USD 383 will begin school on Aug. 26. Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade noted that On-site Learning students will begin in the Hybrid Learning instructional delivery model. It's a decision that was made based upon criteria established by the Riley County Health Department.

With Hybrid Learning, students will be divided into two groups, with all students in a household together in either Group A or Group B. Group A will attend on-site on Monday and Tuesday, and will be remote Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Group B will be remote Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and attend on-site on Thursday and Friday. It is anticipated that decisions about household assignments to Group A or Group B will be shared with households by August 19.&nbsp;

We recognize our families must face a new set of challenges whenever we move from one instructional delivery model to another, so the district will give as much advance notice as possible (at least one week) when COVID-19 conditions within our community warrant a change in USD 383 instructional delivery model.

More information is available in the "Building Foundations for a Strong Reopening" plan. It can be accessed on the USD 383 web site, which should be helpful as parents select either the Remote Learning or On-site Learning option for their children.

For more information about Hybrid Learning refer to the "Building Foundations for a Strong Reopening " plan.

USD 383 will begin school on Aug. 26. Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade noted that On-site Learning students will begin in the Hybrid Learning instructional delivery model. It's a decision that was made based upon criteria established by the Riley County Health Department.With Hybrid Learning, students will be divided into two groups, with all students in a household together in either Group A or Group B. Group A will attend on-site on Monday and Tuesday, and will be remote Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Group B will be remote Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and attend on-site on Thursday and Friday. It is anticipated that decisions about household assignments to Group A or Group B will be shared with households by August 19.&nbsp;We recognize our families must face a new set of challenges whenever we move from one instructional delivery model to another, so the district will give as much advance notice as possible (at least one week) when COVID-19 conditions within our community warrant a change in USD 383 instructional delivery model.More information is available in the "Building Foundations for a Strong Reopening" plan. It can be accessed on the USD 383 web site, which should be helpful as parents select either the Remote Learning or On-site Learning option for their children.For more information about Hybrid Learning refer to the "Building Foundations for a Strong Reopening " plan.

USD 383 attendance plans for on-site learners are reviewed

High 99°	Sunny. Highs in the upper 90s. South winds 15 to 20 mph. highest heat index readings around 108 in the afternoon.

High 99°	Sunny. Highs in the upper 90s. South winds 15 to 20 mph. highest heat index readings around 108 in the afternoon.

Saturday weather forecast

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

RAUSHEED DESHON GREEN, 31, Manhattan,&nbsp;Aggravated battery; Knowingly use weapon cause grt body harm/disfigure/death Aggravated burglary; Dwelling for felony, theft, sex Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption; Bond $5000

CHRISTIAN ANGEL CASTILLO, 21, Fort Riley,&nbsp;Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; 1st&nbsp; conv; blood/breath .08 or &gt;; Bond; $750

PATRICK WILLIAM MCANDREWS III, 31, Ogden,&nbsp;Domestic battery; Knowing or reckless bodily 1
harm to family/person in dating relationship; Bond $1000

CHANEL SADE TOLIVER, 31, Manhattan, Failure to Appear(4x) Bond $3000

KYLE DEAN PRUYN JR, 29, Manhattan, Failure to Appear (2x); Bond $4500

IZAC T WILLARD, 16, Wamego,&nbsp;Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; 1st 1
conv; blood/breath .08 or &gt;; Juvenile

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.RAUSHEED DESHON GREEN, 31, Manhattan,&nbsp;Aggravated battery; Knowingly use weapon cause grt body harm/disfigure/death Aggravated burglary; Dwelling for felony, theft, sex Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption; Bond $5000 
CHRISTIAN ANGEL CASTILLO, 21, Fort Riley,&nbsp;Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; 1st&nbsp; conv; blood/breath .08 or &gt;; Bond; $750PATRICK WILLIAM MCANDREWS III, 31, Ogden,&nbsp;Domestic battery; Knowing or reckless bodily 1
harm to family/person in dating relationship; Bond $1000CHANEL SADE TOLIVER, 31, Manhattan, Failure to Appear(4x) Bond $3000KYLE DEAN PRUYN JR, 29, Manhattan, Failure to Appear (2x); Bond $4500 
IZAC T WILLARD, 16, Wamego,&nbsp;Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; 1st 1
conv; blood/breath .08 or &gt;; Juvenile

Riley Co. Arrest Report Saturday Aug. 8

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), has revised its list of public health advisories for Kansas lakes due to blue-green algae. 

Since Thursday’s update, Milford Lake Zone A has moved to a warning, while Milford Lake Zones B and C have been downgraded to a watch. Additionally, Agra Lake in Phillips County has been added to the watch list.

<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Falgae-illness%2Fdownload%2Fmilford-lake-zoned.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C7eb883cf751e467a492908d83b17a7c9%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637324320064914619&amp;sdata=yrt%2FvkTa%2BBzjbVmWdQCrzgBKU4GzpL1tG2oSF3F0evg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Milford Lake</a>&nbsp;Zone A,&nbsp;Geary County (upgraded)

<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Falgae-illness%2Fdownload%2Fmilford-lake-zoned.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C7eb883cf751e467a492908d83b17a7c9%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637324320064914619&amp;sdata=yrt%2FvkTa%2BBzjbVmWdQCrzgBKU4GzpL1tG2oSF3F0evg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Milford Lake</a>&nbsp;Zone B, C, Geary County (downgraded)

Unit G Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area, Linn County

Cheney Reservoir, Reno/Kingman/Sedgwick Counties

When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

●Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.

●Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.

●Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.

●If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.

●Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.

A watch means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water. During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:

●Water may be unsafe for humans/animals.

●Avoid areas of algae accumulation and do not let people/pets eat dried algae or drink contaminated water.

●Swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing are discouraged near visible blooms.

●Boating and fishing are safe. However, inhalation of the spray may affect some individuals. Avoid direct contact with water, and wash with clean water after any contact.

 ●Clean fish well with potable water and eat fillet portion only.

KDHE investigates publicly-accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.

Kansans should be aware that blooms are unpredictable. They can develop rapidly and may float around the lake, requiring visitors to exercise their best judgment. If there is scum, a paint-like surface or the water is bright green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.

For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit <a href="http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm">www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm</a>. KDHE updates the listings of advisories every Thursday but may update more frequently if needed.

