Kansans with a driver’s license or identification card that expired between March 12, 2020, and March 30, 2021, have until June 30 to renew those credentials, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue.
This is due to the COVID-19 extension for these credentials expiring with the passage of Senate Bill 127.
In April, the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles sent out more than 55,700 postcards to Kansans who have not renewed their license or identification card and would be affected by the deadline. As of June 1, there are still 45,000 Kansans needing to renew their credentials, according to the state.
“In addition to ending the COVID-19 extension for expired credentials, the legislation expanded the age range on mobile renewals,” David Harper, the Division of Vehicles director, said. “Summer is typically a busy time for our offices as teen drivers come in for the first time. Because of that, we are heavily encouraging the use of iKan, the Department’s online driver’s license renewal system.”
Mobile renewals are open to Kansans who are 21 to 64 years old, have had a vision test within the past year, and their license is up to one year before or after expiration.
The online platform is available at https://ikan.ks.gov/ or on mobile devices by downloading the iKan app from the Apple App or Google Play stores.
Walk-in customers are welcome. However, if needing to visit an office, appointments are encouraged, a spokesman stated. Customers with appointments receive priority. Information about making an appointment can be found at https://www.ksrevenue.org/DOVAppointmentInfo.
Wyandotte County is in an area at enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms on Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. (National Weather Service graphic)The maximum heat index for Friday will be near 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. (National Weather Service graphic)
Thunderstorms are possible between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, with the heat index reaching nearly 100, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Strong to severe storms are possible, the weather service said. Winds up to 60 mph, lightning and hail up to the size of quarters will be the main threats, according to the weather service. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible.
While Wyandotte County was not under a thunderstorm watch at 9 a.m., areas to the north, including Atchison County, were under a thunderstorm watch, according to the weather service.
Storms may move south into the Kansas City area in the afternoon, clearing out of the forecast area by 7 to 9 p.m., the weather service said.
Also, the maximum heat index today will be approaching 100 degrees, according to the weather service. It was 84 degrees at 9 a.m., and the heat index was 90.
Residents need to use caution if spending time outdoors, the weather service said.
Today, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 92 with a heat index as high as 100. A south wind will be 3 to 8 mph. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is in the forecast.
Tonight, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 a.m., according to the weather service. It will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 70, and a south southeast wind of 5 to 7 mph becoming northwest in the evening. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.
Saturday, it will be sunny with a high near 89 and a north wind of 6 to 10 mph, the weather service said.
Saturday night, it will be clear, with a low of 65 and a northeast wind of 6 mph becoming calm in the evening, according to the weather service.
Sunday, it will be sunny, with a high near 91 and a calm wind becoming east around 5 mph, the weather service said.
Sunday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 64, according to the weather service.
Monday, it will be sunny, with a high near 94, the weather service said.
Monday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 68, according to the weather service.
Tuesday, it will be sunny, with a high near 93, the weather service said.
Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 64, according to the weather service.
Wednesday, it will be sunny, with a high near 91, the weather service said.
Wednesday night, it will be clear, with a low of 64, according to the weather service.
Thursday, it will be sunny, with a high near 93, the weather service said.
For more weather information, visit www.weather.gov.
The state of health emergency in Wyandotte County was extended for another 90 days on Thursday by the Unified Government Commission.
At the Thursday night meeting, the commission voted 10-0 in favor of extending the state of emergency for 90 days.
Jeff Conway, assistant UG counsel, said Kansas had its own state of emergency as well. It was scheduled to expire May 28, he said. The governor requested a 30-day extension, but the Legislative Coordinating Council only extended it about 15 days, to June 15, he said.
Conway said on Thursday the governor expressed her desire that the state of emergency not expire, and asked to extend it to mid-August for the state.
In the meantime, local health officials have shifted their focus into more of a vaccination mode, and some of the vaccination numbers are low for some of the Wyandotte County communities, Conway said. Local officials want to extend it another 90 days because of the low vaccination rate.
Matt May, director of emergency management, said the emergency declaration does a lot of small things.
It makes the county eligible to receive reimbursements from Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for expenses, he said, including significant expenses to operate the vaccination centers.
Usually, there is a 75 percent reimbursement from FEMA, but currently, the president has allowed 100 percent reimbursement for the program, so Wyandotte County could recoup all of its expenses, he said. But the local declaration has to be in place to apply, he added.
May said the lack of a state emergency will not affect Wyandotte County’s reimbursements, as the county would still qualify because of a national declared emergency.
Commissioner Christian Ramirez said the extension is a financial focus point for the county to get reimbursed for expenses, but its purpose is not to put in any mandates of any kind.
Free walk-in vaccinations available
The Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), will be open for free walk-in vaccinations for everyone 12 and older from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, June 11. The vaccines are through the Unified Government Health Department.
People may also schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org. Residents may request rides to the vaccination clinic through a form on the same website.
Those who receive COVID-19 vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.
The Health Department is doing more mobile COVID-19 vaccinations, and people may request vaccines to be given at different sites in the community by going to WycoVaccines.org and clicking on “mobile vaccine request.” People also may request a ride to vaccination sites on the same page.
Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page. Walk-in appointments also are welcome.
Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.
To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.
Other sites available for vaccinations
Vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).
CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov. The website also tells whether vaccines are in stock at the locations.
Case numbers reported
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, reported the COVID-19 case numbers at the University of Kansas Health System were slightly higher Thursday morning. Six active COVID-19 patients were being treated at the hospital, an increase of one. One patient was in the intensive care unit, no change from Wednesday. There have been no patients on ventilators since May 24. Four other patients were still in the hospital, in the recovery phase, the same number as Wednesday. There were 10 total COVID-19 patients, an increase of one since Wednesday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of five COVID-19 cases on Thursday, June 10, for a cumulative 18,903 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 299 deaths reported, no change from Wednesday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 175,320 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Thursday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 38.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 315,500 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, June 9, an increase of 401 cases since Monday, June 7. There were a total of 5,103 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of three. On Wednesday, June 9, the KDHE reported 59,373 cumulative cases in Johnson County, an increase of 68 cases since Monday. Leavenworth County had 7,274 cumulative cases, an increase of three since Monday. Sedgwick County had 57,512 cases, an increase of 55 cases since Monday, according to KDHE.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday night reported 33,426,310 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 598,744 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 20,779 new cases nationwide and 432 new deaths nationwide. States with high numbers of new cases were Texas, 9,071; Louisiana, 774; Colorado, 697; California, 694; and Missouri, 624. Countries with high numbers of new cases were India, 93,463; Brazil, 85,748; Argentina, 29,757; Colombia, 21,879; and U.S., 20,779, according to Johns Hopkins information. .
Free testing available
Free COVID-19 testing will be offered from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 10, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th St., (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas, at the Health Department’s eastern location. Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
The Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.
