Suspect hits six vehicles in chase from Missouri into Kansas
Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department officers were chasing a stolen vehicle and assault suspect about 6:28 p.m. Oct. 23 in the 4700 block of Parallel Parkway, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
The pursuit went into Kansas City, Kansas, on I-70, according to the report. The suspect exited I-70 and struck four vehicles, according to the report. The suspect continued to the 4700 block of Parallel where two more vehicles were struck, the report stated.
The driver then fled on foot and was taken into custody without incident, according to the report. The suspect was booked into the Wyandotte County Jail.
Police chase drive-by suspect’s vehicle
Police responded to a call about shots fired at 12:21 a.m. Oct. 23 in the 5900 block of State Avenue, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
The caller said a vehicle appeared to be the same one that previously fired shots at residences, according to the report, and was shooting again in the area.
Officers tried to conduct a vehicle stop, but the vehicle did not yield, and a pursuit was initiated, the report stated. The chase went into Missouri, where officers discontinued the pursuit, the report stated.
Battery reported in 1700 block of Parallel
A burglary was reported at 2:11 a.m. Oct. 23 in the 1700 block of Parallel Parkway, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
The victim said the suspect struck him several times in the face and head with an unknown object, the report stated. The victim had a head wound. The suspect fled, and the victim was taken to a hospital for medical treatment, the report said.
Burglary reported near 73rd and State
Officers responded to an alarm call at 3:49 a.m. Oct. 23 in the 7300 block of State Avenue, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
Officers saw damage to the property, and established a perimeter around the property, according to the report. The suspect then emerged and was taken into custody without incident, the report stated. Evidence was collected.
Armed robbery reported near 6th and Ann
Officers responded to a robbery call at 5:59 p.m. Oct. 23 in the 600 block of Ann Avenue, according to a social media report by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
The victim said she was returning to her vehicle when an unknown suspect exited his vehicle, pushed the victim to the ground, struck her in the face and removed her purse, according to the report.
The victim had minor injuries from the attack.
Domestic battery, criminal damage reported
Officers responded to an armed disturbance call at 10:53 p.m. Oct. 23 in the 1400 block of Richmond Avenue, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
The suspect struck the victim’s vehicle with a blunt object, causing damage, according to the report.
Officers took the suspect into custody, the report stated.
Advance in-person voting is open today at three sites in Wyandotte County.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, for these three early voting centers in Kansas City, Kansas:
• Wyandotte County Election Office, 850 State Ave. • Eisenhower Recreation Center, 2901 N. 72nd St. and • Joe Amayo-Argentine Community Center, 2810 Metropolitan Ave.
Early in-person voting opened Oct. 20. Voters must be registered to cast a ballot, and they should bring a driver’s license or other accepted form of identification to the polling place.
Remaining early voting center hours and dates:
• Election Office, 850 State Ave., early voting hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 26 through Oct. 30; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31; 8 a.m. to noon Monday, Nov. 2.
• Joe Amayo-Argentine Community Center, 2810 Metropolitan Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, early voting hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 26 through Oct. 30; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
• Eisenhower Recreation Center, 2901 N. 72nd St., Kansas City, Kansas, early voting hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 24; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 26 through Oct. 30; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
Those voters who have already received a mail-in ballot should not vote in person, but they can bring their completed mail-in ballots to the early voting centers and drop them off there. They also can mail the completed ballots back to the Election Office. They can also drop off completed mail-in ballots at drop boxes at the Election Office; at Kansas City, Kansas, City Hall, 701 N. 7th St.; at the West Wyandotte Library, 1737 N. 82nd St.; at Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs; and at Edwardsville City Hall, 690 S. 4th St., Edwardsville.
Wyandotte County Election Office at 850 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, has more information about voter registration, mail ballots and advance voting at wycovotes.org, or email election@wycokck.org, or call the Election Office at 913-573-8500.
Wyandotte County on Friday afternoon reported 29 additional COVID-19 cases for a cumulative total of 7,984, with one additional death, for a cumulative 162, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. (From UG COVID-19 webpage)
As COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the Midwest, Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan said Friday that HHS will continue encouraging basic prevention efforts at the state and local levels.
He was confident that a vaccine and more advanced treatment would put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, and until then, they are bridging the gap with simple public health messages and with tracing to put an end to outbreaks as they arise.
He said HHS is working with state and local governments to encourage people to follow the three W’s – wearing a face covering, washing hands and watching your distance.