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), has revised its list of public health advisories for Kansas lakes due to blue-green algae. Since Thursday’s update, Milford Lake Zone A has moved to a warning, while Milford Lake Zones B and C have been downgraded to a watch. Additionally, Agra Lake in Phillips County has been added to the watch list.Warning<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Falgae-illness%2Fdownload%2Fmilford-lake-zoned.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C7eb883cf751e467a492908d83b17a7c9%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637324320064914619&amp;sdata=yrt%2FvkTa%2BBzjbVmWdQCrzgBKU4GzpL1tG2oSF3F0evg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Milford Lake</a>&nbsp;Zone A,&nbsp;Geary County (upgraded)Gathering Pond, Geary CountyLovewell Reservoir, Jewell CountyWatchBrown State Fishing Lake, Brown CountyMission Lake, Brown CountyFord State Fishing Lake, Ford County<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Falgae-illness%2Fdownload%2Fmilford-lake-zoned.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C7eb883cf751e467a492908d83b17a7c9%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637324320064914619&amp;sdata=yrt%2FvkTa%2BBzjbVmWdQCrzgBKU4GzpL1tG2oSF3F0evg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Milford Lake</a>&nbsp;Zone B, C, Geary County (downgraded)South Lake, Johnson CountyUnit G Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area, Linn CountyMarion County Lake, Marion CountyMarion Reservoir, Marion CountyOverbrook City Lake, Osage CountyAgra Lake, Phillips County (new)Cheney Reservoir, Reno/Kingman/Sedgwick CountiesPlainville Township Lake, Rooks CountyWebster Reservoir, Rooks CountyWarning ProtocolsWhen a warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:●Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.●Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.●Water contact should be avoided.●Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.●Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.●If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.●Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.Watch ProtocolsA watch means that blue-green algae have been detected and a harmful algal bloom is present or likely to develop. People are encouraged to avoid areas of algae accumulation and keep pets and livestock away from the water. During the watch status, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:●Water may be unsafe for humans/animals.●Avoid areas of algae accumulation and do not let people/pets eat dried algae or drink contaminated water.●Swimming, wading, skiing and jet skiing are discouraged near visible blooms.●Boating and fishing are safe. However, inhalation of the spray may affect some individuals. Avoid direct contact with water, and wash with clean water after any contact. ●Clean fish well with potable water and eat fillet portion only.KDHE investigates publicly-accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.Kansans should be aware that blooms are unpredictable. They can develop rapidly and may float around the lake, requiring visitors to exercise their best judgment. If there is scum, a paint-like surface or the water is bright green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, please visit <a href="http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm">www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm</a>. KDHE updates the listings of advisories every Thursday but may update more frequently if needed.

UPDATE: KDHE revises blue-green algae warnings, watches

RILEY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before noon Friday in Riley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Buick LaCrosse driven by Sylvia A. Harden, 83, Wichita, was eastbound on the entrance ramp to Kansas 18 from Scenic Drive. 

The driver turned left in the lane of traffic of a 2013 Ford F650 driven by Brad R. Dunlap, 55, Abilene.

The Ford struck the Buick&nbsp; on the driver's side. Both vehicles came to rest on their wheels, partially on the north shoulder and the median.

Harden was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Carlson's Irvin Parkview Funeral Home. Dunlap was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

RILEY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before noon Friday in Riley County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Buick LaCrosse driven by Sylvia A. Harden, 83, Wichita, was eastbound on the entrance ramp to Kansas 18 from Scenic Drive. The driver turned left in the lane of traffic of a 2013 Ford F650 driven by Brad R. Dunlap, 55, Abilene.The Ford struck the Buick&nbsp; on the driver's side. Both vehicles came to rest on their wheels, partially on the north shoulder and the median.Harden was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Carlson's Irvin Parkview Funeral Home. Dunlap was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dies after Riley County crash

&nbsp; Riley County has 12 new positive cases since Wednesday’s report. The totals are now 121 active, 351 recovered, and 5 deaths.&nbsp; Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan is not caring for any positive patients at this time.&nbsp; To better align with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), officials said that the Riley County Health Department (RCHD) has added probable cases to the numbers tracked in Riley County. A probable case includes people who received a positive serology test (antibody positive), and those who developed symptoms as a close contact but were never tested. The total number of probable cases in Riley County is 10. These cases are&nbsp;classified as recovered, and are already included in the 477 total.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp; Riley County has 12 new positive cases since Wednesday’s report. The totals are now 121 active, 351 recovered, and 5 deaths.&nbsp; Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan is not caring for any positive patients at this time.&nbsp; To better align with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), officials said that the Riley County Health Department (RCHD) has added probable cases to the numbers tracked in Riley County. A probable case includes people who received a positive serology test (antibody positive), and those who developed symptoms as a close contact but were never tested. The total number of probable cases in Riley County is 10. These cases are&nbsp;classified as recovered, and are already included in the 477 total.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Twelve new positive COVID-19 cases are reported in Riley County

DANIEL MICHEL JOSEPH, 43, Manhattan, Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; 2nd conviction; blood/breath .08 &gt;; Bond $2000

KYLE DEAN PRUYN JR, 29, Manhattan,&nbsp;Possession of stimulant&nbsp;Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Bond $5000

WILLIAM CHARLES HAMAN, 32, Manhattan,Driving while suspended; 1st conviction; Bond $750

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.DANIEL MICHEL JOSEPH, 43, Manhattan, Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol; 2nd conviction; blood/breath .08 &gt;; Bond $2000KYLE DEAN PRUYN JR, 29, Manhattan,&nbsp;Possession of stimulant&nbsp;Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Bond $5000WILLIAM CHARLES HAMAN, 32, Manhattan,Driving while suspended; 1st conviction; Bond $750

Riley Co. Arrest Report Friday Aug. 7

By Crystal Malchose, PIO Pottawatomie County

This is an informational feature supported by the Pottawatomie County Commission to assist in providing educational information regarding the COVID-19 virus to citizens.

With school preparing to start, we wanted to ensure citizens knew how “contact tracing” works when an individual tests positive for COVID-19. This is how the Pottawatomie County Health Department conducts their contact tracing. We do not assert this is how other Counties or entities process their information.

Pottawatomie County Health Officer Liz Parthemer shares these steps followed:

When the Pottawatomie County Health Department receives notice of a positive case, they contact the individual (or parent/guardian if the person is a minor) and start an investigation. Part of this investigation is obtaining information regarding close contacts. A close contact has been, and still is considered someone who has been within six feet of the positive individual for longer than ten minutes (even if wearing a mask), those ten minutes do not have to be consecutive. The data gathered about the close contacts includes the names and demographic information. The close contacts are called and our representatives (Contact Tracers) identify themselves and notify the individual he/she was a close contact of a positive case (no name is given). The representative then explains the quarantine process. The 14 day quarantine begins the date of the last known contact, or if it is an on-going contact (such as someone that lives in the same home), then quarantine starts the day the positive case is released from isolation. The close contact is communicated with throughout the quarantine period to ensure compliance and check on signs or symptoms. If the contact starts to have symptoms then information is provided on where testing can be done.

Individual schools may provide additional information, such as notifying parents someone at the school has tested positive, but may not release any personal identifying information about the specific person. This is to protect the individual who tested positive, and is mandated by law, not a school board decision

By Crystal Malchose, PIO Pottawatomie CountyThis is an informational feature supported by the Pottawatomie County Commission to assist in providing educational information regarding the COVID-19 virus to citizens.With school preparing to start, we wanted to ensure citizens knew how “contact tracing” works when an individual tests positive for COVID-19. This is how the Pottawatomie County Health Department conducts their contact tracing. We do not assert this is how other Counties or entities process their information.Pottawatomie County Health Officer Liz Parthemer shares these steps followed:When the Pottawatomie County Health Department receives notice of a positive case, they contact the individual (or parent/guardian if the person is a minor) and start an investigation. Part of this investigation is obtaining information regarding close contacts. A close contact has been, and still is considered someone who has been within six feet of the positive individual for longer than ten minutes (even if wearing a mask), those ten minutes do not have to be consecutive. The data gathered about the close contacts includes the names and demographic information. The close contacts are called and our representatives (Contact Tracers) identify themselves and notify the individual he/she was a close contact of a positive case (no name is given). The representative then explains the quarantine process. The 14 day quarantine begins the date of the last known contact, or if it is an on-going contact (such as someone that lives in the same home), then quarantine starts the day the positive case is released from isolation. The close contact is communicated with throughout the quarantine period to ensure compliance and check on signs or symptoms. If the contact starts to have symptoms then information is provided on where testing can be done.Individual schools may provide additional information, such as notifying parents someone at the school has tested positive, but may not release any personal identifying information about the specific person. This is to protect the individual who tested positive, and is mandated by law, not a school board decision

COVID Corner

MANHATTAN&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly today toured the Kansas State University Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) to learn more about its work fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, including through potential vaccine development, medicine discovery, and understanding how animals may be affected by the virus.

