LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The federal agency which oversees Haskell Indian Nations University plans to send a team to the Lawrence campus following a faculty no-confidence vote in its president. 

The Bureau of Indian Education said in a message to university employees that an “impartial administrative review team” would arrive Monday to gather information on student and staff concerns. 

The Faculty Senate unanimously declared earlier this month that it had no confidence in Haskell President Ronald Graham, alleging he has shown disdain for the free speech rights of students and faculty and a disregard for academic freedom. Graham did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617226828106.png" alt="Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. Google Maps" />
 <figcaption>Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. Google Maps</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The federal agency which oversees Haskell Indian Nations University plans to send a team to the Lawrence campus following a faculty no-confidence vote in its president. The Bureau of Indian Education said in a message to university employees that an “impartial administrative review team” would arrive Monday to gather information on student and staff concerns. The Faculty Senate unanimously declared earlier this month that it had no confidence in Haskell President Ronald Graham, alleging he has shown disdain for the free speech rights of students and faculty and a disregard for academic freedom. Graham did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Federal agency to begin review at university in Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill signed into law by Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly will make it a misdemeanor to trespass near oil and gas pipelines.

The bill Kelly signed last week gained bipartisan support in the state Senate, but drew criticism from some House Democrats, including two Native American legislators who said the bill targets Native American protestors like those who opposed the Dakota Access oil pipeline, the subject of months of sometimes-violent protests in 2016 and 2017.

The new law goes into effect on July 1. The legislation makes it a misdemeanor to trespass near oil and gas, rubber manufacturing and wastewater treatment facilities. It would also make it a felony to trespass with the intent to damage them. It is already a felony in Kansas to damage oil and gas pipelines.

In addition to pipelines, the bill also defines railroad tracks as a critical infrastructure and makes it a felony to trespass to obstruct them. First time offenders found guilty could face up to two years of probation.

The bill says lawmakers intend to protect the right to peaceably assemble. Proponents say that damaging the facilities outlined in the bill could harm Kansans.

“Governor Kelly signed this bill because it will enforce the law by protecting critical infrastructure facilities – such as water treatment plants or gas processing plants – while still protecting Kansans’ right to peacefully protest,” said Kelly spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald in a statement.

The bill was introduced at the request of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers association, which cites an incident in Florida, where a hacker in February gained entry to the system controlling a water treatment plant and tried to taint the water supply with sodium hydroxide, a caustic chemical.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill signed into law by Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly will make it a misdemeanor to trespass near oil and gas pipelines.The bill Kelly signed last week gained bipartisan support in the state Senate, but drew criticism from some House Democrats, including two Native American legislators who said the bill targets Native American protestors like those who opposed the Dakota Access oil pipeline, the subject of months of sometimes-violent protests in 2016 and 2017.The new law goes into effect on July 1. The legislation makes it a misdemeanor to trespass near oil and gas, rubber manufacturing and wastewater treatment facilities. It would also make it a felony to trespass with the intent to damage them. It is already a felony in Kansas to damage oil and gas pipelines.In addition to pipelines, the bill also defines railroad tracks as a critical infrastructure and makes it a felony to trespass to obstruct them. First time offenders found guilty could face up to two years of probation.The bill says lawmakers intend to protect the right to peaceably assemble. Proponents say that damaging the facilities outlined in the bill could harm Kansans.“Governor Kelly signed this bill because it will enforce the law by protecting critical infrastructure facilities – such as water treatment plants or gas processing plants – while still protecting Kansans’ right to peacefully protest,” said Kelly spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald in a statement.The bill was introduced at the request of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers association, which cites an incident in Florida, where a hacker in February gained entry to the system controlling a water treatment plant and tried to taint the water supply with sodium hydroxide, a caustic chemical.__

New Kansas law to make it a crime to trespass at pipelines

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a murder warrant has been issued for a teenage boy suspected in a shooting at a Nebraska mall that left one man dead and a woman injured.

Omaha police said Sunday that 16-year-old Makhi Woolridge-Jones is wanted on a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting Saturday at the Westroads Mall in Omaha.

Eighteen-year-old Brandon Woolridge-Jones has been arrested on a charge of being an accessory to the shooting. Police haven't described the relationship between the two.

Police have not released the name of a third man they consider a person of interest in the shooting.

Police say 21-year-old Trequez Swift was shot and died at an Omaha hospital.

OMAHA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatl shooting in Omaha. Just after noon Saturday, police responded to the Westroads Mall, 10000 California Street after report of a shooting, according to a media release.

Initial reports were shots fired near JcPenney on the 1st floor. Upon arrival officers found an adult male victim suffering from apparent gunshot injuries.

The adult male was transported by ambulance to CHI Bergan Mercy Hospital in critical condition where he later succumbed to his injuries and died.&nbsp;

An adult female later walked into Immanuel Hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot injures. The woman said she was shot during the incident at Westroads.&nbsp;

The investigation indicates this was an isolated incident and not a random attack. The suspects fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Law Enforcement from multiple agencies arrived to assist with securing the scene and searching the entire mall as a precaution.&nbsp;

Police have not released names of the victims.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers at (402) 444-STOP, at&nbsp;<a href="http://police.cityofomaha.org/index.php?option=com_acymailing&amp;ctrl=url&amp;subid=&amp;urlid=3458&amp;mailid=2575">www.omahacrimestoppers.org</a>&nbsp;or on the P3 Tips mobile app.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618761232877.png" alt="Makhi-Woolridge-Jones photo Omaha police" />
 <figcaption>Makhi-Woolridge-Jones photo Omaha police</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a murder warrant has been issued for a teenage boy suspected in a shooting at a Nebraska mall that left one man dead and a woman injured.Omaha police said Sunday that 16-year-old Makhi Woolridge-Jones is wanted on a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting Saturday at the Westroads Mall in Omaha.Eighteen-year-old Brandon Woolridge-Jones has been arrested on a charge of being an accessory to the shooting. Police haven't described the relationship between the two.Police have not released the name of a third man they consider a person of interest in the shooting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618751394959.png" alt="Police need help identifying these individuals of interest from Saturday’s shooting at the Westroads Mall in Omaha-photo Omaha Police.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Police need help identifying these individuals of interest from Saturday’s shooting at the Westroads Mall in Omaha-photo Omaha Police.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Police say 21-year-old Trequez Swift was shot and died at an Omaha hospital.-----------OMAHA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatl shooting in Omaha. Just after noon Saturday, police responded to the Westroads Mall, 10000 California Street after report of a shooting, according to a media release.Initial reports were shots fired near JcPenney on the 1st floor. Upon arrival officers found an adult male victim suffering from apparent gunshot injuries.The adult male was transported by ambulance to CHI Bergan Mercy Hospital in critical condition where he later succumbed to his injuries and died.&nbsp;An adult female later walked into Immanuel Hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot injures. The woman said she was shot during the incident at Westroads.&nbsp;The investigation indicates this was an isolated incident and not a random attack. The suspects fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Law Enforcement from multiple agencies arrived to assist with securing the scene and searching the entire mall as a precaution.&nbsp;Police have not released names of the victims.The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers at (402) 444-STOP, at&nbsp;<a href="http://police.cityofomaha.org/index.php?option=com_acymailing&amp;ctrl=url&amp;subid=&amp;urlid=3458&amp;mailid=2575">www.omahacrimestoppers.org</a>&nbsp;or on the P3 Tips mobile app.

Update: 1 dead, 1 wounded after shooting at mall in Nebraska

WASHINGTON (AP) — The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people Saturday amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places such as Brazil, India and France.

The number of lives lost, <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">as compiled by Johns Hopkins University</a>, is about equal to the population of Kyiv, Ukraine; Caracas, Venezuela; or metropolitan Lisbon, Portugal. It is bigger than Chicago (2.7 million) and equivalent to Philadelphia and Dallas combined.

And the true number is believed to be significantly higher because of possible government concealment and the many cases overlooked in the early stages of the outbreak that began in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019.

When the world back in January passed the bleak threshold of 2 million deaths, immunization drives had just started in Europe and the United States. Today, they are underway in more than 190 countries, though progress in bringing the virus under control varies widely.

