TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly held a news conference Monday to discuss the increase in coronavirus in the state.

She also announced the Kansas Department for Children and Families has additional benefit in September for those receiving child care assistance to support families as they adapt to delayed school openings across the state.

&nbsp;The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,564 to a total of 42,612 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 446, an increase of 3.

“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our state, and many families and child care providers are in need of additional resources,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“As parents and kids adjust to virtual, remote, and hybrid learning environments, DCF is providing the support Kansas families need right now.”

“We know a large number of districts have moved the beginning of the school year to September,”&nbsp;DCF Secretary Laura Howard said.&nbsp;“This means many families are needing child care during a time when their kids would normally be in school.”

DCF is supplementing September child care plans to equal the benefit issued in August. In a typical year, the benefit would be reduced in September to account for children being in school. Those families eligible for the extra benefit include those with existing child care plans with DCF that have school-aged children. Additionally, families who apply by September 30, 2020 also will receive these additional September benefits, prorated based on the date of application.

DCF also is expanding eligibility criteria for its Hero Relief Program. The program expands DCF’s child care assistance subsidies for families by making them available to essential workers who financially qualify. Effective Sept. 1, school personnel will be added to the list of eligible workers.

To qualify, families must have countable gross income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. For an average family of four that equals a monthly income of $5,458.&nbsp;Families will receive the full DCF subsidy amount based on their family size, with no family-share deduction.

“We know teachers and other school personnel are dealing with difficult situations involving the care of their own children,”&nbsp;Howard said.&nbsp;“By expanding the Hero Relief Program, we hope to relieve some of the financial burden many of these families now face.”

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly held a news conference Monday to discuss the increase in coronavirus in the state.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F356732891998559%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>She also announced the Kansas Department for Children and Families has additional benefit in September for those receiving child care assistance to support families as they adapt to delayed school openings across the state.&nbsp;The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,564 to a total of 42,612 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 446, an increase of 3.“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our state, and many families and child care providers are in need of additional resources,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“As parents and kids adjust to virtual, remote, and hybrid learning environments, DCF is providing the support Kansas families need right now.”“We know a large number of districts have moved the beginning of the school year to September,”&nbsp;DCF Secretary Laura Howard said.&nbsp;“This means many families are needing child care during a time when their kids would normally be in school.”DCF is supplementing September child care plans to equal the benefit issued in August. In a typical year, the benefit would be reduced in September to account for children being in school. Those families eligible for the extra benefit include those with existing child care plans with DCF that have school-aged children. Additionally, families who apply by September 30, 2020 also will receive these additional September benefits, prorated based on the date of application.DCF also is expanding eligibility criteria for its Hero Relief Program. The program expands DCF’s child care assistance subsidies for families by making them available to essential workers who financially qualify. Effective Sept. 1, school personnel will be added to the list of eligible workers.The expansion will include:<ul>
 <li>Educators and select other school personnel including teachers, para-professionals and their substitutes</li><li>Workers providing bus or other transportation services, food services, and custodial services for public and private schools, including those employed by contractors</li><li>Workers providing other essential services within public and private schools may be determined eligible with the approval of regional administrators&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>To qualify, families must have countable gross income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. For an average family of four that equals a monthly income of $5,458.&nbsp;Families will receive the full DCF subsidy amount based on their family size, with no family-share deduction.“We know teachers and other school personnel are dealing with difficult situations involving the care of their own children,”&nbsp;Howard said.&nbsp;“By expanding the Hero Relief Program, we hope to relieve some of the financial burden many of these families now face.”

🎥 Gov.: Additional child care benefit, Hero Relief Program expanded

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Two former soccer club executives are hoping to help fund a planned $330 million redevelopment of the shuttered Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kansas, with sales tax funds.

Robb Heineman, Sporting KC’s former CEO, and Greg Cotton, its former chief operating officer and chief counsel, have proposed building a multisport complex on the site, which was sold in June last year.

Unified Government of Wyandotte County-Kansas City officials say the redevelopment would “remove (the) blight and political stigma” that has tainted the park since 2016&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6e76d9f5d6cd4b64bf7833e554c5323d#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A%20Kansas%20waterslide,an%20executive%20with%20involuntary%20manslaughter">when a 10-year-old boy was decapitated</a>&nbsp;while on a ride billed as the world’s tallest waterslide.

Heineman and Cotton were pitching their plans Monday to the economic development committee of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County-Kansas City.

The developers are seeking $130 million in Kansas STAR bonds — originally designed to fund attractions that bring in tourists — to boost the project. STAR bonds are among the most powerful incentives available to developers.

The new complex would include indoor and outdoor amenities, retail, office and entertainment space with soccer, football, baseball and lacrosse fields, as well as water sports such as paddleboarding, dragon boat racing and kayaking.

Tom Burroughs, who chairs the Economic Development and Finance Standing Committee, indicated that he thought it was a suitable redevelopment plan.

“Having that sports mecca there, it just plays right in with the development we have in western Wyandotte County,” Burroughs said. “I like to call it leisure-tainment.”

Katherine Carttar, the local economic development director, said the county has no plans to offer property tax abatements, and that developers won’t receive a penny in incentives until they build the first phase of the project in Wyandotte County.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Two former soccer club executives are hoping to help fund a planned $330 million redevelopment of the shuttered Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kansas, with sales tax funds.Robb Heineman, Sporting KC’s former CEO, and Greg Cotton, its former chief operating officer and chief counsel, have proposed building a multisport complex on the site, which was sold in June last year.Unified Government of Wyandotte County-Kansas City officials say the redevelopment would “remove (the) blight and political stigma” that has tainted the park since 2016&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6e76d9f5d6cd4b64bf7833e554c5323d#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20A%20Kansas%20waterslide,an%20executive%20with%20involuntary%20manslaughter">when a 10-year-old boy was decapitated</a>&nbsp;while on a ride billed as the world’s tallest waterslide.Heineman and Cotton were pitching their plans Monday to the economic development committee of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County-Kansas City.The developers are seeking $130 million in Kansas STAR bonds — originally designed to fund attractions that bring in tourists — to boost the project. STAR bonds are among the most powerful incentives available to developers.The new complex would include indoor and outdoor amenities, retail, office and entertainment space with soccer, football, baseball and lacrosse fields, as well as water sports such as paddleboarding, dragon boat racing and kayaking.Tom Burroughs, who chairs the Economic Development and Finance Standing Committee, indicated that he thought it was a suitable redevelopment plan.“Having that sports mecca there, it just plays right in with the development we have in western Wyandotte County,” Burroughs said. “I like to call it leisure-tainment.”Katherine Carttar, the local economic development director, said the county has no plans to offer property tax abatements, and that developers won’t receive a penny in incentives until they build the first phase of the project in Wyandotte County.

$330M development planned on Schlitterbahn water park site

By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-31/the-coronavirus-killed-so-many-jobs-that-as-many-as-350-000-plus-kansans-are-at-risk-of-eviction">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA — As many as 40 million Americans – including 357,000 Kansans – face the risk of eviction in the next several months.

An
 enhanced federal unemployment benefit of $600 a week that expired at 
the end of July helped people who lost jobs because of the COVID-19 
pandemic cover basic living expenses, like rent and mortgage payments.

But <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/the-covid-19-eviction-crisis-an-estimated-30-40-million-people-in-america-are-at-risk/" target="_blank">a recent report from the Aspen Institute</a>
 says that because Congress hasn’t extended those larger jobless checks,
 the country could soon see an unprecedented wave of evictions and 
foreclosures.

“America is facing an urgent and unprecedented eviction crisis,” the Aspen Institute researchers concluded.

Hundreds
 of thousands of Kansans could be at risk, said Donna Ginther, an 
economist with the Institute for Policy and Social Research at the 
University of Kansas.

“We need to understand that this (the pandemic) is a natural disaster,” Ginther said.

In<a href="https://ipsr.ku.edu/covid19/images/Ginther_CoronaVirus12.pdf" target="_blank"> a recent report</a>, Ginther said the lapse of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Assistance —<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares" target="_blank"> or CARES Act</a> — is “compounding a crisis that is already terrible.”