“The Kansas State University Biosecurity Research Institute has a long history of excellence and innovation researching disease spread like what we are currently facing with COVID-19,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“My conversations with BRI staff served as a reminder of how many of our best and brightest have answered the call to help end the pandemic. While my administration is doing everything in our power to get Kansans back to work and kids back to school safely – the contributions being made by our health community will be instrumental to protecting the people of this state and our economy.”

Kansas State University President Richard Myers also joined Governor Kelly on Thursday’s tour.

“Kansas State University has tremendous expertise to bring against zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19,”&nbsp;President Myers said.&nbsp;“Our capabilities began with the production of antisera for classical swine fever in 1908 and have accelerated since. Our combined assets and expertise have earned Kansas State University the reputation of the ‘Silicon Valley for biodefense.’”

BRI, located at Pat Roberts Hall on the Kansas State University Manhattan campus, is typically the home of comprehensive infectious disease research to address threats to plant, animal, and human health, including food-borne pathogens. The hub contains multiple biosafety level 3 labs – the second-highest level of security possible.

Since the pandemic began, the highly-trained BRI researchers and staff have applied their unique expertise to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, just as they have with earlier epidemics such as SARS and MERS.

On Wednesday, the Kansas Department of Health said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 841 to a total of 29,717. They also reported 3 new deaths for a total of 368 since the pandemic began.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596734039482.png" alt="Governor Kelly during Thursday 's tour of the KSU&nbsp; Biosecurity Institute" />
 <figcaption>Governor Kelly during Thursday 's tour of the KSU&nbsp; Biosecurity Institute</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly today toured the Kansas State University Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) to learn more about its work fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, including through potential vaccine development, medicine discovery, and understanding how animals may be affected by the virus.“The Kansas State University Biosecurity Research Institute has a long history of excellence and innovation researching disease spread like what we are currently facing with COVID-19,”&nbsp;Governor Kelly said.&nbsp;“My conversations with BRI staff served as a reminder of how many of our best and brightest have answered the call to help end the pandemic. While my administration is doing everything in our power to get Kansans back to work and kids back to school safely – the contributions being made by our health community will be instrumental to protecting the people of this state and our economy.”Kansas State University President Richard Myers also joined Governor Kelly on Thursday’s tour.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596733969505.png" alt="photo courtesy Office of Kansas Governor" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Office of Kansas Governor</figcaption>
 </figure>“Kansas State University has tremendous expertise to bring against zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19,”&nbsp;President Myers said.&nbsp;“Our capabilities began with the production of antisera for classical swine fever in 1908 and have accelerated since. Our combined assets and expertise have earned Kansas State University the reputation of the ‘Silicon Valley for biodefense.’”BRI, located at Pat Roberts Hall on the Kansas State University Manhattan campus, is typically the home of comprehensive infectious disease research to address threats to plant, animal, and human health, including food-borne pathogens. The hub contains multiple biosafety level 3 labs – the second-highest level of security possible.Since the pandemic began, the highly-trained BRI researchers and staff have applied their unique expertise to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, just as they have with earlier epidemics such as SARS and MERS.On Wednesday, the Kansas Department of Health said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 841 to a total of 29,717. They also reported 3 new deaths for a total of 368 since the pandemic began.

Covid-19 battle: Gov. tours KSU Biosecurity Institute

United States Senate members have unanimously passed the&nbsp;Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) – chairman and ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) – to improve veterans’ access to mental health care. Chairman Moran&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X4PNpMvNZ8" target="_blank">spoke on the Senate floor last night</a>&nbsp;to urge his colleagues to quickly pass this groundbreaking legislation, which will now advance to the U.S. House of Representatives.

This legislation is a comprehensive and aggressive approach to connect more veterans with mental health care. This bill will bolster the VA’s mental health workforce and increase rural or hard-to-reach veterans’ access to VA care, while making sure veterans have access to alternative and local treatment options.

“Sadly, our veterans continue to struggle with mental health, and through no fault of their own, this pandemic has led to more veterans being isolated from friends and family and cut off from lifesaving services,”&nbsp;said Chairman Moran. “Now, more than ever, we need to invest into mental health services for veterans especially for those in hard-to-reach areas in rural America. The Senate took an important step by unanimously passing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues in the House to act quickly so our veterans can access critical mental health services to help&nbsp;prevent veteran suicide.”

It is estimated that more than 20 veterans die by suicide every day. Of those, 14 have received no treatment or care from the VA. The Act&nbsp;will improve outreach to veterans and their mental healthcare options in&nbsp;five&nbsp;major ways ranging from bolstering the VA's mental health workforce and improving rural veterans' access to mental healthcare to investing in innovative treatment option, holding the VA accountable for its mental healthcare and suicide prevention efforts and establishment of a grant program requiring the VA to better collaborate with community organizations that already serve veterans

United States Senate members have unanimously passed the&nbsp;Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) – chairman and ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) – to improve veterans’ access to mental health care. Chairman Moran&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X4PNpMvNZ8" target="_blank">spoke on the Senate floor last night</a>&nbsp;to urge his colleagues to quickly pass this groundbreaking legislation, which will now advance to the U.S. House of Representatives.This legislation is a comprehensive and aggressive approach to connect more veterans with mental health care. This bill will bolster the VA’s mental health workforce and increase rural or hard-to-reach veterans’ access to VA care, while making sure veterans have access to alternative and local treatment options.“Sadly, our veterans continue to struggle with mental health, and through no fault of their own, this pandemic has led to more veterans being isolated from friends and family and cut off from lifesaving services,”&nbsp;said Chairman Moran. “Now, more than ever, we need to invest into mental health services for veterans especially for those in hard-to-reach areas in rural America. The Senate took an important step by unanimously passing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues in the House to act quickly so our veterans can access critical mental health services to help&nbsp;prevent veteran suicide.”It is estimated that more than 20 veterans die by suicide every day. Of those, 14 have received no treatment or care from the VA. The Act&nbsp;will improve outreach to veterans and their mental healthcare options in&nbsp;five&nbsp;major ways ranging from bolstering the VA's mental health workforce and improving rural veterans' access to mental healthcare to investing in innovative treatment option, holding the VA accountable for its mental healthcare and suicide prevention efforts and establishment of a grant program requiring the VA to better collaborate with community organizations that already serve veterans

U.S. Senate passes Veterans Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Legislation

GEOFFREY DALTON ELLISON, 26, Manhattan, Failure to Appear(2x); Bond $1100

JAMES ROBERT WATKINS JR, 38, Manhattan,&nbsp;Flee or attempt to elude LEO by engaging in reckless driving; Criminal damage to property; Without consent&nbsp;value &lt; $1000; Bond $3000

FREDY CAZARES, 23, OF FT RILEY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 200 BLK RILEY AVE IN OGDEN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON AUGUST 5, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:10 PM.

GRACE WYATT, 19, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2200 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY (8-47) ON AUGUST 3, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY12:08 PM.

SARAH VOGT, 30, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT KANSAS AVE &amp; MADISON RD IN RILEY FOR FAIL TOYIELD STOP OR YIELD SIGN (08-1528) ON AUGUST 5, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:26 AM.

