LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — No military bugler sounded “Taps” for Raymond Boler, a soldier for nearly 40 years.

No honor guard stood among the white marble headstones of Leavenworth National Cemetery on a recent Monday to fire the three-volley salute he had hoped would see him to his final rest.

It was not a uniformed soldier who presented his widow, his partner for 57 years, with the American flag, folded in a triangle, from a grateful nation.

“One of the guys at the office, a VA person at the cemetery office, he presented me with the flag, and that was it,” Francina Boler told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article241804306.html">The Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;on the afternoon after her husband, 72, was buried. “I’m really upset, but what can I do? The whole world’s got things going on. … We didn’t have a choice.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration, which runs 142 cemeteries across the county, felt it had little choice, either, in the face of the spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

In keeping with social distancing recommendations by the federal Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, the administration has since March 23 limited the number of people allowed to attend funerals at Leavenworth and other national cemeteries to 10 or fewer. Buglers and honor guards and “committal” services have been suspended until the contagion passes.

“Typically, what happens at our cemeteries is that families are given about a half-hour to have a committal ceremony at a committal shelter,” said Les’ Melnyk, a spokesman for the cemetery administration in Washington, D.C.

In normal times, if a family requests it, a bugler from one of the military branches or from a veterans service organization will play taps. A flag will be folded and presented. A rifle detail will fire a three-round volley.

“All of that we have had to discontinue,” Melnyk said.

Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, one of some 20 post cemeteries run by the U.S. Army as opposed to the VA, has curtailed some rituals but continues offering “Taps” and rifle salutes and pall bearers.

“We are taking precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of our service members, civilian personnel and funeral attendees,”Charles Alexander Jr., the superintendent at Arlington, said in a website press statement. He said the cemetery is taking guidance from the CDC and Department of Defense.

The bodies or cremated remains of some 4.9 million veterans and their family members are interred in national cemeteries. Melnyk said about 500 funerals occur daily.

Raymond Boler wanted to be among them, having served in uniform for more than half of his life. Born on Sept. 5, 1947, in Independence, he graduated from Blue Springs High School in 1965 and soon joined the U.S. Air Force and served during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1970 and later in the active reserves.

Afterward he would serve in the Missouri Army National Guard for 30 years and gain notoriety when, at age 60, he served in Kosovo in 2008 and 2009.

Francine Boler said she and her future husband began dating when she was 15 and he was 17.

“He was a man who knew what he wanted in life, which included me, thank goodness,” she said this week. “I’m still in shock that he’s gone.”

Over the course of his life, Boler, nicknamed “Racer Ray”, because of his love of snow skiing and water skiing, would serve as a pharmaceuticals representative. He sold real estate. He had two children and eight grandchildren.

For 11 years he drove the same school bus in the Blue Valley School district, with a U.S. Army emblem on his dashboard.

Then in June, before his 72nd birthday, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“We just found it by accident,” his wife said. Two surgeries followed. Eventually, he would be paralyzed along his left side and need a wheelchair. It all happened faster than anyone anticipated.

Boler died at his Olathe home on March 30. By then, Francina Boler knew that her husband would not get the honor guard she wanted because of the spreading coronavirus. The cemetery rules had changed.

To honor him, the family held a drive-by memorial. Her husband’s casket, draped with the American flag, was set up outside their church, the Overland Park Church of Christ.

A table with this photos, medals and ribbons was set up alongside. Over one hour, more than 100 cars drove by to pay him respect.

“We kind of made it up,” Francina Boler said. A friend, she said, videotaped every passing car.

“He was a strong person, likable, humble,” Francina Boler said.

At Leavenworth and other national cemeteries, families, in lieu of the military ceremony, are given a different opportunity.

“What we got that nobody else gets is that we watched the interment, which is pretty hard, let me tell you,” she said.

Melnyk said that once the threat of the coronavirus pandemic passes, all families such as Boler’s will be given the opportunity to have the full military ceremony at a later date, if that so choose.

“We get to go back at some time,” Francina Boler said, “but it’s kind of after the fact.”

Melnyk said it is never too late to honor those who served their country.

“I think every one of our veterans is important,” he said. “Honestly, they all deserve that. And their families deserve that. We will get to that point again. For families that have had to bury a veteran now, they will have that opportunity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586693590148.png" alt="Raymond Boler photo courtesy B<a href="https://obittree.com/obituary/us/kansas/gardner/bruce-funeral-home-inc/raymond-boler/4147195/">ruce Funeral Home</a>" />
 <figcaption>Raymond Boler photo courtesy B<a href="https://obittree.com/obituary/us/kansas/gardner/bruce-funeral-home-inc/raymond-boler/4147195/">ruce Funeral Home</a></figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — No military bugler sounded “Taps” for Raymond Boler, a soldier for nearly 40 years.No honor guard stood among the white marble headstones of Leavenworth National Cemetery on a recent Monday to fire the three-volley salute he had hoped would see him to his final rest.It was not a uniformed soldier who presented his widow, his partner for 57 years, with the American flag, folded in a triangle, from a grateful nation.“One of the guys at the office, a VA person at the cemetery office, he presented me with the flag, and that was it,” Francina Boler told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article241804306.html">The Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;on the afternoon after her husband, 72, was buried. “I’m really upset, but what can I do? The whole world’s got things going on. … We didn’t have a choice.”The Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration, which runs 142 cemeteries across the county, felt it had little choice, either, in the face of the spreading COVID-19 pandemic.In keeping with social distancing recommendations by the federal Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, the administration has since March 23 limited the number of people allowed to attend funerals at Leavenworth and other national cemeteries to 10 or fewer. Buglers and honor guards and “committal” services have been suspended until the contagion passes.“Typically, what happens at our cemeteries is that families are given about a half-hour to have a committal ceremony at a committal shelter,” said Les’ Melnyk, a spokesman for the cemetery administration in Washington, D.C.In normal times, if a family requests it, a bugler from one of the military branches or from a veterans service organization will play taps. A flag will be folded and presented. A rifle detail will fire a three-round volley.“All of that we have had to discontinue,” Melnyk said.Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, one of some 20 post cemeteries run by the U.S. Army as opposed to the VA, has curtailed some rituals but continues offering “Taps” and rifle salutes and pall bearers.“We are taking precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of our service members, civilian personnel and funeral attendees,”Charles Alexander Jr., the superintendent at Arlington, said in a website press statement. He said the cemetery is taking guidance from the CDC and Department of Defense.The bodies or cremated remains of some 4.9 million veterans and their family members are interred in national cemeteries. Melnyk said about 500 funerals occur daily.Raymond Boler wanted to be among them, having served in uniform for more than half of his life. Born on Sept. 5, 1947, in Independence, he graduated from Blue Springs High School in 1965 and soon joined the U.S. Air Force and served during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1970 and later in the active reserves.Afterward he would serve in the Missouri Army National Guard for 30 years and gain notoriety when, at age 60, he served in Kosovo in 2008 and 2009.Francine Boler said she and her future husband began dating when she was 15 and he was 17.“He was a man who knew what he wanted in life, which included me, thank goodness,” she said this week. “I’m still in shock that he’s gone.”Over the course of his life, Boler, nicknamed “Racer Ray”, because of his love of snow skiing and water skiing, would serve as a pharmaceuticals representative. He sold real estate. He had two children and eight grandchildren.For 11 years he drove the same school bus in the Blue Valley School district, with a U.S. Army emblem on his dashboard.Then in June, before his 72nd birthday, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.“We just found it by accident,” his wife said. Two surgeries followed. Eventually, he would be paralyzed along his left side and need a wheelchair. It all happened faster than anyone anticipated.Boler died at his Olathe home on March 30. By then, Francina Boler knew that her husband would not get the honor guard she wanted because of the spreading coronavirus. The cemetery rules had changed.“I tried to tell him,” she said.To honor him, the family held a drive-by memorial. Her husband’s casket, draped with the American flag, was set up outside their church, the Overland Park Church of Christ.A table with this photos, medals and ribbons was set up alongside. Over one hour, more than 100 cars drove by to pay him respect.“We kind of made it up,” Francina Boler said. A friend, she said, videotaped every passing car.“He was a strong person, likable, humble,” Francina Boler said.At Leavenworth and other national cemeteries, families, in lieu of the military ceremony, are given a different opportunity.“What we got that nobody else gets is that we watched the interment, which is pretty hard, let me tell you,” she said.Melnyk said that once the threat of the coronavirus pandemic passes, all families such as Boler’s will be given the opportunity to have the full military ceremony at a later date, if that so choose.“We get to go back at some time,” Francina Boler said, “but it’s kind of after the fact.”Melnyk said it is never too late to honor those who served their country.“I think every one of our veterans is important,” he said. “Honestly, they all deserve that. And their families deserve that. We will get to that point again. For families that have had to bury a veteran now, they will have that opportunity.“That is a promise we’ve made.”

