough. She also said inmates have also been unable to 
get their regular dental cleanings during the pandemic.

Bowman 
with the Department of Corrections countered that there is adequate 
soap, and noted that non-urgent dental services have been paused to 
limit possible virus exposure.

The inmate also brought up that two
 staff members in the prison had gone to a bar in Topeka that later was 
found to be a site of a COVID outbreak. Without saying how she knew, the
 woman said those staffers were told to quarantine only seven days 
before returning to work. The standard is 14 days.

Bowman 
confirmed that a staff member in one of the facility’s dorms recently 
tested positive. The whole dorm was quarantined and all of the inmates 
living there were tested, with no other positive results. Staff members 
who may have been exposed to the virus often don’t know until days 
later, he said, which is why the two who visited the Topeka bar were 
only told to quarantine for a week after they found out.

He added 
that as the state has mostly reopened, the department has been 
encouraging its employees to be “overly cautious” and wear masks outside
 of work.

“Like every other citizen in the state of Kansas, 
they’re probably wanting to do a little bit more in their private 
lives,” he said.

Last
 month, a nonprofit that researches prisons and advocates for criminal 
justice reform released a report card for how state prisons and jails 
have handled the pandemic.

The <a href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/failing_grades.html" target="_blank">Prison Policy Initiative</a>’s letter grade was based primarily on whether it had released people or tested a large number of prisoners.

Kansas received an F+, alongside 27 other states. Only nine states got the highest grade: a D-.

Kansas
 received high marks for providing masks to all of its staff and 
inmates, Wanda Bertram with the nonprofit said, but the state received 
low grades for not ordering the release of prisoners to promote social 
distancing.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas unsuccessfully <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-30/kansas-prisons-are-fighting-a-lawsuit-to-release-prisoners-to-reduce-covid-19-spread" target="_blank">sued the state in April</a>,
 asking for the release of thousands of people who were in prison for 
minor crimes, nearing the end of their sentence or more vulnerable due 
to age or medical conditions. In the end, the state only<a href="https://apnews.com/31673502b3271e605e1b13ad197c9dc4" target="_blank"> released six inmates on house arrest</a>.

Bertram
 said at the time the report card was compiled, her organization did not
 have information on whether Kansas had tested its staff. The Department
 of Corrections announced it would test all staff in May.

The 
Kansas Department of Corrections said one of the primary measures it’s 
taking against the virus is consistently screening staff and others who 
come and go from the prisons for coronavirus symptoms and elevated 
temperatures. However, in many cases, people may be infected and 
asymptomatic, as the Lansing outbreak proved. The department is also 
testing people who may have been exposed to staff cases that have 
emerged in the past few weeks.

Bowman also said the state is 
looking at ways to spread out dormitory housing, which comprises about 
one-third of the state’s prison beds.

It helps that the population
 has declined by a few hundred in recent months, partially because 
courts have been unable to conduct most criminal proceedings like trials
 and sentencing hearings, during the pandemic.

Kansas prisons had 
been at or over capacity for years. Bertram noted that the population 
decline did help Kansas compared to other states when it comes to 
handling the pandemic.

Still, Bertram said, prisons and jails are 
“incredibly dangerous” and have been hotspots for coronavirus outbreaks 
throughout the U.S. because of the close quarters and poor health care.

