The Iola Register, March 16, 2020

Monday, March 16, 2020

Locally owned since 1867

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Pandemic Merchants feel pinch shutters city halls

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Iola and LaHarpe city officials are closing their respective city halls to the public and taking other preventive health measures in light of the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Among the steps: — Iola City Hall, as well as the code enforcement and recreation offices will be closed to the public.

Those who pay their monthly utility bills may do so using the night drop box, or the drive-through window during normal business hours. City staff will implement “safe money handling” practices.

— All recreation programs and community building rentals are suspended until April 1. The suspension includes the spring youth soccer leagues slated to begin this month.

— Iola Municipal Court sessions are closed until further notice.

— Iola’s parks will reSee VIRUS | Page A4

Signs directing Allen County Regional Hospital visitors to check themselves have been placed at the ACRH entrance.

REGISTER/TREVOR HOAG

Mike Larios of B&B Country Cafe stands amid his customers Sunday at the restaurant.

Business has ebbed substantially since last week’s declaration that COVID-19 has become a global pandemic. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Fewer visiting businesses amid virus scare

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

day, the cafe was quieter and slower paced. Plenty of tables were still open.

Even so, staff were busy filling twice as many “to go” orders compared to normal. They’d run out of biscuit mix, a waitress warned a customer. She hoped they’d get more soon.

Even in rural America, it didn’t take long for life to change amid fears of a deadly new coronavirus.

As healthcare profession-

What a difference a week makes.

At 9:30 a.m. on March 8, B & B Country Cafe bustled.

Tables were full. Wait staff rushed to take orders and fill coffee mugs. It might be a 45-minute wait for food, a waitress warned a couple who walked through the door.

At 9:30 a.m. this past Sun-

als urge “social distancing” and self-quarantines for those who are ill, wouldbe customers are keeping their distance from restaurants and other crowded, enclosed places.

Local grocery stores, including G & W Grocery, saw an influx of panic buying that some compared to “Black Friday” sales as customers stocked up in

New rules in place for hospital visitors

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Visitors to Allen County Regional Hospital will need to check themselves before they enter the facility, an early precaution to keep visitors from spreading illness to others and hospital staff amid concerns about a deadly new coronavirus.

Beginning today, ACRH will limit access to the hospi-

See PINCH | Page A4

See HOSPITAL | Page A2

State urges school closings

Feeling ill? Call first

By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press

By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas’ top education official on Sunday urged public schools to remain closed this week, and the state health department called for people who are traveling outside the U.S. or to several other states to quarantine themselves for two weeks upon their return.

Education Commissioner Randy Watson announced in a tweet that he “strongly rec-

ommends” that schools close to help check the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 if they were not already set to be on spring break. Kelly had a Statehouse news conference to reinforce the message, though the state is not yet ordering schools closed.

Kansas has a long tradition of letting local school districts make decisions about when schools open, when they close for weather or other emergencies and what’s See STATE | Page A4

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said she’s looking to have a panel of K-12 educators think about contingency plans as the new coronavirus spreads. KANSAS NEWS SERVICE/DANIEL CAUDILL

In order to help maintain normalcy at area clinics, hospitals and pharmacies it’s vital that those who suspect they may have the COVID-19 virus to not act on their first impulse — walk in their doors.

Instead, healthcare providers are asking those who suspect they may have the new coronavirus to first call their offices so they can assess the

Grandfather’s inspiration casts a ‘shadow’ for author

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Author Michael Graves of Emporia talks about the inspiration for his novel, “To Leave a Shadow,” about private investigator Pete Stone, based on his grandfather. Graves was the featured author for the winter series of Iola Reads. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS Vol. 122, No. 98 Iola, KS 75 Cents

Michael Graves wanted to honor a man he barely knew, so he made up a book about him.

“To Leave a Shadow,” the winter book selection for Iola Reads, tells the story of private investigator Pete Stone.

In what is now a three-book series, Graves tells the stories of a classic gumshoe detective, with his snarky sense of humor and problem solving skills in the 1930s in Wichita.

Graves, who now lives in Emporia, based the character off of his grandfather, a man he’d visit in Kansas every

summer while he was growing up.

“My memories are crystal clear. They just aren’t accurate,” Graves told a small crowd of Iola readers Thursday evening at the Creitz Recital Hall.

He recalled telling stories of his youth to his brother, who promptly replied, “That didn’t happen.”

And since he never knew his grandfather well, he never had a chance to have “one of those conversations I wish I’d had.”

“As you get a little older, you reach a certain point you want See AUTHOR | Page A4

proper care as well as protect their environments so others do not come in contact with the highly contagious virus that is now a pandemic.

Health professionals say they will be able to adequately assess a person’s symptoms over the phone by asking if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, and whether they think they have been exposed to the virus through travel or personSee CALL FIRST | Page A2

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Monday, March 16, 2020

Call first: Safeguards for health care

Obituary Reta Mae Johnson

Continued from A1

Reta Mae Johnson, age 99, a resident of Bronson, passed away early Friday, March 13, 2020, at her home.