DANIA AGUIRIANO GUIFARRO, 36, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT FORT RILEY BLVD &amp; S 10TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE (19-192)&nbsp;&nbsp;FOR FTY RIGHT OF WAY STOP/YIELD (159) ON AUGUST 2, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY11:47 AM.

PHILIPPE BISSEL, 53, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 1000 WESTLOOP PL IN MANHATTAN FOR NOPROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON JULY 27, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM.

ZIZHOU FENG, 20, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 813 MORO ST IN MANHATTAN FOR INATTENTIVE DRIVING (14-104) ON AUGUST 1, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY12:37 AM.

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.GEOFFREY DALTON ELLISON, 26, Manhattan, Failure to Appear(2x); Bond $1100JAMES ROBERT WATKINS JR, 38, Manhattan,&nbsp;Flee or attempt to elude LEO by engaging in reckless driving; Criminal damage to property; Without consent&nbsp;value &lt; $1000; Bond $3000CITATION REPORTFREDY CAZARES, 23, OF FT RILEY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 200 BLK RILEY AVE IN OGDEN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON AUGUST 5, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:10 PM.GRACE WYATT, 19, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2200 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY (8-47) ON AUGUST 3, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY12:08 PM.SARAH VOGT, 30, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT KANSAS AVE &amp; MADISON RD IN RILEY FOR FAIL TOYIELD STOP OR YIELD SIGN (08-1528) ON AUGUST 5, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:26 AM.DANIA AGUIRIANO GUIFARRO, 36, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT FORT RILEY BLVD &amp; S 10TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE (19-192)&nbsp;&nbsp;FOR FTY RIGHT OF WAY STOP/YIELD (159) ON AUGUST 2, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY11:47 AM.PHILIPPE BISSEL, 53, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 1000 WESTLOOP PL IN MANHATTAN FOR NOPROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON JULY 27, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM.ZIZHOU FENG, 20, OF MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 813 MORO ST IN MANHATTAN FOR INATTENTIVE DRIVING (14-104) ON AUGUST 1, 2,020 AT APPROXIMATELY12:37 AM.

Riley Co. Arrest Report Thursday August 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ryan McBroom hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning to lift the Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Twins on Friday night. Nick Heath and Nicky Lopez also drove in runs for the Royals, who have won two straight after a six-game slide. 

Greg Holland earned the win in relief of starter Jakob Junis while Trevor Rosenthal earned his second save with a perfect ninth. Matt Wisler took the loss after serving up McBroom's homer.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ryan McBroom hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning to lift the Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Twins on Friday night. Nick Heath and Nicky Lopez also drove in runs for the Royals, who have won two straight after a six-game slide. Greg Holland earned the win in relief of starter Jakob Junis while Trevor Rosenthal earned his second save with a perfect ninth. Matt Wisler took the loss after serving up McBroom's homer.

McBroom's homer lifts Royals to win

Nick Heath started in center field for the Kansas City Royals in their 13-2 win over the Chicago Cubs Thursday evening at Kauffman Stadium.

During the game Heath doubled and knocked in a run, drew a walk, scored a run and made the final put-out with a catch on the warning track in the ninth inning. Heath is a 2012 graduate of Junction City High School.

Whit Merrifield, Maikel Franco and Jorge Soler homered in the win. Soler and Salvador Pérez each had three hits and two RBIs, helping Brad Keller to the win in his first major league appearance in nearly a year. Keller, who opened the season on the injured list after testing positive for the coronavirus, struck out seven in five scoreless innings. Kansas City finished with a season-high 18 hits.&nbsp;

Nick Heath started in center field for the Kansas City Royals in their 13-2 win over the Chicago Cubs Thursday evening at Kauffman Stadium.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It is physically impossible to watch <a href="https://twitter.com/inheathwetrust?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@inheathwetrust</a>&#39;s celebration on his first big-league hit without smiling. Seriously, you can&#39;t do it.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlwaysRoyal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlwaysRoyal</a> <a href="https://t.co/TpO3dSwa7L">pic.twitter.com/TpO3dSwa7L</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1291531730734776321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>During the game Heath doubled and knocked in a run, drew a walk, scored a run and made the final put-out with a catch on the warning track in the ninth inning. Heath is a 2012 graduate of Junction City High School.Whit Merrifield, Maikel Franco and Jorge Soler homered in the win. Soler and Salvador Pérez each had three hits and two RBIs, helping Brad Keller to the win in his first major league appearance in nearly a year. Keller, who opened the season on the injured list after testing positive for the coronavirus, struck out seven in five scoreless innings. Kansas City finished with a season-high 18 hits.&nbsp;

🎥  Former Blue Jay Nick Heath gets his first start and major league hit

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-05/what-a-pending-football-game-says-about-covid-19-the-fate-small-colleges-and-college-towns">Kansas News Service</a>

STERLING —&nbsp;There’s a lot riding on a kickoff set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.

The
 Sterling College Warriors are scheduled to take on the McPherson 
College Bulldogs at home. If that familiar thud of shoe against football
 and cheer from the stands doesn’t happen, the college that keeps the 
central Kansas town’s economy humming, that gives it cultural vitality, 
and that separates Sterling from the hollowing out that defines so many 
other small Midwestern towns, might not survive.

The school, after
 133 years, could die and doom the town that takes such pride in the 
football squad and embraces the student body like family.

“If 
COVID defeats the athletic season this year, it will probably defeat a 
lot of small colleges,” said Jeb Miller, a non-traditional senior at 
Sterling College. “And, as a result, harm a lot of small towns. Badly.”

Hundreds
 of small colleges dotting the country rely on students paying tens of 
thousands of dollars a year in exchange for a distinctive, personal, 
high-touch college experience.

Many of those colleges hung on 
year-to-year even before the pandemic. Now COVID-19 threatens to cut off
 the oxygen sustaining these schools, and the sports programs that drive
 enrollment.

But the very thing small colleges need to stay afloat
 — students coming in, spending money, playing sports — also poses a 
major risk to relatively isolated little towns that, so far, have dodged
 major coronavirus outbreaks.

Only about 2,200 people live in 
Sterling out on the flat, flat plains of south-central Kansas. But this 
small city boasts an almost idyllic downtown. New office buildings. Two 
good coffee shops. A nice grocery store, a bowling alley, you name it.

Sterling
 has good schools, competitive sports teams. Locals say school plays, 
games and concerts draw big crowds. Without the college, the money, 
diversity and energy that defines life in Sterling could evaporate 
quickly.

“There is just so much overlap,” said Kyler Comley, a 
Sterling College senior who’s lived in the town all his life. “The 
community supports the college. The college supports the community. You 
know, you just see how everything’s intertwined and how people are just 
so overly giving and involved.”

Every student attending Sterling 
College gets paired with a family in town. Those families speak 
endearingly about their adopted scholars.

The students left in 
March. Most haven’t come back. Like many people here, Sterling criminal 
justice professor Mark Tremaine said that starting classes up again in 
person this month is make or break for Sterling College.

“The 
bottom line is, we’ve got to get students back to campus. If we’re going
 to survive,” he said.“We have to accept whatever the risks are and do 
it.”

And that’s the plan. Sterling doesn’t have much of a choice.

“We
 have committed to open up in the fall,” Sterling College President 
Scott Rich said. “With face to face classes, face-to-face coursework, 
dorms and activities and full swing. But we’re committed to doing it 
safely.”

Rich said the school will quarantine students coming back to the 
dorms, test them liberally, and isolate those who come down sick in 
local hotels.

