TOPEKA - Citing the continued threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas Corporation Commission used its emergency powers to extend a previous order suspending utility disconnects for nonpayment until May 15.&nbsp;&nbsp; The action, taken during a Commission business meeting this morning, will offer continued relief to those experiencing hardship from the COVID-19 virus. The previous order, issued March 16, was set to expire tomorrow.

The directive covers all electrical, natural gas, water and telecommunications utilities under the KCC’s jurisdiction, several of which have already voluntarily suspended disconnects. The Commission also encourages those utilities not under its jurisdiction to enact similar practices.

“The difficulties associated with COVID-19 are far from over. As Kansans continue to face both health and financial challenges, it is critical that they have continued access to utility services in their homes to ensure public safety,” said Commission Chair Susan Duffy.

The Commission may elect to extend the suspension order in a subsequent order if conditions warrant.

Today’s order can be viewed at:<a href="https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20200414110728.pdf?Id=14bf4cde-a3d1-4c29-8971-327bab674e74" target="_blank">https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20200414110728.pdf?Id=14bf4cde-a3d1-4c29-8971-327bab674e74</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586902750975.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KCCTOPEKA - Citing the continued threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas Corporation Commission used its emergency powers to extend a previous order suspending utility disconnects for nonpayment until May 15.&nbsp;&nbsp; The action, taken during a Commission business meeting this morning, will offer continued relief to those experiencing hardship from the COVID-19 virus. The previous order, issued March 16, was set to expire tomorrow.The directive covers all electrical, natural gas, water and telecommunications utilities under the KCC’s jurisdiction, several of which have already voluntarily suspended disconnects. The Commission also encourages those utilities not under its jurisdiction to enact similar practices.“The difficulties associated with COVID-19 are far from over. As Kansans continue to face both health and financial challenges, it is critical that they have continued access to utility services in their homes to ensure public safety,” said Commission Chair Susan Duffy.The Commission may elect to extend the suspension order in a subsequent order if conditions warrant.Today’s order can be viewed at:<a href="https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20200414110728.pdf?Id=14bf4cde-a3d1-4c29-8971-327bab674e74" target="_blank">https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20200414110728.pdf?Id=14bf4cde-a3d1-4c29-8971-327bab674e74</a>

KCC emergency order suspends utility disconnects until May 15

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a criminal homicide that fatally injured a woman.

Just after 5 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call at a home in the 5800 block of East Skinner in Wichita, after a family member received a call from 44-year-old Robbie Urbano asking her to pick up children due to an emergency, according to officer Charley Davidson. The family member then called the police.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the family member who had small children that were outside when she arrived.&nbsp; Officers saw signs of a disturbance at the home, forced entry to do a welfare check, and located 33-year-old Cherie Short of Wichita with a gunshot wound&nbsp;and her boyfriend Urbano with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Both Short and Urbano were pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp; No children were injured, and investigators have accounted for all children who reside at the home.

The investigation revealed a disturbance ensued in the home between Urbano and Short, and he obtained a handgun and fired a shot, killing Short and then fired a shot killing himself, according to Davidson.&nbsp; Additionally, it was learned Urbano was also facing alleged federal charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586895952719.png" alt="Urbano" />
 <figcaption>Urbano</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a criminal homicide that fatally injured a woman.Just after 5 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a call at a home in the 5800 block of East Skinner in Wichita, after a family member received a call from 44-year-old Robbie Urbano asking her to pick up children due to an emergency, according to officer Charley Davidson. The family member then called the police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586895734162.png" alt="Police tape across the yard of the home -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police tape across the yard of the home -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon arrival, officers contacted the family member who had small children that were outside when she arrived.&nbsp; Officers saw signs of a disturbance at the home, forced entry to do a welfare check, and located 33-year-old Cherie Short of Wichita with a gunshot wound&nbsp;and her boyfriend Urbano with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.&nbsp;&nbsp;Both Short and Urbano were pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp; No children were injured, and investigators have accounted for all children who reside at the home.The investigation revealed a disturbance ensued in the home between Urbano and Short, and he obtained a handgun and fired a shot, killing Short and then fired a shot killing himself, according to Davidson.&nbsp; Additionally, it was learned Urbano was also facing alleged federal charges.

Police: Kan. felon facing new charge kills mother of 3 

TOPEKA, KS – Lena, a 38 year old Bornean orangutan, passed away at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center Monday. She became ill last Wednesday, according to a media release from the center.

With her condition not improving, zoo staff planned to do a full medical workup on Lena on Monday. At about 10:30 and under anesthesia, she was transported to the zoo’s animal hospital. While the zoo’s medical team was taking radiographs, Lena went into cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

Lena was born at the Buffalo Zoo on April 2, 1982. She came to the Topeka Zoo from the Columbus Zoo in 2005. It was at the Topeka Zoo where she really flourished. She enjoyed interacting with people.

 If you were ever at the Zoo and had a kiss blown to you by an orangutan, that was Lena. “Lena had a way of working her way right into your heart,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. 

Cris Sandberg, one of Lena’s Zoo Keepers, said, “She was special. I will always remember the love she had for the people she knew and her afternoon need for back scratches.”

A necropsy performed on Lena showed that she had an abnormal left kidney. “At the moment, it is not obvious as to the cause of death,” said Staff Veterinarian Shirley Llizo. Dr. Llizo has submitted for blood testing and histopathology to better understand the illness that led to Lena’s demise.

“Social distancing has made it more challenging for staff to grieve for the loss of Lena,” said Wiley. “In these uncertain times, we could not be more proud of our team and the care they offered Lena. She will be missed.”

Kay Reece, a Topeka Zoo Docent shared this, “Lena was a spirit animal. She loved her time outside watching from her barrel as visitors and friends came to see her. Lena remembered her friends and was always interested in what they had to share with her, whether pocket contents or bubbles, pictures or a kiss. Her instinct for learning and love for friends will be something I will never forget. Where a beautiful soul has lived; beautiful memories remain.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586878565992.png" alt="Lena -photo courtesy Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center" />
 <figcaption>Lena -photo courtesy Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, KS – Lena, a 38 year old Bornean orangutan, passed away at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center Monday. She became ill last Wednesday, according to a media release from the center.With her condition not improving, zoo staff planned to do a full medical workup on Lena on Monday. At about 10:30 and under anesthesia, she was transported to the zoo’s animal hospital. While the zoo’s medical team was taking radiographs, Lena went into cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.Lena was born at the Buffalo Zoo on April 2, 1982. She came to the Topeka Zoo from the Columbus Zoo in 2005. It was at the Topeka Zoo where she really flourished. She enjoyed interacting with people. If you were ever at the Zoo and had a kiss blown to you by an orangutan, that was Lena. “Lena had a way of working her way right into your heart,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. Cris Sandberg, one of Lena’s Zoo Keepers, said, “She was special. I will always remember the love she had for the people she knew and her afternoon need for back scratches.”A necropsy performed on Lena showed that she had an abnormal left kidney. “At the moment, it is not obvious as to the cause of death,” said Staff Veterinarian Shirley Llizo. Dr. Llizo has submitted for blood testing and histopathology to better understand the illness that led to Lena’s demise.“Social distancing has made it more challenging for staff to grieve for the loss of Lena,” said Wiley. “In these uncertain times, we could not be more proud of our team and the care they offered Lena. She will be missed.”Kay Reece, a Topeka Zoo Docent shared this, “Lena was a spirit animal. She loved her time outside watching from her barrel as visitors and friends came to see her. Lena remembered her friends and was always interested in what they had to share with her, whether pocket contents or bubbles, pictures or a kiss. Her instinct for learning and love for friends will be something I will never forget. Where a beautiful soul has lived; beautiful memories remain.”

Popular orangutan at Kansas zoo has died

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Amid a surge of complaints from desperate out-of-work Kansans, state officials are making another effort to fix the state’s faltering system for filing unemployment claims as the coronavirus outbreak wreaks havoc on the economy.

