Victim reports vehicle theft, assault on North 57th
A victim reported a vehicle theft and assault on Wednesday, Jan. 13, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
The reported location was in the 2100 block of North 57th, between Parallel Parkway and Leavenworth Road. The victim went to the Midtown Patrol station to make a report. Officers later visited the address to find the crime scene and see if there was any footage, but without success, according to the report.
While the victim was getting into his vehicle, two unknown suspects made contact with the victim, the victim told police. The first suspect grabbed him from behind, placed a weapon to his head and made verbal demands, the report stated.
The second suspect got in the victim’s vehicle and fled the area, according to the report. The first suspect then got into a white truck and fled, the report stated.
The victim had minor injuries, according to the report.
Vehicle stolen, victim assaulted on North 24th
Three young males approached a victim in the 1700 block of North 24th Street on Wednesday, Jan. 13, and demanded his keys, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
When the victim said “no,” the suspects began to batter him, the report stated.
One of the suspects took the victim’s car keys out of his pocket, and the suspects fled in the victim’s vehicle, the report stated. The victim had minor injuries, according to the report. The location of the incident was south of Parallel.
Colder and windy, with a slight chance of rain, describes the changes in today’s forecast from the National Weather Service.
A wind advisory will be in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday, with winds of 17 to 23 mph, gusting as high as 39 mph, according to the weather service.
Snow is in the forecast for tonight and Friday, the weather service said. Wyandotte County may receive less than one inch of snow on Friday.
Travel impacts are likely, with less visibility and slick road conditions, according to the weather service.
The farther north, the more snow will fall. The St. Joseph, Missouri, area could get two to three inches of snow, with a blizzard warning in effect north of Highway 36 in that area.
Snowfall in this area could begin Thursday night, just before midnight in Wyandotte County. The snow will become a little heavier around 3 a.m., and then it may become a little more heavy from 6 a.m. through 11 a.m., according to the forecast. It should taper off around 5 p.m. Friday. The total amounts were predicted to be one inch or less in Wyandotte County.
Today, there is a 20 percent chance of rain before 10 a.m., with a high near 45, the weather service said. Weather will be breezy, with a northwest wind of 17 to 23 mph, gusting as high as 39 mph.
Tonight, there is a 30 percent chance of snow, mainly after 3 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 29, with a west northwest wind of 13 to 22 mph, gusting to 44 mph.
Friday, snow is likely, mainly before noon. The high will be near 36, with a northwest wind of 21 to 25 mph, gusting as high as 44 mph. The chance of snow is 70 percent. Less than one inch of snow is possible.
Friday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 25 and a northwest wind of 11 to 18 mph, gusting as high as 31 mph, according to the weather service.
Saturday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 37 and a northwest wind of 7 to 10 mph, the weather service said.
Saturday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 25, according to the weather service.
Sunday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 42, the weather service said.
Sunday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 25, according to the weather service.
Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 47, the weather service said.
Monday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 29, according to the weather service.
Tuesday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 44, the weather service said.
Tuesday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 26, according to the weather service.
Wednesday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 46, the weather service said.
Kansas COVID-19 cases by symptom onset date, statewide. (KDHE graph)
Kansas is seeing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases after a spike during the past few weeks, according to Gov. Laura Kelly.
Gov Kelly reported at a news conference Wednesday that Kansas was one of only three states seeing downward trends in COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Kansas reported 4,539 new COVID-19 cases since Monday, with 100 new deaths, she said. There was a cumulative total of 252,041 cases and 3,355 deaths.
“The past 10 months have been a long and challenging road, but at this time case rates are going down in our state and vaccine distribution is ramping up,” Gov. Kelly said.
As of Wednesday morning, Kansas had vaccinated more than 93,000 people, and it is closing the gap between the CDC data tracker and actual Kansas vaccination rates, she said.
Kansas is in the top tier of states providing COVID-19 vaccinations, Gov. Kelly said, because of improvement in reporting the vaccines, and had moved up to 17th.
The state is wrapping up its first phase of vaccinations to health care workers and essential personnel, she said. The distribution plan prioritizes the health of the most vulnerable populations, she said, and the federal government now is advising to add about 50 percent of the population to the first wave of those vaccinated. The state feels comfortable in placing 65 and older population in its next group, she said, as its placement is comparable to the federal guidelines.
As Kansas prepares to enter its second phase, it is working to ensure there is an adequate network of providers, and has agreed to participate in a national pharmacy partnership to increase the number of available vaccination sites across the state, she said. They will provide more information during the next week about vaccination sites.
The state would like to get more vaccine from the federal government, and it can start mass vaccine clinics when it gets enough vaccine, she said.
This week, Kansas received 3,900 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 66,000 of Moderna vaccine. Of Moderna, 17,000 doses were prime, used for the first vaccination, and 49,000 were for the second vaccination, Gov. Kelly said. More information is at Kansasvaccine.gov.
Gov. Kelly said her proposed state budget announced this week includes funding for Medicaid expansion and for behavioral health care. It protects the services that communities and businesses need, not only to recover from the pandemic, but to emerge from it stronger than ever, she said.
Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas health secretary, said it’s encouraging that Kansas is not seeing the heavy overcrowding of hospitals currently seen on the coasts, and that staff shortages are not as bad as they have been previously in Kansas, with most hospitals having some intensive care unit beds available. There is a “good sense of calm,” he said. There is a sense of relief.
“It’s gratifying to see health care workers get a little bit of a reprieve,” he said. He is hoping there isn’t an increase in case numbers from post-New Year’s gatherings.
“We cannot let our guard down,” Dr. Norman said. The vaccine is now being given to health care workers, who are not letting their guards down, but they feel there is progress being made, he said.
At the University of Kansas Health System news conference on Wednesday morning, doctors discussed the long-haul clinic offered there. Dr. Leslie Spikes, pulmonologist, said the most concerning complications they see are from inflammation to the lungs, causing scarring. From 30 to 50 percent of ICU patients show low oxygen levels, but are not short of breath and feel all right, she said. Dr. Spikes encouraged everyone, especially patients with pulmonary hypertension, to get the vaccine.
COVID-19 case numbers
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said there were 60 active COVID-19 patients hospitalized on Wednesday morning at KU Health System, a decrease of four from Tuesday. There were 25 COVID-19 patients in the ICU, an increase of two from Tuesday, and 11 of the ICU patients were on ventilators, a decrease of two from Tuesday. In addition, 50 other COVID-19 patients were still hospitalized, but were out of the acute phase, a decrease of one since Tuesday. The total of COVID-19 patients was 110, a decrease of five since Tuesday.
The doctors were seeing an improvement in the case numbers, and believe that residents were doing better at observing masking, social distancing, hand washing and other preventive measures after the holidays.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 81 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 12, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative 15,816 cases. There was a cumulative total of 208 deaths.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 136,495 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. There were 1,658 deaths, and 167 was the daily average of new hospitalizations.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday reported 23,077,262 total cumulative cases in the United States, with 384,764 total deaths nationwide.
Free COVID-19 testing available Thursday
Free COVID-19 tests will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, at the Quindaro Community Center, 2726 Brown Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The tests are offered through Swope Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force. Appointments are not needed.
The Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 test site at the former Kmart building at 78th and State will be open on Thursday, Jan. 14, with testing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County. The tests are nasopharyngeal swab tests. The Health Department no longer uses saliva tests.
The tests now are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
COVID-19 tests will be available from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pierson Community Center parking lot, 1800 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Hours are subject to change depending on the weather and other factors. These tests are through WellHealth Management. For more information and to schedule a test, visit www.GoGetTested.com/Kansas.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