Veteran laid to rest at Kansas cemetery amid virus outbreak

KANSAS CITY (AP) — As each day brings the United States closer to peak severe weather season, Tornado Alley residents are facing a difficult question: Is it better to take on a twister outside a community shelter or to face the possibility of contracting the new coronavirus inside one?

So far, sheltering from deadly weather appears to be taking precedent over staying away from a potentially deadly disease, but not for everyone.

In north Alabama, where powerful tornadoes killed dozens in recent years, a little more than 700 people showed up at three shelters — a turnout that was actually larger than usual, due to especially dire storm predictions — when potentially dangerous weather threatened the Tennessee Valley in late March.

Two of the shelters were located in schools, where workers urged people to stay 6 feet apart in accordance with pandemic rules about social distancing, said Decatur Police Chief Nate Allen. They also asked whether anyone felt ill, and people who said they did were directed to an isolation room near an exterior door.

"They were pretty honest about it," Allen said. One elderly couple who were concerned about both disease and twisters locked themselves in a teachers lounge, he said.

No one was hurt in the storms, and Allen said authorities haven't heard of any health problems linked to the sheltering, which lasted about an hour.

But the need for shelters and people's concerns about going to them during a historic pandemic will surely arise again soon. Forecasters said there was a chance of powerful storms in Texas on Thursday, and severe weather including tornadoes could threaten the South from Louisiana to Georgia on Easter Sunday.

April through June is peak tornado season in the United States, which averaged about 1,250 tornadoes annually in the decade ending in 2010, according to statistics from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.

The Plains, the Midwest and the Southeast are particularly vulnerable, with a six-state region including Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas most likely to get hit by strong twisters, the records show.

Emergency planners, health officials and forecasters are generally advising people to take their chances with the virus when a tornado is headed their way.

"We should not let fear of the coronavirus blind us to the danger of an imminent tornado," Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement. “If you have to seek refuge in a community shelter, try to practice social distancing and other precautions as much as possible to minimize your risk.”

The National Weather Service and the Alabama Department of Public Health put it more bluntly in a joint statement as severe weather approached last month while virus worries were growing.

“If a warning is issued for your area, you are more likely to be affected by the tornado than the virus,” it said.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Home health worker Flora Thomas would rather take her chances with a twister than the new coronavirus, even though a monster tornado in 2011 killed more than 50 people, badly damaged her home and shattered her Tuscaloosa neighborhood, where there are still more empty lots than rebuilt homes.

“I'm more worried about the virus. I would stay home,” Thomas said. Christopher Hood, who lives nearby, agrees.

“Packed in with a bunch of other people in a shelter? I wouldn't want to be in that position right now,” said Hood.

In southeastern Mississippi last week, residents didn't have a choice about what to do. Within moments of the first warning, a tornado tore an 8-mile-long (13-kilometer-long) path of destruction through the area, with homes ripped apart and sheds flying through the air, said George County Emergency Management Director Nancy Smith.

“There was no time to think about opening shelters,” Smith said.

Tornado season eventually gives way to hurricane season, which begins June 1, and officials along the coast already are considering what to do should a tropical storm system draw near while the region is still under lockdown because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

In Panama City, Florida, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018, emergency services director Frankie Lumm said he plans to open more shelters than usual and have more rooms in each than he typically does, to allow for social distancing.

But even that won't be simple: The area is still low on shelters because schools are still being rebuilt after Michael, he said, and providing staffing for additional shelters could be a challenge during a pandemic.

