BROWN COUNTY&nbsp; — Authorities&nbsp; investigating the cause of a fatal Kansas house fire have identified the victim as&nbsp;74-year-old Delores Goens, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Just before 3:30a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a fire at a home near U.S. 36 highway and Sycamore Street in Fairview, Kansas, according to Merchant.

A family member reported that Goens and her husband initially escaped the fire, but that she went back inside to try to save a dog and did not survive, according to Merchant. Her husband was hospitalized.

The state fire marshals office has been notified as standard procedure to investigate the cause of the fire, according to Merchant.&nbsp;

Brown County —Officials say a woman has died in a rural northeastern Kansas house fire.

The fire was reported around 3 a.m. Thursday in Brown County, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

A family member reported that the 74-year-old woman and her husband initially escaped the fire, but that the woman went back inside to try to save a dog and did not survive.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office says it's investigating the cause of the fire, but noted that no foul play was suspected. Officials said the man who escaped the fire was hospitalized. Authorities have not released the victims' names.

BROWN COUNTY&nbsp; — Authorities are investigating the cause of a fatal Kansas house fire.

Just before 3:30a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a fire at a home near U.S. 36 highway and Sycamore Street in Fairview, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

The fire claimed the life of one of the residents of the home. No foul play is suspected.&nbsp; Merchant did not release the victim's name.

The state fire marshals office has been notified as standard procedure to investigate the cause of the fire, according to Merchant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587212373648.png" alt="Scene of the fatal house fire photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the fatal house fire photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY&nbsp; — Authorities&nbsp; investigating the cause of a fatal Kansas house fire have identified the victim as&nbsp;74-year-old Delores Goens, according to Sheriff John Merchant.Just before 3:30a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a fire at a home near U.S. 36 highway and Sycamore Street in Fairview, Kansas, according to Merchant.A family member reported that Goens and her husband initially escaped the fire, but that she went back inside to try to save a dog and did not survive, according to Merchant. Her husband was hospitalized.The state fire marshals office has been notified as standard procedure to investigate the cause of the fire, according to Merchant.&nbsp;&nbsp;No foul play is suspected.&nbsp;------Brown County —Officials say a woman has died in a rural northeastern Kansas house fire.The fire was reported around 3 a.m. Thursday in Brown County, according to Sheriff John Merchant.A family member reported that the 74-year-old woman and her husband initially escaped the fire, but that the woman went back inside to try to save a dog and did not survive.The Brown County Sheriff’s Office says it's investigating the cause of the fire, but noted that no foul play was suspected. Officials said the man who escaped the fire was hospitalized. Authorities have not released the victims' names.-----------BROWN COUNTY&nbsp; — Authorities are investigating the cause of a fatal Kansas house fire.Just before 3:30a.m. Thursday, crews responded to a fire at a home near U.S. 36 highway and Sycamore Street in Fairview, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.The fire claimed the life of one of the residents of the home. No foul play is suspected.&nbsp; Merchant did not release the victim's name.The state fire marshals office has been notified as standard procedure to investigate the cause of the fire, according to Merchant.&nbsp;No foul play is suspected.&nbsp;

Sheriff IDs Kan. woman who died trying to save dog in house fire

By TOM SHINE <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/wichita-airline-expert-pandemic-changes-everything-way-we-fly">Kansas News Service</a>

The coronavirus pandemic is raining on just about every type of business.

For the airline industry, though, it’s a full-blown monsoon.

The
 major domestic carriers are losing tens of millions of dollars a day. 
Airline traffic has fallen to levels last seen 60 years ago as carriers 
cancel flights and park their planes.

Not only is this bad news for the commercial airline industry, it’s 
also a problem for Wichita. The city’s largest employer, Spirit 
AeroSystems, makes parts for every Boeing airliner – and for several 
Airbus models as well. And thousands of other jobs here are tied to the 
supply chain that supports Spirit.

Dean Headley is a professor 
emeritus of marketing at Wichita State University and an expert on the 
airline industry. He’s co-author of the annual Airline Quality Rating, 
which ranks the performance of the nation’s largest airlines.

Headley watched the industry buckle and then rebound after 9/11.

He talked with Tom Shine and The Range about what’s ahead for the airline industry and for travelers.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

On
 March 1, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) screened 
about 2.3 million people at U.S airports. Last week, it was well below 
100,000 for several days. What we're seeing is unprecedented, isn't it?

It's
 certainly unprecedented. Not even 9/11 took us down this far. The 
airline industry took about 20% of the seat capacity during 9/11 out of 
the service. Now, we've got about 90% of the domestic seat capacity not 
flying, which is dramatically different.

Last Tuesday, April the 7th, was the lowest number of screened passengers since the 1960s in the domestic system.

After
 9/11, there was no commercial or travel in the U.S. for less than a 
week. It took, though, about two years for U.S. passenger traffic to 
return to pre-9/11 levels. How long is it going to take the airlines 
this time to return to pre-coronavirus levels?

That's 
really difficult to say at this point, obviously. A couple things play 
into that. I think the biggest one is the nature of the fear. … We don't
 know what that fear looks like. It's our spouse, our neighbor. It's a 
door knob. It's a seat in an airplane. It can be anywhere. It's 
faceless. It doesn't have a nature to it that we can see. So the fear 
that kept people from flying after 9/11 is different than the way the 
fear strikes us now with this, ‘Well, I can’t see it’ type of a problem 
that we’re facing.

And that has a good chance to push this recovery back further, doesn't it?

Certainly.
 This recovery will take certainly a lot longer than the 9/11 recovery. 
Like you said, it took about two years for that to get back to … 
pre-9/11 levels. And the airlines were cautious about that, and they're 
being overly cautious now, for good reason. And I think they will 
continue to be cautious about that.

This changes everything in 
the way we fly. The big change we saw after 9/11 was TSA and screening 
and being overly cautious about who we let on an airplane. How do we do 
that after the coronavirus? I don't know that we've really figured that 
one out yet. So that's going to add additional time – months certainly, 
if not maybe years – before this gets back to normal.

United
 Airlines is losing about $100 million a day. Delta is about $60 million
 a day. Congress has set aside about $50 billion in aid for passenger 
airlines. Is that going to be enough or are we going to see some 
airlines go under?

I don't think $50 billion is even 
going to come close to being enough for that. And it's possible that 
airlines could go under. But we don't have that many to go under, quite 
frankly.

Since then (9/11, we've had a lot of consolidation, so 
to speak. I don't know how much more consolidation or bankruptcy or 
going out of existence of airlines that this country can stand or that 
the flying public will tolerate. Choice is something that Americans tend
 to like, and right now we have a lot of choice in air travel for the 
most part. And if we start losing airlines, I'm not sure how the flying 
public's really gonna like that.

People flying, of 
course, is critical to planemakers like Boeing and Airbus, which means 
it's also critical to the Wichita economy because we … make planes for 
Boeing and Airbus. Does the slow buildup of airline travel also going to
 mean a slow buildup for the Wichita economy going forward?

Well,
 certainly airlines have a full cadre of airplanes that they park. They 
always have airplanes scheduled for delivery. And it really depends on 
how quickly the airline feels comfortable in going ahead with those 
plans … after surviving a financial disaster.

And, on the other 
side of the ledger, how quickly the production facility can bring its 
people back together and start producing a plane. It takes several weeks
 to produce a plane. So when everybody says go again, it's going to be 
two or three months before we can even hope to see some semblance of, 
"Well, that’s kind of what it was before."

I think Dr. (Anthony) Fauci was on TV the other day saying that we're just not going to turn the switch back on.

First
 of all, we don't know exactly which switches to turn on. And secondly, 
the switch turning on relies on the fact that there's somebody out there
 that wants to see that light, so to speak, or wants to use that 
service. And this is gonna make a lot of people gun shy. There's no 
question about it. We have seriously changed the way our country will 
function for a long time to come.

Some of that's going to be 
good, though. I mean, let's face it, people are a lot more caring and 
giving and understanding and appreciative, and there's a lot of good 
things there. But at the same token, there's going to be a lot of 
hesitation about re-engaging in the way that our American "Do what we 
want to do, when we want to do it" type of attitude has been in the 
past.

If we can … let's look two or three years out, four
 years out. What changes might your average traveler – the person who 
flies maybe two times a year, three times a year – see in the airline 
industry?