While the campaigns in the U.S. and Britain have hit their stride and people and businesses there are beginning to contemplate life after the pandemic, other places, mostly poorer countries but some rich ones as well, are lagging behind in putting shots in arms and have imposed new lockdowns and other restrictions as virus cases soar.

Worldwide, deaths are on the rise again, running at around 12,000 per day on average, and new cases are climbing too, eclipsing 700,000 a day.

“This is not the situation we want to be in 16 months into a pandemic, where we have proven control measures,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, one of the World Health Organization’s leaders on COVID-19.

In Brazil, where deaths are running at about 3,000 per day, accounting for one-quarter of the lives lost worldwide in recent weeks, the crisis has been likened to a “raging inferno” by one WHO official. A more contagious variant of the virus has been rampaging across the country.

As cases surge, hospitals are running out of critical sedatives. As a result, there have been reports of some doctors diluting what supplies remain and even tying patients to their beds while breathing tubes are pushed down their throats.

The slow vaccine rollout has crushed Brazilians’ pride in their own history of carrying out huge immunization campaigns that were the envy of the developing world.

Taking cues from President Jair Bolsonaro, who has likened the virus to little more than a flu, his Health Ministry for months bet big on a single vaccine, ignoring other producers. When bottlenecks emerged, it was too late to get large quantities in time.

Watching so many patients suffer and die alone at her Rio de Janeiro hospital impelled nurse Lidiane Melo to take desperate measures.

In the early days of the pandemic, as sufferers were calling out for comfort that she was too busy to provide, Melo filled two rubber gloves with warm water, knotted them shut, and sandwiched them around a patient’s hand to simulate a loving touch.

Some have christened the practice the “hand of God,” and it is now the searing image of a nation roiled by a medical emergency with no end in sight.

“Patients can’t receive visitors. Sadly, there’s no way. So it’s a way to provide psychological support, to be there together with the patient holding their hand,” Melo said. She added: “And this year it’s worse, the seriousness of patients is 1,000 times greater.”

This situation is similarly dire in India, where cases spiked in February after weeks of steady decline, taking authorities by surprise. In a surge driven by variants of the virus, India saw over 180,000 new infections in one 24-hour span during the past week, bringing the total number of cases to over 13.9 million.

Problems that India had overcome last year are coming back to haunt health officials. Only 178 ventilators were free Wednesday afternoon in New Delhi, a city of 29 million, where 13,000 new infections were reported the previous day.

The challenges facing India reverberate beyond its borders since the country is the biggest supplier of shots to COVAX, the U.N.-sponsored program to distribute vaccines to poorer parts of the world. Last month, India said it would suspend vaccine exports until the virus’s spread inside the country slows.

The WHO recently described the supply situation as precarious. Up to 60 countries might not receive any more shots until June, by one estimate. To date, COVAX has delivered about 40 million doses to more than 100 countries, enough to cover barely 0.25% of the world’s population.

Globally, about 87% of the 700 million doses dispensed have been given out in rich countries. While 1 in 4 people in wealthy nations have received a vaccine, in poor countries the figure is 1 in more than 500.

In recent days, the U.S. and some European countries put the use of Johnson &amp; Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine on hold while authorities investigate extremely rare but dangerous blood clots. AstraZeneca’s vaccine has likewise been hit with delays and restrictions because of a clotting scare.

Another concern: Poorer countries are relying on vaccines made by China and Russia, which some scientists believe provide less protection than those made by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

Last week, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged the country’s vaccines offer low protection and said officials are considering mixing them with other shots to improve their effectiveness.

In the U.S., where over 560,000 lives have been lost, accounting for more than 1 in 6 of the world’s COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations and deaths have dropped, businesses are reopening, and life is beginning to return to something approaching normalcy in several states. The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits tumbled last week to 576,000, a post-COVID-19 low.

But progress has been patchy, and new hot spots — most notably Michigan — have flared up in recent weeks. Still, deaths in the U.S. are down to about 700 per day on average, plummeting from a mid-January peak of about 3,400.

In Europe, countries are feeling the brunt of a more contagious variant that first ravaged Britain and has pushed the continent’s COVID-19-related death toll beyond 1 million.

Close to 6,000 gravely ill patients are being treated in French critical care units, numbers not seen since the first wave a year ago.

Dr. Marc Leone, head of intensive care at the North Hospital in Marseille, said exhausted front-line staff members who were feted as heroes at the start of the pandemic now feel alone and are clinging to hope that renewed school closings and other restrictions will help curb the virus in the coming weeks.

“There’s exhaustion, more bad tempers. You have to tread carefully because there are a lot of conflicts,” he said. “We’ll give everything we have to get through these 15 days as best we can.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618692413792.png" alt="John Hopkins -Number of Daily Deaths" />
 <figcaption>John Hopkins -Number of Daily Deaths</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people Saturday amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places such as Brazil, India and France.The number of lives lost, <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">as compiled by Johns Hopkins University</a>, is about equal to the population of Kyiv, Ukraine; Caracas, Venezuela; or metropolitan Lisbon, Portugal. It is bigger than Chicago (2.7 million) and equivalent to Philadelphia and Dallas combined.And the true number is believed to be significantly higher because of possible government concealment and the many cases overlooked in the early stages of the outbreak that began in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019.When the world back in January passed the bleak threshold of 2 million deaths, immunization drives had just started in Europe and the United States. Today, they are underway in more than 190 countries, though progress in bringing the virus under control varies widely.While the campaigns in the U.S. and Britain have hit their stride and people and businesses there are beginning to contemplate life after the pandemic, other places, mostly poorer countries but some rich ones as well, are lagging behind in putting shots in arms and have imposed new lockdowns and other restrictions as virus cases soar.Worldwide, deaths are on the rise again, running at around 12,000 per day on average, and new cases are climbing too, eclipsing 700,000 a day.“This is not the situation we want to be in 16 months into a pandemic, where we have proven control measures,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, one of the World Health Organization’s leaders on COVID-19.In Brazil, where deaths are running at about 3,000 per day, accounting for one-quarter of the lives lost worldwide in recent weeks, the crisis has been likened to a “raging inferno” by one WHO official. A more contagious variant of the virus has been rampaging across the country.As cases surge, hospitals are running out of critical sedatives. As a result, there have been reports of some doctors diluting what supplies remain and even tying patients to their beds while breathing tubes are pushed down their throats.The slow vaccine rollout has crushed Brazilians’ pride in their own history of carrying out huge immunization campaigns that were the envy of the developing world.Taking cues from President Jair Bolsonaro, who has likened the virus to little more than a flu, his Health Ministry for months bet big on a single vaccine, ignoring other producers. When bottlenecks emerged, it was too late to get large quantities in time.Watching so many patients suffer and die alone at her Rio de Janeiro hospital impelled nurse Lidiane Melo to take desperate measures.In the early days of the pandemic, as sufferers were calling out for comfort that she was too busy to provide, Melo filled two rubber gloves with warm water, knotted them shut, and sandwiched them around a patient’s hand to simulate a loving touch.Some have christened the practice the “hand of God,” and it is now the searing image of a nation roiled by a medical emergency with no end in sight.“Patients can’t receive visitors. Sadly, there’s no way. So it’s a way to provide psychological support, to be there together with the patient holding their hand,” Melo said. She added: “And this year it’s worse, the seriousness of patients is 1,000 times greater.”This situation is similarly dire in India, where cases spiked in February after weeks of steady decline, taking authorities by surprise. In a surge driven by variants of the virus, India saw over 180,000 new infections in one 24-hour span during the past week, bringing the total number of cases to over 13.9 million.Problems that India had overcome last year are coming back to haunt health officials. Only 178 ventilators were free Wednesday afternoon in New Delhi, a city of 29 million, where 13,000 new infections were reported the previous day.The challenges facing India reverberate beyond its borders since the country is the biggest supplier of shots to COVAX, the U.N.-sponsored program to distribute vaccines to poorer parts of the world. Last month, India said it would suspend vaccine exports until the virus’s spread inside the country slows.The WHO recently described the supply situation as precarious. Up to 60 countries might not receive any more shots until June, by one estimate. To date, COVAX has delivered about 40 million doses to more than 100 countries, enough to cover barely 0.25% of the world’s population.Globally, about 87% of the 700 million doses dispensed have been given out in rich countries. While 1 in 4 people in wealthy nations have received a vaccine, in poor countries the figure is 1 in more than 500.In recent days, the U.S. and some European countries put the use of Johnson &amp; Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine on hold while authorities investigate extremely rare but dangerous blood clots. AstraZeneca’s vaccine has likewise been hit with delays and restrictions because of a clotting scare.Another concern: Poorer countries are relying on vaccines made by China and Russia, which some scientists believe provide less protection than those made by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.Last week, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged the country’s vaccines offer low protection and said officials are considering mixing them with other shots to improve their effectiveness.In the U.S., where over 560,000 lives have been lost, accounting for more than 1 in 6 of the world’s COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations and deaths have dropped, businesses are reopening, and life is beginning to return to something approaching normalcy in several states. The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits tumbled last week to 576,000, a post-COVID-19 low.But progress has been patchy, and new hot spots — most notably Michigan — have flared up in recent weeks. Still, deaths in the U.S. are down to about 700 per day on average, plummeting from a mid-January peak of about 3,400.In Europe, countries are feeling the brunt of a more contagious variant that first ravaged Britain and has pushed the continent’s COVID-19-related death toll beyond 1 million.Close to 6,000 gravely ill patients are being treated in French critical care units, numbers not seen since the first wave a year ago.Dr. Marc Leone, head of intensive care at the North Hospital in Marseille, said exhausted front-line staff members who were feted as heroes at the start of the pandemic now feel alone and are clinging to hope that renewed school closings and other restrictions will help curb the virus in the coming weeks.“There’s exhaustion, more bad tempers. You have to tread carefully because there are a lot of conflicts,” he said. “We’ll give everything we have to get through these 15 days as best we can.”