Rich said the freshman class looks strong, with 
about 200 new students. But he is desperately trying to woo 50 or so 
upperclassmen who haven’t signed on this year. The school needs them 
because, like many other small institutions, Sterling College scrapes by
 from year to year.

“We’re always dependent upon enrollment, 
always dependent upon that next year, always dependent upon persistence 
or retention,” Rich said. “We have to get students to come back.”

Other small-town schools across the country, and the communities tied to their fate, face the same existential crisis.

“Some
 of the people I know are looking at hundreds of colleges going out of 
business within the next several years, if this pandemic continues and 
if the economic devastation associated with it continues,” said Scott 
Carlson with the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Small liberal arts
 colleges have been shaky for years. Enrollments have slumped, 
endowments have been drained. Many schools have piled on debt in a 
building boom fueled by competition for students.

Most offer 
courses online, but online classes don’t pay the bills. Small schools 
survive only by providing an expensive, in-person college experience. 
And Carlson said the pandemic shreds that business model, and threatens 
to trigger the higher education equivalent of a mass extinction.

“It’s
 kind of sad," he said. "These colleges are unique, little entities all 
on their own, and each one of them provides a unique spin on higher 
education.”

Sterling College, 
for instance, leans heavily on a particular interpretation of 
Christianity. Guarding the front door of the classic, old limestone 
building that anchors campus is a statue of Christ — not being tortured 
on the cross, but humbly washing the feet of a disciple. “Servant 
leadership,” as anyone here will tell you, guides the campus ethic.

But Jesus doesn’t keep the lights on here. Football does.

“We
 do have a good football team,” said Sterling’s athletic director, Scott
 Downing. “They’ve been fairly successful the last dozen years and been 
to the national playoffs, won the conference championship.”

The team helps bring the students together, but more importantly, it drives enrollment.

“With
 a football team number of about 125 to 135 student-athletes, quite a 
bit of our student body is involved in that sport,” Downing said.

That’s
 an understatement. There are only about 500 students on campus in a 
given year, one in four is on the football team. And there are 20 other 
sports.

The chance to play college sports is a major selling point
 for schools like Sterling. It drives enrollment. But in a pandemic, 
sports can be vectors for disease. And Jed Miller, who’s finishing his 
degree at Sterling online next year, says that’s another vulnerability.

“If
 COVID defeats the athletic season this year, it will probably defeat a 
lot of small colleges,” he said. “And as a result, hurt a lot of small 
towns ... badly.”

So, the same colleges that keep some small towns vibrant now pose a particular threat to public health.

“The
 college probably is the most dangerous element for us in terms of 
COVID,” said Kristina Darnauer, a family practice doctor in Sterling. 
“It potentially brings back students from all over the US who have 
variable levels of exposure.”

Darnauer is torn. She loves 
Sterling, loves the college, and fully appreciates how important it is 
to the school and the town that college ramp almost as normal this fall.

But
 she’s got patients to care for. And she said this county, with only one
 hospital and no intensive care unit is not ready for a cluster of 
coronavirus cases.

“If we have a huge outbreak,” Darnauer said, “we’re going to be out of resources very quickly.”

Small colleges and college towns across much of the country face the same worries.

But
 some analysts say that a pruning of universities may prove inevitable, 
and that the coronavirus has only sped up the thinning of the higher 
education herd.

“I actually see the future of higher education, 
broadly speaking, as entering a new golden age,” said Richard Price, a 
research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute. It’s a think tank 
that presses for dramatic change in institutions.

Price said the 
pandemic may hasten the evolution to better online classes, and a public
 education system that’s much more accessible and equitable.

“The 
traditional model, it was originally for the landed elite and it wasn’t 
for all genders,” Price said. “It wasn’t for all races. And that is 
slowly getting phased out along with some older business models that 
aren’t pivoting well.”