“The
 federal government is playing with fire right now,” she said. “If those
 benefits aren’t restored, you’re going to see a lot of hardship and 
deprivation.”

Sheena Mooney, of Topeka, has already experienced 
it. She lost her janitorial job in March, fell behind on her rent and 
last week was evicted from her house.

“It’s my home,” Mooney said as friends helped her pack up her belongings. “It’s so hard, you have no idea.”

Mooney applied for unemployment but was told she didn’t qualify. So, 
her eviction wasn’t triggered by the loss of federal benefits.

It 
was approved by the Shawnee County District Court between the May 26 
expiration of Gov. Laura Kelly’s initial order barring evictions and 
mortgage foreclosures and Aug. 17, when her new order took effect.

With
 Congress stalled on a new coronavirus relief package, Kelly announced 
last week that the state would apply to participate in a stop-gap Trump 
administration program to boost unemployment benefits by $400 a week.

In
 a statement, Kelly said using federal disaster relief funds to 
temporarily increase benefits to jobless Kansas is “far from a perfect 
solution.” But she said the program “is the only available option for 
additional federal assistance at this time.”

In recent testimony 
to a legislative committee monitoring the economic impact of the 
pandemic, Kansas Secretary of Labor Ryan Wright said he was reluctant to
 participate in the program because it would take “several weeks” to 
reprogram the agency’s decades-old-computer system to process the 
payments. Plus, he said, the $44 billion earmarked for the program isn’t
 expected to last long.

“What we’ve been told … is that we should only plan on three weeks of dedicated funding,” Wright said.

More than 415,000 Kansans have filed for unemployment since mid-March.

New
 claims, said Ginther, the KU economist, “remain stubbornly high,” 
particularly among low- to moderate-income Kansans making under $20 per 
hour.

The number of Kansans filing initial claims is on the rise, 
going from 11,092 on Aug. 1, to 21,175 on Aug. 22, the end of the last 
reporting period. Initial and continued claims combined total 87,546.

Social
 service agencies are bracing for a surge in demand if more relief isn’t
 available soon, said Tawny Stottlemire, director of <a href="http://www.wefightpoverty.org/" target="_blank">Community Action Topeka,</a> an anti-poverty organization that helps low-income Kansans with child care and basic living expenses.

“We’re going to see it just get worse and worse unless Congress acts,” Stottlemire said. “We’re going to see more homelessness.”

Teresa
 Baker helps people avoid financial calamities like foreclosure, 
eviction and bankruptcy as a counselor at Topeka’s Housing and Credit 
Counseling, Inc. She’s been anticipating a sharp increase in people 
seeking assistance since pandemic-related business closures threw tens 
of thousands of Kansans out of work in mid-March.

It hasn’t 
happened yet, she said, because the enhanced unemployment benefits have 
allowed people to scrape by. But she said a housing crisis looks 
inevitable if Washington doesn’t extend the benefits.

“It’s going to happen,” Baker said.

People
 fearing eviction, Baker said, should contact their landlord and attempt
 to work out a partial payment plan. If that’s not possible, agree to 
vacate their home or apartment before they’re evicted.

“We don’t 
want to see people legally evicted,” Baker said, because that puts a 
negative mark on their credit record “that’s going to make it harder for
 them to rent in the future.”

Kelly’s moratorium on evictions and 
foreclosures remains in effect until Sept. 15. She can’t extend it 
beyond that date unless the Kansas Legislature renews her emergency 
powers.

“No Kansan should be kicked out of their home during the pandemic,” Kelly said when announcing the order. “That’s just wrong.”

Vince Munoz, an organizer for the Rent Zero Kansas coalition, argues in<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/20/how-lawmakers-can-give-155000-kansans-housing-security-cancel-rent/" target="_blank"> an opinion piece in The Kansas Reflector</a>
 that state or federal lawmakers need to cancel rent and mortgage 
payments all together until a vaccine capable of ending the pandemic is 
widely available.

To protect landlords and lenders, Munoz wrote, 
taxpayers could “offset real losses associated with cancelling and 
suspending payments.”

Steve Vogel, the head of the Shawnee County 
Landlords Association, said the governor’s temporary moratorium is 
warranted. But he said cancelling or suspending rent payments for the 
duration of the pandemic would financially cripple scores of small 
businesses across the state.

“Most of the landlords that I know 
of, especially if they have very many properties, have acquired those 
properties with borrowed money,” Vogel said. “They have mortgages to 
pay.”

Vogel owns 13 rental properties in the Topeka area. He says 
landlords are generally willing to work with tenants to avoid evictions,
 which he says are “a last resort.”

“No landlord that I know or have ever met wants to do an eviction,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking to go through that.”

Kelly has said her administration is also looking for ways to help landlords.

Jim
 McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598893700394.png" alt="Sheena Mooney moving after being evicted from her Topeka rental home. Jim McLean / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>Sheena Mooney moving after being evicted from her Topeka rental home. Jim McLean / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-31/the-coronavirus-killed-so-many-jobs-that-as-many-as-350-000-plus-kansans-are-at-risk-of-eviction">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA — As many as 40 million Americans – including 357,000 Kansans – face the risk of eviction in the next several months.An
 enhanced federal unemployment benefit of $600 a week that expired at 
the end of July helped people who lost jobs because of the COVID-19 
pandemic cover basic living expenses, like rent and mortgage payments.But <a href="https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/the-covid-19-eviction-crisis-an-estimated-30-40-million-people-in-america-are-at-risk/" target="_blank">a recent report from the Aspen Institute</a>
 says that because Congress hasn’t extended those larger jobless checks,
 the country could soon see an unprecedented wave of evictions and 
foreclosures.“America is facing an urgent and unprecedented eviction crisis,” the Aspen Institute researchers concluded.Hundreds
 of thousands of Kansans could be at risk, said Donna Ginther, an 
economist with the Institute for Policy and Social Research at the 
University of Kansas.“We need to understand that this (the pandemic) is a natural disaster,” Ginther said.In<a href="https://ipsr.ku.edu/covid19/images/Ginther_CoronaVirus12.pdf" target="_blank"> a recent report</a>, Ginther said the lapse of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Assistance —<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares" target="_blank"> or CARES Act</a> — is “compounding a crisis that is already terrible.”“The
 federal government is playing with fire right now,” she said. “If those
 benefits aren’t restored, you’re going to see a lot of hardship and 
deprivation.”Sheena Mooney, of Topeka, has already experienced 
it. She lost her janitorial job in March, fell behind on her rent and 
last week was evicted from her house.“It’s my home,” Mooney said as friends helped her pack up her belongings. “It’s so hard, you have no idea.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598893768107.png" alt="Sheena Mooney, lost her job at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, reacting to being evicted from her Topeka rental home. " />
 <figcaption>Sheena Mooney, lost her job at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, reacting to being evicted from her Topeka rental home. </figcaption>
 </figure>Mooney applied for unemployment but was told she didn’t qualify. So, 
her eviction wasn’t triggered by the loss of federal benefits.It 
was approved by the Shawnee County District Court between the May 26 
expiration of Gov. Laura Kelly’s initial order barring evictions and 
mortgage foreclosures and Aug. 17, when her new order took effect.<h2>Stop-gap measures</h2>With
 Congress stalled on a new coronavirus relief package, Kelly announced 
last week that the state would apply to participate in a stop-gap Trump 
administration program to boost unemployment benefits by $400 a week.In
 a statement, Kelly said using federal disaster relief funds to 
temporarily increase benefits to jobless Kansas is “far from a perfect 
solution.” But she said the program “is the only available option for 
additional federal assistance at this time.”In recent testimony 
to a legislative committee monitoring the economic impact of the 
pandemic, Kansas Secretary of Labor Ryan Wright said he was reluctant to
 participate in the program because it would take “several weeks” to 
reprogram the agency’s decades-old-computer system to process the 
payments. Plus, he said, the $44 billion earmarked for the program isn’t
 expected to last long.“What we’ve been told … is that we should only plan on three weeks of dedicated funding,” Wright said.More than 415,000 Kansans have filed for unemployment since mid-March.New
 claims, said Ginther, the KU economist, “remain stubbornly high,” 
particularly among low- to moderate-income Kansans making under $20 per 
hour.The number of Kansans filing initial claims is on the rise, 
going from 11,092 on Aug. 1, to 21,175 on Aug. 22, the end of the last 
reporting period. Initial and continued claims combined total 87,546.<h2>Bracing for the 'inevitable'</h2>Social
 service agencies are bracing for a surge in demand if more relief isn’t
 available soon, said Tawny Stottlemire, director of <a href="http://www.wefightpoverty.org/" target="_blank">Community Action Topeka,</a> an anti-poverty organization that helps low-income Kansans with child care and basic living expenses.“We’re going to see it just get worse and worse unless Congress acts,” Stottlemire said. “We’re going to see more homelessness.”Teresa
 Baker helps people avoid financial calamities like foreclosure, 
eviction and bankruptcy as a counselor at Topeka’s Housing and Credit 
Counseling, Inc. She’s been anticipating a sharp increase in people 
seeking assistance since pandemic-related business closures threw tens 
of thousands of Kansans out of work in mid-March.It hasn’t 
happened yet, she said, because the enhanced unemployment benefits have 
allowed people to scrape by. But she said a housing crisis looks 
inevitable if Washington doesn’t extend the benefits.“It’s going to happen,” Baker said.People
 fearing eviction, Baker said, should contact their landlord and attempt
 to work out a partial payment plan. If that’s not possible, agree to 
vacate their home or apartment before they’re evicted.“We don’t 
want to see people legally evicted,” Baker said, because that puts a 
negative mark on their credit record “that’s going to make it harder for
 them to rent in the future.”Kelly’s moratorium on evictions and 
foreclosures remains in effect until Sept. 15. She can’t extend it 
beyond that date unless the Kansas Legislature renews her emergency 
powers.“No Kansan should be kicked out of their home during the pandemic,” Kelly said when announcing the order. “That’s just wrong.”Vince Munoz, an organizer for the Rent Zero Kansas coalition, argues in<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/20/how-lawmakers-can-give-155000-kansans-housing-security-cancel-rent/" target="_blank"> an opinion piece in The Kansas Reflector</a>
 that state or federal lawmakers need to cancel rent and mortgage 
payments all together until a vaccine capable of ending the pandemic is 
widely available.To protect landlords and lenders, Munoz wrote, 
taxpayers could “offset real losses associated with cancelling and 
suspending payments.”Steve Vogel, the head of the Shawnee County 
Landlords Association, said the governor’s temporary moratorium is 
warranted. But he said cancelling or suspending rent payments for the 
duration of the pandemic would financially cripple scores of small 
businesses across the state.“Most of the landlords that I know 
of, especially if they have very many properties, have acquired those 
properties with borrowed money,” Vogel said. “They have mortgages to 
pay.”Vogel owns 13 rental properties in the Topeka area. He says 
landlords are generally willing to work with tenants to avoid evictions,
 which he says are “a last resort.”“No landlord that I know or have ever met wants to do an eviction,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking to go through that.”Kelly has said her administration is also looking for ways to help landlords.Jim
 McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.