It's hard to say exactly how security will 
change. I'm not sure they can do the health screening, so to speak. 
They're not going to be taking your temperature and all that kind of 
stuff.

There may be some type of a health question that they ask.
 I could see that being possible, particularly if this virus lingers or 
comes back over and over again at various countries that maybe aren't 
quite as quick to shut it down or recognize it or control it as best you
 can.

I could see that … for the flying public. And they may have to have a note from your doctor … in that process.

But
 let's face it, we like to move around and anything that limits our 
movement, that seems a little bit out of reason, is going to take a 
while for the flying public to warm up to. How long did it take us to 
get used to the TSA stuff? … "No, you’ve got to take your shoes. You've 
got to take your belt off. You know, go ahead and disrobe while you're 
at it. So you might as well cause we're going to check everything."

How
 long did it take for them (TSA) to begin to soften that or ease that? 
This is a little different, but it's that type of a thing. It's taken 
several years with the TSA to ease some of their restrictions, and I 
expect the TSA will continue to play a role somehow in the screening of 
the traveling public. So they're going to be front and center in this 
process for the traveler.

I'm going to guess you're a frequent flyer given your job. You won't have any hesitancy about flying going forward, right?

Right
 now, yes. In the future, it depends on where I'm going and how that 
part of the world or the country is faring at this point. I've always 
taken precautions, even before the coronavirus thing. I wiped down the 
tray table in front of me. I wipe down the seats with disinfectant 
wipes. I keep my shoes on. I don't use their headphones … I didn't trust
 the interior of airplanes given that that airplane could be in four or 
five different states in one day, and who knows where everybody had come
 from. I didn't trust that in the first place. So I'm going to be a 
little bit more careful, shall we say, as I go forward.

Anything else that I haven't asked you that you'd like to mention or make a point about?

Well,
 just the point of encouragement really, and that is that this will 
pass, it will change things. Just like 9/11 changed the way we flew and 
used the air travel system. This will change the air travel system. It's
 hard to say exactly how.

I think one thing this has taught us is
 that … literally the world is so interconnected that we have to be 
aware of what's going on all the way around us. And … as I've said 
before, every traveler must be prepared to take care of themselves. 
Whether it's a glitch in a reservation or a missed connection or a 
health issue, you must be prepared to take care of yourself because 
while the airlines try their best, they can't do that for you. You must 
be responsible for your own outcomes as much as possible.

Tom Shine is director of news and public affairs at KMUW. Follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/thomaspshine">@thomaspshine</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587153698111.jpeg" alt="Delta Airlines" />
 <figcaption>Delta Airlines</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOM SHINE <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/wichita-airline-expert-pandemic-changes-everything-way-we-fly">Kansas News Service</a>The coronavirus pandemic is raining on just about every type of business.For the airline industry, though, it’s a full-blown monsoon.The
 major domestic carriers are losing tens of millions of dollars a day. 
Airline traffic has fallen to levels last seen 60 years ago as carriers 
cancel flights and park their planes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587153748265.jpeg" alt=" Dean Headley / Wichita State University" />
 <figcaption> Dean Headley / Wichita State University</figcaption>
 </figure>Not only is this bad news for the commercial airline industry, it’s 
also a problem for Wichita. The city’s largest employer, Spirit 
AeroSystems, makes parts for every Boeing airliner – and for several 
Airbus models as well. And thousands of other jobs here are tied to the 
supply chain that supports Spirit.Dean Headley is a professor 
emeritus of marketing at Wichita State University and an expert on the 
airline industry. He’s co-author of the annual Airline Quality Rating, 
which ranks the performance of the nation’s largest airlines.Headley watched the industry buckle and then rebound after 9/11.He talked with Tom Shine and The Range about what’s ahead for the airline industry and for travelers.The interview was edited for length and clarity.On
 March 1, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) screened 
about 2.3 million people at U.S airports. Last week, it was well below 
100,000 for several days. What we're seeing is unprecedented, isn't it?It's
 certainly unprecedented. Not even 9/11 took us down this far. The 
airline industry took about 20% of the seat capacity during 9/11 out of 
the service. Now, we've got about 90% of the domestic seat capacity not 
flying, which is dramatically different.Last Tuesday, April the 7th, was the lowest number of screened passengers since the 1960s in the domestic system.After
 9/11, there was no commercial or travel in the U.S. for less than a 
week. It took, though, about two years for U.S. passenger traffic to 
return to pre-9/11 levels. How long is it going to take the airlines 
this time to return to pre-coronavirus levels?That's 
really difficult to say at this point, obviously. A couple things play 
into that. I think the biggest one is the nature of the fear. … We don't
 know what that fear looks like. It's our spouse, our neighbor. It's a 
door knob. It's a seat in an airplane. It can be anywhere. It's 
faceless. It doesn't have a nature to it that we can see. So the fear 
that kept people from flying after 9/11 is different than the way the 
fear strikes us now with this, ‘Well, I can’t see it’ type of a problem 
that we’re facing.And that has a good chance to push this recovery back further, doesn't it?Certainly.
 This recovery will take certainly a lot longer than the 9/11 recovery. 
Like you said, it took about two years for that to get back to … 
pre-9/11 levels. And the airlines were cautious about that, and they're 
being overly cautious now, for good reason. And I think they will 
continue to be cautious about that.This changes everything in 
the way we fly. The big change we saw after 9/11 was TSA and screening 
and being overly cautious about who we let on an airplane. How do we do 
that after the coronavirus? I don't know that we've really figured that 
one out yet. So that's going to add additional time – months certainly, 
if not maybe years – before this gets back to normal.United
 Airlines is losing about $100 million a day. Delta is about $60 million
 a day. Congress has set aside about $50 billion in aid for passenger 
airlines. Is that going to be enough or are we going to see some 
airlines go under?I don't think $50 billion is even 
going to come close to being enough for that. And it's possible that 
airlines could go under. But we don't have that many to go under, quite 
frankly.Since then (9/11, we've had a lot of consolidation, so 
to speak. I don't know how much more consolidation or bankruptcy or 
going out of existence of airlines that this country can stand or that 
the flying public will tolerate. Choice is something that Americans tend
 to like, and right now we have a lot of choice in air travel for the 
most part. And if we start losing airlines, I'm not sure how the flying 
public's really gonna like that.People flying, of 
course, is critical to planemakers like Boeing and Airbus, which means 
it's also critical to the Wichita economy because we … make planes for 
Boeing and Airbus. Does the slow buildup of airline travel also going to
 mean a slow buildup for the Wichita economy going forward?Well,
 certainly airlines have a full cadre of airplanes that they park. They 
always have airplanes scheduled for delivery. And it really depends on 
how quickly the airline feels comfortable in going ahead with those 
plans … after surviving a financial disaster.And, on the other 
side of the ledger, how quickly the production facility can bring its 
people back together and start producing a plane. It takes several weeks
 to produce a plane. So when everybody says go again, it's going to be 
two or three months before we can even hope to see some semblance of, 
"Well, that’s kind of what it was before."I think Dr. (Anthony) Fauci was on TV the other day saying that we're just not going to turn the switch back on.First
 of all, we don't know exactly which switches to turn on. And secondly, 
the switch turning on relies on the fact that there's somebody out there
 that wants to see that light, so to speak, or wants to use that 
service. And this is gonna make a lot of people gun shy. There's no 
question about it. We have seriously changed the way our country will 
function for a long time to come.Some of that's going to be 
good, though. I mean, let's face it, people are a lot more caring and 
giving and understanding and appreciative, and there's a lot of good 
things there. But at the same token, there's going to be a lot of 
hesitation about re-engaging in the way that our American "Do what we 
want to do, when we want to do it" type of attitude has been in the 
past.If we can … let's look two or three years out, four
 years out. What changes might your average traveler – the person who 
flies maybe two times a year, three times a year – see in the airline 
industry?It's hard to say exactly how security will 
change. I'm not sure they can do the health screening, so to speak. 
They're not going to be taking your temperature and all that kind of 
stuff.There may be some type of a health question that they ask.
 I could see that being possible, particularly if this virus lingers or 
comes back over and over again at various countries that maybe aren't 
quite as quick to shut it down or recognize it or control it as best you
 can.I could see that … for the flying public. And they may have to have a note from your doctor … in that process.But
 let's face it, we like to move around and anything that limits our 
movement, that seems a little bit out of reason, is going to take a 
while for the flying public to warm up to. How long did it take us to 
get used to the TSA stuff? … "No, you’ve got to take your shoes. You've 
got to take your belt off. You know, go ahead and disrobe while you're 
at it. So you might as well cause we're going to check everything."How
 long did it take for them (TSA) to begin to soften that or ease that? 
This is a little different, but it's that type of a thing. It's taken 
several years with the TSA to ease some of their restrictions, and I 
expect the TSA will continue to play a role somehow in the screening of 
the traveling public. So they're going to be front and center in this 
process for the traveler.I'm going to guess you're a frequent flyer given your job. You won't have any hesitancy about flying going forward, right?Right
 now, yes. In the future, it depends on where I'm going and how that 
part of the world or the country is faring at this point. I've always 
taken precautions, even before the coronavirus thing. I wiped down the 
tray table in front of me. I wipe down the seats with disinfectant 
wipes. I keep my shoes on. I don't use their headphones … I didn't trust
 the interior of airplanes given that that airplane could be in four or 
five different states in one day, and who knows where everybody had come
 from. I didn't trust that in the first place. So I'm going to be a 
little bit more careful, shall we say, as I go forward.Anything else that I haven't asked you that you'd like to mention or make a point about?Well,
 just the point of encouragement really, and that is that this will 
pass, it will change things. Just like 9/11 changed the way we flew and 
used the air travel system. This will change the air travel system. It's
 hard to say exactly how.I think one thing this has taught us is
 that … literally the world is so interconnected that we have to be 
aware of what's going on all the way around us. And … as I've said 
before, every traveler must be prepared to take care of themselves. 
Whether it's a glitch in a reservation or a missed connection or a 
health issue, you must be prepared to take care of yourself because 
while the airlines try their best, they can't do that for you. You must 
be responsible for your own outcomes as much as possible.Tom Shine is director of news and public affairs at KMUW. Follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/thomaspshine">@thomaspshine</a>.