Global COVID deaths on the rise again, top 3 million

SALINE COUNTY —The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Salina Police Department announced a reward today for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft of firearms from Ace Hardware Home Center, a federal firearms licensee located in Salina.

ATF and the Police Department are offering a reward of up to $5,000.

In the early morning hours of April 14, an unknown suspect burglarized the business located at 321 S. Broadway Boulevard, stealing several firearms. Salina Police and agents from ATF’s Kansas City Field Division are investigating the incident.&nbsp;

Anyone with information about this crime should contact ATF at 1-800-ATFGUNS (800-283-4867), email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:ATFTips@atf.gov">ATFTips@atf.gov</a>, or contact ATF through its website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atf.gov/contact/atftips">www.atf.gov/contact/atftips</a>. Tips may also be submitted by texting ATFKC to 63975. All calls and tips will be kept confidential.

ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction over violations of federal firearms laws. ATF works closely with the members of the firearms industry to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms. More information about ATF and its programs can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atf.gov/">www.atf.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618610529213.png" alt="Surveillance photos courtesy Salina Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives" />
 <figcaption>Surveillance photos courtesy Salina Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Salina Police Department announced a reward today for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft of firearms from Ace Hardware Home Center, a federal firearms licensee located in Salina.ATF and the Police Department are offering a reward of up to $5,000.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618610601669.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In the early morning hours of April 14, an unknown suspect burglarized the business located at 321 S. Broadway Boulevard, stealing several firearms. Salina Police and agents from ATF’s Kansas City Field Division are investigating the incident.&nbsp;Anyone with information about this crime should contact ATF at 1-800-ATFGUNS (800-283-4867), email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:ATFTips@atf.gov">ATFTips@atf.gov</a>, or contact ATF through its website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atf.gov/contact/atftips">www.atf.gov/contact/atftips</a>. Tips may also be submitted by texting ATFKC to 63975. All calls and tips will be kept confidential.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618610641660.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction over violations of federal firearms laws. ATF works closely with the members of the firearms industry to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms. More information about ATF and its programs can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atf.gov/">www.atf.gov</a>.

ATF: Reward offered for information in Kansas gun theft

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — A woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally hitting her boyfriend with her car during an argument in 2018.

Tesia Akins, 33, was sentenced This week for the death of 35-year-old Jerome Robertson.

Police have said Akins and Robertson were arguing Feb. 11, 2018, before Akins ran him down on Natural Bridge Road near St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Robertson’s body was later found in a ditch along the road.

A jury found Akins guilty in January 2020 of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the case. Akins’ sentencing was postponed several times because of the coronavirus pandemic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618511558311.png" alt="Akins photo St. Louis Co." />
 <figcaption>Akins photo St. Louis Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — A woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally hitting her boyfriend with her car during an argument in 2018.Tesia Akins, 33, was sentenced This week for the death of 35-year-old Jerome Robertson.Police have said Akins and Robertson were arguing Feb. 11, 2018, before Akins ran him down on Natural Bridge Road near St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Robertson’s body was later found in a ditch along the road.A jury found Akins guilty in January 2020 of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the case. Akins’ sentencing was postponed several times because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Woman sentenced for killing boyfriend with her car

ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas district has decided to ditch its “Redmen” and “Braves” mascots after public opinion shifted. 

The Atchison school board approved the change unanimously this past week. 

It was a reversal from 2018 when the board voted to keep the “Redmen” mascot for the district’s high school and the “Braves” mascot for the middle school. Board member Carrie Sowers said she changed her vote because the community “spoke loud and clear." 

Sowers said the board heard considerable support in 2018 for keeping Native American-themed mascots. But this time, all nine people who addressed the matter at a public input session asked the board to do away with the mascots.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618698354961.png" alt="Photo courtesy Atchison High School" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Atchison High School</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas district has decided to ditch its “Redmen” and “Braves” mascots after public opinion shifted. The Atchison school board approved the change unanimously this past week. It was a reversal from 2018 when the board voted to keep the “Redmen” mascot for the district’s high school and the “Braves” mascot for the middle school. Board member Carrie Sowers said she changed her vote because the community “spoke loud and clear." Sowers said the board heard considerable support in 2018 for keeping Native American-themed mascots. But this time, all nine people who addressed the matter at a public input session asked the board to do away with the mascots.

Another Kan. school ditches Native American mascot

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man has been charged with fatally beating his girlfriend who apparently had been dead for a few days before her body was found inside her Kansas City, Missouri, apartment.

Thirty-five-year-old Anthony Jones, of Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Michelle Long, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday.

Police found her bruised and bloody body on a bedroom floor around 10 a.m. Thursday after a tipster reported that she had possibly been killed few days earlier.

Clumps of the 35-year-old woman’s hair had been shaved off, according to court documents. Investigators also found a bloody fingerprint that was later identified as Jones’.

A neighbor told investigators loud noises were heard coming from the apartment on Tuesday night that resembled things being thrown around inside. And detectives later found Long’s car near Jones’ mother’s residence, court documents state.

Jones surrendered to authorities but told detectives he had ended his relationship with Long months earlier and denied being involved in her death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618676511582.png" alt="Jones photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Jones photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A man has been charged with fatally beating his girlfriend who apparently had been dead for a few days before her body was found inside her Kansas City, Missouri, apartment.Thirty-five-year-old Anthony Jones, of Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Michelle Long, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday.Police found her bruised and bloody body on a bedroom floor around 10 a.m. Thursday after a tipster reported that she had possibly been killed few days earlier.Clumps of the 35-year-old woman’s hair had been shaved off, according to court documents. Investigators also found a bloody fingerprint that was later identified as Jones’.A neighbor told investigators loud noises were heard coming from the apartment on Tuesday night that resembled things being thrown around inside. And detectives later found Long’s car near Jones’ mother’s residence, court documents state.Jones surrendered to authorities but told detectives he had ended his relationship with Long months earlier and denied being involved in her death.

Boyfriend charged with murder in fatal KC beating

MACON, Mo. (AP) — State and local health officials are warning of a potential for Legionnaires’ disease exposure at a hotel in Missouri.

Two people were diagnosed with the severe form of pneumonia after using the hot tub or the pool late last month while staying at a Comfort Inn &amp; Suites in Macon, approximately 140 miles northeast of Kansas City.