350,000-plus Kansans at risk of eviction in virus-plagued economy

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend crash and fire.

Just before 11:30 p.m., Saturday, deputies were dispatched to an injury accident on K-96 and 215th&nbsp;Street West, according to Lt. Tim Myers.

At the scene, deputies found a grey Mazda 6 and a grey Honda Accord on fire.

A Maize Police Officer and a deputy attempted to extinguish the vehicle fires and extricate the drivers.&nbsp; Unfortunately, their efforts were not successful.&nbsp; Both drivers of the vehicles were pronounced deceased at the scene, according to Myers.

Investigators believe the Mazda was driving west in the eastbound lanes of K-96.&nbsp; Myers did not release the victim's names on Monday morning.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend crash and fire.Just before 11:30 p.m., Saturday, deputies were dispatched to an injury accident on K-96 and 215th&nbsp;Street West, according to Lt. Tim Myers.At the scene, deputies found a grey Mazda 6 and a grey Honda Accord on fire.A Maize Police Officer and a deputy attempted to extinguish the vehicle fires and extricate the drivers.&nbsp; Unfortunately, their efforts were not successful.&nbsp; Both drivers of the vehicles were pronounced deceased at the scene, according to Myers.Investigators believe the Mazda was driving west in the eastbound lanes of K-96.&nbsp; Myers did not release the victim's names on Monday morning.

Sheriff: 2 dead after Kansas wrong-way crash and fire

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,564 to a total of 42,612 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

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

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,564 to a total of 42,612 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 446, an increase of 3.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598893394751.png" alt="Screen Shot 2020-08-31 at 12.01.54 PM.png" />
 <figcaption>Screen Shot 2020-08-31 at 12.01.54 PM.png</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after alleged altercation in Salina and a subsequent pursuit into Saline County on Saturday.

Just after 4:30p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a residence in the 1000 block of East Iron Avenue in Salina where a 56-year-old Salina man and a 30-year-old Salina woman reported an altercation with Evan Howie, 33, of Solomon, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

The man was struck numerous times with a branch and a brick and the woman was struck with the brick when it was thrown at her, causing her to drop her cellphone. 

The woman told police that Howie then took her cell phone that was valued at $50. The man had a $10 pair of sunglasses broken during the altercation, he added. Howie allegedly also struck the man's 2006 Ford 500 when he was leaving, causing approximately $500 damage, according to Forrester.

Officers were advised the suspect left in a white or gray Buick. An officer located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle in the 200 block of South Kansas Avenue. 

The vehicle continued north on Kansas Avenue and ultimately east on Old Highway 40. At that point, the pursuit was turned over to Saline County Sheriff's deputies and the Kansas Highway Patrol. 

KHP was able to conduct a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) on the car in the 3000 block of North Whitmore Road, ending the pursuit, according to Forrester.

Howie was arrested on requested charges of aggravated battery, Theft, Damage to property, Flee and elude in the commission of a felony and Multiple traffic offenses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598282715073.jpeg" alt="Howie photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Howie photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after alleged altercation in Salina and a subsequent pursuit into Saline County on Saturday.Just after 4:30p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a residence in the 1000 block of East Iron Avenue in Salina where a 56-year-old Salina man and a 30-year-old Salina woman reported an altercation with Evan Howie, 33, of Solomon, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.The man was struck numerous times with a branch and a brick and the woman was struck with the brick when it was thrown at her, causing her to drop her cellphone. The woman told police that Howie then took her cell phone that was valued at $50. The man had a $10 pair of sunglasses broken during the altercation, he added. Howie allegedly also struck the man's 2006 Ford 500 when he was leaving, causing approximately $500 damage, according to Forrester.Officers were advised the suspect left in a white or gray Buick. An officer located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle in the 200 block of South Kansas Avenue. The vehicle continued north on Kansas Avenue and ultimately east on Old Highway 40. At that point, the pursuit was turned over to Saline County Sheriff's deputies and the Kansas Highway Patrol. KHP was able to conduct a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) on the car in the 3000 block of North Whitmore Road, ending the pursuit, according to Forrester.Howie was arrested on requested charges of aggravated battery, Theft, Damage to property, Flee and elude in the commission of a felony and Multiple traffic offenses.

State trooper uses TVI to end pursuit of theft, battery suspect 

JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities searching for an inmate who walked away from an exam at Olathe Medical Center Monday reported just after 11a.m. they had him in custody, according to a social media report from&nbsp; the Johnson County Sheriff's Department.

Elijah Naves, 27, was last seen at 4:30 a.m. Monday. He was in custody on aggravated robbery charges.&nbsp;

Deputies released no additional details late Monday morning.

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are attempting to locate an inmate who escaped from Olathe Medical Center.

Elijah Naves, 27, was last seen at 4:30 a.m. Monday and was wearing a green hospital gown with blue and white stripped jail issued pants, according to a media release from the Johnson County Sheriff's department.

Naves was in custody on aggravated robbery charges. His last direction of travel was south of the Medical Center at 20333 West 151st in Olathe.