Hargan visited area health care providers on Friday, and spoke during an 11 a.m. news conference with the University of Kansas Health System.
Cases are going to continue to rise in different localities, and they have from the beginning when they saw tremendous outbreaks in New York and other areas, he said. During the past few months, cases rose in the South, and now there has been a strong movement of cases into the Midwest, he added.
Hargan said the Midwest has benefited from the tremendous amount of treatments and wisdom that has arisen from communities that previously experienced outbreaks.
They’re doing far better than in the beginning because not as much was known about it in the beginning, he added.
They also have achieved much in research and development since then. He hopes that because of the efforts of research and development teams and companies they are partnering with, they will soon see an end to the pandemic.
Hargan believes they are “rounding the corner” because of the improvements on the research and development side, along with the production of the vaccine.
There are currently four vaccines in Stage 3 of clinical trials, he said. Besides the vaccines, a cocktail of therapeutic drugs may be approved, he said. Approval recently was received for remdesivir, he said. Steroids and antibodies are other promising treatments, he said.
Hargan said while the HHS is encouraging mask wearing, the federal government has limited powers when it comes to mask mandates. HHS gives advice and shares data with state and local communities, which make the decisions, he said.
Hargan said they have actively recruited minorities to participate in vaccine trials. The CDC is currently working on a public information campaign, he added. They are engaging communities with messages about the success of people who have gone through the clinical trials, and the safety of the vaccines.
Two of the vaccines are approaching the emergency use authorization date. They will have to be sure they have a safe and effective vaccine, he said.
According to recent news reports, the Astra-Zeneca vaccine trial in the United States that had been paused has now been given permission to resume. KU Medical Center was one of the sites of the trial.
There is a great deal of encouragement from the data produced so far, he said.
The states recently turned in their plans to the CDC about how they will implement distribution of the vaccines. Also announced recently was a partnership with CVS and Walgreen to provide vaccines to nursing homes, he said. There is not a set time yet for the vaccines to start.
“We’ve been able to achieve so much against this disease even without having the vaccines yet,” Hargan said.
Wyandotte County on Friday afternoon reported 29 additional COVID-19 cases for a cumulative total of 7,984, with one additional death, for a cumulative 162, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage.
The University of Kansas Health System on Friday morning reported a spike, with 36 COVID-19 acute inpatients, an increase from 30 on Thursday, 11 in the intensive care unit, an increase from nine on Thursday, and four on the ventilator, a decrease from six on Thursday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 33 additional COVID-19 patients in recovery in the hospital. At the HaysMed in Hays, Kansas, there were 15 COVID-19 inpatients, down one from Thursday, with four patients in recovery.
Kansas reported an increase of 1,774 COVID-19 cases on Friday, for a cumulative 76,230. There were 23 more COVID-19 deaths statewide, for a cumulative total of 975.
At the 8 a.m. Friday KU Health System news conference, Dr. David Wild, vice president of performance improvement at the KU Health System, said that COVID-19 hospital admissions were increasing. While hospitals are not flooded or overwhelmed currently, the hospitals could be if they get the usual number of flu patients this year.
The Midwest has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the nation, when adjusted for population, and Kansas and Missouri are just in back of North Dakota.
Wearing a mask and social distancing are very important in keeping the numbers from getting worse, according to the doctors.
Dr. Wild went over the regional case, hospitalization and death numbers. He noted that KU Health System experienced its highest number of deaths so far in the pandemic in October.
The KU Health System hospital was at 747 total patients on Friday, and although it is not overwhelmed, the numbers are not the norm, he said. The numbers are mostly from other patients, not COVID-19 patients. He said they have heard that hospitals are starting to become fuller around the metro area. As case numbers ri se, hospitalizations rise, and then deaths rise, he said.
Staffing can become an issue as the hospitals become fuller, he said.
The percentage of patients who are dying is lower, there are now healthier patients without underlying conditions, and younger patients now are dying, he said. The average age of patients who die has dropped from 72 to 63, he said.
Dr. Wild said he went to a restaurant recently to pick up a takeout order, and he saw a crowded restaurant and bar, without social distancing and no masks. Dr. Wild asked residents not to let their guards down this weekend, but to keep practicing social distancing, wearing a mask and washing hands.
The things that work, including masks and distancing, are critical now, said Lance Williamson, RN, from infection prevention and control,