Officials say it is unknown whether the hotel was the source of the bacteria that caused the two people to become sick. Testing of the hot tub indicated the presence of Legionella bacteria; all other test results were negative.

People can become infected by breathing in small water droplets containing Legionella bacteria. In general, people do not spread Legionnaires’ disease to other people.

“In situations like this, we work closely with our local health partners on surveillance and mitigation strategies,” said Dr. Randall Williams, director of the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services. “Upon detection of a patient with Legionnaires’ disease, this includes appropriate public notifications and implementing disinfection strategies at the identified source.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618689504405.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>MACON, Mo. (AP) — State and local health officials are warning of a potential for Legionnaires’ disease exposure at a hotel in Missouri.Two people were diagnosed with the severe form of pneumonia after using the hot tub or the pool late last month while staying at a Comfort Inn &amp; Suites in Macon, approximately 140 miles northeast of Kansas City.Officials say it is unknown whether the hotel was the source of the bacteria that caused the two people to become sick. Testing of the hot tub indicated the presence of Legionella bacteria; all other test results were negative.People can become infected by breathing in small water droplets containing Legionella bacteria. In general, people do not spread Legionnaires’ disease to other people.“In situations like this, we work closely with our local health partners on surveillance and mitigation strategies,” said Dr. Randall Williams, director of the state’s Department of Health and Senior Services. “Upon detection of a patient with Legionnaires’ disease, this includes appropriate public notifications and implementing disinfection strategies at the identified source.”

Officials warn of possible Legionnaires’ disease exposure

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after an arrest.

On April 14, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a 2001 Ford Taurus in the 13000 block of 142nd Road for an alleged vehicle registration violation, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

Further investigation into the traffic stop led to the discovery of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. 

Deputies arrested the passenger, Joshua Alan Shughart, 33, of Holton, and booked him into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to Morse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618588662720.png" alt="Shughart photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Shughart photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug charges after an arrest.On April 14, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a 2001 Ford Taurus in the 13000 block of 142nd Road for an alleged vehicle registration violation, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.Further investigation into the traffic stop led to the discovery of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Deputies arrested the passenger, Joshua Alan Shughart, 33, of Holton, and booked him into the Jackson County Jail on a requested charge of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to Morse.

Sheriff: Kan. man man had drugs during traffic stop

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas counties are rejecting new COVID-19 vaccine shipments or reducing their orders because of decreased demand for the drugs, worrying health officials who say mass vaccinations are the only path to a return to normalcy.

Dennis Kriesel, the executive director of the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, said Friday that the shift occurred in the past couple weeks. The state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-arizona-coronavirus-pandemic-13700fb9f9d0b5cb75ab65ec12f05e68">opened up eligibility</a>&nbsp;on March 29 to all residents 16 and older. That led to an increase in demand in mostly urban areas, but some rural counties already had begun to administer the vaccine to anyone of age who wanted one, Kriesel said.

Nearly four months into the vaccination effort, providers are beginning to run out of vaccine seekers even though only 35.9% of Kansas residents had been immunized as of Friday, state data shows.

“We always knew there would be a hesitancy factor that would kick in and we are starting to see that now,” Kriesel said, adding that some other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-near-200-million-coronavirus-vaccine-shot-2bc06799e4709d69acc67e0e16047ad6">states also are beginning to see&nbsp;</a>more supply than demand. “So people are starting to come up with ways to address concerns, address misinformation and then encourage people who don’t really care that it would still be in their best interest to get a vaccine.”

Sixty out of several hundred health departments, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics that are administering COVID-19 vaccines in the state asked for a pause in shipments next week, said Marci Nielsen, a special advisor to Gov. Laura Kelly.

“We are at kind of at a transition that we predicted when there was this shortage of vaccine,” Nielsen said. “Now that we are having more vaccine come into the state and people who really wanted to get vaccinated have already gotten vaccinated, we are starting to see things slow down.”

She said the results of a newly completed survey found that the group that is the most hesitant in Kansas skews younger, female, less educated, lower income and slightly more rural than urban.

She said the research shows that older Kansans want to get information from their primary care providers. Younger residents are more swayed by friends and relatives who get vaccinated without having any adverse effects.

Pressure is mounting to move quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-37df3642b9055d5467a7365c29d05760">after a third highly contagious variant was detected in the state this week.</a>

“We are working in an environment where urgency is still a part of the equation and folks don’t fully recognize that we are in a bit of a race against the variants,” she said. “And it is important if you want to get vaccinated or want to learn more about it speed matters here.”

Kriesel said one thing that has been discussed is focusing vaccination efforts on older high school students.

In the Kansas City area, the 27,000 student Shawnee Mission School District, sent an email Friday to parents about optional vaccination clinics that will be offered during the school day at each of the high schools. Health officials in Johnson County, which is the state’s largest county, also are planning clinics for other districts in the area as case numbers nudge upward.

Kansas averaged 232 new confirmed or probable cases a day for the seven days ending Friday, according to state health department data. While there are far fewer new cases than there were in the fall, the rolling seven-day average has increased this week.

“Things can flip on a dime, unfortunately. We are not out of the woods,” said Elizabeth Holzschuh, an epidemiologist with the county’s health department, during a Facebook Live Thursday afternoon. “We were safer for five or six weeks, but we’re starting to creep up and we don’t know what next week will hold.”

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas counties are rejecting new COVID-19 vaccine shipments or reducing their orders because of decreased demand for the drugs, worrying health officials who say mass vaccinations are the only path to a return to normalcy.Dennis Kriesel, the executive director of the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, said Friday that the shift occurred in the past couple weeks. The state&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-arizona-coronavirus-pandemic-13700fb9f9d0b5cb75ab65ec12f05e68">opened up eligibility</a>&nbsp;on March 29 to all residents 16 and older. That led to an increase in demand in mostly urban areas, but some rural counties already had begun to administer the vaccine to anyone of age who wanted one, Kriesel said.Nearly four months into the vaccination effort, providers are beginning to run out of vaccine seekers even though only 35.9% of Kansas residents had been immunized as of Friday, state data shows.“We always knew there would be a hesitancy factor that would kick in and we are starting to see that now,” Kriesel said, adding that some other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-near-200-million-coronavirus-vaccine-shot-2bc06799e4709d69acc67e0e16047ad6">states also are beginning to see&nbsp;</a>more supply than demand. “So people are starting to come up with ways to address concerns, address misinformation and then encourage people who don’t really care that it would still be in their best interest to get a vaccine.”Sixty out of several hundred health departments, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics that are administering COVID-19 vaccines in the state asked for a pause in shipments next week, said Marci Nielsen, a special advisor to Gov. Laura Kelly.“We are at kind of at a transition that we predicted when there was this shortage of vaccine,” Nielsen said. “Now that we are having more vaccine come into the state and people who really wanted to get vaccinated have already gotten vaccinated, we are starting to see things slow down.”She said the results of a newly completed survey found that the group that is the most hesitant in Kansas skews younger, female, less educated, lower income and slightly more rural than urban.She said the research shows that older Kansans want to get information from their primary care providers. Younger residents are more swayed by friends and relatives who get vaccinated without having any adverse effects.Pressure is mounting to move quickly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-coronavirus-pandemic-37df3642b9055d5467a7365c29d05760">after a third highly contagious variant was detected in the state this week.</a>“We are working in an environment where urgency is still a part of the equation and folks don’t fully recognize that we are in a bit of a race against the variants,” she said. “And it is important if you want to get vaccinated or want to learn more about it speed matters here.”Kriesel said one thing that has been discussed is focusing vaccination efforts on older high school students.In the Kansas City area, the 27,000 student Shawnee Mission School District, sent an email Friday to parents about optional vaccination clinics that will be offered during the school day at each of the high schools. Health officials in Johnson County, which is the state’s largest county, also are planning clinics for other districts in the area as case numbers nudge upward.Kansas averaged 232 new confirmed or probable cases a day for the seven days ending Friday, according to state health department data. While there are far fewer new cases than there were in the fall, the rolling seven-day average has increased this week.“Things can flip on a dime, unfortunately. We are not out of the woods,” said Elizabeth Holzschuh, an epidemiologist with the county’s health department, during a Facebook Live Thursday afternoon. “We were safer for five or six weeks, but we’re starting to creep up and we don’t know what next week will hold.”