Authorities reminded the public, if you see him, do not contact Neves but call the sheriff's office at 913-782-0720 or call 911.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598876667094.png" alt="Naves' facial hair has been trimmed and cleaned up since this photo was taken, according to police." />
 <figcaption>Naves' facial hair has been trimmed and cleaned up since this photo was taken, according to police.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Authorities searching for an inmate who walked away from an exam at Olathe Medical Center Monday reported just after 11a.m. they had him in custody, according to a social media report from&nbsp; the Johnson County Sheriff's Department.Elijah Naves, 27, was last seen at 4:30 a.m. Monday. He was in custody on aggravated robbery charges.&nbsp;Deputies released no additional details late Monday morning.---------JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are attempting to locate an inmate who escaped from Olathe Medical Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598886555334.png" alt="Suspect is believed to be driving this pickup" />
 <figcaption>Suspect is believed to be driving this pickup</figcaption>
 </figure>Elijah Naves, 27, was last seen at 4:30 a.m. Monday and was wearing a green hospital gown with blue and white stripped jail issued pants, according to a media release from the Johnson County Sheriff's department.Naves was in custody on aggravated robbery charges. His last direction of travel was south of the Medical Center at 20333 West 151st in Olathe.Authorities reminded the public, if you see him, do not contact Neves but call the sheriff's office at 913-782-0720 or call 911.

Update: Suspect in custody after escape from Kan. hospital

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly weekend crash and have identified the man who died as&nbsp;94-year-old Ralph Hunt of Wichita.

At approximately 3:15 p.m. Saturday, police responded to an injury accident at West 17th&nbsp;Street and North West Street in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.&nbsp;

Upon arrival, officers located Hunt, who was unresponsive.&nbsp; Fire and EMS personnel attempted life-saving measures on Hunt, but he was pronounced dead on the scene.&nbsp;

The investigation revealed that a red Chevrolet Silverado driven by a 22-year-old male and a tan Chevrolet Silverado driven by a 17-year-old male were both southbound on North West Street.&nbsp;

 The two trucks collided with a westbound Lincoln Town Car driven by Hunt.&nbsp; The 17-year-old driver received non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; A 15-year-old male passenger in the Town Car received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Speed is believed to have been a factor on the part of the two pick-up drivers, according to Wheeler.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598886375186.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal weekend crash -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal weekend crash -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly weekend crash and have identified the man who died as&nbsp;94-year-old Ralph Hunt of Wichita.At approximately 3:15 p.m. Saturday, police responded to an injury accident at West 17th&nbsp;Street and North West Street in Wichita, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.&nbsp;Upon arrival, officers located Hunt, who was unresponsive.&nbsp; Fire and EMS personnel attempted life-saving measures on Hunt, but he was pronounced dead on the scene.&nbsp;The investigation revealed that a red Chevrolet Silverado driven by a 22-year-old male and a tan Chevrolet Silverado driven by a 17-year-old male were both southbound on North West Street.&nbsp; The two trucks collided with a westbound Lincoln Town Car driven by Hunt.&nbsp; The 17-year-old driver received non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; A 15-year-old male passenger in the Town Car received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.Speed is believed to have been a factor on the part of the two pick-up drivers, according to Wheeler.

Police ID 94-year-old Kan. man who died in 3-vehicle crash

By AJ DOME <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/29/kansas-seeing-historically-low-number-of-tornadoes-in-2020/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Tornadoes and their 
warnings have been few and far between in Kansas for the majority of 
2020, and in one corner of the state a record is poised to be broken if 
the trend continues through the end of the year.

The National Weather 
Service office in Dodge City has recorded only six tornadoes across its 
27-county forecast area — well below the annual average of 28. Last year
 saw 29 tornadoes touch down across those counties.

“Going back to 1991, the 
lowest tornado count for our warning area was seven,” said Mike 
Umscheid, storm chaser and meteorologist for the Dodge City office. “If 
we don’t have any more tornadoes this year, we will break that 30-year 
record for lowest number of tornadoes.”

Statewide, the average 
number of tornadoes reported each year is 96, according to the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Umscheid said the most active 
tornado season his office has recorded was in 2008, when 81 twisters 
touched down across its warning area.

“It’s interesting how you can go from one extreme to another in the matter of a decade,” Umscheid said.

The most recent and 
notable tornado event in southwest Kansas occurred on July 1, when a 
twister touched down in northern Seward County. The only reported damage
 was to an irrigation sprinkler, and the tornado was later classified as
 an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with wind speeds in the 80-90 mph 
range.

The amount of tornado 
warnings issued in Kansas is significantly lower this year, as well. 
Through Aug. 25, the NWS office in Wichita has issued only two tornado 
warnings for the counties it serves, on April 28 and June 21. Chance 
Hayes, the warning coordination meteorologist for NWS Wichita, said his 
office has averaged nearly 25 tornado warnings each year over the past 
decade.

“When you look at the 
seven offices which serve the state of Kansas, all seven average 218 
tornado warnings a year in a period over the last 10 years,” Hayes said.
 “Right now, we are right around 57 for the year across the state, or 
about 25% of average.”

Tornadoes and other severe
 weather events are the products of supercell thunderstorms — huge 
rotating assemblies of cloud that require a clash of warm, moist air 
from the Gulf of Mexico, cool dry air from the Arctic, and plenty of 
low-level wind shear courtesy the jet stream. Bill Bunting, the chief of
 forecast operations for the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., 
said at least one of those key ingredients has been missing this year.

“The combination of 
factors that we look for, for favorable tornado situations, just didn’t 
occur very often,” Bunting said. “We actually had a good chunk of May 
and June with winds aloft from the north and west, which stabilized the 
lower atmosphere.”

Hayes said some 
meteorologists at the NWS Wichita office have been investigating those 
winds as the culprit behind the limited tornado season.

“One of the things they 
pointed to was airflow in middle and upper levels of the atmosphere is 
more from a northerly direction, which can lead to more convection and 
storms in the late night and overnight hours,” Hayes said. “This leads 
to heavy rains and flooding, hailstorms, and straight-line winds. It 
means the possibility for tornadoes is much less.”

Umscheid said the Gulf of Mexico’s sea surface temperature anomalies have been higher, so moisture has not been the problem.

“It’s all in the jet 
stream patterns,” Umscheid said. “It’s just a matter of getting those 
low-level winds to crank that wind shear over a large enough area.”

Umscheid, along with other
 atmospheric scientists, said climate change may partially explain the 
jet stream buckling more frequently.

“Anecdotally, there seems 
to be a subtle shift towards jet stream patterns which tend toward a 
more blocking nature,” Umscheid said. “I think a lot of that shift can 
be contributed to a warming of high arctic latitudes.”

Bunting said there have been studies which have looked at the degree to which a warming world would affect tornadic activity.

“The answer right now is 
inconclusive,” Bunting said. “You have basically a conflicting trend in 
two of the key parameters for tornado occurrence – instability and warm 
moist air. It really makes it difficult to reach a firm conclusion on 
the impact of climate change on tornado occurrence.”

Mary Knapp, state 
climatologist at Kansas State University, said atmospheric scientists 
are watching the development of a La Nina pattern in the Pacific Ocean. 
This phenomenon occurs when strong winds push warm water at the ocean’s 
surface from South America to near Indonesia, helping colder water rise 
from deeper levels to the surface of the Pacific. Knapp said this kind 
of pattern tends to favor hotter and dryer conditions in autumn months.

According to Hayes, there have been 108 tornadoes reported since 1950 over the months of September through December.

“We do have kind of a secondary season for severe weather,” Hayes said. “It’s part of that transition from summer to fall.”

Knapp said she hasn’t heard much complaining about the lack of tornadoes for 2020.

From a storm chasing 
perspective, Umscheid said, there have been fewer weather enthusiasts on
 the roads because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is still a need 
for ground confirmation of severe weather activity.

“If there have not been 
tornadoes for a couple years, you can kind of ‘set it and forget it’ and
 fall into this trap of false safety,” Umscheid said. “I don’t think 
it’ll be a huge problem, because once we have another tornado outbreak 
in Kansas — which will happen — it will snap people back to being 
prepared.”