Kan. airline expert: 'This changes everything in the way we fly' 

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump held a call with faith leaders on Friday that included discussion about a phased-in return to broader in-person worship after weeks of religious services largely shifting online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump’s call with faith leaders came one day after the White House included houses of worship among “large venues” that could be able to reopen while observing “strict physical distancing protocols” in the first stage of a three-part&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/420a38ec14101eab70e07be367ee6422">plan to reopen</a>&nbsp;a U.S. economy that’s been frozen by the toll of the highly contagious virus.

Trump “mentioned his memories as a young child attending Billy Graham’s service at Yankee Stadium, and acknowledged that while he has enjoyed watching services online from the White House, he told the faith leaders it is important for people to soon be able to once again come together, pray, and worship,” the White House said in its statement.

Participants in the call with faith leaders said it featured discussion about how restarting in-person worship could work, without any conclusion reached, and underscored their commitment to not imperiling the health of the faithful. Indeed, Trump has said that governors would be empowered to spearhead their states’ paces of economic reopening.

Jack Graham, pastor of Texas-based Prestonwood Baptist Church, said the call included conversation about “how would we go about bringing people back together,” adding that those involved agreed that “we’re going to do that carefully and gradually, and not put people at risk.”

Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Council, said that religious institutions “want to be a blessing and not a burden” by not returning to practices that could “cause more harm than good” if taken up too early.

Rodriguez added that he hoped to see clergy and other faith leaders nationwide identified as essential workers, as well as a clear resumption of outdoor religious services that can be conducted with people remaining in their automobiles. That sort of step would “help us transition to a new normal,” he said.

Cissie Graham Lynch of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, said churches would be committed to keeping their congregations safe and emphasized the importance of healing the spiritual pain caused by widespread social distancing restrictions imposed to fight the virus.

“People are lonely, people are scared,” Lynch said.

Those who participated in the call described Trump as closely engaged in the discussion.

“We may be opening, but we’re putting safety first,” the president told reporters Friday.

The faith leaders’ conversation with Trump is not the only sign that religious leaders are beginning to explore how to resume in-person worship services. The Christian executive search firm Vanderbloemen has launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vanderbloemen.com/reopening-church" target="_blank">ReopeningChurch.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vanderbloemen.com/reopening-school" target="_blank">ReopeningSchool.com</a>&nbsp;websites to start a conversation on that process.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587172818525.png" alt="President Trump discussed his visit with faith leaders to open Friday's Coronavirus Task Force press briefing -White House image" />
 <figcaption>President Trump discussed his visit with faith leaders to open Friday's Coronavirus Task Force press briefing -White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump held a call with faith leaders on Friday that included discussion about a phased-in return to broader in-person worship after weeks of religious services largely shifting online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.Trump’s call with faith leaders came one day after the White House included houses of worship among “large venues” that could be able to reopen while observing “strict physical distancing protocols” in the first stage of a three-part&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/420a38ec14101eab70e07be367ee6422">plan to reopen</a>&nbsp;a U.S. economy that’s been frozen by the toll of the highly contagious virus.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587086887250.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump “mentioned his memories as a young child attending Billy Graham’s service at Yankee Stadium, and acknowledged that while he has enjoyed watching services online from the White House, he told the faith leaders it is important for people to soon be able to once again come together, pray, and worship,” the White House said in its statement.Participants in the call with faith leaders said it featured discussion about how restarting in-person worship could work, without any conclusion reached, and underscored their commitment to not imperiling the health of the faithful. Indeed, Trump has said that governors would be empowered to spearhead their states’ paces of economic reopening.Jack Graham, pastor of Texas-based Prestonwood Baptist Church, said the call included conversation about “how would we go about bringing people back together,” adding that those involved agreed that “we’re going to do that carefully and gradually, and not put people at risk.”Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Council, said that religious institutions “want to be a blessing and not a burden” by not returning to practices that could “cause more harm than good” if taken up too early.Rodriguez added that he hoped to see clergy and other faith leaders nationwide identified as essential workers, as well as a clear resumption of outdoor religious services that can be conducted with people remaining in their automobiles. That sort of step would “help us transition to a new normal,” he said.Cissie Graham Lynch of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, said churches would be committed to keeping their congregations safe and emphasized the importance of healing the spiritual pain caused by widespread social distancing restrictions imposed to fight the virus.“People are lonely, people are scared,” Lynch said.Those who participated in the call described Trump as closely engaged in the discussion.“We may be opening, but we’re putting safety first,” the president told reporters Friday.The faith leaders’ conversation with Trump is not the only sign that religious leaders are beginning to explore how to resume in-person worship services. The Christian executive search firm Vanderbloemen has launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vanderbloemen.com/reopening-church" target="_blank">ReopeningChurch.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vanderbloemen.com/reopening-school" target="_blank">ReopeningSchool.com</a>&nbsp;websites to start a conversation on that process.___

Trump consults faith leaders on phased-in reopening

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge is considering whether to block enforcement of Gov. Laura Kelly’s order banning religious gatherings with more than 10 people to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

U.S. District Judge John Broomes said he would rule by Saturday, if not sooner, on whether to grant a temporary restraining order after hearing arguments in a telephone conference call with the attorneys.

Broomes also set an in-person hearing for Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Wichita on the request for a preliminary injunction that would be in place until the case is resolved.

The churches and their pastors filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Kelly, arguing that the directive violates their religious and free-speech rights, as well as their right to assembly.

Their attorneys argued at the hearing that there are less restrictive measures that could be imposed, saying the churches would agree to maintain a six-foot distance between congregants at their gatherings. They also contend the governor’s order is not neutral because it allows 26 exceptions for other secular activities and does not allow any for religious activity.

Kansas has identified 35 COVID-19 clusters in the state, including 13 at private companies and five at churches, said Tyson Langhofer, who represents the places of worship.

Lumen Mulligan, who represented the governor at the hearing, argued that Kelly was protecting the public interest amid the coronavirus outbreak. The governor “disagrees strongly,” he said, with the churches’ position that her order targets religion.

The judge noted during the hearing that the governor’s order allows other essential functions as long as such social distancing measures are in place.