Some Kansas counties turn down COVID vaccine as demand slows

BY SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-high-schools-are-finding-ways-safely-celebrate-teen-rite-passage-prom">Kansas News Service</a>

Riley
 Sipes was a junior at Wichita’s North High School last spring when the 
COVID-19 shutdown closed schools and canceled prom and other activities.

She
 had already bought her dress — a smokey blue spaghetti-strap number 
that shimmers in the light. The phrase, “All dressed up and nowhere to 
go” had never seemed so fitting.

“It’s
 definitely been weird,” Sipes said. “I’m still disappointed that I 
missed out on so many of the traditions that North High has in place.”

But
 prom is back this year — for Sipes and many other Kansas 
high-schoolers. Though the COVID-19 pandemic is still a concern, school 
districts are finding ways to host the teen rite of passage while still 
adhering to public health recommendations.

In Wichita, the 
state’s largest district, high schools are holding proms in their gyms 
instead of other venues to make sure students are following safety 
measures. Masks are required, and students aren’t allowed to invite 
dates from other schools.

Valley Center High School held its prom
 recently in the airplane hangar that houses “Doc,” a restored B-29 
bomber. Goddard’s two high schools also plan to have their proms in the 
hangar so small groups of students can remain socially distanced.

Some
 Kansas City-area schools plan to hold proms at Children’s Mercy Park, 
where the Sporting KC soccer team plays. Others are holding outdoor 
proms on their own football fields.

Branden Johnson, executive 
director of secondary schools for the Wichita district, says students 
deserve a little fun after a year of wearing masks, avoiding gatherings 
and losing out on so many activities.

“They’re the ones who’ve 
had to make a ton of sacrifices all year just to get school back open,” 
Johnson said. “So let’s reward them, as long as we can do it safe and 
securely.”

Some people have raised concerns about schools 
resuming prom. Last month, in a pandemic first for Kansas, teens ages 
14-17 had the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the state. And 
health officials still warn against large gatherings.

But school 
officials, including Johnson, said they plan to implement many of the 
same measures they have in classrooms, including mask-wearing, 
hand-washing and social distancing, to keep proms safe.

“We have 
very little issue with mask compliance," Johnson said. "Almost every 
single kid is very used to wearing a mask at this point.

"So it’s no different for them doing it at school or wearing it at the dance.”

Sipes,
 the North High student, says she received her first dose of the 
two-part COVID-19 vaccine and plans to get her second dose before prom 
night.

Even so, North’s prom theme this year is, fittingly, 
“Masquerade,” and Sipes plans to wear a solid black mask that matches 
her shoes. Some of her friends plan to dress up their masks with sequins
 or use extra fabric from their prom dresses to make matching masks.

“I’m
 excited to have fun, but . . . people are sometimes stupid and don’t 
wear their mask correctly and maybe don’t social distance like they 
should,” the 18-year-old said.

“I know that that’s one of the 
biggest worries that me and my friends have, that people aren’t going to
 be responsible. So I plan on just keeping my distance from people (and)
 sticking to my little group.”

After prom was canceled last 
spring, Sipes and some friends decided to get dressed up anyway. They 
did their hair and makeup and went downtown near the Keeper of the 
Plains sculpture, where Sipes’ mom took some photos.

She plans to wear the same dress again and is glad to have somewhere to go.

“I
 could be there from like 30 minutes to all night,” she said. “But I 
know that I’m going to be with my friends, so I’m going to have fun.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618588657095.png" alt="North High student Riley Snipes, right, and her friend Allison Johnson pose for photos in front of the Keeper in their prom dresses last year. Courtesy" />
 <figcaption>North High student Riley Snipes, right, and her friend Allison Johnson pose for photos in front of the Keeper in their prom dresses last year. Courtesy</figcaption>
 </figure>BY SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-high-schools-are-finding-ways-safely-celebrate-teen-rite-passage-prom">Kansas News Service</a>Riley
 Sipes was a junior at Wichita’s North High School last spring when the 
COVID-19 shutdown closed schools and canceled prom and other activities.She
 had already bought her dress — a smokey blue spaghetti-strap number 
that shimmers in the light. The phrase, “All dressed up and nowhere to 
go” had never seemed so fitting.“It’s
 definitely been weird,” Sipes said. “I’m still disappointed that I 
missed out on so many of the traditions that North High has in place.”But
 prom is back this year — for Sipes and many other Kansas 
high-schoolers. Though the COVID-19 pandemic is still a concern, school 
districts are finding ways to host the teen rite of passage while still 
adhering to public health recommendations.In Wichita, the 
state’s largest district, high schools are holding proms in their gyms 
instead of other venues to make sure students are following safety 
measures. Masks are required, and students aren’t allowed to invite 
dates from other schools.Valley Center High School held its prom
 recently in the airplane hangar that houses “Doc,” a restored B-29 
bomber. Goddard’s two high schools also plan to have their proms in the 
hangar so small groups of students can remain socially distanced.Some
 Kansas City-area schools plan to hold proms at Children’s Mercy Park, 
where the Sporting KC soccer team plays. Others are holding outdoor 
proms on their own football fields.Branden Johnson, executive 
director of secondary schools for the Wichita district, says students 
deserve a little fun after a year of wearing masks, avoiding gatherings 
and losing out on so many activities.“They’re the ones who’ve 
had to make a ton of sacrifices all year just to get school back open,” 
Johnson said. “So let’s reward them, as long as we can do it safe and 
securely.”Some people have raised concerns about schools 
resuming prom. Last month, in a pandemic first for Kansas, teens ages 
14-17 had the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the state. And 
health officials still warn against large gatherings.But school 
officials, including Johnson, said they plan to implement many of the 
same measures they have in classrooms, including mask-wearing, 
hand-washing and social distancing, to keep proms safe.“We have 
very little issue with mask compliance," Johnson said. "Almost every 
single kid is very used to wearing a mask at this point."So it’s no different for them doing it at school or wearing it at the dance.”Sipes,
 the North High student, says she received her first dose of the 
two-part COVID-19 vaccine and plans to get her second dose before prom 
night.Even so, North’s prom theme this year is, fittingly, 
“Masquerade,” and Sipes plans to wear a solid black mask that matches 
her shoes. Some of her friends plan to dress up their masks with sequins
 or use extra fabric from their prom dresses to make matching masks.“I’m
 excited to have fun, but . . . people are sometimes stupid and don’t 
wear their mask correctly and maybe don’t social distance like they 
should,” the 18-year-old said.“I know that that’s one of the 
biggest worries that me and my friends have, that people aren’t going to
 be responsible. So I plan on just keeping my distance from people (and)
 sticking to my little group.”After prom was canceled last 
spring, Sipes and some friends decided to get dressed up anyway. They 
did their hair and makeup and went downtown near the Keeper of the 
Plains sculpture, where Sipes’ mom took some photos.She plans to wear the same dress again and is glad to have somewhere to go.“I
 could be there from like 30 minutes to all night,” she said. “But I 
know that I’m going to be with my friends, so I’m going to have fun.”

Prom: Kan. schools find ways to safely celebrate teen rite of passage

TOPEKA - The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is providing Kansans a 30-day public comment period on the draft 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The plan provides a 25-year statewide vision for the future of transportation in Kansas. Comments can be made until May 18 by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA0MTUuMzg4Mjc4ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkb3RhcHAua3Nkb3Qub3JnL0xSVFAvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.up5it-L19nSWMO90obIcvdkK7dYBQ6NnInxX0wiBk9E/s/1410649012/br/102200041514-l" target="_blank">here</a>.

The draft plan inventories the state’s transportation system that includes highways, transit, rail, air and active transportation elements. It also identifies issues and trends that will influence the transportation system over the next 25 years such as technology advances, digital access, connections between health and transportation, the economy, demographics and the durability of the infrastructure.