“The rock meets a hard place if I begin to have a hurricane while this is still in full mode,” Lumm said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1580157520345.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — As each day brings the United States closer to peak severe weather season, Tornado Alley residents are facing a difficult question: Is it better to take on a twister outside a community shelter or to face the possibility of contracting the new coronavirus inside one?So far, sheltering from deadly weather appears to be taking precedent over staying away from a potentially deadly disease, but not for everyone.In north Alabama, where powerful tornadoes killed dozens in recent years, a little more than 700 people showed up at three shelters — a turnout that was actually larger than usual, due to especially dire storm predictions — when potentially dangerous weather threatened the Tennessee Valley in late March.Two of the shelters were located in schools, where workers urged people to stay 6 feet apart in accordance with pandemic rules about social distancing, said Decatur Police Chief Nate Allen. They also asked whether anyone felt ill, and people who said they did were directed to an isolation room near an exterior door."They were pretty honest about it," Allen said. One elderly couple who were concerned about both disease and twisters locked themselves in a teachers lounge, he said.No one was hurt in the storms, and Allen said authorities haven't heard of any health problems linked to the sheltering, which lasted about an hour.But the need for shelters and people's concerns about going to them during a historic pandemic will surely arise again soon. Forecasters said there was a chance of powerful storms in Texas on Thursday, and severe weather including tornadoes could threaten the South from Louisiana to Georgia on Easter Sunday.April through June is peak tornado season in the United States, which averaged about 1,250 tornadoes annually in the decade ending in 2010, according to statistics from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.The Plains, the Midwest and the Southeast are particularly vulnerable, with a six-state region including Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas most likely to get hit by strong twisters, the records show.Emergency planners, health officials and forecasters are generally advising people to take their chances with the virus when a tornado is headed their way.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586199723314.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly during a press conference Wednesday in Topeka" />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly during a press conference Wednesday in Topeka</figcaption>
 </figure>"We should not let fear of the coronavirus blind us to the danger of an imminent tornado," Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement. “If you have to seek refuge in a community shelter, try to practice social distancing and other precautions as much as possible to minimize your risk.”The National Weather Service and the Alabama Department of Public Health put it more bluntly in a joint statement as severe weather approached last month while virus worries were growing.“If a warning is issued for your area, you are more likely to be affected by the tornado than the virus,” it said.For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.Home health worker Flora Thomas would rather take her chances with a twister than the new coronavirus, even though a monster tornado in 2011 killed more than 50 people, badly damaged her home and shattered her Tuscaloosa neighborhood, where there are still more empty lots than rebuilt homes.“I'm more worried about the virus. I would stay home,” Thomas said. Christopher Hood, who lives nearby, agrees.“Packed in with a bunch of other people in a shelter? I wouldn't want to be in that position right now,” said Hood.In southeastern Mississippi last week, residents didn't have a choice about what to do. Within moments of the first warning, a tornado tore an 8-mile-long (13-kilometer-long) path of destruction through the area, with homes ripped apart and sheds flying through the air, said George County Emergency Management Director Nancy Smith.“There was no time to think about opening shelters,” Smith said.Tornado season eventually gives way to hurricane season, which begins June 1, and officials along the coast already are considering what to do should a tropical storm system draw near while the region is still under lockdown because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.In Panama City, Florida, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018, emergency services director Frankie Lumm said he plans to open more shelters than usual and have more rooms in each than he typically does, to allow for social distancing.But even that won't be simple: The area is still low on shelters because schools are still being rebuilt after Michael, he said, and providing staffing for additional shelters could be a challenge during a pandemic.“The rock meets a hard place if I begin to have a hurricane while this is still in full mode,” Lumm said.___

Tornado or virus? Pandemic means tough sheltering decisions

TOPEKA —The Kansas Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) was not authorized to revoke Executive Order 20-18. The governor's order, which prohibits mass gatherings of more than 10 people – including church services and funerals -- remains in effect.

<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/High%20Interest%20Cases/Kelly%20v%20LCC/122765Opinion.pdf?ext=.pdf">Click here t</a>o read the opinion

During oral arguments on Saturday morning, an attorney for Governor Kelly told the state Supreme Court that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it overturned the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnQYvyZXgY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a> the oral arguments

The hearing, which was the court’s first conducted completely via video conferencing, came one day before Easter, which is typically the busiest day on the Christian calendar in terms of church attendance.

In a statement late Saturday evening, Governor Kelly said, “My top priority has always been the safety and well-being of all Kansans,” Kelly said. “I know this pandemic is extremely hard for everyone. Each<a></a>&nbsp;unprecedented action I’ve been forced to make in recent weeks has been taken in close consultation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, the Attorney General, legislators and key stakeholders. That process will continue.

“Most other states, at the urging of the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have taken similar steps to protect Americans to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the Governor said.

The decision comes as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Saturday an additional 102 confirmed cases and five deaths, bringing the state’s total to 1,268 confirmed cases and 55 deaths across 61 counties.

“I want to thank the Supreme Court for its expedited review under difficult circumstances,” Kelly said, referring to the Supreme Court meeting for the first time in the court’s history by video conference. “Our response to this unprecedented pandemic has necessitated that even our most fundamental institutions find alternative methods that preserve public health.”

The ruling held that the seven-member LCC lacked authority to revoke Executive Order 20-18 and that the LCC’s ability to exercise such authority is controlled by the Kansas Emergency Management Act.

“Today’s ruling does not change my commitment to maintaining open lines of communication and collaboration with the Legislature. The only way to get through this is by working with—not against—each other in a bipartisan fashion.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586614513860.png" alt="View of the oral arguments conducted via video conference Saturday morning." />
 <figcaption>View of the oral arguments conducted via video conference Saturday morning.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —The Kansas Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) was not authorized to revoke Executive Order 20-18. The governor's order, which prohibits mass gatherings of more than 10 people – including church services and funerals -- remains in effect.<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/High%20Interest%20Cases/Kelly%20v%20LCC/122765Opinion.pdf?ext=.pdf">Click here t</a>o read the opinionDuring oral arguments on Saturday morning, an attorney for Governor Kelly told the state Supreme Court that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it overturned the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Read House leadership’s response to tonight’s Kansas Supreme Court ruling:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/whj6oJ3Wgs">pic.twitter.com/whj6oJ3Wgs</a>&mdash; Speaker Ryckman (@RonRyckman) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonRyckman/status/1249167473158520833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnQYvyZXgY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a> the oral argumentsThe hearing, which was the court’s first conducted completely via video conferencing, came one day before Easter, which is typically the busiest day on the Christian calendar in terms of church attendance.In a statement late Saturday evening, Governor Kelly said, “My top priority has always been the safety and well-being of all Kansans,” Kelly said. “I know this pandemic is extremely hard for everyone. Each<a></a>&nbsp;unprecedented action I’ve been forced to make in recent weeks has been taken in close consultation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, the Attorney General, legislators and key stakeholders. That process will continue.“Most other states, at the urging of the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have taken similar steps to protect Americans to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the Governor said.The decision comes as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Saturday an additional 102 confirmed cases and five deaths, bringing the state’s total to 1,268 confirmed cases and 55 deaths across 61 counties.“I want to thank the Supreme Court for its expedited review under difficult circumstances,” Kelly said, referring to the Supreme Court meeting for the first time in the court’s history by video conference. “Our response to this unprecedented pandemic has necessitated that even our most fundamental institutions find alternative methods that preserve public health.”The ruling held that the seven-member LCC lacked authority to revoke Executive Order 20-18 and that the LCC’s ability to exercise such authority is controlled by the Kansas Emergency Management Act.“Today’s ruling does not change my commitment to maintaining open lines of communication and collaboration with the Legislature. The only way to get through this is by working with—not against—each other in a bipartisan fashion.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586617651999.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Kan. Supreme Court: Gov.'s order on religious gatherings stands 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on theft charges.

Just before 2a.m. Wednesday, deputies located a stump grinder and a trailer in the driveway of a residence in the 2700 block of NE 35th&nbsp;Street, according to Shawnee County Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.

 These items matched the description of stolen property reported to the Topeka Police Department with an estimated value of around $15,000. Deputies were unable to make contact with anyone at the residence. Topeka Police officers arrived on scene a short time later and seized the stolen property.