Top Republican legislative leaders had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/79490ae7c241fab1301bd66e87afd224">attempted last week to revoke</a>&nbsp;Kelly’s order themselves, only to see the Democratic governor thwart their efforts by contesting their action before the Kansas Supreme Court. The state’s highest court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9cc005f93f1daa0edd5fcfbc581351e5">let her order stand</a>&nbsp;on technical grounds, without deciding whether it violated freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. or Kansas constitutions.

The lawsuit was filed by First Baptist Church in Dodge City and Pastor Stephen Ormond and Calvary Baptist Church in Junction City and Pastor Aaron Harris.

Kelly spokeswoman Dena Sattler said Thursday that the governor’s office is reviewing the lawsuit but added, “This is not about restricting religion, it is about keeping people safe and saving Kansans’ lives.”

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Lawyers for two Kansas churches and Gov. Laura Kelly are set to appear Friday afternoon in a federal court video conference, where the churches will ask a judge to block enforcement of Kelly’s order banning religious gatherings with more than 10 people to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

The hearing before U.S. District Judge John Broomes is set for 4 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586999622631.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly announced during her Wednesday news conference she was extending the stay-at-home order to May 3. The&nbsp;order prohibits religious gatherings&nbsp; with more than 10 people." />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly announced during her Wednesday news conference she was extending the stay-at-home order to May 3. The&nbsp;order prohibits religious gatherings&nbsp; with more than 10 people.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge is considering whether to block enforcement of Gov. Laura Kelly’s order banning religious gatherings with more than 10 people to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus.U.S. District Judge John Broomes said he would rule by Saturday, if not sooner, on whether to grant a temporary restraining order after hearing arguments in a telephone conference call with the attorneys.Broomes also set an in-person hearing for Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Wichita on the request for a preliminary injunction that would be in place until the case is resolved.The churches and their pastors filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Kelly, arguing that the directive violates their religious and free-speech rights, as well as their right to assembly.Their attorneys argued at the hearing that there are less restrictive measures that could be imposed, saying the churches would agree to maintain a six-foot distance between congregants at their gatherings. They also contend the governor’s order is not neutral because it allows 26 exceptions for other secular activities and does not allow any for religious activity.Kansas has identified 35 COVID-19 clusters in the state, including 13 at private companies and five at churches, said Tyson Langhofer, who represents the places of worship.Lumen Mulligan, who represented the governor at the hearing, argued that Kelly was protecting the public interest amid the coronavirus outbreak. The governor “disagrees strongly,” he said, with the churches’ position that her order targets religion.The judge noted during the hearing that the governor’s order allows other essential functions as long as such social distancing measures are in place.Top Republican legislative leaders had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/79490ae7c241fab1301bd66e87afd224">attempted last week to revoke</a>&nbsp;Kelly’s order themselves, only to see the Democratic governor thwart their efforts by contesting their action before the Kansas Supreme Court. The state’s highest court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9cc005f93f1daa0edd5fcfbc581351e5">let her order stand</a>&nbsp;on technical grounds, without deciding whether it violated freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. or Kansas constitutions.The lawsuit was filed by First Baptist Church in Dodge City and Pastor Stephen Ormond and Calvary Baptist Church in Junction City and Pastor Aaron Harris.Kelly spokeswoman Dena Sattler said Thursday that the governor’s office is reviewing the lawsuit but added, “This is not about restricting religion, it is about keeping people safe and saving Kansans’ lives.”---------WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Lawyers for two Kansas churches and Gov. Laura Kelly are set to appear Friday afternoon in a federal court video conference, where the churches will ask a judge to block enforcement of Kelly’s order banning religious gatherings with more than 10 people to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus.The churches and their pastors filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Kelly, arguing that the directive violates their religious and free-speech rights, as well as their right to assembly.Top Republican legislative leaders had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/79490ae7c241fab1301bd66e87afd224">attempted last week to revoke</a>&nbsp;Kelly’s order themselves, only to see the Democratic governor thwart their efforts by contesting their action before the Kansas Supreme Court. The state’s highest court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9cc005f93f1daa0edd5fcfbc581351e5">let her order stand</a>&nbsp;on technical grounds, without deciding whether it violated freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. or Kansas constitutions.The lawsuit was filed by First Baptist Church in Dodge City and Pastor Stephen Ormond and Calvary Baptist Church in Junction City and Pastor Aaron Harris.Kelly spokeswoman Dena Sattler said Thursday that the governor’s office is reviewing the lawsuit but added, “This is not about restricting religion, it is about keeping people safe and saving Kansans’ lives.”The hearing before U.S. District Judge John Broomes is set for 4 p.m.

Update: Federal court asked to block Kan. limit on church services

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials announced Friday that they had signed a new contract for medical services at prisons as frustrations mount with the current health care provider amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Kansas Department of Corrections said in a news release that it awarded Centurion of Kansas LLC a two-year contract that begins July 1. The contract can be extended to 2026.

The announcement comes a week after Gov. Laura Kelly criticized the health care provided in the state’s prisons by Tennessee-based Corizon Health. That contract will expire June 30.

“Inmates and staff are concerned about the level of care inmates have been receiving from the corrections medical provider, Corizon. I understand the frustrations. In fact, I share them,” the governor said.

Corizon declined to comment on the process for the new prison contract but shared a copy of a letter dated Thursday sent to DOC Secretary Jeff Zmuda. In the letter, Corizon pushed back against allegations from the state that it had failed to acquire an adequate stock of personal protective equipment for use by its medical staff, lacked critical staffing, and failed to issue protocols for COVID-19 testing and treatment.

The letter, signed by Corizon CEO James Hyman, said it is not accurate to allege Corizon was unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic.

”We have always maintained an adequate supply of PPEs and have continuously educated our staff,” he wrote. “Corizon has been preparing for this pandemic since February.”

Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/98c0a37931c24fad89f31ed9d1d9cc47">penalized Corizon</a>&nbsp;more than $500,000 for not meeting performance standards in 2018. It also cut $2.8 million in payments to Corizon because the company didn’t provide the required number of employees and work hours last year.

Centurian will provide medical services at the eight adult facilities and for juveniles at the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex.

Payments to Centurion are not to exceed $86.5 million the first year, with annual increases up to a cost of $98.7 million, prison officials said. The total six-year contract is not to exceed $554 million.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586546500562.png" alt="Department of Corrections Secretary Jeff Zmuda during an April 10 news conference with the governor and KDHE Secretary" />
 <figcaption>Department of Corrections Secretary Jeff Zmuda during an April 10 news conference with the governor and KDHE Secretary</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials announced Friday that they had signed a new contract for medical services at prisons as frustrations mount with the current health care provider amid the coronavirus outbreak.The Kansas Department of Corrections said in a news release that it awarded Centurion of Kansas LLC a two-year contract that begins July 1. The contract can be extended to 2026.The announcement comes a week after Gov. Laura Kelly criticized the health care provided in the state’s prisons by Tennessee-based Corizon Health. That contract will expire June 30.“Inmates and staff are concerned about the level of care inmates have been receiving from the corrections medical provider, Corizon. I understand the frustrations. In fact, I share them,” the governor said.Corizon declined to comment on the process for the new prison contract but shared a copy of a letter dated Thursday sent to DOC Secretary Jeff Zmuda. In the letter, Corizon pushed back against allegations from the state that it had failed to acquire an adequate stock of personal protective equipment for use by its medical staff, lacked critical staffing, and failed to issue protocols for COVID-19 testing and treatment.The letter, signed by Corizon CEO James Hyman, said it is not accurate to allege Corizon was unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic.”We have always maintained an adequate supply of PPEs and have continuously educated our staff,” he wrote. “Corizon has been preparing for this pandemic since February.”Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/98c0a37931c24fad89f31ed9d1d9cc47">penalized Corizon</a>&nbsp;more than $500,000 for not meeting performance standards in 2018. It also cut $2.8 million in payments to Corizon because the company didn’t provide the required number of employees and work hours last year.Centurian will provide medical services at the eight adult facilities and for juveniles at the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex.Payments to Centurion are not to exceed $86.5 million the first year, with annual increases up to a cost of $98.7 million, prison officials said. The total six-year contract is not to exceed $554 million.