The Kansas Department of Labor said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/KansasDOL/status/1250081485681569792" target="_blank">tweet&nbsp;</a>that tech workers were taking the agency’s website down for an hour each at noon and at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday that the department has received more than 130,000 initial unemployment claims over the past three weeks. She said that initial claims are up by 3,400% for the year. But even those numbers don’t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b9f8cbcf80de8de755d99d6cbe771b4c">capture</a>&nbsp;the full extent of job losses in the state, in part because a 43-year-old mainframe computer cannot keep up.

Kelly said the system was the victim of of “decades of neglect” and already was slated for an upgrade. A team of dozens of experts worked over the weekend on a solution.

“But it’s sort of like repairing a plane in the air,” Kelly said.

Republican state Senate President Susan Wagle took the administration to task over the problems, saying people are complaining to her that passwords aren’t working, they aren’t getting money despite filing claims weeks ago, and are facing other problems.

TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Labor’s IT system has been struggling due to the heavy load placed upon it by enormous claims volumes. 

 In an effort to fix the issues with the system, it will be taken down for one hour beginning at noon on April 14, 2020.  During this time, our phone lines will remain open; however, our website will not be accessible. 

 The website will be taken down again for one hour beginning at 7:00 pm on April 14, 2020.  We hope that the enhancements made during these time frames will allow us to provide better customer service to our fellow Kansans.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586875467189.png" alt="Kansas Labor Secretary Delia Garcia" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Labor Secretary Delia Garcia</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Amid a surge of complaints from desperate out-of-work Kansans, state officials are making another effort to fix the state’s faltering system for filing unemployment claims as the coronavirus outbreak wreaks havoc on the economy.The Kansas Department of Labor said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/KansasDOL/status/1250081485681569792" target="_blank">tweet&nbsp;</a>that tech workers were taking the agency’s website down for an hour each at noon and at 7 p.m. Tuesday.Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday that the department has received more than 130,000 initial unemployment claims over the past three weeks. She said that initial claims are up by 3,400% for the year. But even those numbers don’t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b9f8cbcf80de8de755d99d6cbe771b4c">capture</a>&nbsp;the full extent of job losses in the state, in part because a 43-year-old mainframe computer cannot keep up.Kelly said the system was the victim of of “decades of neglect” and already was slated for an upgrade. A team of dozens of experts worked over the weekend on a solution.“But it’s sort of like repairing a plane in the air,” Kelly said.Republican state Senate President Susan Wagle took the administration to task over the problems, saying people are complaining to her that passwords aren’t working, they aren’t getting money despite filing claims weeks ago, and are facing other problems.--------TOPEKA —The Kansas Department of Labor’s IT system has been struggling due to the heavy load placed upon it by enormous claims volumes. <div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasDOL%2Fvideos%2F856620881471477%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div> In an effort to fix the issues with the system, it will be taken down for one hour beginning at noon on April 14, 2020. During this time, our phone lines will remain open; however, our website will not be accessible. The website will be taken down again for one hour beginning at 7:00 pm on April 14, 2020. We hope that the enhancements made during these time frames will allow us to provide better customer service to our fellow Kansans.

🎥 Kan. works to fix buggy system for filing for unemployment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The $2.2 trillion federal rescue package could fail to deliver badly needed financial aid to thousands of smaller cities and counties where a majority of Americans live, according to documents and interviews with local officials.

The coronavirus outbreak has blown holes in the budgets of communities as the costs of battling the outbreak skyrocket and critical sources of revenue like sales and income taxes plummet.

The Coronavirus Relief Fund uses a formula based on population to parcel out tens of billions of dollars to the states while allowing local governments with more than 500,000 residents to apply directly to the Treasury Department for cash infusions. But localities below the half-million population threshold are in limbo.

Among those affected: New Rochelle,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york">New York</a>, one of the cities hardest hit by the outbreak.

“I cannot understand the logic,” said Noam Bramson, the Democratic mayor of about 80,000 people. “Cities with fewer than 500,000 people have been just as heavily impacted as those with more than 500,000 people. It strikes me as a completely arbitrary cutoff.”

Amid the uncertainty, lawmakers and advocacy groups that include the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors have been urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to ensure the relief fund money is fairly distributed. Guidelines for how the relief fund will operate are slated to be issued by the Treasury Department this week. The department announced Monday it had launched a web portal through which eligible parties could register to receive the money.

“Because of the lack of specificity in the legislation itself, it really is up for interpretation,” said Irma Esparza Diggs, director of federal advocacy for the National League of Cities. “Everybody’s just kind of holding their breath until Treasury comes out with their guidance."

Of the nearly 3,100 counties in the United States, 130 have populations of more than 500,000, according to the National Association of Counties. There are 36 cities over the half-million mark, the National League of Cities told President Donald Trump in a letter last week. More than half the country’s population lives in cities, towns and villages of fewer than 50,000 people, the letter noted.

Cities including Miami and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;City,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/missouri">Missouri</a>, are under the cutoff, according to the most recent Census Bureau figures available.

“Depending on who you believe, we’re either at 470,000 or 510,000,” said Miami’s Republican mayor, Francis Suarez. “We’re projected to lose about $20 million a month while our economy has ground to a halt. The state of&nbsp;Florida&nbsp;is slated to get $8.3 billion, but we’re not sure if we’re going to get any of it.”

Every state will receive at least $1.25 billion in relief fund money. The state government gets the biggest share of the total — New York, for example, is projected to receive $7.5 billion, according to estimates prepared by the nonprofit Tax Foundation. The state gets $5.2 billion of that amount, and local governments that have more than 500,000 residents are eligible for the rest in direct payments.

The Treasury Department guidelines may permit below-the-threshold counties and cities to appeal directly to the governor for a portion of the state’s relief find allotment, according to Matt Chase, executive director of the National Association of Counties. But that may heighten the potential for political alliances to be formed in the quest for money or behind-the-scenes lobbying campaigns to get a piece of the state’s share.

“Each local government would have to go hat in hand to the governor and say, ’Can we have part of your allocation?'" said Chase, who added, “We don’t need a lot of politics right now.”

The population threshold was included as a tradeoff as lawmakers scrambled to put the relief package together, according to a letter 16 Republican senators sent to Mnuchin last week. Getting the relief dollars delivered quickly was essential, they said, and “requiring Treasury to process applications and calculate payment calculations for every local government in the United States would have created a bureaucratic morass that would have held up the distribution of these critical funds.”

The senators expressed concern over comments Mnuchin made during a recent briefing for lawmakers on the status of the rescue package. The Treasury secretary suggested the department would interpret the law narrowly and “issue guidance that unintentionally creates obstacles to states supporting their front line,” the senators said.

That’s at odds with Trump’s own promises that the federal government would be there to backstop local and state officials, said Bryan K. Barnett, the Republican mayor of Rochester Hills,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan">Michigan</a>, and the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

“The word from their lips to our ears is that this whole effort would be locally executed and federally supported,” Barnett said.

There are 16 states that have no counties, cities or other municipalities with populations above 500,000, including&nbsp;Wyoming,&nbsp;Alaska&nbsp;and&nbsp;Montana. Without a mechanism that allows or requires states to share coronavirus relief money, there’s no clear way to prevent them from keeping the entire pot to help make up their own budget shortfalls.

New York state has a deficit of more than $10 billion from fighting the coronavirus, and the $5.2 billion it’s to receive from the relief fund could help close that gap.

Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, said those budgetary pressures made it unlikely local governments under the population threshold will get any of the state’s money.

“The states will exert jurisdiction over that money,

and the thousands of local governments who will have needs, it will be very difficult to get that money,” Acquario said.

Cameron Diehl, executive director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/utah">Utah</a>&nbsp;League of Cities and Towns, said the state legislature is expected to meet in a special virtual session this week and on its agenda is the creation of a legal framework to accept $1.25 billion from the relief fund. “There are a lot of questions about the logistics, and it’s hard to plan around this much uncertainty,” Diehl said.

In&nbsp;Ohio, an income tax is one of the primary ways that government is financed.

“If nobody is working, we’re not going to have any money,” said Dayton, Ohio, Mayor Nan Whaley.