And Price thinks many little colleges will 
adapt. Lots of them have cheated death before. But he said there’s 
little doubt that this time next year the United States will have many 
fewer colleges. Folks in Sterling, Kansas, hope and, yes, pray, that 
Sterling College is among the survivors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596722865321.png" alt="A local gospel quintet entertains Sterling residents on a recent Tuesday evening. Frank Morris photo" />
 <figcaption>A local gospel quintet entertains Sterling residents on a recent Tuesday evening. Frank Morris photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-05/what-a-pending-football-game-says-about-covid-19-the-fate-small-colleges-and-college-towns">Kansas News Service</a>STERLING —&nbsp;There’s a lot riding on a kickoff set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.The
 Sterling College Warriors are scheduled to take on the McPherson 
College Bulldogs at home. If that familiar thud of shoe against football
 and cheer from the stands doesn’t happen, the college that keeps the 
central Kansas town’s economy humming, that gives it cultural vitality, 
and that separates Sterling from the hollowing out that defines so many 
other small Midwestern towns, might not survive.The school, after
 133 years, could die and doom the town that takes such pride in the 
football squad and embraces the student body like family.“If 
COVID defeats the athletic season this year, it will probably defeat a 
lot of small colleges,” said Jeb Miller, a non-traditional senior at 
Sterling College. “And, as a result, harm a lot of small towns. Badly.”<h2>Small town institutions</h2>Hundreds
 of small colleges dotting the country rely on students paying tens of 
thousands of dollars a year in exchange for a distinctive, personal, 
high-touch college experience.Many of those colleges hung on 
year-to-year even before the pandemic. Now COVID-19 threatens to cut off
 the oxygen sustaining these schools, and the sports programs that drive
 enrollment.But the very thing small colleges need to stay afloat
 — students coming in, spending money, playing sports — also poses a 
major risk to relatively isolated little towns that, so far, have dodged
 major coronavirus outbreaks.Only about 2,200 people live in 
Sterling out on the flat, flat plains of south-central Kansas. But this 
small city boasts an almost idyllic downtown. New office buildings. Two 
good coffee shops. A nice grocery store, a bowling alley, you name it.Sterling
 has good schools, competitive sports teams. Locals say school plays, 
games and concerts draw big crowds. Without the college, the money, 
diversity and energy that defines life in Sterling could evaporate 
quickly.“There is just so much overlap,” said Kyler Comley, a 
Sterling College senior who’s lived in the town all his life. “The 
community supports the college. The college supports the community. You 
know, you just see how everything’s intertwined and how people are just 
so overly giving and involved.”Every student attending Sterling 
College gets paired with a family in town. Those families speak 
endearingly about their adopted scholars.The students left in 
March. Most haven’t come back. Like many people here, Sterling criminal 
justice professor Mark Tremaine said that starting classes up again in 
person this month is make or break for Sterling College.“The 
bottom line is, we’ve got to get students back to campus. If we’re going
 to survive,” he said.“We have to accept whatever the risks are and do 
it.”And that’s the plan. Sterling doesn’t have much of a choice.<h2>Staying alive</h2>“We
 have committed to open up in the fall,” Sterling College President 
Scott Rich said. “With face to face classes, face-to-face coursework, 
dorms and activities and full swing. But we’re committed to doing it 
safely.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596722974216.png" alt="Sterling College President Scot Rich. Frank Morris photo" />
 <figcaption>Sterling College President Scot Rich. Frank Morris photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Rich said the school will quarantine students coming back to the 
dorms, test them liberally, and isolate those who come down sick in 
local hotels.Rich said the freshman class looks strong, with 
about 200 new students. But he is desperately trying to woo 50 or so 
upperclassmen who haven’t signed on this year. The school needs them 
because, like many other small institutions, Sterling College scrapes by
 from year to year.“We’re always dependent upon enrollment, 
always dependent upon that next year, always dependent upon persistence 
or retention,” Rich said. “We have to get students to come back.”Other small-town schools across the country, and the communities tied to their fate, face the same existential crisis.“Some
 of the people I know are looking at hundreds of colleges going out of 
business within the next several years, if this pandemic continues and 
if the economic devastation associated with it continues,” said Scott 
Carlson with the Chronicle of Higher Education.Small liberal arts
 colleges have been shaky for years. Enrollments have slumped, 
endowments have been drained. Many schools have piled on debt in a 
building boom fueled by competition for students.Most offer 
courses online, but online classes don’t pay the bills. Small schools 
survive only by providing an expensive, in-person college experience. 
And Carlson said the pandemic shreds that business model, and threatens 
to trigger the higher education equivalent of a mass extinction.“It’s
 kind of sad," he said. "These colleges are unique, little entities all 
on their own, and each one of them provides a unique spin on higher 
education.”<h2>‘Servant leadership’</h2>Sterling College, 
for instance, leans heavily on a particular interpretation of 
Christianity. Guarding the front door of the classic, old limestone 
building that anchors campus is a statue of Christ — not being tortured 
on the cross, but humbly washing the feet of a disciple. “Servant 
leadership,” as anyone here will tell you, guides the campus ethic.But Jesus doesn’t keep the lights on here. Football does.“We
 do have a good football team,” said Sterling’s athletic director, Scott
 Downing. “They’ve been fairly successful the last dozen years and been 
to the national playoffs, won the conference championship.”The team helps bring the students together, but more importantly, it drives enrollment.“With
 a football team number of about 125 to 135 student-athletes, quite a 
bit of our student body is involved in that sport,” Downing said.That’s
 an understatement. There are only about 500 students on campus in a 
given year, one in four is on the football team. And there are 20 other 
sports.The chance to play college sports is a major selling point
 for schools like Sterling. It drives enrollment. But in a pandemic, 
sports can be vectors for disease. And Jed Miller, who’s finishing his 
degree at Sterling online next year, says that’s another vulnerability.“If
 COVID defeats the athletic season this year, it will probably defeat a 
lot of small colleges,” he said. “And as a result, hurt a lot of small 
towns ... badly.”So, the same colleges that keep some small towns vibrant now pose a particular threat to public health.“The
 college probably is the most dangerous element for us in terms of 
COVID,” said Kristina Darnauer, a family practice doctor in Sterling. 
“It potentially brings back students from all over the US who have 
variable levels of exposure.”Darnauer is torn. She loves 
Sterling, loves the college, and fully appreciates how important it is 
to the school and the town that college ramp almost as normal this fall.But
 she’s got patients to care for. And she said this county, with only one
 hospital and no intensive care unit is not ready for a cluster of 
coronavirus cases.“If we have a huge outbreak,” Darnauer said, “we’re going to be out of resources very quickly.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596723019769.png" alt="An aging note on a door at the University of Missouri Kansas City promises a speedy reopening. Frank Morris photo" />
 <figcaption>An aging note on a door at the University of Missouri Kansas City promises a speedy reopening. Frank Morris photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A new era</h2>Small colleges and college towns across much of the country face the same worries.But
 some analysts say that a pruning of universities may prove inevitable, 
and that the coronavirus has only sped up the thinning of the higher 
education herd.“I actually see the future of higher education, 
broadly speaking, as entering a new golden age,” said Richard Price, a 
research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute. It’s a think tank 
that presses for dramatic change in institutions.Price said the 
pandemic may hasten the evolution to better online classes, and a public
 education system that’s much more accessible and equitable.“The 
traditional model, it was originally for the landed elite and it wasn’t 
for all genders,” Price said. “It wasn’t for all races. And that is 
slowly getting phased out along with some older business models that 
aren’t pivoting well.”And Price thinks many little colleges will 
adapt. Lots of them have cheated death before. But he said there’s 
little doubt that this time next year the United States will have many 
fewer colleges. Folks in Sterling, Kansas, hope and, yes, pray, that 
Sterling College is among the survivors.

What a football game says about COVID-19, fate of small colleges

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched seven sharp innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory. 

Javier Báez drove in two runs for the Cubs, who handed Kansas City its sixth consecutive defeat. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo each had two hits and scored twice. Darvish was in midseason form for the second straight outing. He gave up five hits, struck out four and walked one.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched seven sharp innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory. Javier Báez drove in two runs for the Cubs, who handed Kansas City its sixth consecutive defeat. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo each had two hits and scored twice. Darvish was in midseason form for the second straight outing. He gave up five hits, struck out four and walked one.&nbsp;

Royals drop sixth straight game

CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs overcame another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.Kimbrel took over to begin the ninth inning with a 5-2 lead, but struggled and allowed two runs and two hits while getting only one out. Kyle Ryan closed it out for his first save, getting Bubba Starling to ground out with a runner on third to end it. 

In the ninth inning former Junction City Blue Jay, Nick Heath, playing for the Royals stole two bases and was left on third base at the end of the game.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs overcame another shaky outing by closer Craig Kimbrel to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.Kimbrel took over to begin the ninth inning with a 5-2 lead, but struggled and allowed two runs and two hits while getting only one out. Kyle Ryan closed it out for his first save, getting Bubba Starling to ground out with a runner on third to end it. In the ninth inning former Junction City Blue Jay, Nick Heath, playing for the Royals stole two bases and was left on third base at the end of the game.

Royals fall to the Cubs by one run

CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant homered in his return to the lineup and Alec Mills pitched seven effective innings, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0 for their fourth consecutive win. 

Javier Báez had a sacrifice fly and a nice play in the field as NL Central-leading Chicago improved to 8-2 for the first time since 2016. Bryant also doubled in the first after missing two games with a stomach ailment. Kansas City wasted a solid performance by Danny Duffy, who pitched six innings of one-run ball.&nbsp;

CHICAGO (AP) — Kris Bryant homered in his return to the lineup and Alec Mills pitched seven effective innings, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Kansas City Royals 2-0 for their fourth consecutive win. Javier Báez had a sacrifice fly and a nice play in the field as NL Central-leading Chicago improved to 8-2 for the first time since 2016. Bryant also doubled in the first after missing two games with a stomach ailment. Kansas City wasted a solid performance by Danny Duffy, who pitched six innings of one-run ball.&nbsp;

Royals lose fourth straight game

UNDATED (AP) — Big 12 schools have agreed to play one nonconference football game this year to go along with their nine league contests as plans for the pandemic-altered season continued to fall into place. 

The Big 12′s university presidents signed off on a 10-game schedule, adjusted to deal with potential disruptions from COVID-19 that gives schools the ability to play one nonconference opponent at home. The 10-team Big 12 already plays a nine-game, round-robin conference schedule. 

The conference said league play is tentatively set to begin in mid-to-late September and all nonconference games are expected to be completed before league play starts.

UNDATED (AP) — Big 12 schools have agreed to play one nonconference football game this year to go along with their nine league contests as plans for the pandemic-altered season continued to fall into place. The Big 12′s university presidents signed off on a 10-game schedule, adjusted to deal with potential disruptions from COVID-19 that gives schools the ability to play one nonconference opponent at home. The 10-team Big 12 already plays a nine-game, round-robin conference schedule. The conference said league play is tentatively set to begin in mid-to-late September and all nonconference games are expected to be completed before league play starts.