Kansas changes prison health providers amid ongoing concerns

TOPEKA — Governor Laura Kelly and Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard this week announced the agency will begin issuing an emergency food assistance benefit to current program households. The emergency
 allotment increases a household’s monthly benefit to the maximum allowed for the size of the family. The maximum monthly benefit for a family of four is $646.

“The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act allows states to provide this emergency assistance,” Howard said. “We know these additional
 funds will allow families to purchase more essential groceries for their family while also reducing their visits to grocery stores during this time of social distancing.”


“At a time when we are seeing long lines at food distribution sites these additional funds are necessary to keep Kansans fed,” Kelly said. “I also want to thank all of the eligibility workers who are making sure
 this money gets to families quickly.”


No application is necessary to receive the emergency funds. Families should start to see their March emergency benefit on their EBT card beginning April 15. The distribution will follow the standard alphabetical
 schedule. DCF will distribute April emergency benefits in mid to late May.


Households that already receive the maximum monthly allotment are not eligible for emergency assistance. The allotment is for March and April only.

Those interested in applying for food assistance can visit the DCF website at
<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcf.ks.gov%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C705b2d26924d4648268c08d7e1745c90%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637225762184898520&amp;sdata=lldH%2FHluxjAmACvzUTerP%2BMPrE0%2FU6Q7ZeS0VhC5eMc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">
www.dcf.ks.gov</a>.

For more information on COVID-19 visit:
<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Fcoronavirus&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C705b2d26924d4648268c08d7e1745c90%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637225762184908478&amp;sdata=ENme12t9pM%2FqYsvopzF7gjpWZU7K1%2FJnu0EcJMtx%2BzY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">
www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus</a>.

DCFTOPEKA — Governor Laura Kelly and Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard this week announced the agency will begin issuing an emergency food assistance benefit to current program households. The emergency
 allotment increases a household’s monthly benefit to the maximum allowed for the size of the family. The maximum monthly benefit for a family of four is $646.“The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act allows states to provide this emergency assistance,” Howard said. “We know these additional
 funds will allow families to purchase more essential groceries for their family while also reducing their visits to grocery stores during this time of social distancing.”
“At a time when we are seeing long lines at food distribution sites these additional funds are necessary to keep Kansans fed,” Kelly said. “I also want to thank all of the eligibility workers who are making sure
 this money gets to families quickly.”
No application is necessary to receive the emergency funds. Families should start to see their March emergency benefit on their EBT card beginning April 15. The distribution will follow the standard alphabetical
 schedule. DCF will distribute April emergency benefits in mid to late May.
Households that already receive the maximum monthly allotment are not eligible for emergency assistance. The allotment is for March and April only.
Those interested in applying for food assistance can visit the DCF website at
<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcf.ks.gov%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C705b2d26924d4648268c08d7e1745c90%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637225762184898520&amp;sdata=lldH%2FHluxjAmACvzUTerP%2BMPrE0%2FU6Q7ZeS0VhC5eMc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">
www.dcf.ks.gov</a>. 

For more information on COVID-19 visit:
<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Fcoronavirus&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C705b2d26924d4648268c08d7e1745c90%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637225762184908478&amp;sdata=ENme12t9pM%2FqYsvopzF7gjpWZU7K1%2FJnu0EcJMtx%2BzY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">
www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus</a>.

DCF to distribute emergency food assistance benefit in Kan.

STOCKTON − A Rooks County man has been charged with second degree intentional murder and criminal possession of a firearm, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

On Friday, Schmidt filed the charges against Thomas S. Wojtczuk, 39, of Woodston, in connection with the death of Charity Northrop on April 8 in Woodston. 

Bond has been set at $1,000,000. First appearance in Rooks County District Court has not yet been scheduled.

The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Rooks County Sheriff’s Office. The attorney general’s office accepted the case at the request of the Rooks County Attorney’s Office, which will assist with the prosecution. Criminal charges are merely accusations.&nbsp;Individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A copy of the complaint is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/3bjMosW">https://bit.ly/3bjMosW</a>. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587157905240.png" alt="Wojtczuk photo Rooks Co." />
 <figcaption>Wojtczuk photo Rooks Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>STOCKTON − A Rooks County man has been charged with second degree intentional murder and criminal possession of a firearm, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.On Friday, Schmidt filed the charges against Thomas S. Wojtczuk, 39, of Woodston, in connection with the death of Charity Northrop on April 8 in Woodston. Bond has been set at $1,000,000. First appearance in Rooks County District Court has not yet been scheduled.The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Rooks County Sheriff’s Office. The attorney general’s office accepted the case at the request of the Rooks County Attorney’s Office, which will assist with the prosecution. Criminal charges are merely accusations.&nbsp;Individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A copy of the complaint is available at&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/3bjMosW">https://bit.ly/3bjMosW</a>. &nbsp;

AG charges NW Kan. man with second-degree murder

A 25-bed hospital is selling blood 
tests it says will tell people if they have COVID-19 immunity, but 
public health officials say that's not what the tests do.

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-17/a-small-kansas-hospital-bought-its-own-coronavirus-tests-but-state-officials-say-it-only-detects-colds">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE — Herington Municipal Hospital got fed up 
with long waits for lab results that would tell its patients with 
respiratory symptoms whether they have the novel coronavirus.

So 
when a sales representative called the 25-bed hospital in rural central 
Kansas offering tests that produce results in less than half an hour, 
Herington ordered 500.

“We answered the phone on the right day,” CEO Isabel Schmedemann said in an interview this week. “I wish we had ordered more.”

One hundred people in her community have already come in for the test.

“They want answers,” she said. “They want to know. And they’re scared.”

Amid
 a pandemic that has hospitalized hundreds of Kansans and killed more 
than 80, supply shortages have slowed typical COVID-19 nose swab tests 
and health providers have scrambled to find solutions.

But public 
health officials around the world worry that desperation to access 
testing could open the way for unproven products that give patients a 
false sense of safety — putting them in greater danger.

Herington Hospital’s rollout of new blood-based tests triggered swift action from state and local health officials.

On
 its website, the hospital advertises the technology as approved by the 
state. “It tells you if you have immunity,” the hospital claims.

Wrong
 on both counts, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says. 
Attempts to convince the hospital of the test’s problems over the phone 
weren’t successful, the agency says.

State health secretary Lee 
Norman said he would alert other hospitals and labs around the state to 
concerns about the tests. He warned the public in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/214325436538782/" target="_blank">a press conference</a>
 viewed by tens of thousands of people on Facebook that many antibody 
tests — meant to show a patient’s exposure to a virus — don’t 
necessarily tell people what they want to know.

People who test 
positive with the Herington tests aren’t being counted toward the 
state’s COVID-19 tally. The state has about 1,500 known cases, including
 one in Dickinson County.

“You could get a positive if you had nothing other than a common cold,” county public health director John Hultgren said.

Dickinson County began calling Herington’s patients to inform them directly.

“I’m livid about this,” Schmedemann said. “We’re serious about providing quality health care.”

But KDHE points to the test manufacturer’s <a href="https://ucpbiosciences.com/product/covid-19/" target="_blank">own fine print</a>, which says a positive result could mean patients have or have had any of four coronaviruses that cause the common cold. Consequently, the results can’t confirm that a person has or had COVID-19, or that they are now immune.

Herington
 Hospital also advertises the product on its website as 100% specific to
 the virus that causes COVID-19. Manufacturer UCP Biosciences gave the 
hospital pamphlets bearing that claim, though clarifying that its 
calculations are based on about 100 samples. The company didn’t return a
 call to its California office.

The disclaimer about cold viruses doesn’t worry Shmedemann.

“The test is specific to COVID-19, but as with any test, this is part of the disclaimer,” she wrote in a follow-up email.

The
 kits, like most COVID-19 antibody tests on the market, aren’t approved 
by the Food and Drug Administration and haven’t received an expedited, 
emergency approval from the agency. Yet selling them is legal and 
Herington has continued to offer the product.

People with and 
without symptoms are eager for testing. The kits Herington bought seek 
to check whether someone has COVID-19 antibodies in their blood.

The
 goal of antibody testing is to check whether someone has been exposed 
to a specific virus and whether that could shield them from it in the 
future. (Antibodies wouldn’t yet be present for some people with current
 infections.)

Herington says on its website that the UCP test “not
 only tells you if you are positive or negative, it tells you if you 
have immunity.”