“I just can’t explain to you the level of frustration of mayors who are working so hard for their communities and see that it could all go away because there’s no help coming,” the Democrat added. “It’s just so painful for all of us.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586818253618.png" alt="Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin&nbsp; and President Trump answer questions during Monday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing." />
 <figcaption>Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin&nbsp; and President Trump answer questions during Monday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The $2.2 trillion federal rescue package could fail to deliver badly needed financial aid to thousands of smaller cities and counties where a majority of Americans live, according to documents and interviews with local officials.The coronavirus outbreak has blown holes in the budgets of communities as the costs of battling the outbreak skyrocket and critical sources of revenue like sales and income taxes plummet.The Coronavirus Relief Fund uses a formula based on population to parcel out tens of billions of dollars to the states while allowing local governments with more than 500,000 residents to apply directly to the Treasury Department for cash infusions. But localities below the half-million population threshold are in limbo.Among those affected: New Rochelle,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york">New York</a>, one of the cities hardest hit by the outbreak.“I cannot understand the logic,” said Noam Bramson, the Democratic mayor of about 80,000 people. “Cities with fewer than 500,000 people have been just as heavily impacted as those with more than 500,000 people. It strikes me as a completely arbitrary cutoff.”Amid the uncertainty, lawmakers and advocacy groups that include the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors have been urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to ensure the relief fund money is fairly distributed. Guidelines for how the relief fund will operate are slated to be issued by the Treasury Department this week. The department announced Monday it had launched a web portal through which eligible parties could register to receive the money.“Because of the lack of specificity in the legislation itself, it really is up for interpretation,” said Irma Esparza Diggs, director of federal advocacy for the National League of Cities. “Everybody’s just kind of holding their breath until Treasury comes out with their guidance."Of the nearly 3,100 counties in the United States, 130 have populations of more than 500,000, according to the National Association of Counties. There are 36 cities over the half-million mark, the National League of Cities told President Donald Trump in a letter last week. More than half the country’s population lives in cities, towns and villages of fewer than 50,000 people, the letter noted.Cities including Miami and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;City,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/missouri">Missouri</a>, are under the cutoff, according to the most recent Census Bureau figures available.“Depending on who you believe, we’re either at 470,000 or 510,000,” said Miami’s Republican mayor, Francis Suarez. “We’re projected to lose about $20 million a month while our economy has ground to a halt. The state of&nbsp;Florida&nbsp;is slated to get $8.3 billion, but we’re not sure if we’re going to get any of it.”Every state will receive at least $1.25 billion in relief fund money. The state government gets the biggest share of the total — New York, for example, is projected to receive $7.5 billion, according to estimates prepared by the nonprofit Tax Foundation. The state gets $5.2 billion of that amount, and local governments that have more than 500,000 residents are eligible for the rest in direct payments.The Treasury Department guidelines may permit below-the-threshold counties and cities to appeal directly to the governor for a portion of the state’s relief find allotment, according to Matt Chase, executive director of the National Association of Counties. But that may heighten the potential for political alliances to be formed in the quest for money or behind-the-scenes lobbying campaigns to get a piece of the state’s share.“Each local government would have to go hat in hand to the governor and say, ’Can we have part of your allocation?'" said Chase, who added, “We don’t need a lot of politics right now.”The population threshold was included as a tradeoff as lawmakers scrambled to put the relief package together, according to a letter 16 Republican senators sent to Mnuchin last week. Getting the relief dollars delivered quickly was essential, they said, and “requiring Treasury to process applications and calculate payment calculations for every local government in the United States would have created a bureaucratic morass that would have held up the distribution of these critical funds.”The senators expressed concern over comments Mnuchin made during a recent briefing for lawmakers on the status of the rescue package. The Treasury secretary suggested the department would interpret the law narrowly and “issue guidance that unintentionally creates obstacles to states supporting their front line,” the senators said.That’s at odds with Trump’s own promises that the federal government would be there to backstop local and state officials, said Bryan K. Barnett, the Republican mayor of Rochester Hills,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan">Michigan</a>, and the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.“The word from their lips to our ears is that this whole effort would be locally executed and federally supported,” Barnett said.There are 16 states that have no counties, cities or other municipalities with populations above 500,000, including&nbsp;Wyoming,&nbsp;Alaska&nbsp;and&nbsp;Montana. Without a mechanism that allows or requires states to share coronavirus relief money, there’s no clear way to prevent them from keeping the entire pot to help make up their own budget shortfalls.New York state has a deficit of more than $10 billion from fighting the coronavirus, and the $5.2 billion it’s to receive from the relief fund could help close that gap.Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, said those budgetary pressures made it unlikely local governments under the population threshold will get any of the state’s money.“The states will exert jurisdiction over that money,and the thousands of local governments who will have needs, it will be very difficult to get that money,” Acquario said.Cameron Diehl, executive director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/utah">Utah</a>&nbsp;League of Cities and Towns, said the state legislature is expected to meet in a special virtual session this week and on its agenda is the creation of a legal framework to accept $1.25 billion from the relief fund. “There are a lot of questions about the logistics, and it’s hard to plan around this much uncertainty,” Diehl said.In&nbsp;Ohio, an income tax is one of the primary ways that government is financed.“If nobody is working, we’re not going to have any money,” said Dayton, Ohio, Mayor Nan Whaley.“I just can’t explain to you the level of frustration of mayors who are working so hard for their communities and see that it could all go away because there’s no help coming,” the Democrat added. “It’s just so painful for all of us.”

Cities, counties fear losing out on US virus rescue funding

TOPEKA, Kan. – Disruptive acts by a group of residents Sunday at Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) resulted in a lockdown of Building 2, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Approximately 125 to 150 men were involved in the disturbance that lasted less than two hours. To regain control, a minimal amount of force was used, to include chemical agents, but no additional personnel were needed to assist ECF officers. No staff or residents were injured, and property damage was largely limited to bulletin boards, security cameras and trash being thrown from cells.

An investigation is underway by Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Enforcement, Apprehension and Investigation Unit to determine the cause of the disturbance.

The Ellsworth Correctional Facility opened in 1990. Serving only males, the Central Unit provides housing for 832 multi-custody offenders and the East Unit provides housing for 95 minimum-custody offenders.&nbsp;Building 2 consists of six living units with a total capacity of 512 medium-custody residents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586890340456.png" alt="Damage from weekend disturbance -photos KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Damage from weekend disturbance -photos KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. – Disruptive acts by a group of residents Sunday at Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) resulted in a lockdown of Building 2, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Approximately 125 to 150 men were involved in the disturbance that lasted less than two hours. To regain control, a minimal amount of force was used, to include chemical agents, but no additional personnel were needed to assist ECF officers. No staff or residents were injured, and property damage was largely limited to bulletin boards, security cameras and trash being thrown from cells.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586890605429.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>An investigation is underway by Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Enforcement, Apprehension and Investigation Unit to determine the cause of the disturbance.The Ellsworth Correctional Facility opened in 1990. Serving only males, the Central Unit provides housing for 832 multi-custody offenders and the East Unit provides housing for 95 minimum-custody offenders.&nbsp;Building 2 consists of six living units with a total capacity of 512 medium-custody residents.

Lockdown after weekend disturbance at Kansas prison

By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch
Post</a>


HUTCHINSON — The Kansas Attorney General's Office is providing legal advice to
 many officials in state government during the COVID-19 crisis, 
including both the legislature and the governor and other parts of the 
executive branch, as to how best follow the state's emergency powers 
statute.

"Thank goodness we have that authority, because there are
 things that have to be done right now, swiftly, and while the 
legislature is not convened that we all would expect to be done as part 
of the virus response," said Attorney General Derek Schmidt, referring 
generally to Gov. Laura Kelly's ability to work via Executive Order. "At
 the same time, it is true that any time you operate in a circumstance 
where your government has many of the ordinary checks and balances on 
its powers and decisionmaking disabled, you really have to be 
extraordinarily cautious, that you don't do things, or allow things to 
be done, that we're all going to look back on and regret."

The tough part of this is that the main statute that dates back to 1975, wasn't designed for a disaster of this scope.

"This
 statute was designed for things like fires and floods and tornadoes," 
Schmidt said. "Discrete events, that affect a limited geographical area 
and therefore a limited number of Kansans, for a relatively short period
 of time and where the government response that occurs under the 
emergency powers is really narrowly targeted to that disaster and 
therefore is not intrusive in the lives of the vast, vast majority of 
Kansans in their ordinary living."