She was born Aug. 4, 1920, on the family farm northeast of Bronson, the daughter of John Christian Ermel and Mary Susan Lawry Ermel. She attended Dry Ridge Grade School and graduated from Bronson Reta Mae High School in 1937. At the age of Johnson 17, she began teaching grade school.

She taught at Blazing Star, Victory and later Bronson schools.

She married Buford William Johnson on May 21, 1939, in Fort Scott. Reta Mae’s main priority was taking care of her family and her home. She enjoyed working in her garden, tending her flowers and looking after her chickens and geese. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and enjoyed attending her grandchildren’s sporting events. She also enjoyed decorating cakes and painting. She was a member of Bronson Baptist Church.

Survivors include her four children, Judy Wilson and husband, Rex, of Bronson, Ronda Murrow, of Uniontown, Vlad Johnson and wife, Donna, of Wamego, and Wes Johnson and wife, Billie Sue, also of Bronson. Also surviving are 12 grandchildren, Stacy Davis (Matt), Jana Wilson (Brian), Marci Fox (Mickey), Lisa Hemby, Nikki Burks (Joe), Debbie Sharkawi (Tarek), Chad Murrow (Misty), Julie Shroyer (Zachary), Casey Johnson (Song), Trevor Johnson, Clint Johnson (Angela), and Brandi Spainhoward (Mitch); 30 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren with one more on the way.

Her husband, Buford, preceded her in death on Feb. 12, 2010. She was also preceded in death by two sisters, Doris Fink and Maxine Burt.

Rob Mauk will conduct funeral services at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Bronson Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Bronson Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to Bronson Baptist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

al contact.

If a person’s symptoms are mild to moderate, then self-quarantine is likely the best remedy, since at this point there’s no known medication to help treat the virus. About 80% of those infected exhibit mild symptoms.

As of yet, there’s no known protocol as to how local providers and the hospital will conduct the initial testing, if deemed necessary. In some communities, health professionals are stationed in parking lots or makeshift quarters where they can swab the cheeks and throats of those they suspect may be infected, to eliminate the risk of spreading the virus inside doctors’ offices and clinics.

From there, the swab is sent to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in Topeka to determine if it is covid-19.

The scarcity of the tests prevents such detection being done locally.

EMPLOYERS are also encouraged to not require a healthcare provider’s note for em-

ployees who report sick with the symptoms.

This is a time for employers to adopt more lenient absentee policies and to prepare for higher than normal employee absences, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Employers should encourage workers who are not feeling well to stay at home in order to keep their workforces healthy.

Work sites should provide ample supplies including hand sanitizers and tissues and be diligent about keeping the workplace disinfected by routinely cleaning frequently touched surfaces such as door knobs and counters, etc.

Employers should also discuss with employees the need to minimize contact between each other by maintaining the recommended six feet distance as well as the option to work from home, if possible.

Health professionals have learned that isolating the virus helps prevent its spread and recommend that in places where the virus has been discovered that people avoid gathering in public places and stay home as much

Hospital: New visitor guidelines in place Continued from A1

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room entrance. The hospital is also suspending its auxiliary service, since most volunteers are senior citizens who are most at risk from complications of COVID-19. Those volunteers staff the information desk, gift shop and other capacities.

ACRH asks visitors to stop at the entrance and answer three questions: * Have you had a fever and signs of respiratory illness like a cough and

Tuesday

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Temperature High yesterday Low last night High Saturday Low Saturday night High Friday Low Friday night

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iolaregister.com

The Iola Register

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Wednesday

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High a year ago 73 Low a year ago 33 Precipitation 72 hours ending 8 a.m. .72 This month to date 2.34 Total year to date 6.71 Deficiency since Jan. 1 2.50

Sunrise 7:32 a.m.

Sunset 7:30 p.m.

shortness of breath? * Have you had close contact in the past 14 days with someone confirmed by a laboratory test to have COVID-19? * Have you had a fever or signs of respiratory illness (cough or shortness of breath) and a history of travel in affected geographic areas within 14 days of symptom onset?

If you are there as a visitor and answer yes to any question, do not enter the hospital. If the visit is urgent, contact the emergency department for help.

If you are there as a patient and answer yes, proceed to the registration office, ask for a mask and inform staff of symptoms.

If you answer no, you can enter the hospital and follow all standard policies and restrictions.

OTHER AREA hospitals are taking more strict precautions. Neosho County Memorial Hospital is limiting visi-

tors to one per patient and is taking the temperatures of all who enter the hospital, in addition to asking the routine questions. Also, NMRH has restricted entry to the hospital to that of the emergency room.

THE IOLA hospital also is evaluating community meetings and events scheduled at the facility, after the CDC recommended Sunday to cancel or postpone gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.