Nomin
 Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas
 News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow
 her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594928596379.png" alt="Some coronavirus precautions are still in place in Kansas' prisons, while other parts of life have returned to normal. For example, women at the Topeka Correctional Facility are again allowed to spend time outside. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Some coronavirus precautions are still in place in Kansas' prisons, while other parts of life have returned to normal. For example, women at the Topeka Correctional Facility are again allowed to spend time outside. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-16/kansas-prisons-prepare-for-possible-second-coronavirus-outbreak-behind-bars">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE — As an inmate at the Wichita Work Release 
Facility with only a few months left on his sentence, Timothy Lesher 
enjoyed freedoms that many in prison don’t. He was a line cook at a 
Wichita restaurant and bought saline solution from Walmart to clean his 
CPAP machine, which helps him breathe at night.But after a few 
dozen inmates and employees at the facility tested positive for COVID-19
 in April, Lesher and about 200 other men <a href="https://www.kwch.com/content/news/Increase-in-Sedgwick-County-COVID-19-cases-linked-to-cluster-at-Wichita-Work-Release-Facility-570454251.html" target="_blank">were moved</a>
 to the Lansing Correctional Facility in northeast Kansas. It was 
supposed to increase social distancing among the Wichita inmates by 
putting them in a larger facility.The bus ride to the new prison 
was overflowing, Lesher told his wife, Dee Lesher. And by that point, 
Lansing already had one of the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-05-12/family-says-lansing-correctional-facility-worker-died-this-week-from-covid-19" target="_blank">largest coronavirus outbreaks in the country</a>.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas" target="_blank">Kansas topped 20,000 coronavirus cases</a>
 this month, fueled by a dramatic increase in positive test results. The
 Kansas Department of Corrections said it is taking precautions against 
what seems to be an inevitable increase behind bars, keeping 
restrictions on family visits and continuing to encourage handwashing 
and mask wearing among inmates and staff.“Increased numbers in 
communities have us pretty concerned right now,” said Randy Bowman, 
executive director of public affairs at the Kansas Department of 
Corrections.Yet Dee Lesher and an inmate at the Topeka 
Correctional Facility told the Kansas News Service that prisoners are 
not getting enough information or access to health care. Some aren’t 
wearing state-provided masks.“I don't feel this pandemic is being
 taken seriously enough by the prison,” an inmate at the state’s only 
correctional facility for women said in an email. She spoke on the 
condition of anonymity because she said she was afraid of retaliation 
from prison staff. “I doubt if we’re ready for a 2nd (sic) wave.”<h2>Current conditions</h2>The
 Lansing prison has seen 946 cases overall, with four inmates and two 
staff members who died. Facility-wide testing revealed about half of the
 men incarcerated there were positive for the virus, the majority of 
them asymptomatic.During the outbreak in Lansing, which the 
corrections department announced was contained in June, Timothy Lesher 
had to wear the same dirty clothes day after day. His wife said he told 
her he was only allowed to bring two sets of clothing to Lansing from 
Wichita, and wasn’t able to do laundry. He and other men from the 
Wichita facility were fed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for three 
meals a day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594928649783.png" alt="Dee Lesher, left, with Timothy Lesher, center, and their granddaughter. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Dee Lesher, left, with Timothy Lesher, center, and their granddaughter. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The meals have gotten better, Dee Lesher said, though Timothy, 
previously a minimum security inmate, is still on lockdown 22 hours a 
day. He’s stopped using his CPAP machine because he doesn’t have access 
to saline to clean it. And he also doesn’t have access to all of his 
prescribed medication for his blood pressure and kidney conditions.“He’s scared. I’m scared for him,” she said. “I’m scared for the other prisoners.”Her
 husband told her it’s still hard for inmates to get their questions 