Big 12 schools will play 10 games this season

NEW YORK (AP) — The four-game series between the Detroit Tigers and visiting St. Louis Cardinals has been postponed with 13 members of the Redbirds' traveling party testing positive for the coronavirus. The series was scheduled to begin Tuesday night after the Cardinals had their series in Milwaukee postponed due to the pandemic. Major League Baseball says the Cards remain quarantined in Milwaukee and continue to be tested daily.

NEW YORK (AP) — The four-game series between the Detroit Tigers and visiting St. Louis Cardinals has been postponed with 13 members of the Redbirds' traveling party testing positive for the coronavirus. The series was scheduled to begin Tuesday night after the Cardinals had their series in Milwaukee postponed due to the pandemic. Major League Baseball says the Cards remain quarantined in Milwaukee and continue to be tested daily.

Cards - Tigers series postponed

White Sox prospect Nick Madrigal had the first four hits of his big league career to help Chicago beat the Kansas City Royals 9-2 and finish a three-game sweep. Two of Madrigal's hits came during a seven-run seventh inning in which he scored the go-ahead run. 

Yasmani Grandal added three RBIs and Nicky Delmonico two in support of Dylan Cease, who went six innings to earn the win. Scott Barlow took the loss for Kansas City on a rough day for its entire bullpen.&nbsp;

White Sox prospect Nick Madrigal had the first four hits of his big league career to help Chicago beat the Kansas City Royals 9-2 and finish a three-game sweep. Two of Madrigal's hits came during a seven-run seventh inning in which he scored the go-ahead run. Yasmani Grandal added three RBIs and Nicky Delmonico two in support of Dylan Cease, who went six innings to earn the win. Scott Barlow took the loss for Kansas City on a rough day for its entire bullpen.&nbsp;

Madrigal's four hits help White Sox defeat the Royals

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain has become the latest player to opt out of the 2020 season. The Brewers announced the two-time All-Star’s decision Saturday hours after news broke that their scheduled home opener would be postponed for a second straight day because members of the St. Louis Cardinals had tested positive for COVID-19. 

 The whole series at Miller Park was later called off. Cain’s announcement comes on the same day that Miami Marlins second baseman Isan Diaz announced he was opting out. At least 21 members of the Marlins’ traveling party have tested positive for the disease.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain has become the latest player to opt out of the 2020 season. The Brewers announced the two-time All-Star’s decision Saturday hours after news broke that their scheduled home opener would be postponed for a second straight day because members of the St. Louis Cardinals had tested positive for COVID-19. The whole series at Miller Park was later called off. Cain’s announcement comes on the same day that Miami Marlins second baseman Isan Diaz announced he was opting out. At least 21 members of the Marlins’ traveling party have tested positive for the disease.

Brewers Cain opts out for rest of 2020 season

NEW YORK (AP) — Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can help stop the coronavirus from spreading, but drinking the products turned out to be deadly for four people in two states.

Health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932e1.htm" target="_blank">reported this week</a>&nbsp;that 15 adults were poisoned in Arizona and New Mexico in May and June after drinking hand sanitizer. Besides the four who died, three had ongoing vision problems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

All had consumed sanitizers containing methanol, or wood alcohol. The active ingredient that kills germs in legitimate sanitizers is ethyl alcohol, which is consumable. But some companies have been replacing it with poisonous methanol, which is used in antifreeze.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/671bb773d88f6b4aee95795ec0cfb246">issued a warning</a>&nbsp;in June about Mexican-made hand sanitizer gel that it said contained large amounts of methanol. Since then, the FDA has expanded the list. The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-consumers-should-not-use" target="_blank">has identified</a>&nbsp;dozens of hand sanitizers that contain methanol and have been recalled in the U.S. by manufacturers and distributors.

NEW YORK (AP) — Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can help stop the coronavirus from spreading, but drinking the products turned out to be deadly for four people in two states.Health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932e1.htm" target="_blank">reported this week</a>&nbsp;that 15 adults were poisoned in Arizona and New Mexico in May and June after drinking hand sanitizer. Besides the four who died, three had ongoing vision problems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.All had consumed sanitizers containing methanol, or wood alcohol. The active ingredient that kills germs in legitimate sanitizers is ethyl alcohol, which is consumable. But some companies have been replacing it with poisonous methanol, which is used in antifreeze.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/671bb773d88f6b4aee95795ec0cfb246">issued a warning</a>&nbsp;in June about Mexican-made hand sanitizer gel that it said contained large amounts of methanol. Since then, the FDA has expanded the list. The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-consumers-should-not-use" target="_blank">has identified</a>&nbsp;dozens of hand sanitizers that contain methanol and have been recalled in the U.S. by manufacturers and distributors.___

4 US deaths tied to methanol-based hand sanitizers

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The city council in Missouri's largest city has endorsed the idea of painting Black Lives Matter murals on six streets across the city.

Kansas City Council members voted 12-1 this week in favor of a resolution saying the city “recognizes the importance and significance of the Black Lives Matter movement and desires to commemorate the message through painting street murals.

Councilman Eric Bunch said he strongly supported the “symbolic step” while acknowledging that “no amount of paint on the streets, murals on the street ... are going to create systemic change.”

Other cities have seen murals on streets to support racial justice in the months since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/DeathofGeorgeFloyd">George Floyd's death&nbsp;</a>in Minneapolis. Similar murals have been painted on streets in New York, Washington and Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The lone vote against the Kansas City proposal came from Councilwoman Heather Hall. She told said that a Black Lives Matter mural would have a “complete valid reason to be in Kansas City” but she thought any mural should be painted on a wall or billboard.

Hall cited public safety concerns, worrying that drivers could get confused about boundaries between lanes of traffic because of a street mural.

“As soon as somebody crosses that line and they hit another car, then who is at fault?” Hall said.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The city council in Missouri's largest city has endorsed the idea of painting Black Lives Matter murals on six streets across the city.Kansas City Council members voted 12-1 this week in favor of a resolution saying the city “recognizes the importance and significance of the Black Lives Matter movement and desires to commemorate the message through painting street murals.Councilman Eric Bunch said he strongly supported the “symbolic step” while acknowledging that “no amount of paint on the streets, murals on the street ... are going to create systemic change.”Other cities have seen murals on streets to support racial justice in the months since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/DeathofGeorgeFloyd">George Floyd's death&nbsp;</a>in Minneapolis. Similar murals have been painted on streets in New York, Washington and Tuscaloosa, Ala.The lone vote against the Kansas City proposal came from Councilwoman Heather Hall. She told said that a Black Lives Matter mural would have a “complete valid reason to be in Kansas City” but she thought any mural should be painted on a wall or billboard.Hall cited public safety concerns, worrying that drivers could get confused about boundaries between lanes of traffic because of a street mural.“As soon as somebody crosses that line and they hit another car, then who is at fault?” Hall said.

Kansas City plans Black Lives Matter murals for 6 streets

BY JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-06/conservative-wins-in-republican-kansas-primaries-set-up-conflict-with-the-democratic-governor">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA — A near sweep by conservatives over moderates 
in several primary races this week sets up more conflict over the next 
two years between the Republican-led Legislature and Democratic Gov. 
Laura Kelly.

“There will be a lot of feuding and fighting going 
on, particularly given the COVID situation,” said Rep. Tom Phillips, a 
moderate Republican from Manhattan who isn’t seeking a fifth term.