Now that the Kansas Supreme 
Court has ruled that the Legislative Coordinating Council does not have 
the authority to overturn an Executive Order, it's important that the 
entire legislature weigh in if there needs to be a different response to
 this outbreak from a policy perspective.

"I think so," Schmidt 
said. "Now, when and how, I don't offer an opinion on. There's a very 
active debate right now after the state Supreme Court decision last week
 that really sort of wiped away the mechanism the legislature had tried 
to put in place for oversight of the emergency powers. The statute 
contemplates there's going to be legislative oversight, but 
unfortunately it doesn't contemplate how that's supposed to be done if 
the legislature is not convened."

Since the legislature's main 
function is to pass a budget and they did that before their break, it is
 ultimately up to leadership as to whether they come back this session 
or not.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583409290272.jpeg" alt="Kansas AG Derek Schmidt" />
 <figcaption>Kansas AG Derek Schmidt</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch
Post</a>
HUTCHINSON — The Kansas Attorney General's Office is providing legal advice to
 many officials in state government during the COVID-19 crisis, 
including both the legislature and the governor and other parts of the 
executive branch, as to how best follow the state's emergency powers 
statute."Thank goodness we have that authority, because there are
 things that have to be done right now, swiftly, and while the 
legislature is not convened that we all would expect to be done as part 
of the virus response," said Attorney General Derek Schmidt, referring 
generally to Gov. Laura Kelly's ability to work via Executive Order. "At
 the same time, it is true that any time you operate in a circumstance 
where your government has many of the ordinary checks and balances on 
its powers and decisionmaking disabled, you really have to be 
extraordinarily cautious, that you don't do things, or allow things to 
be done, that we're all going to look back on and regret."The tough part of this is that the main statute that dates back to 1975, wasn't designed for a disaster of this scope."This
 statute was designed for things like fires and floods and tornadoes," 
Schmidt said. "Discrete events, that affect a limited geographical area 
and therefore a limited number of Kansans, for a relatively short period
 of time and where the government response that occurs under the 
emergency powers is really narrowly targeted to that disaster and 
therefore is not intrusive in the lives of the vast, vast majority of 
Kansans in their ordinary living."Now that the Kansas Supreme 
Court has ruled that the Legislative Coordinating Council does not have 
the authority to overturn an Executive Order, it's important that the 
entire legislature weigh in if there needs to be a different response to
 this outbreak from a policy perspective."I think so," Schmidt 
said. "Now, when and how, I don't offer an opinion on. There's a very 
active debate right now after the state Supreme Court decision last week
 that really sort of wiped away the mechanism the legislature had tried 
to put in place for oversight of the emergency powers. The statute 
contemplates there's going to be legislative oversight, but 
unfortunately it doesn't contemplate how that's supposed to be done if 
the legislature is not convened."Since the legislature's main 
function is to pass a budget and they did that before their break, it is
 ultimately up to leadership as to whether they come back this session 
or not.

Kan. AG: Legislature should come back to weigh in on disaster response

The Kansas Department of Health released the state's latest coronavirus numbers on Tuesday.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here for</a> additional details

The Kansas Department of Health released the state's latest coronavirus numbers on Tuesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here for</a> additional details<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586883932549.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the burglary of a gun store and have two suspects in custody.

On April 4, deputies and investigators were dispatched to USA Gun Bunker in Cherryvale for a report of a burglary of the gun store, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.

Deputies and Investigators worked diligently, following the evidence and interviewing multiple individuals. Due to the nature of the items stolen, deputies requested assistance from The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives)

At this point in the investigation multiple firearms have been recovered and two arrests have been made, according to Wade.

Arron Blake, 34, of rural Cherryvale is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; burglary, theft, possession of narcotics and traffic in contraband in a correctional facility and is also being held on a felony warrant stemming from another case. He remains in custody.

Alexis Hoesmam, 28, of Cherryvale, was being held on requested charges that include aiding and abetting burglary and theft.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586809280224.png" alt="Hoesmam / photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Hoesmam / photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the burglary of a gun store and have two suspects in custody.On April 4, deputies and investigators were dispatched to USA Gun Bunker in Cherryvale for a report of a burglary of the gun store, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.Deputies and Investigators worked diligently, following the evidence and interviewing multiple individuals. Due to the nature of the items stolen, deputies requested assistance from The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives)At this point in the investigation multiple firearms have been recovered and two arrests have been made, according to Wade.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586809338901.png" alt="Blake / Montgomery County" />
 <figcaption>Blake / Montgomery County</figcaption>
 </figure>Arron Blake, 34, of rural Cherryvale is being held on requested charges of&nbsp; burglary, theft, possession of narcotics and traffic in contraband in a correctional facility and is also being held on a felony warrant stemming from another case. He remains in custody.Alexis Hoesmam, 28, of Cherryvale, was being held on requested charges that include aiding and abetting burglary and theft.

ATF helps in arrests after burglary of Kan. gun store

Demand is shifting more to supermarkets now that restaurant business is curtailed

MANHATTAN – On a recent Thursday evening, Kansas State University hosted a meeting of more than 100 people. That’s not unusual, but this time because of the pandemic sweeping the country, the gathering was held&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/news/recent-videos/ongoing-effects-livestock-markets-covid-19-pandemic">online</a>&nbsp;rather than in person, and focused on what COVID-19 means for livestock producers.

So far, it’s meant falling cattle and hog prices linked to shifting demand and changes in the supply chain, said Glynn Tonsor, K-State Research and Extension agricultural economics professor and extension livestock market specialist.

He spoke to participants via a new series of online gatherings, each focused on a different aspect of how COVID-19 is impacting agriculture.

“Everybody, not just the ag and livestock sector, is adjusting to many things for the first time in their life in many ways. The (meat) supply chain is taxed and that shows up in the marketplace and even analysts and folks like me are taxed, so we’re doing our best,” Tonsor said.

He noted that CME cattle and hog futures prices for April delivery have fallen 20% to 40% since January 11 when the first death from COVID-19 was reported in China.

Live cattle futures for April delivery, for example fell 26%, from $127.96 per hundredweight (cwt) on Jan. 10 to $94.28 on April 9. Hog futures plummeted 42% from $74.13 per cwt to $42.90.

Cattle and hog futures for October delivery have also been down, Tonsor said, but not as significantly, indicating there is optimism the agricultural sector will make adjustments between April and October.

To help provide a view into how the global pandemic is affecting the cattle industry, Tonsor authored the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/livestock-meat/meat-demand/monthly-meat-demand-monitor-survey-data/meat-demand-monitor-covid19">Cattle Industry’s COVID-19 Economic Damage Assessment</a>.

U.S. meat demand is good during stronger economic times and weaker during poor economic times, he said, noting that beef demand, in particular is “extra sensitive” to the macroeconomic environment, and it’s become more so over time.&nbsp;

“That is particularly worrisome because most folks who are macroeconomists think we have a weaker macroeconomic environment today than we did two months ago,” he said. “It’s pretty hard to argue that point.”

He noted that meat demand is shifting, from foodservice to grocery demand. Prior to the pandemic, strong demand from institutional customers – hotels, restaurants and schools helped drive prices. With schools across the country closed and restaurants reducing operations to curbside or delivery only, demand has lessened for higher-priced meat cuts typically sought by restaurants but increased for meat products typically bought in grocery stores, such as ground beef.

The difficulty he said, is “we raise whole animals and we produce a lot of different products. Some of those products traditionally go primarily through foodservice and some go largely&nbsp;&nbsp;through retail.&nbsp;

“When we have a shock where one of those channels, in this case foodservice, is closed off, it creates challenges to repurpose parts of the animal,” he said.

He gave the example of bacon, most of which typically goes through foodservice channels to restaurants, rather than to consumers’ tables via grocery stories. Bacon is currently “stacking up” without that traditional primary outlet, which is a factor weighing on pork prices.