Scientists and public health experts say it’s not 
that simple. In addition to the risk that antibodies from the common 
cold could trigger a positive result, researchers don’t yet know how 
effective COVID-19 antibodies will be for staving off future infections.

“It’s
 an attractive hypothesis,” said Jim Zehnder, a professor of pathology 
and medicine at Stanford University, “but it hasn't been rigorously 
proven yet.”

Stanford has developed its own test for the antibodies that result from COVID-19.

But it hasn’t evaluated UCP’s test, and couldn’t speak to its quality. Similar tests have raised concerns, Zehnder said.

“I
 believe partly in response to these concerns raised, the FDA announced 
that they are going to start evaluating this class of test,” he said. 
“There just is not enough information at the moment to say anything 
definitive” about the UCP product.

Kansas wants to start antibody testing soon, too, health secretary Norman said this week.

In
 a followup email, the agency said it would use a platform with minimal 
risk for confusion of various viruses, and combine that with other steps
 to verify results.

The University of Kansas is researching 
COVID-19 antibodies in clinical trials. It believes widespread antibody 
testing could ultimately prove vital to the battle to control COVID-19, 
ease social distancing measures and return to life as normal.

“We 
think there will be an absolute need,” said Dana Hawkinson, a professor 
and medical director of infection control at KU Health System. “But at 
this point in time, there hasn’t been really good validated tests that 
we can use to determine that.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a>
 or email her at celia@kcur.org. The Kansas News Service is a
 collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public
 Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587149517051.png" alt="Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman displays a swab used for COVID-19 testing. A small hospital in central Kansas has deployed blood tests that state health officials say can produce false positives among people with common colds. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman displays a swab used for COVID-19 testing. A small hospital in central Kansas has deployed blood tests that state health officials say can produce false positives among people with common colds. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A 25-bed hospital is selling blood 
tests it says will tell people if they have COVID-19 immunity, but 
public health officials say that's not what the tests do.</h2>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-17/a-small-kansas-hospital-bought-its-own-coronavirus-tests-but-state-officials-say-it-only-detects-colds">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE — Herington Municipal Hospital got fed up 
with long waits for lab results that would tell its patients with 
respiratory symptoms whether they have the novel coronavirus.So 
when a sales representative called the 25-bed hospital in rural central 
Kansas offering tests that produce results in less than half an hour, 
Herington ordered 500.“We answered the phone on the right day,” CEO Isabel Schmedemann said in an interview this week. “I wish we had ordered more.”One hundred people in her community have already come in for the test.“They want answers,” she said. “They want to know. And they’re scared.”Amid
 a pandemic that has hospitalized hundreds of Kansans and killed more 
than 80, supply shortages have slowed typical COVID-19 nose swab tests 
and health providers have scrambled to find solutions.But public 
health officials around the world worry that desperation to access 
testing could open the way for unproven products that give patients a 
false sense of safety — putting them in greater danger.Herington Hospital’s rollout of new blood-based tests triggered swift action from state and local health officials.On
 its website, the hospital advertises the technology as approved by the 
state. “It tells you if you have immunity,” the hospital claims.Wrong
 on both counts, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says. 
Attempts to convince the hospital of the test’s problems over the phone 
weren’t successful, the agency says.State health secretary Lee 
Norman said he would alert other hospitals and labs around the state to 
concerns about the tests. He warned the public in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/214325436538782/" target="_blank">a press conference</a>
 viewed by tens of thousands of people on Facebook that many antibody 
tests — meant to show a patient’s exposure to a virus — don’t 
necessarily tell people what they want to know.People who test 
positive with the Herington tests aren’t being counted toward the 
state’s COVID-19 tally. The state has about 1,500 known cases, including
 one in Dickinson County.“You could get a positive if you had nothing other than a common cold,” county public health director John Hultgren said.Dickinson County began calling Herington’s patients to inform them directly.“I’m livid about this,” Schmedemann said. “We’re serious about providing quality health care.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587149611485.png" alt="From the website of Herington Municipal Hospital. It says: "Our clinic is now offering onsite Kansas Department of Health and Environment COVID-19 testing that generates results in just 20 minutes. Think you’ve had COVID-19? We also offer a 20 minute antibody test that not only tells you if you are positive or negative, it tells you if you have immunity. This COVID-19 test has an overall sensitivity ≥ 89.2%, the overall specificity is 100% and the overall accuracy is ≥ 96%."" />
 <figcaption>From the website of Herington Municipal Hospital. It says: "Our clinic is now offering onsite Kansas Department of Health and Environment COVID-19 testing that generates results in just 20 minutes. Think you’ve had COVID-19? We also offer a 20 minute antibody test that not only tells you if you are positive or negative, it tells you if you have immunity. This COVID-19 test has an overall sensitivity ≥ 89.2%, the overall specificity is 100% and the overall accuracy is ≥ 96%."</figcaption>
 </figure>But KDHE points to the test manufacturer’s <a href="https://ucpbiosciences.com/product/covid-19/" target="_blank">own fine print</a>, which says a positive result could mean patients have or have had any of four coronaviruses that cause the common cold. Consequently, the results can’t confirm that a person has or had COVID-19, or that they are now immune.Herington
 Hospital also advertises the product on its website as 100% specific to
 the virus that causes COVID-19. Manufacturer UCP Biosciences gave the 
hospital pamphlets bearing that claim, though clarifying that its 
calculations are based on about 100 samples. The company didn’t return a
 call to its California office.The disclaimer about cold viruses doesn’t worry Shmedemann.“The test is specific to COVID-19, but as with any test, this is part of the disclaimer,” she wrote in a follow-up email.The
 kits, like most COVID-19 antibody tests on the market, aren’t approved 
by the Food and Drug Administration and haven’t received an expedited, 
emergency approval from the agency. Yet selling them is legal and 
Herington has continued to offer the product.People with and 
without symptoms are eager for testing. The kits Herington bought seek 
to check whether someone has COVID-19 antibodies in their blood.The
 goal of antibody testing is to check whether someone has been exposed 
to a specific virus and whether that could shield them from it in the 
future. (Antibodies wouldn’t yet be present for some people with current
 infections.)Herington says on its website that the UCP test “not
 only tells you if you are positive or negative, it tells you if you 
have immunity.”Scientists and public health experts say it’s not 
that simple. In addition to the risk that antibodies from the common 
cold could trigger a positive result, researchers don’t yet know how 
effective COVID-19 antibodies will be for staving off future infections.They’re scrambling to figure that out.“It’s
 an attractive hypothesis,” said Jim Zehnder, a professor of pathology 
and medicine at Stanford University, “but it hasn't been rigorously 
proven yet.”Stanford has developed its own test for the antibodies that result from COVID-19.But it hasn’t evaluated UCP’s test, and couldn’t speak to its quality. Similar tests have raised concerns, Zehnder said.“I
 believe partly in response to these concerns raised, the FDA announced 
that they are going to start evaluating this class of test,” he said. 
“There just is not enough information at the moment to say anything 
definitive” about the UCP product.Kansas wants to start antibody testing soon, too, health secretary Norman said this week.In
 a followup email, the agency said it would use a platform with minimal 
risk for confusion of various viruses, and combine that with other steps
 to verify results.The University of Kansas is researching 
COVID-19 antibodies in clinical trials. It believes widespread antibody 
testing could ultimately prove vital to the battle to control COVID-19, 
ease social distancing measures and return to life as normal.“We 
think there will be an absolute need,” said Dana Hawkinson, a professor 
and medical director of infection control at KU Health System. “But at 
this point in time, there hasn’t been really good validated tests that 
we can use to determine that.”Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a>
 or email her at celia@kcur.org. The Kansas News Service is a
 collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public
 Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their 
connection to public policy.

Rural Kan. hospital's virus test may only show you've had a cold

TOPEKA — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman discuss the state's battle against the coronavirus during their Friday afternoon news conference.

The Governor briefly addressed the lawsuits two Kansas churches and their pastors filed Thursday against her over&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/20-18-Executed.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;banning religious gatherings with more than 10 people to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus, arguing that the directive violates their religious and free-speech rights.

Dr. Norman said that after a number of new virus cases were reported in Western Kansas, the KDHE is sending a team to do more testing and investigate. He also discussed work at Kansas State University to determine if mosquitoes can transmit the virus.