Hospital administrators continue to meet and discuss the situation, ACRH communications director Traci Plumlee said. Staff, including nurses, feel confident they can handle an influx of patients but are more concerned about outside issues like if schools and businesses are closed, she said. “This is exactly what we’ve trained for. We know we have to be at work to care for those patients,� she said.

Get The "Luck Of The Irish"

as possible.

So far, the nearest case has occurred in Franklin County.

IN ADDITION to Iola’s closure of City Hall (see related story on A1), others are taking steps to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

All inmate visitation and inmate programs at Allen County Jail are being put on hold.

The Allen County Sheriff ’s Department announced Saturday the programs and visitation sessions are canceled due to precautions for the COVID-19 coronavirus. For more information, contact the Sheriff ’s Department at 365-1400 during normal business hours.

Meanwhile, Iola’s Sterling Six Cinemas has reduced its seating capacity to ensure no more than 50% of any auditorium is filled.

B&B Theatre’s, which owns the moviehouse, said staffers have added “aggressive and heightened cleaning protocols and routines.�

TRAVEL GUIDELINES

On Sunday the KDHE requested those that have recently traveled to California, Washington state or New York to selfquarantine for 14 days.

Other destinations include the Eagle, Summit and Pitkin counties

in Colorado in the past week, as well as those who have recently traveled on a cruise ship or have traveled internationally since March 15.

Because transmission of the virus can occur by touching an infected surface, health officials recommend that going to places like a gym or the grocery store at a time when there are fewer people and to bring along disinfectant wipes.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said Sunday that Americans “should be prepared ‌ to hunker down significantly more,â€? as a society in the wake of the virus.

It’s better to err on the side of caution when considering invitations to large gatherings, health officials say, especially for those over the age of 60 or who have underlying health conditions.

You’re not being rude to decline an invitation; you’re being considerate by not exposing yourself — and others — to the virus.

FOR MORE information, visit the KDHE website at kdheks.gov/ coronavirus, call 866534-3463, or email COVID-19@ks.gov.

Around Town Community Calendar

Some events may be canceled or postponed.

TUESDAY — Allen County Commission meeting, 8:30 a.m., Allen County Courthouse. — Iola Kiwanis Club, noon, Allen Community College.

THURSDAY — Rotary Club, noon, Allen Community College. — TOPS No. KS 880 4:30 p.m. weigh in, 5 p.m. meeting, Calvary United Methodist Church.

FRIDAY — Senior Citizens Card Club potluck dinner, 5:30 p.m., senior citizens center.

SATURDAY — Fundraiser for Kenneth Sprague, 4 p.m., Mildred Store.

CANCELED OR POSTPONED — The Iola Area Chamber of Commerce has postponed its annual dinner scheduled for Wednesday. — Albert Cummings will not perform at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center Saturday. Organizers hope to reschedule the performance. — The Peace of Mind Festival, scheduled for March 26, at Humboldt High School, has been postponed until further notice.

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Opinion A3 The Iola Register

Monday, March 16, 2020

~ Journalism that makes a difference

Work together to contain COVID-19 With the coronavirus causing school to be cancelled, my son brought his schoolwork home. He shared with us a Greek mythology worksheet about Pandora’s Box. If you aren’t familiar, the Greek god Zeus gave a wedding present to beautiful Pandora but instructed her not to open it.

Like many of us, impatience and curiosity got the best of her and she opened it anyway which caused a lot of new problems.

Similarly, with COVID-19, this new virus is already out of the box. This is a global pandemic and we are being asked to be patient and conform to social distancing to help slow down the spread. This is our current challenge. Every day we hear about sporting events, concerts, schools, and travel plans being cancelled. This is the best-known method to slow the spread of Covid-19.

The less we are mixing and mingling, the less the virus is spreading.

When we slow the spread, we give our healthcare systems the best chance at having the resources on hand to

Andrew Ellsworth The Prairie Doc

There is no herd immunity.

That is why events are cancelled. That is why social distancing is urged. Since most people will only have mild symptoms and some people may not have symptoms at all, the virus can be spread easily without us realizing it.

We all need to be patient and follow the instructions from health officials. By doing so, we can hopefully prevent a large spike of a lot of sick people at once and avoid a worst-case scenario.

My son’s main impression from his school lesson was that despite the sickness and problems that were released, Pandora closed the lid and held hope inside the box. I have hope that together we will contain this virus and, in the end, this, too, shall pass.

Andrew Ellsworth, MD is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices family medicine in Brookings, South Dakota.

keep up with the number of people who need help at any given time. In areas of the world where cases of COVID-19 were allowed to spike, the healthcare systems are overwhelmed. Some hospitals don’t have enough beds, enough ventilators, enough medicine to treat everyone that needs help. They don’t have enough masks and gowns to protect their staff.

In these situations, doctors are having to decide who gets treatment, and who doesn’t.