In addition, the LRTP outlines ways KDOT and its partners can support prosperity and quality of life for all Kansans by:&nbsp;&nbsp;

The draft LRTP was created with extensive input from citizens and transportation stakeholders across Kansas during KDOT’s 2019 Local Consult meetings. KDOT also conducted series of stakeholder webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included a wide range of key transportation partners, human service providers and tribal organizations.

The draft Kansas 2045 LRTP can also be viewed at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA0MTUuMzg4Mjc4ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkb3RhcHAua3Nkb3Qub3JnL0xSVFAvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.we7fLddaJ3FgB2eE1bs99Of7sq3cPm9No_UXQj0OfjA/s/1410649012/br/102200041514-l" target="_blank">Home Page - My ASP.NET Application (ksdot.org)</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615401660667.png" alt="(Photo by Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo by Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA - The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is providing Kansans a 30-day public comment period on the draft 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The plan provides a 25-year statewide vision for the future of transportation in Kansas. Comments can be made until May 18 by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA0MTUuMzg4Mjc4ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkb3RhcHAua3Nkb3Qub3JnL0xSVFAvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.up5it-L19nSWMO90obIcvdkK7dYBQ6NnInxX0wiBk9E/s/1410649012/br/102200041514-l" target="_blank">here</a>.The draft plan inventories the state’s transportation system that includes highways, transit, rail, air and active transportation elements. It also identifies issues and trends that will influence the transportation system over the next 25 years such as technology advances, digital access, connections between health and transportation, the economy, demographics and the durability of the infrastructure.In addition, the LRTP outlines ways KDOT and its partners can support prosperity and quality of life for all Kansans by:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Making travel safer</li><li>Preserving the system</li><li>Creating a more responsive project pipeline</li><li>Delivering programs more effectively</li><li>Designing practical improvements</li><li>Leveraging KDOT’s partnerships with stakeholders</li><li>Preparing for the future of tech-enabled infrastructure</li><li>Continuing commitments to multimodal programs; and</li><li>Supporting economic development and job growth</li>
 </ul>The draft LRTP was created with extensive input from citizens and transportation stakeholders across Kansas during KDOT’s 2019 Local Consult meetings. KDOT also conducted series of stakeholder webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included a wide range of key transportation partners, human service providers and tribal organizations.The draft Kansas 2045 LRTP can also be viewed at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA0MTUuMzg4Mjc4ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2tkb3RhcHAua3Nkb3Qub3JnL0xSVFAvP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1nb3ZkZWxpdmVyeSJ9.we7fLddaJ3FgB2eE1bs99Of7sq3cPm9No_UXQj0OfjA/s/1410649012/br/102200041514-l" target="_blank">Home Page - My ASP.NET Application (ksdot.org)</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

KDOT seeks your comments on draft long range transportation plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is setting up a $1.7 billion national network to identify and track worrisome&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-mutations-rising-f471eca388965ee95cd1e324c4e239d8">coronavirus mutations</a>&nbsp;whose spread could trigger another pandemic wave, the Biden administration announced Friday.

White House officials unveiled a strategy that features three components: a major funding boost for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments to ramp up coronavirus gene-mapping; the creation of six “centers of excellence” partnerships with universities to conduct research and develop technologies for gene-based surveillance of pathogens, and building a data system to better share and analyze information on emerging disease threats, so knowledge can be turned into action.

“Even as we accelerate our efforts to get shots into arms, more dangerous variants are growing, causing increases in cases in people without immunity,” White House coronavirus adviser Andy Slavitt told reporters. That “requires us to intensify our efforts to quickly test for and find the genetic sequence of the virus as it spreads.”

The new effort relies on money approved by Congress as part of President Joe Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-inside-covid-19-bill-relief-package-52fa93ac75d38eae4cd3dbb6402e7eba">coronavirus relief package</a>&nbsp;to break what experts say is a feast-or-famine cycle in U.S. preparedness for disease threats.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">The coronavirus</a>&nbsp;is only one example. Others pathogens have included Ebola and Zika, and respiratory viruses like SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012, which did not become major problems in the United States. Typically,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-public-health-genomics-united-kingdom-legislation-71879bce09ddc9956ed3e32f5925c0cf">the government scrambles to counter a potential threat</a>, but funding dries up when it recedes. The new genomic surveillance initiative aims to create a permanent infrastructure.

“It’s a transformative amount of money,” Mary Lee Watts, federal affairs director at the American Society for Microbiology, said in a recent interview. “It has the potential not only to get ahead of the current crisis, but it is going to help us in the future. This is a program that has been underfunded for years.”

The Biden administration’s move comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-england-health-washington-cor">a variant known as B117</a>, which first emerged in the United Kingdom, has become the predominant strain in the U.S. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-coronavirus-pandemic-rochelle-walensky-d5810b87b122a59bf734cf69f20aa51b">hard-hit Michigan</a>, the more transmissible mutation accounts for more than half the cases, according to CDC data. That’s also the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/infectious-diseases-coronavirus-pandemic-minnesota-4afe0f365943f75a84202878469b26f8">in Minnesota</a>. Vaccines are effective against the so-called U.K. variant, but other mutations circulating around the globe have shown resistance to currently available vaccines.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday the U.S. is now averaging nearly 70,000 new coronavirus cases daily, up from about 53,000 just four weeks ago. Hospitalizations have been trending higher, too, and deaths were up for the third day in a row. Along with relaxed restrictions on gatherings and indoor dining, the emergence of variants that spread more easily is part of the reason for the worsening trend.

Of particular concern are two variants that for now only have a toe-hold in the U.S. They are P1, first detected in travelers from Brazil, and B1351, identified in South Africa. The reason scientists are watching those variants is that they have shown some level of resistance to antibodies, defensive proteins produced by the human body in response to vaccines or a previous infection.

“In order for us to even have the possibility of getting back to normal by the fall we need to massively scale up our genomic surveillance,” said Esther Krofah, who directs the Faster Cures initiative of the Milken Institute. “It’s the insurance program that you need to have in place not just now, not just for COVID, but going forward for other pathogens of concern.”

Genomic sequencing essentially involves mapping the DNA of an organism, the key to its unique features. It’s done by high-tech machines that can cost from several hundred thousand dollars to $1 million or more. Technicians trained to run the machines and the necessary computing capacity add to costs.

Another hurdle is getting local, state and federal labs all working together. “There are lots of cats that need to be herded,” said University of Wisconsin virologist Thomas Friedrich.

At the end of last year, the CDC and collaborating labs were completing only 116 coronavirus gene sequences a week, according to the CDC’s website. “We started in a hole,” said Slavitt.

The White House says the weekly count is now about 29,000, but experts say in a large, diverse country like the U.S. those numbers need to be much higher to keep pace with potential changes to the virus. Viruses are highly efficient at spreading, developing mutations that enable them to keep reproducing.