Kansas saw its number of confirmed coronavirus cases jump again by more than 100 in a single day, past 1,700 total, the state health department reported Friday. COVID-19 deaths increased to 84.

TOPEKA — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman discuss the state's battle against the coronavirus during their Friday afternoon news conference.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F905155203283172%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>The Governor briefly addressed the lawsuits two Kansas churches and their pastors filed Thursday against her over&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/20-18-Executed.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;banning religious gatherings with more than 10 people to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus, arguing that the directive violates their religious and free-speech rights.Dr. Norman said that after a number of new virus cases were reported in Western Kansas, the KDHE is sending a team to do more testing and investigate. He also discussed work at Kansas State University to determine if mosquitoes can transmit the virus.Kansas saw its number of confirmed coronavirus cases jump again by more than 100 in a single day, past 1,700 total, the state health department reported Friday. COVID-19 deaths increased to 84.

🎥 Kan. Gov., KDHE Secretary update fight against virus

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas saw its number of confirmed coronavirus case jump again by more than 100 in a single day, past 1,700 total, the state health department reported Friday. COVID-19 deaths increased to 84.

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

The Department of Health and Environment said the state has 1,705 cases of the novel coronavirus in 66 of its 105 counties. That was an increase of 117, or 7.4% from Thursday, with cases in three additional counties.

The state also reported 100-plus increases in case numbers on Saturday and April 8, but the rate of increase had dropped below 5% for several days this week.

The new figure for deaths represents an increase of four over Thursday’s figure, or 5%. It came as Wyandotte County in the Kansas City area reported four new deaths, bringing its total to 35. The county reports 395 coronavirus cases, the most in the state, and has 23% of the state’s cases and 42% of its COVID-19 related deaths, despite having only 5.7% of its population.

The rise in cases and deaths and the expanding geographical spread of the coronavirus came with Republican legislators increasing pressure on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to outline a plan for lifting her stay-at-home order for the state’s 2.9 million residents..

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas saw its number of confirmed coronavirus case jump again by more than 100 in a single day, past 1,700 total, the state health department reported Friday. COVID-19 deaths increased to 84.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHEThe Department of Health and Environment said the state has 1,705 cases of the novel coronavirus in 66 of its 105 counties. That was an increase of 117, or 7.4% from Thursday, with cases in three additional counties.The state also reported 100-plus increases in case numbers on Saturday and April 8, but the rate of increase had dropped below 5% for several days this week.The new figure for deaths represents an increase of four over Thursday’s figure, or 5%. It came as Wyandotte County in the Kansas City area reported four new deaths, bringing its total to 35. The county reports 395 coronavirus cases, the most in the state, and has 23% of the state’s cases and 42% of its COVID-19 related deaths, despite having only 5.7% of its population.The rise in cases and deaths and the expanding geographical spread of the coronavirus came with Republican legislators increasing pressure on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to outline a plan for lifting her stay-at-home order for the state’s 2.9 million residents..<figure>
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Kansas sees coronavirus cases top 1,700; deaths rise to 84

TOPEKA — In a decision published Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court affirmed a ruling by the Saline County District Court in the murder case involving 33-year-old Nicholas Corbin.

According to a summary of the decision "In 2014, Corbin pleaded no contest to murder of his two-month old son. 

The district court rejected his argument he was intellectually disabled. 

In a 2016 appeal, the Supreme Court remanded the case to district court to reconsider its ruling because the applicable law had changed. 

On remand, the district court complied with the Supreme Court's direction and again denied the intellectual disability claim. 

In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Dan Biles, the Supreme Court affirmed the district court's ruling and held its decision was reasonable and supported by the evidence."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587142514410.png" alt="Corbin is being held in the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Corbin is being held in the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — In a decision published Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court affirmed a ruling by the Saline County District Court in the murder case involving 33-year-old Nicholas Corbin.According to a summary of the decision "In 2014, Corbin pleaded no contest to murder of his two-month old son. The district court rejected his argument he was intellectually disabled. In a 2016 appeal, the Supreme Court remanded the case to district court to reconsider its ruling because the applicable law had changed. On remand, the district court complied with the Supreme Court's direction and again denied the intellectual disability claim. In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Dan Biles, the Supreme Court affirmed the district court's ruling and held its decision was reasonable and supported by the evidence."

Kan. court affirms ruling against man who murdered infant son

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A major aircraft parts supplier in Kansas is expected to bring about 2,100 furloughed workers back to work next week as Boeing prepares to resume production of its commercial airplanes.

Spirit AeroSystems also is planning resume work for more than 1,700 other workers in Wichita over the next three weeks.

“As our customer, Boeing, begins to resume production, Spirit AeroSystems will work with our employees, customers and suppliers to begin a phased-in return to work for some furloughed employees,” Spirit spokeswoman Keturah Austin said.

She added that “this will be a slow process as we work to continue to support our customer’s operations in a manner that is safe for all involved.”

Boeing said Thursday it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f42ebafe22368f14745b9ab1ca7f6570">restart production of its commercial airplanes</a>&nbsp;next week in the Seattle area, putting about 27,000 people back to work at its facilities in the Seattle area after operations were suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boeing employees for the 737, 747, 767 and 777 airplanes will return as early as Monday with most returning to work by Tuesday,

Boeing is Spirit AeroSystem’s biggest customer, and the impact has rippled to its suppliers.

About 2,100 workers, hourly and salaried, are scheduled to return to various production lines at the Spirit plant in Wichita on Monday, according to a union officials and numbers obtained by the newspaper. They’ll be joined by another 200 workers on April 27; an additional 1,100 on April 29 and nearly 400 on May 4.

Cornell Beard, president of Machinists District Lodge 70, said the returning union workers are still a fraction of the plant’s full work force, “but anything’s better than nothing.”

The coronavirus has exacerbated Boeing’s crisis surrounding the 737 Max, which remains grounded after two deadly crashes. Boeing said Thursday its 737 program “”will resume working toward restarting production”″ of the 737 MAX.

Spirit produces about 70% of the 737 Max, including the fuselage. Contracts with Boeing for the Max represents more than half of Spirit’s annual income.

Future callbacks at Spirit will be largely dependent on Boeing’s performance in getting the 737 Max back in the air, Beard said.

“If another mistake is found, or another defect, or if we just encounter another problem, those projections will change again (and) we’re going to be right back in this pickle,” Beard said.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A major aircraft parts supplier in Kansas is expected to bring about 2,100 furloughed workers back to work next week as Boeing prepares to resume production of its commercial airplanes.Spirit AeroSystems also is planning resume work for more than 1,700 other workers in Wichita over the next three weeks.“As our customer, Boeing, begins to resume production, Spirit AeroSystems will work with our employees, customers and suppliers to begin a phased-in return to work for some furloughed employees,” Spirit spokeswoman Keturah Austin said.She added that “this will be a slow process as we work to continue to support our customer’s operations in a manner that is safe for all involved.”Boeing said Thursday it will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f42ebafe22368f14745b9ab1ca7f6570">restart production of its commercial airplanes</a>&nbsp;next week in the Seattle area, putting about 27,000 people back to work at its facilities in the Seattle area after operations were suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boeing employees for the 737, 747, 767 and 777 airplanes will return as early as Monday with most returning to work by Tuesday,Boeing is Spirit AeroSystem’s biggest customer, and the impact has rippled to its suppliers.About 2,100 workers, hourly and salaried, are scheduled to return to various production lines at the Spirit plant in Wichita on Monday, according to a union officials and numbers obtained by the newspaper. They’ll be joined by another 200 workers on April 27; an additional 1,100 on April 29 and nearly 400 on May 4.Cornell Beard, president of Machinists District Lodge 70, said the returning union workers are still a fraction of the plant’s full work force, “but anything’s better than nothing.”The coronavirus has exacerbated Boeing’s crisis surrounding the 737 Max, which remains grounded after two deadly crashes. Boeing said Thursday its 737 program “”will resume working toward restarting production”″ of the 737 MAX.Spirit produces about 70% of the 737 Max, including the fuselage. Contracts with Boeing for the Max represents more than half of Spirit’s annual income.Future callbacks at Spirit will be largely dependent on Boeing’s performance in getting the 737 Max back in the air, Beard said.“If another mistake is found, or another defect, or if we just encounter another problem, those projections will change again (and) we’re going to be right back in this pickle,” Beard said.