Thankfully, of those who become infected, possibly 80 percent will have only mild symptoms. Some may not have symptoms at all. However, we need to understand that some will become very sick and some will die. Unlike influenza, COVID-19 is a new virus. Therefore, none of us have immunity from the past or from immunizations.

A look back in t me.

65 Years Ago March 1955

The mercury dipped to six degrees above zero for the second time within a week here last night to set another late March low temperature reading. **** Iola’s “T-Men,” a volunteer group of local traffic monitors, held a meeting last night with Assistant Chief of Police Everett Shepherd to take a look at the results of their first month’s work.

They plan to increase their numbers and continue the

traffic monitoring program sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce.

When a T-Man sees a traffic violation, the offender’s license plate number is given to the Iola Police Department. Assistant Chief Shepherd sends courteous letters to the violators telling them what they had done and urging their cooperation in better driving practices in the future. Reaction to the letters was good in every case, Shepherd reported. ***** The Allen County Cen-

tennial Pageant, which will play before audiences of thousands in Riverside Park June 3-7, will be called “Prairie Cavalcade.” This is the official title of the pageant, selected this week from more than 125 entries in the name-the-pageant contest conducted by the Centennial Committee. Mrs. Rex Smoot, Gas City, suggested the title and will be presented with her prize, a $25 savings bond, at a special ceremony during one of the Cavalcade performances.

Ranked-choice voting could make primaries less like free-for-alls The whiplash that Demo- million votes even though 16 cratic primary voters experi- million Republicans voted enced this campaign season against him. is unhelpful for both the party In the Feb. 29 South Caroliand democracy. The perceived na Democratic primary, Biden leader swung wildly from pri- won with a plurality, but no mary to primary, with each one got a majority. Minnesota outcome displeasing the ma- Sen. Amy Klobuchar was the jority of voters who didn’t last-place finisher among the support the winner. The field top tier. Had ranked-choice does eventually voting been in winnow down, place, Klobuas seen in the exchar would Ranked-choice lets have been elimits of every major contender, voters choose not only inated in the leaving only for- their first choice but first round of mer Vice Presicounting, with dent Joe Biden also their second, third her votes asand Sen. Bernie and beyond. signed in the Sanders in the second round of race. But an outcounting to the come in which candidate listed the eventual as each voter’s nominee is someone the ma- second choice. Assuming that jority of Democrats didn’t nec- many of Klobuchar’s voters essarily want remains real. would have ranked Biden secIt’s an almost-inevitable ond (they’re in the same “modside effect of any election with erate” lane), it could well have multiple candidates — but put him over the 50% mark one that could be smoothed that would demonstrate true out with one change: ranked- majority affirmation. choice voting, which would let Such a system helps the winvoters choose not only their ner legitimately claim support first choice but also their sec- of the majority of voters, even ond, third and beyond. The if he or she wasn’t necessarily votes are counted in rounds, the first choice of all of them. with the lowest vote-getter It gives individual voters more eliminated in each round and of a stake in the race, knowing the votes of that candidate as- that even if their preferred signed to his or her support- candidate is knocked out, they ers’ second choices. That pro- still have a voice in what hapcess continues until someone pens next. And it can mitigate has a majority. the rise of an extremist canSome states are using it in didate whose victory only octheir presidential primaries curs because multiple moderthis year. It’s worth consider- ates split the centrist vote. ation by Missouri and other Today’s primaries too often states, with an eye toward resemble a widespread brawl making it the national stan- in which many fighters claw dard. The system could better their way over each other to represent the will of the vot- get to the top, leaving most ers. The traditional primary voters unhappy with the outsystem, after all, is what al- come. Ranked-choice voting lowed Donald Trump to win seems like a better way. the GOP nomination with 13 — St. Louis Post-Dispatch

For good or ill, political leaders have little control over economy How much control does the president have over the U.S. economy?

Not nearly as much as President Donald Trump claims when the news is good.

And not nearly as much as Trump’s critics claim when the news is bad.

Some factors that affect our economy can be influenced by the president and Congress.

But others are hard to anticipate, hard to control or both.

Politicians and TV personalities, however, insist on turning every part of American life into partisan fodder, including economic performance.

We see it also on the state level, where governors and lawmakers have even less economic clout.

During the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback, critics blamed the Republican governor for Kansas’ lagging economy.

Now, Kansas has a Demo-

Julie Doll A Kansas Contributor cratic governor, and the state’s economy has improved, but not much. Still, without irony, many Republicans who defended Brownback’s lousy numbers criticize Gov. Laura Kelly for less-lousy numbers.

Governors’ powers are limited. Yes, governors should be expected to shape fair tax policies, manage the state’s finances, and sponsor responsible programs that facilitate growth. But they can’t set commodity prices, control export markets, or decide a long list of other factors that shape Kansas’ fortunes.

It’s actually weird that so many Republican capitalists claim Americans should be

grateful to them for creating conditions in which, according to their rhetoric, government should play no role.