White House officials said the government is releasing to states and territories an initial $240 million out of $1 billion allocated to expand genomic sequencing. Another $400 million will go to launch the six research partnerships with academic institutions, dubbed Centers of Excellence in Genomic Epidemiology. Finally, $300 million will go to set up the data sharing system, which is being called the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608566572342.png" alt="Virus variant image courtesy GISAID" />
 <figcaption>Virus variant image courtesy GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is setting up a $1.7 billion national network to identify and track worrisome&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-mutations-rising-f471eca388965ee95cd1e324c4e239d8">coronavirus mutations</a>&nbsp;whose spread could trigger another pandemic wave, the Biden administration announced Friday.White House officials unveiled a strategy that features three components: a major funding boost for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments to ramp up coronavirus gene-mapping; the creation of six “centers of excellence” partnerships with universities to conduct research and develop technologies for gene-based surveillance of pathogens, and building a data system to better share and analyze information on emerging disease threats, so knowledge can be turned into action.“Even as we accelerate our efforts to get shots into arms, more dangerous variants are growing, causing increases in cases in people without immunity,” White House coronavirus adviser Andy Slavitt told reporters. That “requires us to intensify our efforts to quickly test for and find the genetic sequence of the virus as it spreads.”The new effort relies on money approved by Congress as part of President Joe Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-inside-covid-19-bill-relief-package-52fa93ac75d38eae4cd3dbb6402e7eba">coronavirus relief package</a>&nbsp;to break what experts say is a feast-or-famine cycle in U.S. preparedness for disease threats.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">The coronavirus</a>&nbsp;is only one example. Others pathogens have included Ebola and Zika, and respiratory viruses like SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012, which did not become major problems in the United States. Typically,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-public-health-genomics-united-kingdom-legislation-71879bce09ddc9956ed3e32f5925c0cf">the government scrambles to counter a potential threat</a>, but funding dries up when it recedes. The new genomic surveillance initiative aims to create a permanent infrastructure.“It’s a transformative amount of money,” Mary Lee Watts, federal affairs director at the American Society for Microbiology, said in a recent interview. “It has the potential not only to get ahead of the current crisis, but it is going to help us in the future. This is a program that has been underfunded for years.”The Biden administration’s move comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-england-health-washington-cor">a variant known as B117</a>, which first emerged in the United Kingdom, has become the predominant strain in the U.S. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-coronavirus-pandemic-rochelle-walensky-d5810b87b122a59bf734cf69f20aa51b">hard-hit Michigan</a>, the more transmissible mutation accounts for more than half the cases, according to CDC data. That’s also the case&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/infectious-diseases-coronavirus-pandemic-minnesota-4afe0f365943f75a84202878469b26f8">in Minnesota</a>. Vaccines are effective against the so-called U.K. variant, but other mutations circulating around the globe have shown resistance to currently available vaccines.CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday the U.S. is now averaging nearly 70,000 new coronavirus cases daily, up from about 53,000 just four weeks ago. Hospitalizations have been trending higher, too, and deaths were up for the third day in a row. Along with relaxed restrictions on gatherings and indoor dining, the emergence of variants that spread more easily is part of the reason for the worsening trend.Of particular concern are two variants that for now only have a toe-hold in the U.S. They are P1, first detected in travelers from Brazil, and B1351, identified in South Africa. The reason scientists are watching those variants is that they have shown some level of resistance to antibodies, defensive proteins produced by the human body in response to vaccines or a previous infection.“In order for us to even have the possibility of getting back to normal by the fall we need to massively scale up our genomic surveillance,” said Esther Krofah, who directs the Faster Cures initiative of the Milken Institute. “It’s the insurance program that you need to have in place not just now, not just for COVID, but going forward for other pathogens of concern.”Genomic sequencing essentially involves mapping the DNA of an organism, the key to its unique features. It’s done by high-tech machines that can cost from several hundred thousand dollars to $1 million or more. Technicians trained to run the machines and the necessary computing capacity add to costs.Another hurdle is getting local, state and federal labs all working together. “There are lots of cats that need to be herded,” said University of Wisconsin virologist Thomas Friedrich.At the end of last year, the CDC and collaborating labs were completing only 116 coronavirus gene sequences a week, according to the CDC’s website. “We started in a hole,” said Slavitt.The White House says the weekly count is now about 29,000, but experts say in a large, diverse country like the U.S. those numbers need to be much higher to keep pace with potential changes to the virus. Viruses are highly efficient at spreading, developing mutations that enable them to keep reproducing.White House officials said the government is releasing to states and territories an initial $240 million out of $1 billion allocated to expand genomic sequencing. Another $400 million will go to launch the six research partnerships with academic institutions, dubbed Centers of Excellence in Genomic Epidemiology. Finally, $300 million will go to set up the data sharing system, which is being called the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure.

US setting up $1.7B national network to track virus variants

SALINA—Law enforcement authorities investigating the murder of a woman in Salina continue their search for a suspect identified as as 35-year-old Nelson Gerrod Hull.

He is wanted for the February 23 shooting death of 36-year-old Courtney Ann Hoffman.&nbsp; The Saline County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Hull for murder in the first degree.

Hull is described as a black male, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. A tattoo on the right side of his neck is "Mi Familia."

On Monday, police reported the arrest of Clarence Darnyl Brown, 34, of Salina, in connection with the case.&nbsp;Brown is being held on requested charges of Aiding and abetting first degree murder, Criminal solicitation and Interference with law enforcement.

Just after 11:30a.m. on February 23, police responded to the 700 block of North Fourth Street in Salina for a report of the sound of gunfire and someone screaming, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, Salina Police Officers located a woman identified as Hoffman inside a vehicle at 731 N. 4th Street. She had a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased by Salina Fire Department EMS personnel.

Police say Hull should be considered armed and dangerous. They encourage anyone with information on Hull's current location to contact 911 immediately.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576681996331.jpeg" alt="Hull photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Hull photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA—Law enforcement authorities investigating the murder of a woman in Salina continue their search for a suspect identified as as 35-year-old Nelson Gerrod Hull.He is wanted for the February 23 shooting death of 36-year-old Courtney Ann Hoffman.&nbsp; The Saline County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Hull for murder in the first degree.Hull is described as a black male, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. A tattoo on the right side of his neck is "Mi Familia."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614348886825.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday in Salina. photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday in Salina. photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, police reported the arrest of Clarence Darnyl Brown, 34, of Salina, in connection with the case.&nbsp;Brown is being held on requested charges of Aiding and abetting first degree murder, Criminal solicitation and Interference with law enforcement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614629894498.png" alt="Clarence Brown -photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Clarence Brown -photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 11:30a.m. on February 23, police responded to the 700 block of North Fourth Street in Salina for a report of the sound of gunfire and someone screaming, according to a media release.Upon arrival, Salina Police Officers located a woman identified as Hoffman inside a vehicle at 731 N. 4th Street. She had a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased by Salina Fire Department EMS personnel.Police say Hull should be considered armed and dangerous. They encourage anyone with information on Hull's current location to contact 911 immediately.

 Search continues for suspect in murder of Kansas woman

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department’s internal watchdog has concluded that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife violated federal ethics rules by asking staffers to run personal errands and perform non-official work such as making restaurant reservations, shopping and caring for their dog.

In a report released on Friday, the department’s inspector general concluded that those requests were “inconsistent” with the regulations. But, because Pompeo is no longer a federal employee and not subject to federal disciplinary or other measures, it did not call for any action against the former secretary who left office on Jan. 20 at the end of the Trump administration.

Instead, it recommended that the State Department clarify its policies to better define tasks that are inappropriate for staffers under the ethics rules and make it easier to report alleged violations. The department accepted all of the recommendations in its response to the report.

Pompeo and his attorney strongly denied the allegations contained in the inspector general's report, which said the former secretary and his wife, Susan, “made over 100 requests to employees in the office of the secretary to conduct work that appeared to be personal in nature.” Pompeo's lawyer noted that the report identifies only a handful of questionable requests and that those did not amount to violations of the rules.

The report identified inappropriate tasks as including “picking up personal items, planning events unrelated to the department’s mission, and conducting such personal business as pet care and mailing personal Christmas cards.” Many of those requests were directed to a long-time assistant of the Pompeos who was hired by the State Department as a senior adviser to the secretary.

It said it had found evidence that Susan Pompeo had “on several occasions” instructed the adviser to plan events for groups with which the Pompeos had nongovernmental relationships. It said it had identified at least 30 instances in which either the secretary or his wife told staffers to make restaurant reservations for personal lunches and dinners.

The inspector general “found that such requests were inconsistent with department ethics rules and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” the report said.

In an interview with investigators in late December, Pompeo said he had not paid that staffer or others separately for work that he either considered to be related to government business or to be minimal favors that long-time acquaintances would routinely do for each other, according to the report.

The inspector general, however, noted that there was no exception in the ethics rules for minimal personal favors. “Rather, the standards prohibit any use of a subordinate’s time to perform personal activities unless compensation is paid,” it said.

In a response appended to the report, the lawyer, William Burck, alleged that the report was biased and unfit for publication. Pompeo had shaken up the inspector general's office by firing its former chief in a move that critics alleged was aimed at halting potentially embarrassing investigations into his tenure at the department.

“The poor quality of the report bespeaks not merely unprofessionalism in its drafting but also bias, which we are concerned may be politically motivated,” Burck said. He said the report was “not fit for publication” and demanded evidence to support the investigators’ claims that the Pompeos had made more than 100 inappropriate requests of staffers.