Later in the morning at around 5:10 a.m., a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1998 Chevy Z71 pickup truck near NE Sherman Rd and K4 HWY for an equipment violation. The Chevy pickup matched the description of a vehicle that was believed to be involved in the theft of the stump grinder and trailer.&nbsp;

The driver, later identified as 39-year-old Travis D. Walker of Topeka was detained for questioning by the Topeka Police Department and was later arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for Felony Theft charges.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586373995409.png" alt="Walker-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Walker-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on theft charges.Just before 2a.m. Wednesday, deputies located a stump grinder and a trailer in the driveway of a residence in the 2700 block of NE 35th&nbsp;Street, according to Shawnee County Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer. These items matched the description of stolen property reported to the Topeka Police Department with an estimated value of around $15,000. Deputies were unable to make contact with anyone at the residence. Topeka Police officers arrived on scene a short time later and seized the stolen property.Later in the morning at around 5:10 a.m., a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1998 Chevy Z71 pickup truck near NE Sherman Rd and K4 HWY for an equipment violation. The Chevy pickup matched the description of a vehicle that was believed to be involved in the theft of the stump grinder and trailer.&nbsp;The driver, later identified as 39-year-old Travis D. Walker of Topeka was detained for questioning by the Topeka Police Department and was later arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for Felony Theft charges.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. man jailed for alleged theft of $15,000 in equipment

GOVE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a suspect after a chase on Interstate 70 in Gove County are adding additional charges in the case.

Just after 7 a.m. Thursday, a man who falsely identified himself to officers as Abron R. Dunston, Jr. 36, Norfolk, VA, pulled into the parking lot of the Golden Plains Credit Union in Quinter, according to Gove County Sheriff Allan Weber.&nbsp;

The driver pulled the 2019 Nissan passenger vehicle up to a woman arriving for work and demanded she give up her purse. When the victim refused, Dunston drove away.

Law enforcement responded to the report and KHP troopers picked up the chase on westbound Interstate 70 near the Grinnell exit.&nbsp;

The Nissan continued into Thomas County where Dunston (Bowser) drove through the median and then westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-70 at speeds of 110 miles per hour, according to Heilman. Dunston (Bowser) also avoided two attempts by law enforcement to use stop sticks.

Dunston (Bowser) then traveled back through the median to the westbound lanes, lost control of the Nissan in a ditch and crashed through a KDOT fence between the Sleep Inn and Walmart in Colby, according to Heilman.

When Dunston (Bowser, who was not seriously injured, refused to exit the vehicle, officers used a K9 to help them make an arrest, according to Sheriff Weber.

According to Heilman, the Nissan was reported stolen in Virginia.

Dunston (Bowser) was treated for minor injuries remains jailed in Thomas County on requested charges that include the stolen vehicle, felony flee and elude and a weapons possession violation charge. Authorities will also add a charge of obstruction, according to Heilman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586533762755.png" alt="Bree Bowser, 22, Virginia Beach, Virginia, used the fake name Abron R. Dunston, Jr. after his arrest Thursday.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Bree Bowser, 22, Virginia Beach, Virginia, used the fake name Abron R. Dunston, Jr. after his arrest Thursday.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>GOVE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating a suspect after a chase on Interstate 70 in Gove County are adding additional charges in the case.Just after 7 a.m. Thursday, a man who falsely identified himself to officers as Abron R. Dunston, Jr. 36, Norfolk, VA, pulled into the parking lot of the Golden Plains Credit Union in Quinter, according to Gove County Sheriff Allan Weber.&nbsp;The driver pulled the 2019 Nissan passenger vehicle up to a woman arriving for work and demanded she give up her purse. When the victim refused, Dunston drove away.Law enforcement responded to the report and KHP troopers picked up the chase on westbound Interstate 70 near the Grinnell exit.&nbsp;The Nissan continued into Thomas County where Dunston (Bowser) drove through the median and then westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-70 at speeds of 110 miles per hour, according to Heilman. Dunston (Bowser) also avoided two attempts by law enforcement to use stop sticks.Dunston (Bowser) then traveled back through the median to the westbound lanes, lost control of the Nissan in a ditch and crashed through a KDOT fence between the Sleep Inn and Walmart in Colby, according to Heilman.When Dunston (Bowser, who was not seriously injured, refused to exit the vehicle, officers used a K9 to help them make an arrest, according to Sheriff Weber.According to Heilman, the Nissan was reported stolen in Virginia.Dunston (Bowser) was treated for minor injuries remains jailed in Thomas County on requested charges that include the stolen vehicle, felony flee and elude and a weapons possession violation charge. Authorities will also add a charge of obstruction, according to Heilman.

Update: Suspect drove wrong-way on I-70 during chase

By FRANK BAJAK and MATT O'BRIEN, Associated Press

Apple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.

The technology works by harnessing short-range Bluetooth signals. Using the Apple-Google technology, contact-tracing apps would gather a record of other phones with which they came into close proximity. Such data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the novel coronavirus, although only in cases where the phones’ owners have installed the apps and agreed to share data with public-health authorities.

Software developers have already created such apps in countries including Singapore and China to try to contain the pandemic. In Europe, the Czech Republic says it will release such an app after Easter. Britain, Germany and Italy are also developing their own tracing tools.

Privacy and civil liberties activists have warned that such apps need to be designed so governments cannot abuse them to track their citizens. Apple and Google&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/04/apple-and-google-partner-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-technology/" target="_blank">said in a rare joint announcement</a>&nbsp;that user privacy and security are baked into the design of their plan.

The technology might serve as a stopgap in the absence of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, which in the U.S. remains limited after production problems and limited federal coordination of the tests’ production and distribution. “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate,” said Tiffany Li, a visiting law professor at Boston University who studies privacy and technology. “But clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”

Li suggested that Bluetooth signal tracking protects privacy better than the use of other options such as GPS or cell-tower based location data, which would allow centralized authorities access to the information. But it could still lead to numerous mistaken alerts, she said — for instance, if someone was in full protective gear or in an adjacent apartment while physically close to an infected person.

Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, said a conversation with Apple’s senior director for global privacy, Jane Horvath, assured her that the initiative will protect people’s privacy. Sensitive information will stay on individual phones in encrypted form and alerts will be handled by public health agencies, not the tech companies, she said.

“I think they’ve taken care of some of the really big problems,” Dixon said, noting the companies say they can turn off the system when it’s no longer needed. “The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.”

Asked about the Google-Apple effort at his daily news briefing, President Donald Trump called it “very interesting,” but expressed concern that “a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom. We’re going to take a look at that.”

Security experts note that technology alone cannot effectively track down and identify people who may have been infected by COVID-19 carriers. Such efforts will require other tools and teams of public health care workers to locate people in the physical world, they say. In South Korea and China, such efforts have included the use of credit-card and public-transit records.

In general, epidemiologists say contact tracing won’t be effective without widely available testing. In the Czech Republic, the plan is to have soldiers perform testing; medical students have been trained to staff call centers for notifying people at high risk of infection. The Czech app will use both Bluetooth technology and geolocation data from wireless carriers and banks to create “memory maps” that trace the movement of infected people to identify others they came into close proximity with in the five to ten days before they tested positive.

The hope is to quickly isolate people who may be affected so the virus can be contained and restrictions on movement relaxed. The app builds on a popular cellular-location mapping app used by one in ten Czechs, who number 10 million.

Given the great need for effective contact-tracing — a tool epidemiologists have long employed to contain infectious disease outbreaks — Google and Apple will roll out their changes in two phases. In May, they will release software that will support public-health apps for both Android and iOS phones. In coming months, they will also build this functionality directly into the underlying phone operating systems.