answered by staff. And many inmates aren’t careful about wearing masks 
or washing their hands.“It’s like a zoo,” she said. “Because they have no clue. It’s frustrating.”The Topeka Correctional Facility, which houses women, has had 11 cases of COVID-19.The
 inmate who spoke on condition of anonymity says she often goes days 
without soap in her bathroom, despite telling officers that they haven’t
 been ordering enough. She also said inmates have also been unable to 
get their regular dental cleanings during the pandemic.Bowman 
with the Department of Corrections countered that there is adequate 
soap, and noted that non-urgent dental services have been paused to 
limit possible virus exposure.The inmate also brought up that two
 staff members in the prison had gone to a bar in Topeka that later was 
found to be a site of a COVID outbreak. Without saying how she knew, the
 woman said those staffers were told to quarantine only seven days 
before returning to work. The standard is 14 days.Bowman 
confirmed that a staff member in one of the facility’s dorms recently 
tested positive. The whole dorm was quarantined and all of the inmates 
living there were tested, with no other positive results. Staff members 
who may have been exposed to the virus often don’t know until days 
later, he said, which is why the two who visited the Topeka bar were 
only told to quarantine for a week after they found out.He added 
that as the state has mostly reopened, the department has been 
encouraging its employees to be “overly cautious” and wear masks outside
 of work.“Like every other citizen in the state of Kansas, 
they’re probably wanting to do a little bit more in their private 
lives,” he said.<h2>Failing grades for Kansas, U.S. prisons</h2>Last
 month, a nonprofit that researches prisons and advocates for criminal 
justice reform released a report card for how state prisons and jails 
have handled the pandemic.The <a href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/failing_grades.html" target="_blank">Prison Policy Initiative</a>’s letter grade was based primarily on whether it had released people or tested a large number of prisoners.Kansas received an F+, alongside 27 other states. Only nine states got the highest grade: a D-.Kansas
 received high marks for providing masks to all of its staff and 
inmates, Wanda Bertram with the nonprofit said, but the state received 
low grades for not ordering the release of prisoners to promote social 
distancing.The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas unsuccessfully <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-30/kansas-prisons-are-fighting-a-lawsuit-to-release-prisoners-to-reduce-covid-19-spread" target="_blank">sued the state in April</a>,
 asking for the release of thousands of people who were in prison for 
minor crimes, nearing the end of their sentence or more vulnerable due 
to age or medical conditions. In the end, the state only<a href="https://apnews.com/31673502b3271e605e1b13ad197c9dc4" target="_blank"> released six inmates on house arrest</a>.Bertram
 said at the time the report card was compiled, her organization did not
 have information on whether Kansas had tested its staff. The Department
 of Corrections announced it would test all staff in May.The 
Kansas Department of Corrections said one of the primary measures it’s 
taking against the virus is consistently screening staff and others who 
come and go from the prisons for coronavirus symptoms and elevated 
temperatures. However, in many cases, people may be infected and 
asymptomatic, as the Lansing outbreak proved. The department is also 
testing people who may have been exposed to staff cases that have 
emerged in the past few weeks.Bowman also said the state is 
looking at ways to spread out dormitory housing, which comprises about 
one-third of the state’s prison beds.It helps that the population
 has declined by a few hundred in recent months, partially because 
courts have been unable to conduct most criminal proceedings like trials
 and sentencing hearings, during the pandemic.Kansas prisons had 
been at or over capacity for years. Bertram noted that the population 
decline did help Kansas compared to other states when it comes to 
handling the pandemic.Still, Bertram said, prisons and jails are 
“incredibly dangerous” and have been hotspots for coronavirus outbreaks 
throughout the U.S. because of the close quarters and poor health care.Nomin
 Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas
 News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow
 her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.