AJ Dome is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster from southwest Kansas.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598881230210.png" alt="On Aug. 14, 2020, a landspout tornado developed along the Kansas-Colorado border near the small town of Towner, Colorado. Unusual weather patterns this year have produced historically low numbers of tornadoes across Kansas. (Mike Umscheid)" />
 <figcaption>On Aug. 14, 2020, a landspout tornado developed along the Kansas-Colorado border near the small town of Towner, Colorado. Unusual weather patterns this year have produced historically low numbers of tornadoes across Kansas. (Mike Umscheid)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AJ DOME <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/29/kansas-seeing-historically-low-number-of-tornadoes-in-2020/">Kansas Reflector</a>Tornadoes and their 
warnings have been few and far between in Kansas for the majority of 
2020, and in one corner of the state a record is poised to be broken if 
the trend continues through the end of the year.The National Weather 
Service office in Dodge City has recorded only six tornadoes across its 
27-county forecast area — well below the annual average of 28. Last year
 saw 29 tornadoes touch down across those counties.“Going back to 1991, the 
lowest tornado count for our warning area was seven,” said Mike 
Umscheid, storm chaser and meteorologist for the Dodge City office. “If 
we don’t have any more tornadoes this year, we will break that 30-year 
record for lowest number of tornadoes.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598881278565.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Statewide, the average 
number of tornadoes reported each year is 96, according to the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Umscheid said the most active 
tornado season his office has recorded was in 2008, when 81 twisters 
touched down across its warning area.“It’s interesting how you can go from one extreme to another in the matter of a decade,” Umscheid said.The most recent and 
notable tornado event in southwest Kansas occurred on July 1, when a 
twister touched down in northern Seward County. The only reported damage
 was to an irrigation sprinkler, and the tornado was later classified as
 an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with wind speeds in the 80-90 mph 
range.The amount of tornado 
warnings issued in Kansas is significantly lower this year, as well. 
Through Aug. 25, the NWS office in Wichita has issued only two tornado 
warnings for the counties it serves, on April 28 and June 21. Chance 
Hayes, the warning coordination meteorologist for NWS Wichita, said his 
office has averaged nearly 25 tornado warnings each year over the past 
decade.“When you look at the 
seven offices which serve the state of Kansas, all seven average 218 
tornado warnings a year in a period over the last 10 years,” Hayes said.
 “Right now, we are right around 57 for the year across the state, or 
about 25% of average.”Tornadoes and other severe
 weather events are the products of supercell thunderstorms — huge 
rotating assemblies of cloud that require a clash of warm, moist air 
from the Gulf of Mexico, cool dry air from the Arctic, and plenty of 
low-level wind shear courtesy the jet stream. Bill Bunting, the chief of
 forecast operations for the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., 
said at least one of those key ingredients has been missing this year.“The combination of 
factors that we look for, for favorable tornado situations, just didn’t 
occur very often,” Bunting said. “We actually had a good chunk of May 
and June with winds aloft from the north and west, which stabilized the 
lower atmosphere.”Hayes said some 
meteorologists at the NWS Wichita office have been investigating those 
winds as the culprit behind the limited tornado season.“One of the things they 
pointed to was airflow in middle and upper levels of the atmosphere is 
more from a northerly direction, which can lead to more convection and 
storms in the late night and overnight hours,” Hayes said. “This leads 
to heavy rains and flooding, hailstorms, and straight-line winds. It 
means the possibility for tornadoes is much less.”Umscheid said the Gulf of Mexico’s sea surface temperature anomalies have been higher, so moisture has not been the problem.“It’s all in the jet 
stream patterns,” Umscheid said. “It’s just a matter of getting those 
low-level winds to crank that wind shear over a large enough area.”Umscheid, along with other
 atmospheric scientists, said climate change may partially explain the 
jet stream buckling more frequently.“Anecdotally, there seems 
to be a subtle shift towards jet stream patterns which tend toward a 
more blocking nature,” Umscheid said. “I think a lot of that shift can 
be contributed to a warming of high arctic latitudes.”Bunting said there have been studies which have looked at the degree to which a warming world would affect tornadic activity.“The answer right now is 
inconclusive,” Bunting said. “You have basically a conflicting trend in 
two of the key parameters for tornado occurrence – instability and warm 
moist air. It really makes it difficult to reach a firm conclusion on 
the impact of climate change on tornado occurrence.”Mary Knapp, state 
climatologist at Kansas State University, said atmospheric scientists 
are watching the development of a La Nina pattern in the Pacific Ocean. 
This phenomenon occurs when strong winds push warm water at the ocean’s 
surface from South America to near Indonesia, helping colder water rise 
from deeper levels to the surface of the Pacific. Knapp said this kind 
of pattern tends to favor hotter and dryer conditions in autumn months.According to Hayes, there have been 108 tornadoes reported since 1950 over the months of September through December.“We do have kind of a secondary season for severe weather,” Hayes said. “It’s part of that transition from summer to fall.”Knapp said she hasn’t heard much complaining about the lack of tornadoes for 2020.From a storm chasing 
perspective, Umscheid said, there have been fewer weather enthusiasts on
 the roads because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is still a need 
for ground confirmation of severe weather activity.“If there have not been 
tornadoes for a couple years, you can kind of ‘set it and forget it’ and
 fall into this trap of false safety,” Umscheid said. “I don’t think 
it’ll be a huge problem, because once we have another tornado outbreak 
in Kansas — which will happen — it will snap people back to being 
prepared.”AJ Dome is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster from southwest Kansas.&nbsp;

Kan. seeing historically low number of tornadoes in 2020

Child development specialist says kids need to play, interact with peers&nbsp;

MANHATTAN – While many parents may be feeling relieved after months of schooling their children, the re-opening of schools – even if on a limited basis – is likely to be even more uplifting for the kids.&nbsp;

Bradford Wiles, a Kansas State University child development specialist, said it’s particularly important that school-age children spend time interacting with their peers.&nbsp;

“That is a huge element of what you’re learning in those early years,” he said. “We think about what we learn early on and so often it is said that play is the work of early childhood. That’s exactly what children need: they need to be able to play and interact. It makes a huge difference in their development.”&nbsp;

The ongoing health threat of the COVID-19 pandemic may not make it possible for youth to be back to school full time, but every little bit helps, according to Wiles.&nbsp;

“I think that’s really a good reason why the hybrid model (of schooling) has been implemented,” said Wiles, referring to a decision by many schools to provide part-time instruction in person and part-time remote learning. “The hybrid model allows for the things that young children really need.”&nbsp;

For their part, parents can help their children adjust to hybrid or other learning by them understand the new routines.&nbsp;

“Routines are critical for everything that we do,” Wiles said. “Routines are critical for young children because it’s how they reduce anxiety, knowing what to expect. That is gigantic in a young child’s mind.&nbsp;

“Right now,” he adds, “young children don’t know what to expect. They don’t know what learning is going to look like and the don’t know what their days are going to look like. The best thing I can say for parents and primary caregivers is that regardless of whether you are doing a remote learning model, a homeschooling model or a hybrid model, the best thing you can do for your children is to establish and maintain routines. That will help them in all the domains of learning because it gives them an idea of what to expect.”&nbsp;

Wiles said parents are also their child’s best teacher for some important life lessons.&nbsp;

“Nobody who is living through this pandemic will ever forget this period of time,” he said. “The thing that I want parents to understand is that they are also modeling how to handle adversity at this time, and they are modeling what good relationships look like.”&nbsp;

“In my own home, things get tense and things are hard. How do you handle that? How do you work through that? How do you talk to your children, spouse or other people in the household? Those are important elements.”&nbsp;

Wiles noted that parents should not beat themselves up when things don’t go as hoped.&nbsp;

“We are going to make mistakes; everyone does,” he said. “But we should remind ourselves that this is a very difficult time for all of us and our children are looking up to us. Whether you think they are paying attention to you or not, I promise you they are paying attention.&nbsp;