Tonsor launched a resource in February called the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/livestock-meat/meat-demand/monthly-meat-demand-monitor-survey-data/meat-demand-monitor-covid19">Monthly Meat Demand Monitor</a>&nbsp;to help industry participants monitor consumer preferences, views and demand for meat. The tool is supported by checkoff funding from the beef and pork industries.&nbsp;

He noted that the temporary closure of several meat packing plants linked to COVID-19 is creating a bottleneck in the livestock supply chain.

“I think the industry is doing the best it can to deal with that, but it’s not surprising that this week we’ve had some unfortunate developments that are leading to slowdowns and temporary pauses in running some of our plants,” Tonsor said.&nbsp;

While no one plant represents more than 7% of national capacity, he said, the challenge is that no one knows how many plants the virus will affect and for how long.

After crunching numbers for various beef cuts over the past several weeks, Tonsor said “In aggregate, I think demand for beef is down, even though we’ve had a run on ground beef.”

Because there are so many unknowns about the pandemic, it’s unclear what the ultimate effect will be on the livestock market, Tonsor said. He and Iowa State University agricultural economist Lee Schulz estimate, however, that 20% less utilization of meat packing plants (because of COVID-19) would result in a 27% reduction in fed cattle prices and a 36% reduction in market hog prices.

Tonsor noted that the Livestock Marketing Information Center or LMIC on April 3 projected 2020 prices to be down because of the COVID-19 outbreak, but its projections were more optimistic than the futures market suggests. However, those projections likely have changed given news of temporary plant closures since those estimates came out.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Markets often operate like a pendulum, Tonsor said, but added that it’s premature to say markets have hit their bottom from the pandemic.

Longer term, he believes market disruptions will squeeze out some independent producers who did not have price protection in place and may also have an impact on how price reporting and price discovery occur.

“Populism” was already growing before the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. and around the world,” he said, “with people questioning the role of globalization. Certainly during COVID we have ramped up this discussion and action to improve domestic security, whether that’s on food, medical supplies or other supplies, there’s definitely a lot of effort in that space.”

If the current trend away from globalization of markets continues, he said, it will mean less international trade: “That would not be good for the U.S. ag sector. To support the size of the industry in the U.S. we need to sustain a presence in a global world.”

Relationships, whether personal or financial may be more important now than ever, he said. He encouraged producers to reach out to their lenders, plus those they buy from or sell products to.

“I have full faith that we will adjust,” Tonsor said. “The U.S. is going to remain a very large ag producer. I’m not doomsday to that level. I have concerns that we’re in the midst of lots of shocks, but at the end of the day in the aggregate, I remain optimistic for the industry and for society as a whole.”

A recording of the session is available&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/news/recent-videos/ongoing-effects-livestock-markets-covid-19-pandemic">online</a>. More information about how COVID-19 is affecting agriculture and about agricultural economics in general is available on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/news/recent-videos/ongoing-effects-livestock-markets-covid-19-pandemic">agmanager.info</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586869713367.png" alt="K-State Research &amp; Extension photo" />
 <figcaption>K-State Research &amp; Extension photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Demand is shifting more to supermarkets now that restaurant business is curtailed</h2>K-State Research &amp; ExtensionMANHATTAN – On a recent Thursday evening, Kansas State University hosted a meeting of more than 100 people. That’s not unusual, but this time because of the pandemic sweeping the country, the gathering was held&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/news/recent-videos/ongoing-effects-livestock-markets-covid-19-pandemic">online</a>&nbsp;rather than in person, and focused on what COVID-19 means for livestock producers.So far, it’s meant falling cattle and hog prices linked to shifting demand and changes in the supply chain, said Glynn Tonsor, K-State Research and Extension agricultural economics professor and extension livestock market specialist.He spoke to participants via a new series of online gatherings, each focused on a different aspect of how COVID-19 is impacting agriculture.“Everybody, not just the ag and livestock sector, is adjusting to many things for the first time in their life in many ways. The (meat) supply chain is taxed and that shows up in the marketplace and even analysts and folks like me are taxed, so we’re doing our best,” Tonsor said.He noted that CME cattle and hog futures prices for April delivery have fallen 20% to 40% since January 11 when the first death from COVID-19 was reported in China.Live cattle futures for April delivery, for example fell 26%, from $127.96 per hundredweight (cwt) on Jan. 10 to $94.28 on April 9. Hog futures plummeted 42% from $74.13 per cwt to $42.90.Cattle and hog futures for October delivery have also been down, Tonsor said, but not as significantly, indicating there is optimism the agricultural sector will make adjustments between April and October.To help provide a view into how the global pandemic is affecting the cattle industry, Tonsor authored the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/livestock-meat/meat-demand/monthly-meat-demand-monitor-survey-data/meat-demand-monitor-covid19">Cattle Industry’s COVID-19 Economic Damage Assessment</a>.U.S. meat demand is good during stronger economic times and weaker during poor economic times, he said, noting that beef demand, in particular is “extra sensitive” to the macroeconomic environment, and it’s become more so over time.&nbsp;“That is particularly worrisome because most folks who are macroeconomists think we have a weaker macroeconomic environment today than we did two months ago,” he said. “It’s pretty hard to argue that point.”He noted that meat demand is shifting, from foodservice to grocery demand. Prior to the pandemic, strong demand from institutional customers – hotels, restaurants and schools helped drive prices. With schools across the country closed and restaurants reducing operations to curbside or delivery only, demand has lessened for higher-priced meat cuts typically sought by restaurants but increased for meat products typically bought in grocery stores, such as ground beef.The difficulty he said, is “we raise whole animals and we produce a lot of different products. Some of those products traditionally go primarily through foodservice and some go largely&nbsp;&nbsp;through retail.&nbsp;“When we have a shock where one of those channels, in this case foodservice, is closed off, it creates challenges to repurpose parts of the animal,” he said.He gave the example of bacon, most of which typically goes through foodservice channels to restaurants, rather than to consumers’ tables via grocery stories. Bacon is currently “stacking up” without that traditional primary outlet, which is a factor weighing on pork prices.Tonsor launched a resource in February called the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/livestock-meat/meat-demand/monthly-meat-demand-monitor-survey-data/meat-demand-monitor-covid19">Monthly Meat Demand Monitor</a>&nbsp;to help industry participants monitor consumer preferences, views and demand for meat. The tool is supported by checkoff funding from the beef and pork industries.&nbsp;He noted that the temporary closure of several meat packing plants linked to COVID-19 is creating a bottleneck in the livestock supply chain.“I think the industry is doing the best it can to deal with that, but it’s not surprising that this week we’ve had some unfortunate developments that are leading to slowdowns and temporary pauses in running some of our plants,” Tonsor said.&nbsp;While no one plant represents more than 7% of national capacity, he said, the challenge is that no one knows how many plants the virus will affect and for how long.After crunching numbers for various beef cuts over the past several weeks, Tonsor said “In aggregate, I think demand for beef is down, even though we’ve had a run on ground beef.”Because there are so many unknowns about the pandemic, it’s unclear what the ultimate effect will be on the livestock market, Tonsor said. He and Iowa State University agricultural economist Lee Schulz estimate, however, that 20% less utilization of meat packing plants (because of COVID-19) would result in a 27% reduction in fed cattle prices and a 36% reduction in market hog prices.Tonsor noted that the Livestock Marketing Information Center or LMIC on April 3 projected 2020 prices to be down because of the COVID-19 outbreak, but its projections were more optimistic than the futures market suggests. However, those projections likely have changed given news of temporary plant closures since those estimates came out.&nbsp;&nbsp;Markets often operate like a pendulum, Tonsor said, but added that it’s premature to say markets have hit their bottom from the pandemic.Longer term, he believes market disruptions will squeeze out some independent producers who did not have price protection in place and may also have an impact on how price reporting and price discovery occur.“Populism” was already growing before the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. and around the world,” he said, “with people questioning the role of globalization. Certainly during COVID we have ramped up this discussion and action to improve domestic security, whether that’s on food, medical supplies or other supplies, there’s definitely a lot of effort in that space.”If the current trend away from globalization of markets continues, he said, it will mean less international trade: “That would not be good for the U.S. ag sector. To support the size of the industry in the U.S. we need to sustain a presence in a global world.”Relationships, whether personal or financial may be more important now than ever, he said. He encouraged producers to reach out to their lenders, plus those they buy from or sell products to.“I have full faith that we will adjust,” Tonsor said. “The U.S. is going to remain a very large ag producer. I’m not doomsday to that level. I have concerns that we’re in the midst of lots of shocks, but at the end of the day in the aggregate, I remain optimistic for the industry and for society as a whole.”A recording of the session is available&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/news/recent-videos/ongoing-effects-livestock-markets-covid-19-pandemic">online</a>. More information about how COVID-19 is affecting agriculture and about agricultural economics in general is available on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/news/recent-videos/ongoing-effects-livestock-markets-covid-19-pandemic">agmanager.info</a>.