On Friday, the companies released preliminary technical specifications for the effort, which they called “Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing.”

By FRANK BAJAK and MATT O'BRIEN, Associated PressApple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.The technology works by harnessing short-range Bluetooth signals. Using the Apple-Google technology, contact-tracing apps would gather a record of other phones with which they came into close proximity. Such data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the novel coronavirus, although only in cases where the phones’ owners have installed the apps and agreed to share data with public-health authorities.Software developers have already created such apps in countries including Singapore and China to try to contain the pandemic. In Europe, the Czech Republic says it will release such an app after Easter. Britain, Germany and Italy are also developing their own tracing tools.ADVERTISEMENTPrivacy and civil liberties activists have warned that such apps need to be designed so governments cannot abuse them to track their citizens. Apple and Google&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/04/apple-and-google-partner-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-technology/" target="_blank">said in a rare joint announcement</a>&nbsp;that user privacy and security are baked into the design of their plan.The technology might serve as a stopgap in the absence of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, which in the U.S. remains limited after production problems and limited federal coordination of the tests’ production and distribution. “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate,” said Tiffany Li, a visiting law professor at Boston University who studies privacy and technology. “But clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”Li suggested that Bluetooth signal tracking protects privacy better than the use of other options such as GPS or cell-tower based location data, which would allow centralized authorities access to the information. But it could still lead to numerous mistaken alerts, she said — for instance, if someone was in full protective gear or in an adjacent apartment while physically close to an infected person.Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, said a conversation with Apple’s senior director for global privacy, Jane Horvath, assured her that the initiative will protect people’s privacy. Sensitive information will stay on individual phones in encrypted form and alerts will be handled by public health agencies, not the tech companies, she said.“I think they’ve taken care of some of the really big problems,” Dixon said, noting the companies say they can turn off the system when it’s no longer needed. “The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.”Asked about the Google-Apple effort at his daily news briefing, President Donald Trump called it “very interesting,” but expressed concern that “a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom. We’re going to take a look at that.”Security experts note that technology alone cannot effectively track down and identify people who may have been infected by COVID-19 carriers. Such efforts will require other tools and teams of public health care workers to locate people in the physical world, they say. In South Korea and China, such efforts have included the use of credit-card and public-transit records.In general, epidemiologists say contact tracing won’t be effective without widely available testing. In the Czech Republic, the plan is to have soldiers perform testing; medical students have been trained to staff call centers for notifying people at high risk of infection. The Czech app will use both Bluetooth technology and geolocation data from wireless carriers and banks to create “memory maps” that trace the movement of infected people to identify others they came into close proximity with in the five to ten days before they tested positive.The hope is to quickly isolate people who may be affected so the virus can be contained and restrictions on movement relaxed. The app builds on a popular cellular-location mapping app used by one in ten Czechs, who number 10 million.Given the great need for effective contact-tracing — a tool epidemiologists have long employed to contain infectious disease outbreaks — Google and Apple will roll out their changes in two phases. In May, they will release software that will support public-health apps for both Android and iOS phones. In coming months, they will also build this functionality directly into the underlying phone operating systems.On Friday, the companies released preliminary technical specifications for the effort, which they called “Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing.”___

Apple, Google to harness phones for virus infection tracking

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world Saturday at about 20,000, as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion before they erupt.

With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation’s heartland.

Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago’s Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6f408d2ff996945505f334a7529c0d90">Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</a>&nbsp;has been going around telling groups of people to “break it up.”

Around the world, meanwhile, European countries used roadblocks, drones, helicopters, mounted patrols and the threat of fines to keep people from traveling over Easter weekend. And with infections and deaths slowing in Italy, Spain and other places on the Continent, governments took tentative steps toward loosening the weeks-long shutdowns.

Glorious weather across Europe posed an extra test of people’s discipline.

“Don’t do silly things,” said Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency. “Don’t go out, continue to behave responsibly as you have done until today, use your head and your sense of responsibility.”

The outbreak’s center of gravity has long since shifted from China to Europe and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">United State</a>&nbsp;s, which now has by far the largest number of confirmed cases — a half-million — and a death toll higher than Italy’s count of nearly 19,500, according to the<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html"> tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.</a>

The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.

About half the deaths in the U.S. are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and social distancing are “flattening the curve” of infections and staving off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">doomsday scenarios</a>&nbsp;of just a week or two ago.

New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the daily number of deaths is stabilizing “but stabilizing at a horrific rate.”

“What do we do now? We stay the course,” said Cuomo, who like other leaders has warned that relaxing restrictions too soon could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.

With authorities warning that the crisis in New York is far from over, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s 1.1 million-student school system will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But Cuomo said the decision is up to him, and no such determination has been made.

In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.

Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died. In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary Tuesday.

Michigan’s governor extended her state’s stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.

And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.

Elsewhere around the world, Italian authorities set up roadblocks around Milan to discourage people from going on Easter weekend trips. British police kept a close watch on gatherings in parks and at the seaside on one of the hottest days of the year. And France deployed some 160,000 police, including officers on horseback who patrolled beaches and parks.

“It’s useless to pack your bags for a vacation,” Paris police tweeted.

With religious leaders around the globe urging people to observe Easter safely at home, not in church, the archbishop of Turin, Italy, allowed a video streaming display of the Shroud of Turin, believed by the faithful to be the burial cloth of Jesus, so that they can pray in front of it during the epidemic.

Austria aims to reopen small shops on Tuesday. Spain, with more than 16,300 dead, plans to allow workers in some nonessential industries to return to factories and construction sites Monday. Spanish authorities said they will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations.

“We think that with these measures we will prevent a jump in infections,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said.

Italy continued to include all nonessential manufacturing in an extension of its national lockdown until May 3. But Premier Giuseppe Conte held out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8daf291838bae0c7e17c055c4955cea7">hope that some industry could re-open earlier</a>&nbsp;if conditions permit.

Arcuri said that the exit from the lockdown will include increased virus testing, the deployment of a voluntary contact-tracing app and mandatory blood tests as Italy seeks to set up a system of ’’immunity passports.”

India extended its lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people by two more weeks. But Iran, the site of the worst outbreak in the Middle East, reopened government offices and businesses outside Tehran.

Britain on Saturday reported 917 more deaths, down from the peak of 980 recorded a day earlier. The country’s overall death toll neared 10,000. At the same time, data suggest that the number of hospital admissions in Britain is leveling off.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to recover at a London hospital, where he was able to take short walks, according to his office.