Just consider Trump’s claims that he has led the nation to glorious economic times, reversing the economic decline of the Obama years.

That’s inaccurate. Almost all the metrics for 2017, 2018 and 2019 show continuation of trends that began during the Obama administration.

A report from Politifact looked at several economic trends and found measurements for such things as economic growth and job creation typically continued patterns established about 2012.

The Politifact piece quoted Gary Burtless, an economist with the Brookings Institution: “I do not think economic gains have been any faster or better under Trump than gains we would have forecast based on the steady improve-

ments we saw in the economy and job market in President Obama’s second term.”

Certainly, anyone can cherry-pick statistics to find something about which to brag.

The stock market used to be a Trump favorite. He tweeted more than 120 times claiming stock market rises were evidence of his extraordinary economic leadership.

But when the markets fell, Trump’s powers turned to petulance.

Over the past several weeks, he frequently has blamed the media and others for the markets’ dive. At one point, the president even blamed Democratic presidential candidates for losses on Wall Street.

All of that finger-pointing highlights Trump’s lack of control. After all, if he deserved credit for the good times, he must own responsibility for the bad.

In reality, his economic ca-

pabilities are limited. But it is fair to say that Trump’s leadership style, which depends on bluster and deceit, has been ineffective and even counterproductive in handling a health care crisis.

As COVID-19 is creating economic turmoil as well as a worldwide health emergency, a couple of points should be clear.

The first is that political leaders have only limited power to protect the size of our portfolios or the nation’s economy.

The second is that we need leaders who are more interested in protecting the public’s health than in using partisan gibberish to protect their own interests.

A native of Garden City, Julie Doll is a former journalist who has worked at newspapers in California, Indiana and New York, as well as across Kansas.

How to contact your elected officials

President Donald Trump, (Republican) 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington D.C., 20500; phone (switchboard): (202) 456-1414; (comments): (202) 4561111

Gov. Laura Kelly, (Democrat) Capitol, 300 S.W. 10th Ave., Suite 212S, Topeka, KS 66612-1590; phone: (785) 2963232; www.governor. ks.gov/comments/comment.htm

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, (Republican) 109 Hart Senate Office Building Washington D.C., 20510; phone: (202) 224-4774; Email: www.roberts. senate.gov/public/index. cfm?p=EmailPat

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, (Republican) Russell Senate Office Building, Room 354, Washington D.C., 20510; phone: (202) 224-6521; Email: moran.senate. gov/public/index.cfm/email-jerry

Rep. Steve Watkins, (Republican) 130 Cannon House Office Building, Washington D.C., 20515; phone: (202) 225-6601; Email:watkins.house. gov/contact/email

Sen. Caryn Tyson, (Republican) State Capitol-236 E Topeka, KS 66612 phone: (785) 2966838; e-mail: caryn. tyson@senate.ks.gov

Rep. Kent Thompson, (Republican) House District No. 9, phone: (620) 496-7200 State Capitol, Room 050-S 300 SW Tenth Ave. Topeka, KS 66612, email: kent.thompson@ house.ks.gov

Rep. Kenneth Collins, (Republican) House District No. 2, phone: (785) 296-7698;State Capitol, Room 043-S, 300 SW Tenth Ave.Topeka, KS 66612, email: ken.collins@house.ks.gov

A4

Monday, March 16, 2020

Virus: Iola, LaHarpe shutter city halls Continued from A1

main open, but parents are asked to wipe down the playground equipment afterward.

Iola Mayor Jon Wells said the steps are being taken at the advice of the League of Kansas Municipalities, which has been working with several communities across the state.

He described the measures as “proactive,” to limit public exposure.

City services — trash pickup, water treatment, police and fire protection, etc. — will continue as normal.

Wells said contingency plans are being put in place in case city employees fall ill, or are

iolaregister.com

The Iola Register

exposed to somebody who tests positive for COVID-19.

The city is encouraging residents to practice “voluntary social distancing,’’ Wells said.

There are no known cases of the coronavirus in Allen County. The number statewide grew to eight, including Saturday’s announcement of a positive COVID-19 test in Franklin County.

Health officials continue to stress the importance of protecting yourself against possible exposure, including avoiding large public gatherings, washing your hands frequently and avoid touching your face.

Those who are ill are

discouraged from going to work or school. Stay home unless seeking medical care.

Wells encouraged groups planning public events in the coming days and weeks to consider the ongoing pandemic, and perhaps reschedule them until later in the spring.

THE CITY is huddling today with Allen County officials about postponing the court sessions.

On Friday, Kansas House Judiciary Committee members voted to give the Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert the power to delay court proceedings if she be-

lieves it’s in the best interest of health and safety.

Other city updates will be listed on its website and Facebook page.

LAHARPE Mayor Mae Crowell, after visiting with City Attorney Fred Apt, announced this morning LaHarpe City Hall will remain closed to the public until April 1.