Livestock prices drop 20%-40% since early COVID-19 news

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon accused in last month's murder of his girlfriend and her 8-year-old daughter made his first court appearance Monday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Lopez is charged with capital murder for the shooting deaths of 24- year-old Mickayla Sorell and her 8-year-old daughter, Natalya Sorrell.&nbsp; He is also charged with criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and aggravated assault.

He is being held on a bond of one-million dollars in the murder case.  He was also charged with two probation violations. The cases are from 2017 and 2018.  His bond on each of the probation violations is $250,000, according to the district attorney's office.

On Monday, March 31, officers responded to the call of a welfare check at a residence in the 4500 block of South Walnut, after Sorell did not report to work. Upon arrival, officers located both victims deceased inside the residence.

Police on the scene of the murder investigation photo courtesy KWCH

The investigation revealed that the shootings took place on Saturday, March 28.&nbsp; Lopez was identified as the suspect in the case and was subsequently charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office on April 3.&nbsp; 

On April 9, police followed up on information that Lopez was at the home of family members, according to officer Kevin Wheeler. Police were able to arrest him without incident at a residence in the 4600 block of South Gold in Wichita, according to Wheeler.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586604705468.png" alt="Lopez photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Lopez photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas felon accused in last month's murder of his girlfriend and her 8-year-old daughter made his first court appearance Monday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;Lopez is charged with capital murder for the shooting deaths of 24- year-old Mickayla Sorell and her 8-year-old daughter, Natalya Sorrell.&nbsp; He is also charged with criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and aggravated assault.He is being held on a bond of one-million dollars in the murder case. He was also charged with two probation violations. The cases are from 2017 and 2018. His bond on each of the probation violations is $250,000, according to the district attorney's office.On Monday, March 31, officers responded to the call of a welfare check at a residence in the 4500 block of South Walnut, after Sorell did not report to work. Upon arrival, officers located both victims deceased inside the residence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585662112788.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Police on the scene of the murder investigation photo courtesy KWCHThe investigation revealed that the shootings took place on Saturday, March 28.&nbsp; Lopez was identified as the suspect in the case and was subsequently charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office on April 3.&nbsp; On April 9, police followed up on information that Lopez was at the home of family members, according to officer Kevin Wheeler. Police were able to arrest him without incident at a residence in the 4600 block of South Gold in Wichita, according to Wheeler.

Kan. man charged in murder of girlfriend, child makes court appearance

FINNEY COUNTY — A store in southwest Kansas has been linked to numerous cases of coronavirus, according to the Finney County Health Department.

On Monday, the agency reported that people who shopped at Tienda Variedades Candy, 107 North Jennie Barker Road in Garden City between March 16-30 may have been exposed to the virus and multiple who shopped there since have since become ill and tested positive for the virus.

Authorities notified the store and it has been closed since March 30, according to the health department. The store is being cleaned as outlined by CDC and KDHE guidelines.

The health department asked that anyone who shopped at the store between March 16-30 and are experiencing fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and or smell to contact them, call the local coronavirus hotline 316-272-3600 to be appropriately screened.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586859604884.png" alt="Image courtesy Tienda Variedades Candy in Garden City" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Tienda Variedades Candy in Garden City</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY — A store in southwest Kansas has been linked to numerous cases of coronavirus, according to the Finney County Health Department.On Monday, the agency reported that people who shopped at Tienda Variedades Candy, 107 North Jennie Barker Road in Garden City between March 16-30 may have been exposed to the virus and multiple who shopped there since have since become ill and tested positive for the virus.Authorities notified the store and it has been closed since March 30, according to the health department. The store is being cleaned as outlined by CDC and KDHE guidelines.The health department asked that anyone who shopped at the store between March 16-30 and are experiencing fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and or smell to contact them, call the local coronavirus hotline 316-272-3600 to be appropriately screened.

SW Kansas store linked to multiple coronavirus cases

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have made an arrest

Just after 11:00 a.m. Sunday, police responded to the area of W. 21st&nbsp;Street and Ridge in Wichita to assist in looking for a green GMC Sierra that was stolen from an apartment complex, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Officers were also looking for a tan Chevrolet Silverado that was possibly involved with the auto theft as well as vehicle burglaries reported earlier in the morning.

An officer spotted the tan truck at West 2nd&nbsp;Street and Young and initiated a traffic stop.&nbsp; 

The driver later identied as 30-year-old Cody Scrimsher failed to stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued.&nbsp; The pursuit was terminated in the 1900 block of West Second due to Scrimsher's erratic driving.&nbsp; 

Scrimsher ultimately stopped the truck at West 2nd&nbsp;Street and North Handley Street and ran from the vehicle. Police were able to apprehended him after a brief foot pursuit.

The investigation revealed that Scrimsher was involved in a vehicle burglary in the 500 block of N. Tyler, where a GPS was stolen.&nbsp; Additionally, Scrimsher has previously been arrested and convicted of charges that include criminal possession of a firearm, aggravated weapons violation, criminal possession of a weapon, theft, and driving while suspended, according to Davidson.

He is being held on requested charges of felony evade and elude, burglary and theft, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586791137614.png" alt="Scrimsher photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Scrimsher photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have made an arrestJust after 11:00 a.m. Sunday, police responded to the area of W. 21st&nbsp;Street and Ridge in Wichita to assist in looking for a green GMC Sierra that was stolen from an apartment complex, according to officer Charley Davidson.Officers were also looking for a tan Chevrolet Silverado that was possibly involved with the auto theft as well as vehicle burglaries reported earlier in the morning.An officer spotted the tan truck at West 2nd&nbsp;Street and Young and initiated a traffic stop.&nbsp; The driver later identied as 30-year-old Cody Scrimsher failed to stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued.&nbsp; The pursuit was terminated in the 1900 block of West Second due to Scrimsher's erratic driving.&nbsp; Scrimsher ultimately stopped the truck at West 2nd&nbsp;Street and North Handley Street and ran from the vehicle. Police were able to apprehended him after a brief foot pursuit.The investigation revealed that Scrimsher was involved in a vehicle burglary in the 500 block of N. Tyler, where a GPS was stolen.&nbsp; Additionally, Scrimsher has previously been arrested and convicted of charges that include criminal possession of a firearm, aggravated weapons violation, criminal possession of a weapon, theft, and driving while suspended, according to Davidson.He is being held on requested charges of felony evade and elude, burglary and theft, according to Davidson.

Police catch Kansas felon for alleged pickup theft

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak has fueled attempts to ban abortions in some states, but providers where the procedure remains available report increased demand, often from women distraught over economic stress and health concerns linked to the pandemic.

“The calls we’ve been getting are frantic,” said Julie Burkhart, who manages clinics in Wichita,&nbsp;Kansas, and&nbsp;Oklahoma&nbsp;City. “We’ve seen more women coming sooner than they would have because they’re scared they won’t be able to access the services later.”

Some clinics are seeing patients who traveled hundreds of miles from states such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/texas">Texas</a>, which has banned abortions during much of the pandemic on grounds they are nonessential.

Dr. Allison Cowett of Family Planning Associates in Chicago said one recent patient was a teen who drove from Texas with her mother. In Atlanta, Dr. Marissa Lapedis said her clinic accommodated a woman who received her initial abortion consultation in Texas but flew to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/georgia">Georgia</a>&nbsp;when the Texas ban postponed a second visit to receive the abortion pill.

An influx of women from Texas contributed to the upsurge of abortions at Burkhart’s clinic in Wichita. She said it performed 252 abortions in March, up from 90 in March 2019.