Kansas prisons prepare for possible second virus outbreak

FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attempted homicide and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.

&nbsp;Pedro Ramon Solis, a.k.a. Victor Ramos) is wanted for questioning in reference to an attempted 2nd degree homicide that occurred Friday, according to the Dodge City Police Department.

If you have any information on his whereabouts please contact the Dodge City Police Department at 620 225 8126, Dispatch at 620 227 4646 or utilize the tip411 service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595101493638.png" alt="Pedro Ramon Solis-photo Dodge City Police" />
 <figcaption>Pedro Ramon Solis-photo Dodge City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attempted homicide and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.&nbsp;Pedro Ramon Solis, a.k.a. Victor Ramos) is wanted for questioning in reference to an attempted 2nd degree homicide that occurred Friday, according to the Dodge City Police Department.If you have any information on his whereabouts please contact the Dodge City Police Department at 620 225 8126, Dispatch at 620 227 4646 or utilize the tip411 service.

Police ask for help to locate Kan. suspect for attempted 2nd-degree murder

JACKSON COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman for alleged vehicle theft.&nbsp;

Just before 10p.m. Thursday deputies responded to a home in 17000 block of R. Road near Mayetta, according to sheriff Tim Morse.

A homeowner reported someone was outside the residence and got into their vehicle, started it and was revving the engine. 

When deputies arrived, they found a 2005 Dodge pickup belonging to the owner of the residence occupied by woman identified as Stella Mahkuk, 38, of Horton. 

Deputies arrested Mahkuk on a requested charge of attempted theft of a motor vehicle and she was booked into the Jackson County Jail.

The sheriff reminded citizens to lock vehicle doors, and keep keys out of vehicles.&nbsp; "Make sure to secure valuables and firearms when the vehicle is not in use. When something seems suspicious, follow your gut and contact law enforcement. Many people wait for a considerable amount of time before reporting suspicious situations. Delaying the reporting of a potential crime can result in something really bad happening or the perpetrator escaping."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595002129415.png" alt="Mahkuk photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Mahkuk photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman for alleged vehicle theft.&nbsp;Just before 10p.m. Thursday deputies responded to a home in 17000 block of R. Road near Mayetta, according to sheriff Tim Morse.A homeowner reported someone was outside the residence and got into their vehicle, started it and was revving the engine. When deputies arrived, they found a 2005 Dodge pickup belonging to the owner of the residence occupied by woman identified as Stella Mahkuk, 38, of Horton. Deputies arrested Mahkuk on a requested charge of attempted theft of a motor vehicle and she was booked into the Jackson County Jail.The sheriff reminded citizens to lock vehicle doors, and keep keys out of vehicles.&nbsp; "Make sure to secure valuables and firearms when the vehicle is not in use. When something seems suspicious, follow your gut and contact law enforcement. Many people wait for a considerable amount of time before reporting suspicious situations. Delaying the reporting of a potential crime can result in something really bad happening or the perpetrator escaping."

Kan. homeowner finds woman trying to steal his pickup

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A freshman Kansas congressman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9d6046fd12875b3664cf8388708105e8">facing felony criminal charges&nbsp;</a>over previously listing a UPS Inc. postal box as his residence on a state voter registration form has been forced to temporarily give up his House committee assignments.

Republican Rep. Steve Watkins said Friday that he is “temporarily and voluntarily” leaving the three committees on which he serves. But the House Republican conference’s rules require members facing a potential felony conviction to leave their committee posts.

Watkins stepped aside from his committees two days after three felony charges and one misdemeanor charge against him were filed by the local district attorney in state district court in Shawnee County, which includes his hometown, the state capital of Topeka. He is accused of voting illegally in a Topeka City Council race in November 2019 and providing false information to a sheriff’s deputy who was investigating whether he broke state election laws.

“Throughout my entire career, I have put service above myself, and this instance is no different,” Watkins, a former Army officer and military contractor said, adding that he was stepping aside so that the committees can “continue their critical work.”

He had been serving on the House education, foreign affairs and veterans’ affairs committees.

Some Republicans already were trying to oust Watkins in the state’s Aug. 4 primary, even though he’s largely toed the conservative line and supported President Donald Trump. Critics see Watkins as vulnerable to a Democratic challenge because he won his seat as political novice in 2018 by less than a percentage point in a GOP-leaning eastern Kansas district that Trump easily carried in 2016. The investigation into his voter registrations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/989ace6f0a2711cb2b96398da0a92dfa">added to some Republicans’ misgivings.</a>

One of Watkins’ rivals, State Treasurer Jake LaTurner, picked up the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e31c35cda49df5bac39a950058b3e97e">endorsement of Wichita-area Rep. Ron Estes</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, with Estes citing the criminal charges as one reason.