The closure includes shutting off access to the building’s fitness center, gymnasium and meeting rooms.

Residents may still pay their utility bills via the building’s exterior drop slot, or online at cityoflaharpe.org.

State: Closures Continued from A1

taught in the classroom.

But public health officials can order schools closed, as Shawnee County’s health officer did, shuttering all Topekaarea schools through March 27.

“We are really trying to take a Kansas approach to this, but a risk-based strategic plan to address the issues as they come up,” Kelly said. “Right now, we don’t think it’s necessary to shutter schools for the rest of the semester, but we want to be able to plan for that.”

The governor herself is practicing so-

cial distancing and washing her hands frequently, and she’s also given up shaking hands, spokeswoman Lauren Fitzgerald said, adding that Kelly’s schedule is being evaluated “to determine the best precautionary measures.”

Kelly said a task force should have recommendations later this week for moving public school classes online, as state universities already have done. She said the task force also will deal with issues such as daycare services for parents and providing meals to children who normally get them at school.

Pinch: COVID-19 concerns hurting local business already Continued from A1

ration for potential quarantine. But instead of discounted televisions and electronics, customers loaded up on toilet paper, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies.

“It was so quick how fast the panic set in.

There was no time to prepare,” G&W manager Daniel Giles said.

MIKE LARIOS, owner of the B & B Cafe, said they can get creative to weather the economic impact caused by the coronavirus. It may not be enough.

The building was formerly a liquor store with a drive-up window.

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ONE TRIP

B & B has never used it, but if restrictive quarantine measures are instituted in the county, perhaps they could offer a limited menu available only at the window.

That would keep the business running through the crisis and keep some employees on the clock, without the risk of social gatherings.

It may not be an option, though.

Already, their supply chain is disrupted. The store typically receives two shipments a week of bulk food items, paper goods and cleaning supplies.

“It’s already affected

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us. We’re trying to keep a level of quality with our food products plus the safety of our employees and customers,” he said.

“But the bulk canned goods, the pancake mix, the biscuit mix, the cleaning supplies, all the things we buy... It’s gone.

We’re trying to get restocked and reordered.

But it’s just gone.”

If that continues, they’ll run out of food products. They won’t be able to keep up with sanitation practices, which would force them to close even if they have enough food on hand to continue.

“When we run out of things, we go to Walmart,” Larios said.

“But they don’t have it either.”

Larios watched his business change throughout the past week. Everything was normal the previous weekend through Tuesday, but tapered off as reports of illnesses increased in the U.S. and places like Italy, Spain

and France announced sweeping shutdowns.

As Larios drove to work at about 7 a.m.

Sunday, he paid attention to the number of cars on the streets and at other local businesses. It looked like a ghost town, and he predicted it would be a slow morning at B & B. He was right.

“Last Sunday, we had pretty good business.

And in a matter of days, it just went away,” he said.

He and wife, Kim, have discussed ways they might adapt to get through the crisis. They haven’t yet discussed the situation with employees.

“The staff have to be part of the decisions we make. We’re going to say, ‘What do you want to do?’” he said.

Larios said he and his wife want to do everything they can to keep the business running as close to normal as possible, but they’re being cautious.

“Don’t underestimate

this. Once the fear sets in, if it goes to another level, you’re going to see some serious stuff. I hope we don’t get there.”

G&W GROCERY ran out of toilet paper Saturday morning, joining the ranks of other local stores stripped of essential sanitation items.

Shelves were bare at Walmart and Dollar General stores, too, with some stores posting a sign on the door: “No toilet paper.”

G&W will get a supply truck today, but Giles said he doesn’t know what to expect until it arrives. He’s heard from other stores that warehouses are allocating one case per store for things like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, wipes and cleaning products.

“We’ll definitely know more about how much we have to restock when we get our truck,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see what we get.”

On Thursday and Friday, the store saw a rush of buying non-

food items like paper and cleaning products.

On Friday and Saturday, customers were purchasing an increased amount of dry food goods and canned foods, as well as meat.

Walmart has announced shorter hours, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., at all its U.S. stores to give staff time to rest and restock shelves.

So far, G & W hasn’t changed its hours, but management will monitor the situation, Giles said.

Giles has organized meetings with staff members, even though it’s difficult to plan ahead with a rapidly evolving situation. He recommends employees stay home if they experience any flu-like symptoms, but said so far there doesn’t seem to be any increase in illness among the staff.

“Right now, we’re just playing it day by day and listening to newscasts about what’s in the best interest of the public,” he said.

Author: Grandfather inspires writings Continued from A1

to talk really seriously with your parents and grandparents to learn who they were,” he said.

His father passed down one story, though, of his grandfather’s final words regarding his grandchildren: “Tell the boys not to forget me.”

But with so little to remember, Graves decided

to honor his grandfather in another way, by inventing stories about him.