“You, as a parent, are their model for how things go. Recognizing that and doing your very best to model how to handle adversity is the best advice I can give any parent.”&nbsp;

Wiles manages a laboratory in K-State’s College of Health and Human Sciences, called Applied Research in Child Health and Enhancing Resilience (ARCHER). For more information on child development, visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.k-state.edu/ahs/extension/child-development">lab’s website</a>.&nbsp;

Parents need to take care of themselves, too&nbsp;

Kansas State University child development specialist Bradford Wiles said that parents need to remember to take care of themselves even while helping their children through changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

“What I really want parents to recognize is that it’s a challenge and they need to be able to take care of themselves and forgive themselves for things they can’t control or stay on top of,” Wiles said.&nbsp;

For the last five months, parents have played varying roles of teacher, in-class support staff and maybe even technical support specialist.&nbsp;

“Essentially, we just pile on these different roles and responsibilities and no one person can handle all those things,” Wiles said. “It’s just not healthy. There’s a reason we sent kids to school before the pandemic and part of that is that it’s really burdensome for adults to be tied to their homes during the day.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579118089206.jpeg" alt="Kansas News Service file photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas News Service file photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Child development specialist says kids need to play, interact with peers&nbsp;</h2>K-State Research &amp; ExtensionMANHATTAN – While many parents may be feeling relieved after months of schooling their children, the re-opening of schools – even if on a limited basis – is likely to be even more uplifting for the kids.&nbsp;Bradford Wiles, a Kansas State University child development specialist, said it’s particularly important that school-age children spend time interacting with their peers.&nbsp;“That is a huge element of what you’re learning in those early years,” he said. “We think about what we learn early on and so often it is said that play is the work of early childhood. That’s exactly what children need: they need to be able to play and interact. It makes a huge difference in their development.”&nbsp;The ongoing health threat of the COVID-19 pandemic may not make it possible for youth to be back to school full time, but every little bit helps, according to Wiles.&nbsp;“I think that’s really a good reason why the hybrid model (of schooling) has been implemented,” said Wiles, referring to a decision by many schools to provide part-time instruction in person and part-time remote learning. “The hybrid model allows for the things that young children really need.”&nbsp;For their part, parents can help their children adjust to hybrid or other learning by them understand the new routines.&nbsp;“Routines are critical for everything that we do,” Wiles said. “Routines are critical for young children because it’s how they reduce anxiety, knowing what to expect. That is gigantic in a young child’s mind.&nbsp;“Right now,” he adds, “young children don’t know what to expect. They don’t know what learning is going to look like and the don’t know what their days are going to look like. The best thing I can say for parents and primary caregivers is that regardless of whether you are doing a remote learning model, a homeschooling model or a hybrid model, the best thing you can do for your children is to establish and maintain routines. That will help them in all the domains of learning because it gives them an idea of what to expect.”&nbsp;Wiles said parents are also their child’s best teacher for some important life lessons.&nbsp;“Nobody who is living through this pandemic will ever forget this period of time,” he said. “The thing that I want parents to understand is that they are also modeling how to handle adversity at this time, and they are modeling what good relationships look like.”&nbsp;“In my own home, things get tense and things are hard. How do you handle that? How do you work through that? How do you talk to your children, spouse or other people in the household? Those are important elements.”&nbsp;Wiles noted that parents should not beat themselves up when things don’t go as hoped.&nbsp;“We are going to make mistakes; everyone does,” he said. “But we should remind ourselves that this is a very difficult time for all of us and our children are looking up to us. Whether you think they are paying attention to you or not, I promise you they are paying attention.&nbsp;“You, as a parent, are their model for how things go. Recognizing that and doing your very best to model how to handle adversity is the best advice I can give any parent.”&nbsp;Wiles manages a laboratory in K-State’s College of Health and Human Sciences, called Applied Research in Child Health and Enhancing Resilience (ARCHER). For more information on child development, visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.k-state.edu/ahs/extension/child-development">lab’s website</a>.&nbsp;<h2>Parents need to take care of themselves, too&nbsp;</h2>Kansas State University child development specialist Bradford Wiles said that parents need to remember to take care of themselves even while helping their children through changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;“What I really want parents to recognize is that it’s a challenge and they need to be able to take care of themselves and forgive themselves for things they can’t control or stay on top of,” Wiles said.&nbsp;For the last five months, parents have played varying roles of teacher, in-class support staff and maybe even technical support specialist.&nbsp;“Essentially, we just pile on these different roles and responsibilities and no one person can handle all those things,” Wiles said. “It’s just not healthy. There’s a reason we sent kids to school before the pandemic and part of that is that it’s really burdensome for adults to be tied to their homes during the day.”&nbsp;

Children benefit from returning to school, even if part-time 

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) — A police officer who was a “hero” to his family died Sunday after being shot in the head by a barricaded gunman on the city’s south side, authorities said.

Officer Tamarris L. Bohannon, 29, had been with the St. Louis Police department for 3 1/2 years.

A second officer who was shot in the leg was treated and released after the shooting around 6 p.m. in the South Grand neighborhood near Tower Grove Park, St. Louis Police Department spokeswoman Officer Michelle Woodling said.

Woodling said the second officer is 30 and has been on the force about six months. The 43-year-old suspect was taken into custody Sunday morning, Woodling said.

Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a statement Sunday night that she was “heartbroken” at Bohannon’s death. “I’ve had the privilege of spending some time with his family under these extraordinarily challenging circumstances. They’re wonderful people and immensely proud of the way he selflessly served and protected our community with distinction and honor for more than three years.”

“This is a horrific reminder of the dangers our brave men and women willingly face everyday to keep us safe ... This is a terrible, senseless tragedy.”

A photo of a note police said came from Bohannon’s family was posted on the department’s Twitter page after the announcement of his death. “He is a hero to many, but most importantly to his loving wife and three incredible children,” read the note that referred to Bohannon as “Bo” and asked for “prayers and support in the days ahead.”

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief John Hayden said the gunman ordered a family out of their home at gunpoint and barricaded himself inside for almost 12 hours.

Officers were searching for another reported shooting victim when the gunman shot Bohannon in the head and the other officer in the leg, Hayden said.

The officers were “trying to do their job, that’s all they’re trying to do and they’re suffering under gunfire,” Hayden said, adding that the incidents are part of “a surge in violence” this summer. He asked residents to pray for the officers.

Hayden said eight of his officers have been shot in the line of duty since June 1.

“We’re trying to cope through a very trying summer, and it’s very difficult. It’s very difficult,” he said.

While the man was barricaded inside, officers armed with rifles and a SWAT team assembled outside. Police closed surrounding streets and warned residents to stay inside. Police used a bullhorn to order the suspect out and fired tear gas into the house, but fired no gunshots, the department said.

The man was taken into custody around 5:30 a.m. Police have released no details about how the standoff came to an end.

Homeowners Mimi and Steve Haag said they were trying to call 911 to help another man who had been shot when the gunman just walked into their home.

“I saw then he had a gun,” Steve Haag&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/god-protected-us-couple-escaped-gunman-who-shot-two-st-louis-police-officers-from-their/article_6af86f6a-eadc-11ea-b258-6fba437bfbde.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He was very calm standing there with it in his hand and he just says to Mimi: ‘Ma’am you need to get off the phone.’”

The Haags escaped through the back door and were unhurt in their encounter with the gunman. Police were unable to locate the other man who was apparently shot and wounded.

Krewson&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/LydaKrewson/status/1299852038063501313?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted</a>&nbsp;her condolences following the incident.

“Please keep our injured officers and all the men and women of @SLMPD in your thoughts and prayers as this situation continues to develop. Their friends, family and loved ones, too,” Krewson said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/0395dc8b36b52123678b1f9c29b815b7">Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner</a>, who has a fractious relationship with the city’s police, also issued a statement of support.