“It is unfortunate that our veterans, foreign service professionals and all Kansans won’t be receiving the representation they deserve because Steve Watkins has not been conducting himself as an elected member of Congress should,” LaTurner spokeswoman Kara Zeyer said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595018368769.png" alt="Photo courtesy Rep. Steve Watkins" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Rep. Steve Watkins</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A freshman Kansas congressman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9d6046fd12875b3664cf8388708105e8">facing felony criminal charges&nbsp;</a>over previously listing a UPS Inc. postal box as his residence on a state voter registration form has been forced to temporarily give up his House committee assignments.Republican Rep. Steve Watkins said Friday that he is “temporarily and voluntarily” leaving the three committees on which he serves. But the House Republican conference’s rules require members facing a potential felony conviction to leave their committee posts.Watkins stepped aside from his committees two days after three felony charges and one misdemeanor charge against him were filed by the local district attorney in state district court in Shawnee County, which includes his hometown, the state capital of Topeka. He is accused of voting illegally in a Topeka City Council race in November 2019 and providing false information to a sheriff’s deputy who was investigating whether he broke state election laws.“Throughout my entire career, I have put service above myself, and this instance is no different,” Watkins, a former Army officer and military contractor said, adding that he was stepping aside so that the committees can “continue their critical work.”He had been serving on the House education, foreign affairs and veterans’ affairs committees.Some Republicans already were trying to oust Watkins in the state’s Aug. 4 primary, even though he’s largely toed the conservative line and supported President Donald Trump. Critics see Watkins as vulnerable to a Democratic challenge because he won his seat as political novice in 2018 by less than a percentage point in a GOP-leaning eastern Kansas district that Trump easily carried in 2016. The investigation into his voter registrations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/989ace6f0a2711cb2b96398da0a92dfa">added to some Republicans’ misgivings.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594982785665.png" alt="Rep. Estes and Laturner pose for a photo Thursday night" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Estes and Laturner pose for a photo Thursday night</figcaption>
 </figure>One of Watkins’ rivals, State Treasurer Jake LaTurner, picked up the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e31c35cda49df5bac39a950058b3e97e">endorsement of Wichita-area Rep. Ron Estes</a>&nbsp;on Thursday, with Estes citing the criminal charges as one reason.“It is unfortunate that our veterans, foreign service professionals and all Kansans won’t be receiving the representation they deserve because Steve Watkins has not been conducting himself as an elected member of Congress should,” LaTurner spokeswoman Kara Zeyer said in a statement.Dennis Taylor, a Topeka attorney, businessman and former head of several state agencies, also is seeking the Republican nomination, and the presumed Democratic nominee is Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla.A hearing in Watkins’ criminal case isn’t set until Dec. 3, a month after the November general election.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575500685589.png" alt="The UPS store Rep. Watkins used as his address -google image" />
 <figcaption>The UPS store Rep. Watkins used as his address -google image</figcaption>
 </figure>Watkins filed a state voter registration form in late August 2019 listing the UPS postal box as his residential address. The postal box still was listed as his residential address when he cast a mailed-in ballot that included the Topeka City Council race.The congressman and his staff have said he inadvertently listed his mailing address instead of his residential address by mistake. He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/07b5cc37067da9b23bd489a8e6eaddbe">later twice corrected</a>&nbsp;his address to an apartment, but it is not in the same City Council district as the UPS store, raising questions about potential illegal voting.Watkins’ reelection campaign launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHuRaq0E0Zw" target="_blank">a new ad</a>&nbsp;Friday accusing Shawnee Country District Attorney Mike Kagay of colluding with LaTurner because both share a direct-mail consultant who provides services to many Republican candidates. The ad suggests the criminal case represents “bogus charges against an American patriot.”“I look forward to exposing the corruption and collusion behind this blatant political prosecution and holding those responsible accountable,” Watkins said in his statement.Kagay did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking a response to Watkins’ comments.