He took his grandfather’s name, Pete Graves, and converted the last name to “gravestone,” eventually giving him “Pete Stone.”

Pete Graves was no detective, so his grandson took the rest of his

inspiration from a lifelong love of hard-boiled detective novels and film noir movies.

“I decided to write a mystery story and I had two goals: Tell the best lies I could and don’t bore the reader.”

THE KEY element in Graves’ books is his exhaustive research into

Wichita in the 1930s.

Graves poured over microfilm, reading newspaper stories from the time to give him specific insight into life during that era. He paid special attention to baseball stories, recounting details of the actual games into his novels.

He and his wife explored downtown Wichita and became frequent visitors at the Sedgwick County Historical Society Museum, where he found inspiration for such things as what type of car Pete Stone drove and which coffee shop he would frequent. Inspiration for characters was taken from those places and stories he’s heard along the way.

“A lot of what I was doing was just serendipity,” he said.

He shared some of the “Easter eggs” hidden in his novels, such as a green bike that appears in each novel is a tribute to “Green Bike,” a group novel he co-wrote with two other authors. A meadowlark appears as a tribute to both the Kansas state bird and Meadowlark Books, which publishes his novels.

Graves wrapped up his visit to Iola by reading from his newest novel, “All Hallow’s Shadows,” and signing copies of his books.

Sports Daily The Iola Register

Three Rivers All-League teams announced

B

Monday, March 16, 2020

NFL: 2020 CBA

By ERICK MITCHELL The Iola Register

Area schools Marmaton Valley, Yates Center, and Crest each had players recognized on the All-Three Rivers League teams for the winter basketball season.

For MVHS, senior Bailey Griffith was the only Wildcat recipient of first-team honors. Griffith was stellar for the Wildcats the first three quarters of the season before being sidelined with a knee injury.

Wildcat Junior Aly Ard earned a spot on the Three Rivers’ All-League second team, and Kaylee Becker received honorable mention recognition.

Crest’s only girl to earn All-League honors was senior Rylee Beckmon. On the boys side, senior Zack Beckmon was awarded to the first-team, while juniors Tyson Hermreck and Kobey Miller received honorable mention honors.

For Yates Center, senior Madelyn Collins was the only girl to finish with All-League honors, earning a spot on the Three Rivers’ first team.

On the boys side, senior Reece Solander earned second team All-League honors, and sophomore Sean Hurst honorable mention.

LYON COUNTY

The Lyon County League has also announced its AllLeague teams for the 2019-20 basketall season. Southern Coffey County senior Reed Szambecki, received honorale mention recognition, the only Lady Titan to be named. No boy Titans were named to the All-League team.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during a news conference ahead of Super Bowl LIV at the Hilton Downtown in Miami on Wednesday, Jan. 29. ANTHONY BEHAR/SIPA USA/TNS

NFL players agree to new labor deal

By BARRY WINLER The Associated Press

By a close vote, with some 500 union members not participating, NFL players approved a new labor agreement with the league. It features a 17-game regular season, higher salaries, increased roster sizes and larger pensions for current and former players.

The deal, which runs through the 2030 season, was accepted by the 32 team owners last month. The NFL Players Association's membership spent the last week voting on the 439-page document after its executive board narrowly rejected it by

a 6-5 vote, and the player representatives voted 17-14 in favor, with one abstention.

Clearly, there was some strong player opposition to this collective bargaining agreement, though. Many stars, including Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, J.J. Watt and Todd Gurley, spoke out against it. The total vote, among the nearly 2,500 union members who participated, was 1,019-959. Ratification required a simple majority — results were announced Sunday — and there could be lasting resentment among union members, given how close the vote was.

“Can’t believe we agreed to that lol,” Colts tight end Eric

UFC events not stopping for COVID-19 BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — The UFC staged a full fight card in an empty arena Saturday night in Brazil’s capital city, sticking to its plan to keep fighting in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Charles Oliveira stopped lightweight Kevin Lee with a guillotine choke in the third round of the main event in the UFC’s first show since many other sports organizations around the world postponed and canceled competitions.

The world’s biggest mixed martial arts promotion held 12 bouts in Brasilia with only the fighters, their camps, the television production crew and a few dozen essential personnel inside Nilson Nelson Gymnasium.

“It was a bit weird not having any fans inside the arena,” said Bea Malecki, a Swedish bantamweight who won a decision over Veronica Macedo in the show’s opening bout. “But I was able to hear everything my coaches were saying, and it was good.

Sometimes it is so loud out there. It was a crazy week. We didn’t know if the fight was going to happen or not, but we stuck to the plan. It was really emotional.”

The UFC has not canceled any events in the wake of the pandemic, going against the plans of nearly all major sports leagues and organiza-

tions. UFC President Dana White has claimed the sports world is “panicking” with its cancellations, and he remains determined to stage four more shows over the next five weekends.