In its response to the report, the State Department made no judgement on the findings but did accept the recommendations.

“The department appreciates the work of the Office of Inspector General, and, as the report notes, concurs with all the recommendations and will proceed to implement them," it said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616766008619.png" alt="Mike Pompeo spoke to a conservative group last Month in Iowa-photo courtesy Secretary Pompeo" />
 <figcaption>Mike Pompeo spoke to a conservative group last Month in Iowa-photo courtesy Secretary Pompeo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department’s internal watchdog has concluded that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife violated federal ethics rules by asking staffers to run personal errands and perform non-official work such as making restaurant reservations, shopping and caring for their dog.In a report released on Friday, the department’s inspector general concluded that those requests were “inconsistent” with the regulations. But, because Pompeo is no longer a federal employee and not subject to federal disciplinary or other measures, it did not call for any action against the former secretary who left office on Jan. 20 at the end of the Trump administration.Instead, it recommended that the State Department clarify its policies to better define tasks that are inappropriate for staffers under the ethics rules and make it easier to report alleged violations. The department accepted all of the recommendations in its response to the report.Pompeo and his attorney strongly denied the allegations contained in the inspector general's report, which said the former secretary and his wife, Susan, “made over 100 requests to employees in the office of the secretary to conduct work that appeared to be personal in nature.” Pompeo's lawyer noted that the report identifies only a handful of questionable requests and that those did not amount to violations of the rules.The report identified inappropriate tasks as including “picking up personal items, planning events unrelated to the department’s mission, and conducting such personal business as pet care and mailing personal Christmas cards.” Many of those requests were directed to a long-time assistant of the Pompeos who was hired by the State Department as a senior adviser to the secretary.It said it had found evidence that Susan Pompeo had “on several occasions” instructed the adviser to plan events for groups with which the Pompeos had nongovernmental relationships. It said it had identified at least 30 instances in which either the secretary or his wife told staffers to make restaurant reservations for personal lunches and dinners.The inspector general “found that such requests were inconsistent with department ethics rules and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” the report said.In an interview with investigators in late December, Pompeo said he had not paid that staffer or others separately for work that he either considered to be related to government business or to be minimal favors that long-time acquaintances would routinely do for each other, according to the report.The inspector general, however, noted that there was no exception in the ethics rules for minimal personal favors. “Rather, the standards prohibit any use of a subordinate’s time to perform personal activities unless compensation is paid,” it said.In a response appended to the report, the lawyer, William Burck, alleged that the report was biased and unfit for publication. Pompeo had shaken up the inspector general's office by firing its former chief in a move that critics alleged was aimed at halting potentially embarrassing investigations into his tenure at the department.“The poor quality of the report bespeaks not merely unprofessionalism in its drafting but also bias, which we are concerned may be politically motivated,” Burck said. He said the report was “not fit for publication” and demanded evidence to support the investigators’ claims that the Pompeos had made more than 100 inappropriate requests of staffers.In its response to the report, the State Department made no judgement on the findings but did accept the recommendations.“The department appreciates the work of the Office of Inspector General, and, as the report notes, concurs with all the recommendations and will proceed to implement them," it said.

State Dept. watchdog: Pompeo, wife violated ethics rules

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A jury recommended on Friday that a Kansas City man receive the maximum sentence for killing two women nearly a decade apart and leaving their bodies in the same field.

The Cass County jury recommended that Kylr Yust, 32, serve life in prison for second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions, 21, of Raymore, and 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the killing of 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky, of Belton.

Yust was charged with first-degree murder, but the Cass County jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-us-news-michael-brown-87aa24fcde87cef728d1f013d0ae9ae7">convicted</a>&nbsp;him of lesser charges on Thursday. Formal sentencing was scheduled for June 7.

The two women were both seen with Yust before they disappeared. Runions left a party with him before she went missing in September 2016. Kopetsky had taken out a protection order against Yust a month before she was last seen leaving Belton High School in April 2007.

A mushroom hunter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d2f41945bd1042e2ac5f617b5edc3e2b">found their bodies</a>&nbsp;near each other in a Cass County field south of Kansas City in April 2017.

Prosecutors said during the trial that Yust killed the two women because they rejected him. Yust’s attorney questioned the investigation and said prosecutors had no physical evidence connecting Yust to either death.

Yust&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-kansas-city-suicides-c34a4b368eb842051e47fe2f8a50ec46">testified&nbsp;</a>Wednesday that he did not kill either woman, and blamed his half-brother, Jessup Carter, for their deaths. Carter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a9410104be634d3da6aeae15f46d2225" target="_blank">died by suicide</a>&nbsp;in 2018 while he was being held in the Jackson County jail on a charge of second-degree arson.

Before the sentencing, relatives of the two women testified about how much they were loved and how their deaths have devastated their families and friends.

“It ripped our whole family apart and changed our lives forever,” Rhonda Beckford, Kopetsky’s mother, said of the day her daughter went missing. “It started a 10 year nightmare.”

Kopetsky’s stepfather, Jim Beckford, said Beckford has paid her daughter’s phone bill since her disappearance in hopes someone would call, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article250730014.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

“If you were to check the phone records today, you will see that I called it on Sunday night just to hear that one little wisp of her voice,” Beckford said.

Runions’ father, John Runions, said her family has been devastated by her death and the things she will not be able to experience, such as birthdays, family gathering, hugs and kisses.

“I don’t get to walk my daughter down the aisle and see her be married and be a mother,” he said. “Her sisters don’t get to look up to her anymore. And she loved her sisters.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1567616156500.png" alt="Yust photo Cass Co." />
 <figcaption>Yust photo Cass Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A jury recommended on Friday that a Kansas City man receive the maximum sentence for killing two women nearly a decade apart and leaving their bodies in the same field.The Cass County jury recommended that Kylr Yust, 32, serve life in prison for second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions, 21, of Raymore, and 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the killing of 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky, of Belton.Yust was charged with first-degree murder, but the Cass County jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-us-news-michael-brown-87aa24fcde87cef728d1f013d0ae9ae7">convicted</a>&nbsp;him of lesser charges on Thursday. Formal sentencing was scheduled for June 7.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576707396150.png" alt="Jessica Runions photo KC Police" />
 <figcaption>Jessica Runions photo KC Police</figcaption>
 </figure>The two women were both seen with Yust before they disappeared. Runions left a party with him before she went missing in September 2016. Kopetsky had taken out a protection order against Yust a month before she was last seen leaving Belton High School in April 2007.A mushroom hunter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d2f41945bd1042e2ac5f617b5edc3e2b">found their bodies</a>&nbsp;near each other in a Cass County field south of Kansas City in April 2017.Prosecutors said during the trial that Yust killed the two women because they rejected him. Yust’s attorney questioned the investigation and said prosecutors had no physical evidence connecting Yust to either death.Yust&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trials-kansas-city-suicides-c34a4b368eb842051e47fe2f8a50ec46">testified&nbsp;</a>Wednesday that he did not kill either woman, and blamed his half-brother, Jessup Carter, for their deaths. Carter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a9410104be634d3da6aeae15f46d2225" target="_blank">died by suicide</a>&nbsp;in 2018 while he was being held in the Jackson County jail on a charge of second-degree arson.Before the sentencing, relatives of the two women testified about how much they were loved and how their deaths have devastated their families and friends.“It ripped our whole family apart and changed our lives forever,” Rhonda Beckford, Kopetsky’s mother, said of the day her daughter went missing. “It started a 10 year nightmare.”Kopetsky’s stepfather, Jim Beckford, said Beckford has paid her daughter’s phone bill since her disappearance in hopes someone would call, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article250730014.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.“If you were to check the phone records today, you will see that I called it on Sunday night just to hear that one little wisp of her voice,” Beckford said.Runions’ father, John Runions, said her family has been devastated by her death and the things she will not be able to experience, such as birthdays, family gathering, hugs and kisses.“I don’t get to walk my daughter down the aisle and see her be married and be a mother,” he said. “Her sisters don’t get to look up to her anymore. And she loved her sisters.”