Dr. Jen Villavicencio, an abortion provider in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan">Michigan</a>, predicts that demand for abortions will continue to increase during the pandemic.

“I hear it in my patient’s voices and questions daily,” she said via email. “They're worried about how they will make their rent, feed their family, access a ventilator if the need arises.”

The pandemic has prompted Planned Parenthood, the national’s largest abortion provider, to make adjustments.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york">New York</a>&nbsp;City, the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., Planned Parenthood has modified medication abortion procedures to minimize travel and potential COVID-19 exposure for patients and staff.

Dr. Meera Shah is chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, which serves New York’s northern suburbs. She says her staff is expanding telemedicine as they see an uptick in patients seeking abortions, often convinced that “having a child right now isn’t best for them.”

“We provided a medication abortion to an EMT while she was sitting in her ambulance,” Shah said. “We provided abortion care to a mother who was at home with her children running around behind her.”

Dr. Anne Davis, an OB-GYN at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, said all services at her hospital are under stress and COVID-19 patients are numerous. In most cases, her team refers women seeking abortions to non-hospital clinics.

She cited one patient who had wanted to be pregnant but requested an abortion when it became clear her medical condition would require multiple hospital visits. Davis said the woman had received comparable treatment during her first pregnancy but decided this time that the hospital wouldn’t be as safe.

One of the biggest challenges in counseling pregnant women, is uncertainty, Davis said.

“We don’t know enough about this to say it’s going to be fine — your pregnancy will proceed in usual fashion and there will be no impact from COVID-19,” she said. “They want us to say it will be all right. We have to say, ‘We don’t know.’”

At Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois">Illinois</a>, close to Saint Louis, deputy director Alison Dreith says women are now less likely to change their minds once they schedule an abortion. Normally, 50% go through with it; amid the pandemic, the rate is 85%.

Hope Clinic staff member Hannah Dismer said one couple decided to terminate a pregnancy they had planned. The wife worried that giving birth at a hospital might expose her to the coronavirus and create risk for the child they have.

“It hit me really hard that she and her husband had to make that difficult decision,” Dismer said.

Another concern is that abortion bans will force some women into continuing with high-risk pregnancies.

“Without services, very sick babies will be born and families forced to watch them suffer who would, in other times, have made a different decision,” said Dr. Maryl Sackeim, a Chicago-based OB-GYN.

The push for new bans has added urgency to a campaign providing information about relatively safe options for do-it-yourself abortions.

Already, many abortions are induced at home with a two-drug combination, under the guidance of a health professional. Advocacy groups say home abortions using one of the drugs — misoprostol — can be done without professional oversight.

Misoprostol is available only by prescription in the U.S. but is available online from some countries where it sells over the counter.

Attorney Jill E. Adams, executive director of If/When/How, supports that option and urges prosecutors not to target women who use this method.

“More people will need abortions during this pandemic,” she said. “Targeting people who end their pregnancies at home is wrong as a matter of law and dangerous as a matter of public health.”

Amid debate about whether abortion is an essential service, anti-abortion protesters have mobilized outside numerous clinics — in some cases triggering confrontations with police over whether they’re violating social-distancing rules. In&nbsp;North Carolina, eight of about 50 protesters were arrested April 4 after refusing to disperse outside a clinic in Charlotte.

Even as many businesses close temporarily, anti-abortion pregnancy centers remain open.&nbsp;Virginia-based Care Net, which oversees about 1,100 centers, evoked the pandemic in a fundraising appeal, noting that unplanned pregnancies may rise during isolation and “our centers need to find creative ways to serve these parents and empower them to choose life.”

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus outbreak has fueled attempts to ban abortions in some states, but providers where the procedure remains available report increased demand, often from women distraught over economic stress and health concerns linked to the pandemic.“The calls we’ve been getting are frantic,” said Julie Burkhart, who manages clinics in Wichita,&nbsp;Kansas, and&nbsp;Oklahoma&nbsp;City. “We’ve seen more women coming sooner than they would have because they’re scared they won’t be able to access the services later.”Some clinics are seeing patients who traveled hundreds of miles from states such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/texas">Texas</a>, which has banned abortions during much of the pandemic on grounds they are nonessential.Dr. Allison Cowett of Family Planning Associates in Chicago said one recent patient was a teen who drove from Texas with her mother. In Atlanta, Dr. Marissa Lapedis said her clinic accommodated a woman who received her initial abortion consultation in Texas but flew to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/georgia">Georgia</a>&nbsp;when the Texas ban postponed a second visit to receive the abortion pill.An influx of women from Texas contributed to the upsurge of abortions at Burkhart’s clinic in Wichita. She said it performed 252 abortions in March, up from 90 in March 2019.Dr. Jen Villavicencio, an abortion provider in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan">Michigan</a>, predicts that demand for abortions will continue to increase during the pandemic.“I hear it in my patient’s voices and questions daily,” she said via email. “They're worried about how they will make their rent, feed their family, access a ventilator if the need arises.”The pandemic has prompted Planned Parenthood, the national’s largest abortion provider, to make adjustments.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york">New York</a>&nbsp;City, the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., Planned Parenthood has modified medication abortion procedures to minimize travel and potential COVID-19 exposure for patients and staff.Dr. Meera Shah is chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, which serves New York’s northern suburbs. She says her staff is expanding telemedicine as they see an uptick in patients seeking abortions, often convinced that “having a child right now isn’t best for them.”“We provided a medication abortion to an EMT while she was sitting in her ambulance,” Shah said. “We provided abortion care to a mother who was at home with her children running around behind her.”Dr. Anne Davis, an OB-GYN at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, said all services at her hospital are under stress and COVID-19 patients are numerous. In most cases, her team refers women seeking abortions to non-hospital clinics.She cited one patient who had wanted to be pregnant but requested an abortion when it became clear her medical condition would require multiple hospital visits. Davis said the woman had received comparable treatment during her first pregnancy but decided this time that the hospital wouldn’t be as safe.One of the biggest challenges in counseling pregnant women, is uncertainty, Davis said.“We don’t know enough about this to say it’s going to be fine — your pregnancy will proceed in usual fashion and there will be no impact from COVID-19,” she said. “They want us to say it will be all right. We have to say, ‘We don’t know.’”At Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois">Illinois</a>, close to Saint Louis, deputy director Alison Dreith says women are now less likely to change their minds once they schedule an abortion. Normally, 50% go through with it; amid the pandemic, the rate is 85%.Hope Clinic staff member Hannah Dismer said one couple decided to terminate a pregnancy they had planned. The wife worried that giving birth at a hospital might expose her to the coronavirus and create risk for the child they have.“It hit me really hard that she and her husband had to make that difficult decision,” Dismer said.Another concern is that abortion bans will force some women into continuing with high-risk pregnancies.“Without services, very sick babies will be born and families forced to watch them suffer who would, in other times, have made a different decision,” said Dr. Maryl Sackeim, a Chicago-based OB-GYN.The push for new bans has added urgency to a campaign providing information about relatively safe options for do-it-yourself abortions.Already, many abortions are induced at home with a two-drug combination, under the guidance of a health professional. Advocacy groups say home abortions using one of the drugs — misoprostol — can be done without professional oversight.Misoprostol is available only by prescription in the U.S. but is available online from some countries where it sells over the counter.Attorney Jill E. Adams, executive director of If/When/How, supports that option and urges prosecutors not to target women who use this method.“More people will need abortions during this pandemic,” she said. “Targeting people who end their pregnancies at home is wrong as a matter of law and dangerous as a matter of public health.”Amid debate about whether abortion is an essential service, anti-abortion protesters have mobilized outside numerous clinics — in some cases triggering confrontations with police over whether they’re violating social-distancing rules. In&nbsp;North Carolina, eight of about 50 protesters were arrested April 4 after refusing to disperse outside a clinic in Charlotte.Even as many businesses close temporarily, anti-abortion pregnancy centers remain open.&nbsp;Virginia-based Care Net, which oversees about 1,100 centers, evoked the pandemic in a fundraising appeal, noting that unplanned pregnancies may rise during isolation and “our centers need to find creative ways to serve these parents and empower them to choose life.”___

Abortion clinics: Pandemic boosts demand, heightens stress

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday used the daily White House briefing to air a taxpayer-funded promotional video praising his own handling of the coronavirus outbreak and slamming his critics and the press.