Worldwide, confirmed infections rose above 1.7 million, with over 100,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Close to 400,000 people have recovered.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and those with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586635290743.png" alt="<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Coronavirus resource center map</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Coronavirus resource center map</a></figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world Saturday at about 20,000, as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion before they erupt.With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation’s heartland.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696207171.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago’s Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6f408d2ff996945505f334a7529c0d90">Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</a>&nbsp;has been going around telling groups of people to “break it up.”Around the world, meanwhile, European countries used roadblocks, drones, helicopters, mounted patrols and the threat of fines to keep people from traveling over Easter weekend. And with infections and deaths slowing in Italy, Spain and other places on the Continent, governments took tentative steps toward loosening the weeks-long shutdowns.Glorious weather across Europe posed an extra test of people’s discipline.“Don’t do silly things,” said Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency. “Don’t go out, continue to behave responsibly as you have done until today, use your head and your sense of responsibility.”The outbreak’s center of gravity has long since shifted from China to Europe and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">United State</a>&nbsp;s, which now has by far the largest number of confirmed cases — a half-million — and a death toll higher than Italy’s count of nearly 19,500, according to the<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html"> tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.</a>The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.About half the deaths in the U.S. are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and social distancing are “flattening the curve” of infections and staving off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">doomsday scenarios</a>&nbsp;of just a week or two ago.New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the daily number of deaths is stabilizing “but stabilizing at a horrific rate.”“What do we do now? We stay the course,” said Cuomo, who like other leaders has warned that relaxing restrictions too soon could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.With authorities warning that the crisis in New York is far from over, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s 1.1 million-student school system will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But Cuomo said the decision is up to him, and no such determination has been made.In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died. In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary Tuesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696236815.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Michigan’s governor extended her state’s stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.Elsewhere around the world, Italian authorities set up roadblocks around Milan to discourage people from going on Easter weekend trips. British police kept a close watch on gatherings in parks and at the seaside on one of the hottest days of the year. And France deployed some 160,000 police, including officers on horseback who patrolled beaches and parks.“It’s useless to pack your bags for a vacation,” Paris police tweeted.With religious leaders around the globe urging people to observe Easter safely at home, not in church, the archbishop of Turin, Italy, allowed a video streaming display of the Shroud of Turin, believed by the faithful to be the burial cloth of Jesus, so that they can pray in front of it during the epidemic.Austria aims to reopen small shops on Tuesday. Spain, with more than 16,300 dead, plans to allow workers in some nonessential industries to return to factories and construction sites Monday. Spanish authorities said they will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations.“We think that with these measures we will prevent a jump in infections,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said.Italy continued to include all nonessential manufacturing in an extension of its national lockdown until May 3. But Premier Giuseppe Conte held out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8daf291838bae0c7e17c055c4955cea7">hope that some industry could re-open earlier</a>&nbsp;if conditions permit.Arcuri said that the exit from the lockdown will include increased virus testing, the deployment of a voluntary contact-tracing app and mandatory blood tests as Italy seeks to set up a system of ’’immunity passports.”India extended its lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people by two more weeks. But Iran, the site of the worst outbreak in the Middle East, reopened government offices and businesses outside Tehran.Britain on Saturday reported 917 more deaths, down from the peak of 980 recorded a day earlier. The country’s overall death toll neared 10,000. At the same time, data suggest that the number of hospital admissions in Britain is leveling off.Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to recover at a London hospital, where he was able to take short walks, according to his office.Worldwide, confirmed infections rose above 1.7 million, with over 100,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Close to 400,000 people have recovered.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and those with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.___

20,000: US death toll overtakes Italy's as Midwest braces

The Kansas Department of Health released the state's latest numbers on coronavirus Saturday afternoon.

<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/kdhe.epidemiology#!/vizhome/COVID-19Data_15851817634470/KSCOVID-19CaseData">Click here</a> for additional details

The Kansas Department of Health released the state's latest numbers on coronavirus Saturday afternoon.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/kdhe.epidemiology#!/vizhome/COVID-19Data_15851817634470/KSCOVID-19CaseData">Click here</a> for additional details<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586626295924.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating shooting death of a Kansas woman and her 8-year-old daughter have made an arrest.

Police followed up on information that 25-year-old Daniel Lopez was at the home of family members, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.&nbsp; Late Friday, police were able to arrest him without incident at a residence in the 4600 block of South Gold in Wichita, according to Wheeler.

Lopez was wanted on felony Sedgwick County warrant for the shooting deaths of 24- year-old Mickayla Sorell and her 8-year-old daughter, Natalya Sorrell.&nbsp;

At approximately 4:25 p.m. on Monday, March 31, officers responded to the call of a welfare check at a residence in the 4500 block of South Walnut, after Sorell did not report to work. Upon arrival, officers located both victims deceased inside the residence.

The investigation revealed that the shootings took place on Saturday, March 28.&nbsp; Lopez was identified as the suspect in the case and was subsequently charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office on April 3. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18825536">He is being held on bond</a>s totaling $1,500,000., according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586604705468.png" alt="Lopez photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Lopez photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities investigating shooting death of a Kansas woman and her 8-year-old daughter have made an arrest.Police followed up on information that 25-year-old Daniel Lopez was at the home of family members, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.&nbsp; Late Friday, police were able to arrest him without incident at a residence in the 4600 block of South Gold in Wichita, according to Wheeler.Lopez was wanted on felony Sedgwick County warrant for the shooting deaths of 24- year-old Mickayla Sorell and her 8-year-old daughter, Natalya Sorrell.&nbsp;At approximately 4:25 p.m. on Monday, March 31, officers responded to the call of a welfare check at a residence in the 4500 block of South Walnut, after Sorell did not report to work. Upon arrival, officers located both victims deceased inside the residence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585662112788.png" alt="Police on the scene of the murder investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the murder investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation revealed that the shootings took place on Saturday, March 28.&nbsp; Lopez was identified as the suspect in the case and was subsequently charged by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office on April 3. <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18825536">He is being held on bond</a>s totaling $1,500,000., according to online jail records.

Kan. man jailed for murder of girlfriend, her 8-year-old daughter

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — An attorney for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly told the state Supreme Court on Saturday that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it overturned the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnQYvyZXgY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the oral arguments.

Lawmakers countered that the language in a resolution they contend gave the panel that authority was a compromise reached with Kelly and was intended as a check on her power at a time when the full Legislature couldn’t meet because of virus concerns.

“In this time of crisis, the question before the court is whether a seven-member legislative committee has the power to overrule the governor. The answer is no,” said Clay Britton, chief counsel for the governor.

During an emergency, the governor can only be overruled by the Legislature as a whole acting on a resolution voted on by all 165 of its members, he argued.

Attorneys for the lawmakers, though, said the court should consider that the resolution that gave the panel its authority was a compromise meant to give legislative oversight at a time when the full Legislature couldn’t meet.

“You will recall this was a time everybody was trying to skedaddle as fast as they could from the Statehouse because of the pandemic concerns,” said attorney Brad Schlozman.

The justices said they would confer right after the arguments were presented and would try to reach a decision quickly.

Both sides agree that worshipers should avoid gathering in large groups to avoid the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Many churches have been conducting services online for weeks, and none have publicly announced plans to reopen their doors to worshippers.

The legal issue at stake concerns how far the Legislature can go in delegating it’s power to another group, in this case, the Legislative Coordinating Council, which is made up of the top four House leaders and top three Senate leaders. Five of the seven members are Republicans.

Lawmakers gave the council the right to review Kelly’s executive orders and to overturn many of them within days. Conservative Republicans were upset with an order from Kelly to close K-12 schools for the rest of the spring semester and wanted to block her from using sweeping gubernatorial powers granted to deal with short-term disasters.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state grew Saturday by 102, to 1,268. Kansas also reported five more deaths, bringing the total to 55.