Republican
 leaders could further limit Kelly’s power to guide the state’s response
 to the pandemic and power past her objections to reducing corporate 
taxes.

Outgoing Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita 
Republican, said the primary showed that “Kansans want to live in a 
culture of limited government.”

“My focus now is to preserve our 
veto-proof majority in the Kansas Senate to keep a check on Laura 
Kelly’s liberal policies,” Wagle said in a statement.

In each of the past two years, Kelly had enough lawmakers committed 
to expand Medicaid. But in both of those sessions, Wagle succeeded in 
blocking votes on the issue that Kelly made the signature of her 
campaign for governor.

The primary results make expansion and even longer shot, Phillips said.

“Unless
 the governor has some grand compromise that she’s willing to work out 
with the conservatives,” he said, “I just don’t think it moves forward.”

Several
 moderate Republican senators who supported expansion and voted to 
repeal Republican former Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax cuts lost to 
conservatives in Tuesday’s primary.

Many of those races weren’t 
close. Sen. John Skubal of Overland Park got only 36% of the vote in his
 loss to Rep. Kellie Warren. Conservative challenger Mark Steffen beat 
Sen. Ed Berger, a former president of Hutchinson Community College, 57% 
to 43%. In southwest Kansas, moderate Sen. Mary Jo Taylor suffered a 
20-point loss to conservative challenger Alicia Straub. And Sen. Randall
 Hardy of Salina managed only 37 % in his race against conservative Rep.
 J.R. Claeys.

“The Republican Party, both in Kansas and 
nationally, is getting more conservative,” said University of Kansas 
political scientist Patrick Miller.

He said that puts moderates at an automatic disadvantage in primaries.

“There
 are just fewer moderates in the Republican Party than there were 10 
years ago,” he said, “especially in rural and small-town Kansas.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596806244390.png" alt=" Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>BY JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-08-06/conservative-wins-in-republican-kansas-primaries-set-up-conflict-with-the-democratic-governor">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA — A near sweep by conservatives over moderates 
in several primary races this week sets up more conflict over the next 
two years between the Republican-led Legislature and Democratic Gov. 
Laura Kelly.“There will be a lot of feuding and fighting going 
on, particularly given the COVID situation,” said Rep. Tom Phillips, a 
moderate Republican from Manhattan who isn’t seeking a fifth term.Republican
 leaders could further limit Kelly’s power to guide the state’s response
 to the pandemic and power past her objections to reducing corporate 
taxes.Outgoing Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita 
Republican, said the primary showed that “Kansans want to live in a 
culture of limited government.”“My focus now is to preserve our 
veto-proof majority in the Kansas Senate to keep a check on Laura 
Kelly’s liberal policies,” Wagle said in a statement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596806331296.png" alt="Susan Wagle / Jim McLean photo" />
 <figcaption>Susan Wagle / Jim McLean photo</figcaption>
 </figure>In each of the past two years, Kelly had enough lawmakers committed 
to expand Medicaid. But in both of those sessions, Wagle succeeded in 
blocking votes on the issue that Kelly made the signature of her 
campaign for governor.The primary results make expansion and even longer shot, Phillips said.“Unless
 the governor has some grand compromise that she’s willing to work out 
with the conservatives,” he said, “I just don’t think it moves forward.”Several
 moderate Republican senators who supported expansion and voted to 
repeal Republican former Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax cuts lost to 
conservatives in Tuesday’s primary.Many of those races weren’t 
close. Sen. John Skubal of Overland Park got only 36% of the vote in his
 loss to Rep. Kellie Warren. Conservative challenger Mark Steffen beat 
Sen. Ed Berger, a former president of Hutchinson Community College, 57% 
to 43%. In southwest Kansas, moderate Sen. Mary Jo Taylor suffered a 
20-point loss to conservative challenger Alicia Straub. And Sen. Randall
 Hardy of Salina managed only 37 % in his race against conservative Rep.
 J.R. Claeys.“The Republican Party, both in Kansas and 
nationally, is getting more conservative,” said University of Kansas 
political scientist Patrick Miller.He said that puts moderates at an automatic disadvantage in primaries.“There
 are just fewer moderates in the Republican Party than there were 10 
years ago,” he said, “especially in rural and small-town Kansas.”GOP
 moderates beat conservatives in only two Senate primaries. Rep. Brenda 
Dietrich defeated Sen. Eric Rucker in a Topeka district and Sen. John 
Doll of Garden City — he ran for lieutenant governor as an independent 
in 2018 — held off a challenge from conservative Lon Pishny.Money
 and endorsements from the Kansas Chamber and anti-abortion 
organizations helped fuel the effort by conservatives to win back seats 
they lost in 2016.Abortion was a big issue in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/janedirksforkansas/" target="_blank">Jane Dirks’</a> win over Rep. Jan Kessinger in a Johnson County district that includes parts of Leawood and Overland Park. Kessinger was one of<a href="https://www.kcur.org/government/2020-02-07/four-kansas-republicans-stopped-their-partys-anti-abortion-bill-but-gop-says-its-not-over" target="_blank"> only four House Republicans</a> to vote against a proposed constitutional amendment sought by anti-abortion advocates.That
 vote mobilized groups like the anti-abortion Students for Life Action, 
which contacted 4,000 voters in the district to make sure they knew 
about Kessinger’s vote against putting the amendment on the August 
primary ballot.Titus Folks, an organizer for the group, said Kessinger’s defeat is “one that Republican politicians should take note of.”“It
 is overwhelmingly clear that pro-life issues are a priority for Kansas 
conservatives,” he said in a statement congratulating Dirks.Dirks won the GOP primary with relative ease. But Miller, the KU political scientist, said she could lose to<a href="https://www.poskin4ks.com/" target="_blank"> Democrat Mari-Lynn Poskin</a> in the general election.“That’s
 a district that Democrats are probably going to be favored to pick up 
because of (the moderate) Kessinger’s loss,” Miller said. He said voters
 in the district favored Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the 2016 
presidential race.Conservative Republicans could also be vulnerable in other Johnson County districts that, Miller said, “are getting very blue.”That includes the race between <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mikethompsonforkansas/" target="_blank">Republican Sen. Mike Thompson</a> and Democrat Lindsey Constance in a district that covers parts of Shawnee, Overland Park, Merriam and Bonner Springs.Miller sees a similar dynamic in the contest between Warren, the primary winner over Skubal in the 11th Senate District, and <a href="https://www.joykoesten.com/" target="_blank">Democrat Joy Koesten</a>, a former Republican member of the Kansas House who switched parties in 2018.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cindy-Holscher-for-Kansas-1631827813750587/" target="_blank">Democratic Rep. Cindy Holscher</a>
 is a strong contender to win a seat now held by Republican Senate 
Majority Leader Jim Denning, who isn’t running for re-election. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ToddforKansas/" target="_blank">Republican James Todd</a>, a former member of the Kansas House, is her general election opponent.Republican
 incumbents Sen. Rob Olson and Rep. Charlotte Esau could also be 
vulnerable in districts transitioning from red to purple, Miller said.Democratic
 gains in the general election could offset those made by conservative 
Republicans in the primary, but only partially, Miller said.The 
next Legislature “could have more Democrats” but be more conservative 
overall, Miller said, “because the Republican caucus gets more 
conservative.”Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the 
Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW 
and High Plains Public Radio focused on the health and well-being of 
Kansans, their communities and civic life. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jmcleanks" target="_blank">@jmcleanks</a> or email jim@kcur.org.

Local

Region

Sports