In a highly unusual move at a briefing meant to inform Americans about the pandemic, the lights in the briefing room dimmed for a video running more than 3 minutes that was a montage of officials offering laudatory comments about the president and of Trump discussing his steps to contain the virus.

“Everything we did was right,” Trump said, complaining at length about negative press coverage. He said of the video, “I’ve think I’ve educated a lot of people as to the press.”

It amounted to a telling demonstration of the president’ growing defensiveness in the face of criticism that the administration should have acted more aggressively and sooner to combat the virus.

Trump also gave Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, a turn at the lectern to defend the president’s response to the crisis. Fauci’s conciliatory remarks came one day after Trump had reacted negatively to the doctor’s comments Sunday about the administration’s handling of the pandemic. Trump on Sunday retweeted a posting that included the hashtag “FireFauci.”

The president sought to persuade the public to look past his comments playing down the threat of the virus and to dismiss comments, including those by Fauci, that more could have been done. He also said he had no plans to fire Fauci.

On Sunday, Fauci was asked if the U.S. could have saved lives by acting sooner. He responded that “obviously, you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier, you could have saved lives. Obviously, no one is going to deny that. But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated.”

Trump responded by reposting a tweet that referenced Fauci’s comments and included the line, “Time to #FireFauci,” raising alarms that Trump might consider trying to oust the doctor. Fauci, 79, has served in both Democratic and Republican administrations and has emerged as one of the most recognizable and trusted faces of the federal government’s response.

Fauci said Monday that Trump followed his recommendations to contain the spread of the coronavirus and that the two men were on the same page. He sought to clarify his previous comments, saying that “hypothetical questions sometimes can get you into some difficulty” and that he did not intend to imply “maybe somehow something was at fault here.”

Trump said the video was produced in-house by his social media director, Dan Scavino, and others at taxpayer expense. He said he directed them make the video to keep the press “honest.”

The video juxtaposed early media reports on the virus with a selective account of his administration’s handling of the pandemic, along with praise from some of the nation’s governors, who have been outspoken with their concerns about the pace of the federal response.

Trump acted March 16 to recommend nationwide social distancing measures to slow the spread of the virus, but had spent much of February and early March suggesting the outbreak was well under control and would swiftly pass.

His administration also waited until March to make widespread purchases of protective supplies and needed ventilators. Those were critical days that experts and even some administration officials acknowledged represented a missed opportunity to get ahead of the virus.

Trump defended the pace of his response, saying he couldn’t have issued guidelines that would have had dire economic consequences until the virus began spreading rapidly in the U.S.

“We did the right thing and our timing was very good,” Trump said. The pandemic has infected more than 580,000 Americans and killed more than 23,500 in the U.S.

Fauci said he and Dr. Deborah Birx, who is leading the White House coronavirus response, went to the president twice to discuss strong social distancing guidelines that have led to a dramatic economic shutdown. He said Trump gave his assent both times.

Fauci said that when he and Birx recommended that the country needed another 30 days of social distancing after the initial 15 days: “Obviously, there were people who had a problem with that because of the potential secondary effects. Nonetheless, at that time, the president went with the health recommendation.”

He bristled when asked if he was trying to clarify his comments voluntarily.

“Everything I do is voluntary,” Fauci said with his hands up in the air. “Please, don’t even imply that.”

Asked what mistakes had been made, Fauci focused only on what he personally could have done differently to fight what he called his “worst nightmare.”

“Maybe I should have really tried to delve into that a little bit more,” he said of initial reports out of China that the virus was slow to spread among humans, which later proved to be catastrophically wrong.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586815130190.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and President Trump during Monday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and President Trump during Monday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday used the daily White House briefing to air a taxpayer-funded promotional video praising his own handling of the coronavirus outbreak and slamming his critics and the press.In a highly unusual move at a briefing meant to inform Americans about the pandemic, the lights in the briefing room dimmed for a video running more than 3 minutes that was a montage of officials offering laudatory comments about the president and of Trump discussing his steps to contain the virus.“Everything we did was right,” Trump said, complaining at length about negative press coverage. He said of the video, “I’ve think I’ve educated a lot of people as to the press.”It amounted to a telling demonstration of the president’ growing defensiveness in the face of criticism that the administration should have acted more aggressively and sooner to combat the virus.Trump also gave Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, a turn at the lectern to defend the president’s response to the crisis. Fauci’s conciliatory remarks came one day after Trump had reacted negatively to the doctor’s comments Sunday about the administration’s handling of the pandemic. Trump on Sunday retweeted a posting that included the hashtag “FireFauci.”The president sought to persuade the public to look past his comments playing down the threat of the virus and to dismiss comments, including those by Fauci, that more could have been done. He also said he had no plans to fire Fauci.On Sunday, Fauci was asked if the U.S. could have saved lives by acting sooner. He responded that “obviously, you could logically say that if you had a process that was ongoing and you started mitigation earlier, you could have saved lives. Obviously, no one is going to deny that. But what goes into those kinds of decisions is complicated.”Trump responded by reposting a tweet that referenced Fauci’s comments and included the line, “Time to #FireFauci,” raising alarms that Trump might consider trying to oust the doctor. Fauci, 79, has served in both Democratic and Republican administrations and has emerged as one of the most recognizable and trusted faces of the federal government’s response.Fauci said Monday that Trump followed his recommendations to contain the spread of the coronavirus and that the two men were on the same page. He sought to clarify his previous comments, saying that “hypothetical questions sometimes can get you into some difficulty” and that he did not intend to imply “maybe somehow something was at fault here.”Trump said the video was produced in-house by his social media director, Dan Scavino, and others at taxpayer expense. He said he directed them make the video to keep the press “honest.”The video juxtaposed early media reports on the virus with a selective account of his administration’s handling of the pandemic, along with praise from some of the nation’s governors, who have been outspoken with their concerns about the pace of the federal response.Trump acted March 16 to recommend nationwide social distancing measures to slow the spread of the virus, but had spent much of February and early March suggesting the outbreak was well under control and would swiftly pass.His administration also waited until March to make widespread purchases of protective supplies and needed ventilators. Those were critical days that experts and even some administration officials acknowledged represented a missed opportunity to get ahead of the virus.Trump defended the pace of his response, saying he couldn’t have issued guidelines that would have had dire economic consequences until the virus began spreading rapidly in the U.S.“We did the right thing and our timing was very good,” Trump said. The pandemic has infected more than 580,000 Americans and killed more than 23,500 in the U.S.Fauci said he and Dr. Deborah Birx, who is leading the White House coronavirus response, went to the president twice to discuss strong social distancing guidelines that have led to a dramatic economic shutdown. He said Trump gave his assent both times.Fauci said that when he and Birx recommended that the country needed another 30 days of social distancing after the initial 15 days: “Obviously, there were people who had a problem with that because of the potential secondary effects. Nonetheless, at that time, the president went with the health recommendation.”He bristled when asked if he was trying to clarify his comments voluntarily.“Everything I do is voluntary,” Fauci said with his hands up in the air. “Please, don’t even imply that.”Asked what mistakes had been made, Fauci focused only on what he personally could have done differently to fight what he called his “worst nightmare.”“Maybe I should have really tried to delve into that a little bit more,” he said of initial reports out of China that the virus was slow to spread among humans, which later proved to be catastrophically wrong.

Fauci, President Trump on same page in coronavirus battle

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend burglary and have made an arrest.

Just before 4:30 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to a prowler call in the 7800 block of SW Valencia Road, according to deputy Abigail Christian 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586724711971.png" alt="Miller photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Miller photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a weekend burglary and have made an arrest.Just before 4:30 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to a prowler call in the 7800 block of SW Valencia Road, according to deputy Abigail Christian The caller reported a suspicious vehicle parked in the driveway and heard a tapping on the window. Deputies arrived and located a woman identified as Theresa M. Miller, 35, of Topeka. Deputies arrested Miller on requested charges of burglary and theft.