“We extend our deepest concern and sadness surrounding today’s unfortunate events,” Gardner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/officers-shot-south-st-louis/63-36e11278-2b1b-43d7-9656-7cb78dacccb5" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;KDSK-TV. “I want to extend my prayers for the injured SLMPD officers and their families.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598868684937.png" alt="Tamarris L. Bohannon photo courtesy St. Louis Police" />
 <figcaption>Tamarris L. Bohannon photo courtesy St. Louis Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) — A police officer who was a “hero” to his family died Sunday after being shot in the head by a barricaded gunman on the city’s south side, authorities said.Officer Tamarris L. Bohannon, 29, had been with the St. Louis Police department for 3 1/2 years.A second officer who was shot in the leg was treated and released after the shooting around 6 p.m. in the South Grand neighborhood near Tower Grove Park, St. Louis Police Department spokeswoman Officer Michelle Woodling said.Woodling said the second officer is 30 and has been on the force about six months. The 43-year-old suspect was taken into custody Sunday morning, Woodling said.Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a statement Sunday night that she was “heartbroken” at Bohannon’s death. “I’ve had the privilege of spending some time with his family under these extraordinarily challenging circumstances. They’re wonderful people and immensely proud of the way he selflessly served and protected our community with distinction and honor for more than three years.”“This is a horrific reminder of the dangers our brave men and women willingly face everyday to keep us safe ... This is a terrible, senseless tragedy.”A photo of a note police said came from Bohannon’s family was posted on the department’s Twitter page after the announcement of his death. “He is a hero to many, but most importantly to his loving wife and three incredible children,” read the note that referred to Bohannon as “Bo” and asked for “prayers and support in the days ahead.”St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief John Hayden said the gunman ordered a family out of their home at gunpoint and barricaded himself inside for almost 12 hours.Officers were searching for another reported shooting victim when the gunman shot Bohannon in the head and the other officer in the leg, Hayden said.The officers were “trying to do their job, that’s all they’re trying to do and they’re suffering under gunfire,” Hayden said, adding that the incidents are part of “a surge in violence” this summer. He asked residents to pray for the officers.Hayden said eight of his officers have been shot in the line of duty since June 1.“We’re trying to cope through a very trying summer, and it’s very difficult. It’s very difficult,” he said.While the man was barricaded inside, officers armed with rifles and a SWAT team assembled outside. Police closed surrounding streets and warned residents to stay inside. Police used a bullhorn to order the suspect out and fired tear gas into the house, but fired no gunshots, the department said.The man was taken into custody around 5:30 a.m. Police have released no details about how the standoff came to an end.Homeowners Mimi and Steve Haag said they were trying to call 911 to help another man who had been shot when the gunman just walked into their home.“I saw then he had a gun,” Steve Haag&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/god-protected-us-couple-escaped-gunman-who-shot-two-st-louis-police-officers-from-their/article_6af86f6a-eadc-11ea-b258-6fba437bfbde.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He was very calm standing there with it in his hand and he just says to Mimi: ‘Ma’am you need to get off the phone.’”The Haags escaped through the back door and were unhurt in their encounter with the gunman. Police were unable to locate the other man who was apparently shot and wounded.Krewson&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/LydaKrewson/status/1299852038063501313?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted</a>&nbsp;her condolences following the incident.“Please keep our injured officers and all the men and women of @SLMPD in your thoughts and prayers as this situation continues to develop. Their friends, family and loved ones, too,” Krewson said.<a href="https://apnews.com/0395dc8b36b52123678b1f9c29b815b7">Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner</a>, who has a fractious relationship with the city’s police, also issued a statement of support.“We extend our deepest concern and sadness surrounding today’s unfortunate events,” Gardner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/officers-shot-south-st-louis/63-36e11278-2b1b-43d7-9656-7cb78dacccb5" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;KDSK-TV. “I want to extend my prayers for the injured SLMPD officers and their families.”

'Tragedy': Missouri officer dies after being shot by gunman

WASHINGTON (AP) — Threatening fines and funding cut-offs, the Trump administration issued new COVID-19 requirements for nursing homes and hospitals, prompting immediate pushback from beleaguered industries.

To check the spread of the coronavirus in nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will require facilities to test staff regularly or face fines.

<a href="https://apnews.com/681479be1d9f1a0fea4d64b1a44d5b9e">The move comes months after the White House</a>&nbsp;first urged governors to test all nursing home residents and staff. With residents, nursing homes are being required to offer them coronavirus tests if there is an outbreak or if any show symptoms.

Officials also reinforced a reporting mandate for hospitals. It included a thinly veiled threat to cut off Medicare and Medicaid funds to facilities that fail to report certain COVID-19 data daily to the federal Health and Human Services department. Hospitals responded with a sharp rebuke, calling the move “heavy-handed” and raising the specter of loss of vital services for local communities in a pandemic, less than three months before Election Day.

Long-term care facilities represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they account for 42% of the COVID-19 deaths, with more than 70,000 fatalities reported by the COVID Tracking Project.

The plight of frail elders in nursing homes is politically sensitive for President Donald Trump, who is trying to maintain support from older voters amid disapproval of the government’s pandemic response. His administration is distributing fast-test machines to nursing homes, but there are continued reports that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ae2b6d71bdc3a9391ae02910d8f0491f">cases have been rising</a>&nbsp;and facilities still face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ff2bbfb4a7431e86cdca5132042d4a0e">shortages of supplies</a>&nbsp;like masks.

“Our recommendations for testing in nursing homes go back as far back as March and April,” said Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. “What’s different about today is that this is now a requirement ... we want to make sure every single nursing home is complying.”

Independent research indicates that the coronavirus most likely gets into nursing homes via staffers who unwittingly bring it in from surrounding communities where it has started to spread. Staffers who have yet to develop symptoms may have no clue that they’re infected.

Verma said the testing requirement for staff will be keyed to the level of virus activity in local areas. If the positive rate is below 5%, nursing homes will have to test staff once a month. If the rate is 5% - 10%, testing will be required once a week. If the rate is above 10%, staff will have to be tested twice a week. Florida, Iowa and Nevada are examples of states where the COVID-19 positive rate is now above 10%.

The government will provide $2.5 billion to help nursing homes with testing costs, Verma also announced. The administration’s campaign to distribute fast-test machines and an initial supply of tests is supposed to be done by the end of September.

The nursing home industry said it supports mandatory testing as long as facilities are given what they need to comply with requirements.

Mark Parkinson, head of the industry group American Health Care Association, said nursing homes in many parts of the country still can’t get timely results on COVID-19 tests.

CMS “must factor in the delays that continue to be a reality,” Parkinson said in a statement. “Otherwise facilities could face fines for circumstances beyond their control and be conducting tests that are so delayed that they have little clinical value.”

The hospital reporting requirement that was also announced Tuesday follows confusion and misgivings surrounding a Trump administration directive that facilities send critical COVID-19 data directly to HHS instead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as had been the case.

The information includes numbers of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, how many intensive-care beds are occupied, and the availability of essential supplies and equipment such as ventilators and masks and gowns.

The regulation basically says if hospitals want to continue to participate in Medicare and Medicaid, they must report the information as required. The American Hospital Association called for the requirement to be immediately rescinded.

“Hospitals and health systems consistently have put forward a good faith effort to report the data needed to battle COVID-19 under very trying circumstances, despite the ever-changing requests from the government on data reporting,” Rick Pollack, president of the American Hospital Association, said in a statement. “Since February, the government has made at least six changes to how they want hospitals to report data.”

Federal statistics show that 94% of hospitals are reporting the required data, said Pollack. He added his organization has done some investigation of its own and found that in some cases hospitals had sent in their reports, but the information had not gotten through the government system.

“It’s beyond perplexing why CMS would use a regulatory sledgehammer — threatening Medicare participation — to the very organizations that are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19.”