The state has identified four outbreaks stemming from religious gatherings.

The hearing came one day before Easter, and the justices said they would confer immediately after arguments were presented to try to come to a quick ruling.

Starting at 9a.m. Saturday, the Kansas Supreme Court, in a time of quarantine, heard arguments in Gov. Laura Kelly’s lawsuit against legislative leaders who overturned her executive order banning religious services of more than 10 attendees during the coronavirus pandemic. 

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pXIOdkwjkdiLnpXj4Wp8w/live">Click here to watch&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;(The oral arguments ended just before 10:30a.m.)&nbsp; &nbsp;Chief Justice Marla Luckert said the court hoped to have a decision sometime Saturday.

The Kansas Supreme Court has offered livestreamed oral arguments since 2012, but set a record Saturday with over 2400 viewers, according to the court. The previous high was in the hundreds.

The governor filed the lawsuit Thursday after a Republican-dominated legislative panel overturned her order.

Kelly and the panel generally agree that worshipers should stay home and watch livestreamed religious services during the pandemic, but they disagree on whether the state has the constitutional authority to order it. Kelly pointed to three religious gatherings that led to outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586614513860.png" alt="Kansas Supreme Court Saturday morning" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Supreme Court Saturday morning</figcaption>
 </figure>BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — An attorney for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly told the state Supreme Court on Saturday that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority when it overturned the Democratic governor’s executive order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhnQYvyZXgY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the oral arguments.Lawmakers countered that the language in a resolution they contend gave the panel that authority was a compromise reached with Kelly and was intended as a check on her power at a time when the full Legislature couldn’t meet because of virus concerns.The hearing, which was the court’s first conducted completely via video conferencing, came one day before Easter, which is typically the busiest day on the Christian calendar in terms of church attendance.“In this time of crisis, the question before the court is whether a seven-member legislative committee has the power to overrule the governor. The answer is no,” said Clay Britton, chief counsel for the governor.During an emergency, the governor can only be overruled by the Legislature as a whole acting on a resolution voted on by all 165 of its members, he argued.Attorneys for the lawmakers, though, said the court should consider that the resolution that gave the panel its authority was a compromise meant to give legislative oversight at a time when the full Legislature couldn’t meet.“You will recall this was a time everybody was trying to skedaddle as fast as they could from the Statehouse because of the pandemic concerns,” said attorney Brad Schlozman.The justices said they would confer right after the arguments were presented and would try to reach a decision quickly.Both sides agree that worshipers should avoid gathering in large groups to avoid the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Many churches have been conducting services online for weeks, and none have publicly announced plans to reopen their doors to worshippers.The legal issue at stake concerns how far the Legislature can go in delegating it’s power to another group, in this case, the Legislative Coordinating Council, which is made up of the top four House leaders and top three Senate leaders. Five of the seven members are Republicans.Lawmakers gave the council the right to review Kelly’s executive orders and to overturn many of them within days. Conservative Republicans were upset with an order from Kelly to close K-12 schools for the rest of the spring semester and wanted to block her from using sweeping gubernatorial powers granted to deal with short-term disasters.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586617651999.png" alt="<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/Cases-Opinions/High-Interest-Cases/Governor-Laura-Kelly-v-Legislative-Coordinating-Co">Click here to see </a>other documents in the case." />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.kscourts.org/Cases-Opinions/High-Interest-Cases/Governor-Laura-Kelly-v-Legislative-Coordinating-Co">Click here to see </a>other documents in the case.</figcaption>
 </figure>The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state grew Saturday by 102, to 1,268. Kansas also reported five more deaths, bringing the total to 55.The state has identified four outbreaks stemming from religious gatherings.The hearing came one day before Easter, and the justices said they would confer immediately after arguments were presented to try to come to a quick ruling.-------Starting at 9a.m. Saturday, the Kansas Supreme Court, in a time of quarantine, heard arguments in Gov. Laura Kelly’s lawsuit against legislative leaders who overturned her executive order banning religious services of more than 10 attendees during the coronavirus pandemic. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pXIOdkwjkdiLnpXj4Wp8w/live">Click here to watch&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;(The oral arguments ended just before 10:30a.m.)&nbsp; &nbsp;Chief Justice Marla Luckert said the court hoped to have a decision sometime Saturday.The Kansas Supreme Court has offered livestreamed oral arguments since 2012, but set a record Saturday with over 2400 viewers, according to the court. The previous high was in the hundreds.The governor filed the lawsuit Thursday after a Republican-dominated legislative panel overturned her order.Kelly and the panel generally agree that worshipers should stay home and watch livestreamed religious services during the pandemic, but they disagree on whether the state has the constitutional authority to order it. Kelly pointed to three religious gatherings that led to outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.&nbsp;

The Latest: 🎥 Kan. high court weighs virus limits on religious services 

WASHINGTON (AP) — At the end of a week officials had warned would be this generation’s Pearl Harbor, White House officials pointed to hopeful signs Friday that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing, even as President Donald Trump insisted he would not move to reopen the country until it is safe.

At the same time, Trump said he would be announcing the launch of what he dubbed the “Opening our Country” task force next Tuesday to work toward that goal.

“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he said at a Good Friday briefing, while adding: “The facts are going to determine what I do.”

With the economy reeling and job losses soaring, Trump has been itching to reopen the country, drawing alarm from health experts who warn that doing so too quickly could spark a deadly resurgence that could undermine current distancing efforts.

But Trump, who had once set Easter Sunday as the date he hoped people in certain parts of the country might begin to return to work and pack church pews, said he would continue to listen to health experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as he considers what he described as the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”

While “there are both sides to every argument,” he said, “we’re not doing anything until we know that this country is going be healthy. We don’t want to go back and start doing it over again.”

Trump’s comments came at the end of a week officials had warned would be a devastating one for the country. Hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University announced that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8233264cd1a25eb2e583ef9f5e4f8d37">worldwide death toll from the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;had hit a bleak milestone: 100,000 people. That includes about 18,000 in the U.S., where about half-million people have been confirmed infected.

More than 40% of the deaths in the U.S so far have happened in New York state, which reported 777 new deaths on Friday. But there were also signs of hope. State officials reported that the number of people in intensive care dropped for the first time there since mid-March. Hospitalizations are also slowing, with 290 new patients admitted in a single day versus daily increases of more than 1,000 last week.

While bemoaning the death numbers as “so horrible,” Trump said “tremendous progress” is being made.”

“In the midst of grief and pain, we’re seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives,” he said, pointing to models that are now forecasting far fewer U.S. deaths than had originally been predicted.

Health experts have warned, however, that if the country rolls back restrictions too quickly, case levels could once again begin to soar, especially without widespread testing to determine who might be a carrier of the virus. While the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. And research has shown that people can be highly infectious even if they are not displaying symptoms.

Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert, told CNN that the timeline for reopening the country would be informed by a team that has been reviewing data day-by-day and presenting that information to the president.