Kan. aircraft parts maker bringing back some furloughed workers

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City tow truck driver has been arrested, accused of chasing down and shooting a man whose vehicle he had been trying to tow, police said.

A report had previously described the Tuesday night incident as a rolling gun battle between two tow truck drivers.

Police determined the shooting occurred after the victim spotted two tow trucks preparing to tow his vehicle in Raytown, then jumped into his vehicle and drove off.

Police said Prentiss Burks, 42, followed in his tow truck, opening fire on the fleeing vehicle. The chase ended near the Glen Lake neighborhood in Kansas City after Burks shot the fleeing vehicle's driver twice in the legs.

Investigators later found a handgun in Burks' possession that matched the shell casings found along the road where shots were fired, police said.

Burks has been charged with second-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and a weapons count and is being held on $50,000 bond. Prosecutors are seeking to have his bond increased to $100,000.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two tow truck drivers carried out a rolling gun battle in a western Kansas City neighborhood, seriously wounding one of them, police said.

The shooting happened Tuesday night near the Glen Lake neighborhood. Police said the altercation began in Raytown, when one tow truck driver tried to run over the other, and continued into Kansas City.

At some point, one driver opened fire on the other as they drove north on Norfleet Road, police said. The chase and shooting continued as the tow trucks traveled west and ended a short time later.

Police said one of the drivers was shot twice and was taken by an ambulance to a hospital in serious condition. He is expected to survive, police said.

No names were released, and no arrests had been reported by Thursday.

<figure>
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 </figure>Burks photo Jackson CountyKANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City tow truck driver has been arrested, accused of chasing down and shooting a man whose vehicle he had been trying to tow, police said.A report had previously described the Tuesday night incident as a rolling gun battle between two tow truck drivers.Police determined the shooting occurred after the victim spotted two tow trucks preparing to tow his vehicle in Raytown, then jumped into his vehicle and drove off.Police said Prentiss Burks, 42, followed in his tow truck, opening fire on the fleeing vehicle. The chase ended near the Glen Lake neighborhood in Kansas City after Burks shot the fleeing vehicle's driver twice in the legs.Investigators later found a handgun in Burks' possession that matched the shell casings found along the road where shots were fired, police said.Burks has been charged with second-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and a weapons count and is being held on $50,000 bond. Prosecutors are seeking to have his bond increased to $100,000.------------KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two tow truck drivers carried out a rolling gun battle in a western Kansas City neighborhood, seriously wounding one of them, police said.The shooting happened Tuesday night near the Glen Lake neighborhood. Police said the altercation began in Raytown, when one tow truck driver tried to run over the other, and continued into Kansas City.At some point, one driver opened fire on the other as they drove north on Norfleet Road, police said. The chase and shooting continued as the tow trucks traveled west and ended a short time later.Police said one of the drivers was shot twice and was taken by an ambulance to a hospital in serious condition. He is expected to survive, police said.No names were released, and no arrests had been reported by Thursday.

Update: Kansas City tow-truck operator shot fleeing driver

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are struggling to break a stalemate over President Donald Trump’s $250 billion emergency request for a small-business program, stoking uncertainty about when additional support will be available in a key rescue program now exhausted of funds.

A Senate session quickly adjourned without any progress, though staff aides to House and Senate Democrats and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin convened another conference call, on legislation to shore up the Paycheck Protection Program and demands by Democrats for potential additions. The Small Business Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dded8ead64598a3893f4046bbe857d2e">announced Thursday&nbsp;</a>it has reached its $349 billion lending limit and is no longer accepting applications, and Trump immediately weighed in on Twitter to bash Democrats.

“Democrats are blocking additional funding for the popular Paycheck Protection Program. They are killing American small businesses. Stop playing politics Dems! Support Refilling PPP NOW – it is out of funds!” Trump wrote.

GOP aides said that Mnuchin is prepared to accept additional funding sought by Democrats for hospitals, but that additional aid to state and local governments couldn’t get approval in the current round. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity to characterize internal party deliberations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587127575852.png" alt="Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) Virginia, designated to act as Speaker pro tempore in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) Virginia, designated to act as Speaker pro tempore in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are struggling to break a stalemate over President Donald Trump’s $250 billion emergency request for a small-business program, stoking uncertainty about when additional support will be available in a key rescue program now exhausted of funds.A Senate session quickly adjourned without any progress, though staff aides to House and Senate Democrats and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin convened another conference call, on legislation to shore up the Paycheck Protection Program and demands by Democrats for potential additions. The Small Business Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dded8ead64598a3893f4046bbe857d2e">announced Thursday&nbsp;</a>it has reached its $349 billion lending limit and is no longer accepting applications, and Trump immediately weighed in on Twitter to bash Democrats.“Democrats are blocking additional funding for the popular Paycheck Protection Program. They are killing American small businesses. Stop playing politics Dems! Support Refilling PPP NOW – it is out of funds!” Trump wrote.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696207171.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>GOP aides said that Mnuchin is prepared to accept additional funding sought by Democrats for hospitals, but that additional aid to state and local governments couldn’t get approval in the current round. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity to characterize internal party deliberations.Thursday’s Senate session featured a short speech by a frustrated majority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., but no effort to pass Trump’s $250 billion request — or to shame Democrats, were they to block it as they did last week. Instead, McConnell said that he had cleared the $250 billion package on the GOP side but that Democrats would have stopped it.“Democrats would not let us reopen the program,” McConnell said. “This really should be above politics.”The Capitol is largely shuttered, requiring consensus from all sides for any legislation to pass, and top GOP leaders are vowing to stick closely to Trump’s request despite Democrats’ additional demands.The Senate is away from Washington through May 4, but it convenes twice each week for pro forma sessions that could be used to pass more coronavirus aid — though only if no senator objects. The next Senate pro forma is Monday afternoon; no action is expected at a brief Friday House session.McConnell, asked by a reporter whether he could support any agreement reached by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Mnuchin, was noncommittal.“Well, look, we’d take a look at it. My members want to plus up the small-business program. We think the need is obvious,” he told reporters. “And all the money for the other programs is not yet out the door. It doesn’t mean we won’t be dealing with them later, but we have an emergency, we ought to deal with it.”GOP leaders McConnell and Kevin McCarthy are back in Washington to monitor developments. McCarthy, the House minority leader, is closer to Trump, but both seem to fear Mnuchin might be willing to contemplate concessions that rank-and-file Republicans would find objectionable.At issue is a $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program that is a centerpiece of last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2099a53bb8adf2def7ee7329ea322f9d">massive rescue bill.&nbsp;</a>The Congressional Budget Office issued an estimate for the legislation, passed virtually unanimously last month, pegging its deficit cost at $1.8 trillion. That’s less than the $2.2 trillion informal White House estimate, and the difference is because the CBO believes an almost half-trillion-dollar loan guarantee program designed to stabilize large companies and state and local governments won’t have deficit costs because the money would be paid back.The program gives grants to businesses with fewer than 500 workers so that they can maintain payroll and pay rent while shutting down their businesses during social distancing edicts.The program has been swamped by businesses applying for loans and has reached its appropriations limit. Mnuchin says $250 billion more is needed immediately.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696236815.png" alt="White House" />
 <figcaption>White House</figcaption>
 </figure>But Democrats want money for hospitals burdened under COVID-19 caseloads and additional funding for states and local governments straining as the economy slides into recession.They also want to make sure the Paycheck Protection Program is opened up more to businesses that don’t have established relationships with banks that have been accepting applications for rescue funding.Pelosi is pressing to add money to be distributed by community development financial institutions, which are small, nontraditional lenders that focus on making loans in underdeveloped and underserved neighborhoods, typically communities with larger minority populations.“We want to make sure that, as it gets more money, many more people get access to the credit,” Pelosi said.Eventually, the need for consensus seems likely to result in a relatively limited package.Republicans are agitating to help rural hospitals, while Democrats are also keen to boost aid to cash-strapped states and local governments whose revenues have cratered. Aiding the states may be a stretch for now, however, as the issue can easily provoke fights between large, high-tax states like California and New York and smaller states more typically run by Republicans.