CMS chief Verma said the requirement is meant to correct deficiencies in reporting vital data needed to track and contain the pandemic.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Threatening fines and funding cut-offs, the Trump administration issued new COVID-19 requirements for nursing homes and hospitals, prompting immediate pushback from beleaguered industries.To check the spread of the coronavirus in nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will require facilities to test staff regularly or face fines.<a href="https://apnews.com/681479be1d9f1a0fea4d64b1a44d5b9e">The move comes months after the White House</a>&nbsp;first urged governors to test all nursing home residents and staff. With residents, nursing homes are being required to offer them coronavirus tests if there is an outbreak or if any show symptoms.Officials also reinforced a reporting mandate for hospitals. It included a thinly veiled threat to cut off Medicare and Medicaid funds to facilities that fail to report certain COVID-19 data daily to the federal Health and Human Services department. Hospitals responded with a sharp rebuke, calling the move “heavy-handed” and raising the specter of loss of vital services for local communities in a pandemic, less than three months before Election Day.Long-term care facilities represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they account for 42% of the COVID-19 deaths, with more than 70,000 fatalities reported by the COVID Tracking Project.The plight of frail elders in nursing homes is politically sensitive for President Donald Trump, who is trying to maintain support from older voters amid disapproval of the government’s pandemic response. His administration is distributing fast-test machines to nursing homes, but there are continued reports that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ae2b6d71bdc3a9391ae02910d8f0491f">cases have been rising</a>&nbsp;and facilities still face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ff2bbfb4a7431e86cdca5132042d4a0e">shortages of supplies</a>&nbsp;like masks.“Our recommendations for testing in nursing homes go back as far back as March and April,” said Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. “What’s different about today is that this is now a requirement ... we want to make sure every single nursing home is complying.”Independent research indicates that the coronavirus most likely gets into nursing homes via staffers who unwittingly bring it in from surrounding communities where it has started to spread. Staffers who have yet to develop symptoms may have no clue that they’re infected.Verma said the testing requirement for staff will be keyed to the level of virus activity in local areas. If the positive rate is below 5%, nursing homes will have to test staff once a month. If the rate is 5% - 10%, testing will be required once a week. If the rate is above 10%, staff will have to be tested twice a week. Florida, Iowa and Nevada are examples of states where the COVID-19 positive rate is now above 10%.The government will provide $2.5 billion to help nursing homes with testing costs, Verma also announced. The administration’s campaign to distribute fast-test machines and an initial supply of tests is supposed to be done by the end of September.The nursing home industry said it supports mandatory testing as long as facilities are given what they need to comply with requirements.Mark Parkinson, head of the industry group American Health Care Association, said nursing homes in many parts of the country still can’t get timely results on COVID-19 tests.CMS “must factor in the delays that continue to be a reality,” Parkinson said in a statement. “Otherwise facilities could face fines for circumstances beyond their control and be conducting tests that are so delayed that they have little clinical value.”The hospital reporting requirement that was also announced Tuesday follows confusion and misgivings surrounding a Trump administration directive that facilities send critical COVID-19 data directly to HHS instead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as had been the case.The information includes numbers of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, how many intensive-care beds are occupied, and the availability of essential supplies and equipment such as ventilators and masks and gowns.The regulation basically says if hospitals want to continue to participate in Medicare and Medicaid, they must report the information as required. The American Hospital Association called for the requirement to be immediately rescinded.“Hospitals and health systems consistently have put forward a good faith effort to report the data needed to battle COVID-19 under very trying circumstances, despite the ever-changing requests from the government on data reporting,” Rick Pollack, president of the American Hospital Association, said in a statement. “Since February, the government has made at least six changes to how they want hospitals to report data.”Federal statistics show that 94% of hospitals are reporting the required data, said Pollack. He added his organization has done some investigation of its own and found that in some cases hospitals had sent in their reports, but the information had not gotten through the government system.“It’s beyond perplexing why CMS would use a regulatory sledgehammer — threatening Medicare participation — to the very organizations that are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19.”CMS chief Verma said the requirement is meant to correct deficiencies in reporting vital data needed to track and contain the pandemic.

New COVID-19 mandates on health care facilities get pushback

KANSAS CITY– A man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies as part of a $3.2 million romance fraud scheme that had victims in Kansas and six other states.

Henry N. Asomani, 35,  Dumfries, Virginia, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Ghana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Aug. 25, to 10 years in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney. The court also ordered Asomani to pay $3.2 million in restitution to his victims, and to forfeit to the government the money he profited from the scheme.

On Dec. 13, 2019, Asomani was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering.

Asomani was the middle man who received the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy from victims and transferred the proceeds to unknown co-conspirators. Asomani transferred the funds among various accounts; he kept a portion of the proceeds for himself, and funneled the rest of the proceeds to co-conspirators in Ghana. Asomani operated five different companies with 16 different accounts at eight different banks.

Asomani received funds sent by more than a dozen victims across the United States, including three victims in the Kansas City metropolitan area, from Sept. 15, 2015, to Oct. 17, 2017. Although bank investigators and FBI agents warned Asomani that his bank accounts were receiving the proceeds of a fraud scheme, he continued to receive the funds and simply opened new accounts when funds were frozen, or accounts were closed by the banks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576340160303.png" alt="Henry N. Asomani -photo Alexandria, Virginia Sheriff " />
 <figcaption>Henry N. Asomani -photo Alexandria, Virginia Sheriff </figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies as part of a $3.2 million romance fraud scheme that had victims in Kansas and six other states.Henry N. Asomani, 35, Dumfries, Virginia, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Ghana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Aug. 25, to 10 years in federal prison without parole, according to the United State's Attorney. The court also ordered Asomani to pay $3.2 million in restitution to his victims, and to forfeit to the government the money he profited from the scheme.On Dec. 13, 2019, Asomani was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering.Asomani was the middle man who received the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy from victims and transferred the proceeds to unknown co-conspirators. Asomani transferred the funds among various accounts; he kept a portion of the proceeds for himself, and funneled the rest of the proceeds to co-conspirators in Ghana. Asomani operated five different companies with 16 different accounts at eight different banks.Asomani received funds sent by more than a dozen victims across the United States, including three victims in the Kansas City metropolitan area, from Sept. 15, 2015, to Oct. 17, 2017. Although bank investigators and FBI agents warned Asomani that his bank accounts were receiving the proceeds of a fraud scheme, he continued to receive the funds and simply opened new accounts when funds were frozen, or accounts were closed by the banks.Unknown co-conspirators targeted victims through online dating websites with various romance frauds. The unknown co-conspirators impersonated individuals who were involved in businesses overseas. They convinced the victims that they needed funds to help with moving gold from a foreign country, orphanage expenses, and school and travel expenses. The co-conspirators told the victims they would share the profits when the gold was returned to the United States. In fact, none of the victims received any profit or received any gold from the co-conspirators.According to court documents, some victims suffered substantial financial hardship as a result of the fraud scheme. Some victims lost their retirement savings and some victims were forced to declare bankruptcy. Some victims borrowed money or took cash advances from credit cards in order to send money.The trial testimony from 13 victims established a loss of over $3.2 million. For example, one victim who resided in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, set up a profile on ChristianMingle.com following the death of her husband to brain cancer. In October 2015, an individual claiming to be “Larry B. White” initiated contact with her. Following numerous conversations by email and telephone, “White” convinced the victim to invest in a Ghana gold mine. “White” promised a 40 percent return on the investment of money. From November 2015 through January 2016, under the direction of “White,” the victim sent funds to multiple entities by check and wire totaling approximately $3,292,000. Of that amount, $2,292,000 was transferred to accounts controlled by Asomani. Asomani spent $50,000 of those proceeds to make a down payment on a 2019 silver Lexus NX300. The victim never received any money or gold profits from “White.”Another victim, who resides in Kansas City, Missouri, met “Bradley Fischer” on ChristianMingle.com. “Fischer” convinced the victim to send funds for school expenses, travel expenses, and to start a new life in Kansas City. On July 19, 2017, the victim wired $24,000 to Asomani’s bank account. “Fischer” promised to pay the victim back when he got to Kansas City. &nbsp;The victims received $1,000 back from “Fischer” after she realized she was being defrauded and confronted the individual.Other victims reside in New Jersey, Alaska, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Kansas, and Iowa.Asomani wired $1,789,416 from his bank accounts in the United States to bank accounts in Ghana. He spent approximately $342,278 on auto purchases and auto- or shipping-related expenses as part of the money-laundering scheme. Asomani shipped 18 vehicles to Ghana, having a declared value of approximately $284,190.