“The virus kind of decides whether or not it’s appropriate to open it,” he said. “The one thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to get out there prematurely and then wind up backtracking.”

Still, he cautioned that there will most certainly be cases when that day comes.

“When we decide, at a proper time, when we’re going to be relaxing some of the restrictions, there’s no doubt you’re going to see cases,” he said. “The question is how you respond to them.”

As a clearer picture of the virus begins to emerge, data has begun to show that it is having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/71d952faad4a2a5d14441534f7230c7c">a particularly devastating impact</a>&nbsp;on an already vulnerable population — black Americans.

Of the victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials — nearly 3,300 of the nation’s 13,000 deaths thus far — about 42% were black, according to an Associated Press analysis. African Americans account for roughly 21% of the total population in those places. Black adults suffer from higher rates of underlying health conditions like obesity, diabetes and asthma, which put them at higher risk for severe complications.

To that end, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Friday made a plea to minority communities to follow social distancing guidelines — if not for themselves, then for their family members.

“Do it for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy. Do it for your Big Mama. Do it for your Pop Pop,” he said, adding that they should also avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

“We need you to understand, especially in communities of color, we need you to step up and help stop the spread so that we can protect those who are most vulnerable,” he said.

Asked whether his comments could be deemed offensive for viewers, Adams, who is black, said that was not his intention.

“That’s the language that we use and that I use,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586553667558.png" alt="President Trump and Vice President Pence answer questions during Friday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and Vice President Pence answer questions during Friday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — At the end of a week officials had warned would be this generation’s Pearl Harbor, White House officials pointed to hopeful signs Friday that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing, even as President Donald Trump insisted he would not move to reopen the country until it is safe.At the same time, Trump said he would be announcing the launch of what he dubbed the “Opening our Country” task force next Tuesday to work toward that goal.“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he said at a Good Friday briefing, while adding: “The facts are going to determine what I do.”With the economy reeling and job losses soaring, Trump has been itching to reopen the country, drawing alarm from health experts who warn that doing so too quickly could spark a deadly resurgence that could undermine current distancing efforts.But Trump, who had once set Easter Sunday as the date he hoped people in certain parts of the country might begin to return to work and pack church pews, said he would continue to listen to health experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as he considers what he described as the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”While “there are both sides to every argument,” he said, “we’re not doing anything until we know that this country is going be healthy. We don’t want to go back and start doing it over again.”Trump’s comments came at the end of a week officials had warned would be a devastating one for the country. Hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University announced that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8233264cd1a25eb2e583ef9f5e4f8d37">worldwide death toll from the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;had hit a bleak milestone: 100,000 people. That includes about 18,000 in the U.S., where about half-million people have been confirmed infected.More than 40% of the deaths in the U.S so far have happened in New York state, which reported 777 new deaths on Friday. But there were also signs of hope. State officials reported that the number of people in intensive care dropped for the first time there since mid-March. Hospitalizations are also slowing, with 290 new patients admitted in a single day versus daily increases of more than 1,000 last week.While bemoaning the death numbers as “so horrible,” Trump said “tremendous progress” is being made.”“In the midst of grief and pain, we’re seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives,” he said, pointing to models that are now forecasting far fewer U.S. deaths than had originally been predicted.Health experts have warned, however, that if the country rolls back restrictions too quickly, case levels could once again begin to soar, especially without widespread testing to determine who might be a carrier of the virus. While the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. And research has shown that people can be highly infectious even if they are not displaying symptoms.Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert, told CNN that the timeline for reopening the country would be informed by a team that has been reviewing data day-by-day and presenting that information to the president.“The virus kind of decides whether or not it’s appropriate to open it,” he said. “The one thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to get out there prematurely and then wind up backtracking.”Still, he cautioned that there will most certainly be cases when that day comes.“When we decide, at a proper time, when we’re going to be relaxing some of the restrictions, there’s no doubt you’re going to see cases,” he said. “The question is how you respond to them.”As a clearer picture of the virus begins to emerge, data has begun to show that it is having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/71d952faad4a2a5d14441534f7230c7c">a particularly devastating impact</a>&nbsp;on an already vulnerable population — black Americans.Of the victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials — nearly 3,300 of the nation’s 13,000 deaths thus far — about 42% were black, according to an Associated Press analysis. African Americans account for roughly 21% of the total population in those places. Black adults suffer from higher rates of underlying health conditions like obesity, diabetes and asthma, which put them at higher risk for severe complications.To that end, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Friday made a plea to minority communities to follow social distancing guidelines — if not for themselves, then for their family members.“Do it for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy. Do it for your Big Mama. Do it for your Pop Pop,” he said, adding that they should also avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs.“We need you to understand, especially in communities of color, we need you to step up and help stop the spread so that we can protect those who are most vulnerable,” he said.Asked whether his comments could be deemed offensive for viewers, Adams, who is black, said that was not his intention.“That’s the language that we use and that I use,” he said.___

White House points to hopeful signs as deaths keep rising

A serial burglar was arrested in Hays after a theft at a liquor store.

Video evidence showed an individual throwing a brick through the front door of the Southside Liquor, 701 Vine.

The suspect then grabbed four bottles of liquor from the business. The loss was estimated at around $60.

At 3:16 a.m. Friday, March 13, Anthony Wayne Gilliland, 22, Hays was arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary, criminal damage to property and theft, according to Hays Police Chief Don Scheiber.

Gilliland has two previous burglary convictions and interference with law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586606547217.png" alt="Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELLHays PostA serial burglar was arrested in Hays after a theft at a liquor store.Video evidence showed an individual throwing a brick through the front door of the Southside Liquor, 701 Vine.The suspect then grabbed four bottles of liquor from the business. The loss was estimated at around $60.At 3:16 a.m. Friday, March 13, Anthony Wayne Gilliland, 22, Hays was arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary, criminal damage to property and theft, according to Hays Police Chief Don Scheiber.Gilliland has two previous burglary convictions and interference with law enforcement.

Kansas felon arrested after liquor store burglary

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for allegedly impersonating an officer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586547841905.png" alt="Corrier photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Corrier photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for allegedly impersonating an officer.Just after 11:30 p.m., Thursday, police were contacted by a citizen in the 9900 block of East Harry in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.&nbsp; The citizen reported being approached by a suspect later identified as 27-year-old Daniel Corrieri, who was wearing a vest and identified himself as a Wichita Polce Officer. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586554995261.png" alt="photos courtesy Wichita PD" />
 <figcaption>photos courtesy Wichita PD</figcaption>
 </figure>Corrieri was driving a white, Hyundai Elantra that was equipped with multi-colored lights, similar to those in emergency vehicles.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586555030888.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Officers located Corrieri at Harrison Park in the 1400 block of South Todd. He was wearing a bullet-proof vest, a law enforcement style duty belt, and was armed with a handgun.&nbsp;Officers later recovered a second handgun inside of his vehicle.Officers conducted a DUI investigation and found Corrieri to be impaired while possessing a firearm.&nbsp;If anyone has been pulled over or contacted by Corrieri please make a report with WPD