Month: July 2022

Driver falls asleep, crashes on I-70

A driver fell asleep and crashed on I-70 about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, July 21, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s report.

The driver was westbound on I-70 near I-635 in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Ford Ranger drifted into a gore area separating I-70 from the exit lanes to I-635 and struck a crash attenuator with the front end, the trooper’s report stated.

The driver, a 33-year-old man from Leavenworth, Kansas, had a possible minor injury, the trooper’s report stated. The man declined to be taken to a hospital.

Biden tests positive for COVID-19

by Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa, Kansas Reflector

Washington — President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House announced Thursday morning.

Biden, 79, is fully vaccinated against the virus and has twice received booster doses, according to the statement. He is taking Paxlovid, an antiviral prescription medication that is meant to reduce the severity of symptoms and the duration of illness.

“Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in the statement.

“He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence,” she continued.

The White House plans to provide daily updates on Biden’s condition. He will return to work in person when he tests negative.

He tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the White House said.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who was last with Biden Tuesday, has tested negative, according to a White House official. The White House did not specify when that test was conducted.

Harris is meeting with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, Thursday, and will later meet with North Carolina state legislators to hold a roundtable discussion about reproductive rights, according to the White House.

Harris spoke with Biden by phone Thursday morning and plans to continue her schedule as planned, according to the official.

“The vice president will remain masked following the advice of the White House medical team,” the official said.

Biden was in Massachusetts on Wednesday to announce action on climate change. Several of Biden’s top staffers traveled with him on Marine One, the helicopter that transports the president and aides from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, where Air Force One takes off and lands.

Those aides included Bruce Reed, deputy chief of staff; Gina McCarthy, national climate adviser; Annie Tomasini, director of Oval Office operations; Jean-Pierre; and Stephen Goepfert, special assistant and personal aide to the president.

U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren as well as U.S. Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Bill Keating, all of Massachusetts, traveled with Biden from Andrews to the outdoor event in Somerset.

White House staff traveling on Air Force One included Vinay Reddy, director of speech writing; Curtis Reid, senior director for multilateral affairs; and Travis Dredd, trip director.

Biden is also coming off an international trip from last week, along with his first one to the Middle East, where from June 9-16 he traveled to the United Kingdom, Brussels, Geneva, Israel, the West Bank and then Saudi Arabia.

During that trip, he met with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, while he attended the G7 summit. He had another meeting with the president of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Biden also met with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who ordered the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

He was scheduled to travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Thursday to give a speech at the Marts Center at Wilkes University about the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which is the president’s funding request to Congress to help fund programs aimed at reducing gun violence.

Later on, the president was scheduled to travel to Philadelphia to “participate in a fundraising reception for the Democratic National Committee,” according to the White House’s schedule.

After his visit, he was scheduled to go back to his home in Wilmington, Delaware, for the weekend.

It’s unclear if the president will still be able to attend an event scheduled in Orlando and Tampa, Florida, on Monday. Biden was scheduled to give a speech at the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Annual Conference in Orlando and another speech at a DNC rally in Tampa.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that someone who tests positive for COVID-19 should stay home for at least five days and isolate from others. The CDC advises against all travel.

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/21/biden-tests-positive-for-covid-19/

Temperature may hit century mark today

Today’s high and maximum heat index will be around the 100 and 101 mark. (National Weather Service graphic)
The maximum heat index on Friday and Saturday could be over 105. (National Weather Service graphic)
Wyandotte County is part of a region that is abnormally dry, according to the National Drought Monitor. (National Weather Service graphic)
The next chance for rain will be early next week, perhaps Monday through Wednesday. (National Weather Service graphic)
The extended outlook, for July 28 to Aug. 3, shows a leaning toward higher than normal temperatures, with precipitation leaning above normal. (National Weather Service graphic)

Look for a high near 100 today in Wyandotte County, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

While it will be hot today, the lack of humidity will keep the heat index in check with readings near the air temperature, the weather service said.

Well above normal temperatures will continue into the weekend, the weather service said.

On Friday and Saturday, the heat index could reach as high as 105, according to the weather service.

Surface high pressure is gradually shifting to the east today with winds becoming more southwesterly by this evening, the weather service said.

Moisture will transfer up from the Gulf on Friday and dewpoints will slowly increase Friday afternoon. The heat index then will increase, perhaps resulting in heat advisories for Friday or Saturday.

On Sunday, a cold front will push through during the day, with the high near 98 in Wyandotte County, according to the weather service. There will be a 50 percent chance of showers on Sunday night.

Today, it will be sunny and hot, with a high near 100 and a southwest wind of 3 to 7 mph, the weather service said.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 73 and a southwest wind of 5 mph becoming light and variable, according to the weather service.

Friday, it will be sunny and hot, with a high near 101 and a heat index as high as 105, the weather service said. A southeast wind of 5 to 11 mph will become south southwest in the afternoon, and winds may gust up to 20 mph.

Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 78 and a south southwest wind of 7 to 10 mph, gusting as high as 18 mph, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be sunny and hot, with a high near 101, the weather service said. A south southwest wind of 7 to 14 mph will gust as high as 28 mph.

Saturday night, there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 81.

Sunday, it will be mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 98, the weather service said.

Sunday night, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., with a low of 73, according to the weather service.

Monday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers before 1 p.m., with a high near 89, the weather service said.

Monday night, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., with a low of 74, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers, with a high near 96, the weather service said.

Tuesday night, there is a 40 percent chance of showers, with a low of 75, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers, with a high near 92, the weather service said.