But White announced Saturday night that all four shows must take place at new, currently undetermined venues — including UFC 249, the promotion’s next payper-view event headlined by lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov fighting top contender Tony Ferguson.

“We’re not stopping,”

White said on ESPN, his promotion’s broadcast partner.

“We will keep finding a way to put on the fights. I’m in the fight business. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and this stuff happens to me every weekend — obviously not at this level.”

The UFC had scheduled a show with fans inside London’s O2 Arena on March 21.

The U.S. government’s new travel restrictions regarding the United Kingdom have forced the UFC to move the See UFC | Page B4

Welterweight fighter Conor McGregor is interviewed by UFC’s Joe Rogan during a ceremonial weigh-in for UFC 246 at Park Theater at Park MGM on Jan. 17. STEVE MARCUS/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

Ebron tweeted. “We can only play this game for so long and y’all didn’t want everything we could get out of it? ... 2030 y’all do better.”

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey expressed displeasure about the turnout for voting.

“Around 500 players didn’t even vote on the new CBA ...,” he tweeted. “It’s good and bad to this deal. I could see why anyone would vote either way. I just think it’s amazing guys don’t even care.”

Almost immediately, players were urging unity, particularly in the face of the criticism from within their ranks about approving the deal.

“The democratic process

has played itself out,” tweeted Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, one of the most influential voices in the union.

“We must be committed to unifying our current and former members. While I don’t agree with the decision because of its negative impacts on some current and former players, I do respect our process and will push forward accordingly.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, not surprisingly, praised the players' acceptance of the new CBA. “We are pleased that the players have voted to ratify the proposed new CBA, See SPORTS | Page B4

Hoots baseball ditch Chanute for another home in Missouri CHANUTE — The Chanute Hoots, who were expected to compete in the MINK wood bat collegiate summer league, are no more.

The Hoots were scheduled to play at Katy Park. Instead, they have announced they will be competing in Clinton, Mo. The decision comes in part after a lack of funding by the ownership group of the Hoots.

Chanute’s director of parks and recreation, Todd Newman, said there was a lack of communication as to why the deal fell through.

“The only thing they did mention was it was a lack of funding on their end,” Newman told the Chanute Tribune. “How they funded the Hoots was more or less through sponsorships. And at that time, they just didn’t have the funding to keep moving forward.”

Newman said The Hoots and the Chanute American Legion would be sharing the same field.

Josh Merrill, who would have been the Hoots’ head coach, said, “The Hoots were selling sponsorships, and we were selling sponsorships. So, the Legion,

they obviously got the sponsorships from the past, so it turned into an almost ‘us versus them’ kind of thing when it should have been a collaboration,” Another reason was perhaps a scheduling conflict between the Hoots and the American Legion. Out of the 70 dates available to use the grounds, the Hoots would have taken up 24 days, leaving the 46 remaining days to the American Legion squad.

The final nail in the coffin to the Hoots coming to Chanute was the lack of housing available to the players over the summer. With players coming from far and wide, not enough players were able to find suitable accommodations for the summer.

MINK commissioner Ron Rodriguez adressed the matter of refunding fans who had puchased season tickets, saying one of the team’s owners, Titus Bond of Funnin Hard Entertainment, has yet to comment on the refunding opportunities.

“He’s working to get all that taken care of, but I know his idea was to give it back, that was the conversation I had with him a couple weeks ago,” Rodriguez said.

B2

Monday, March 16, 2020

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Friends can’t believe we fixed our marriage Dear Carolyn: For a few weeks last year, my husband and I were pretty sure we were going to get a divorce and shared that fact with a select few people (who in turn spread the news to basically our entire family and social circle). Then we found out I was pregnant and changed course — therapy, complete relationship overhaul, the works.

The baby is here now, and on the whole we are happier than I thought it was possible for us to be. I consider it a win, but a number of people close to us do not; they either believe we “gave up,” or think one of us masterminded the pregnancy on purpose to trap the other. I’m exhausted by all the effort that goes into defending our relationship these days.

How do we get everyone out of our business, or convince them we are happy, so they should be happy for us? — Maryland Maryland: I’m exhausted by all these people exhausting you by getting so far into your business.

Trapping? Seriously, people.

“We’re accepting applications for people to be happy for us.” Or, “We’re

Tell Me About It Carolyn Hax

happy. I’m sorry to disappoint everyone.” “We’re happy. Feel free to start that rumor.” Ehhhhh, too defensive, probably. “Our marriage has come a long way. I wish our friends weren’t stuck in our past.”

Or just: “It’s a second chance, and I’m/we’re thrilled” . . . and no further discussion.

Or the full answer, once, to anyone who really matters to you: “The only unhappy part of our marriage right now, truly, is that people won’t stop questioning whether we’re happy. I’d prefer it if you’d trust us, but if that’s not possible, then your dropping it would be enough for me. Will you honor that request? If not, then why not?”

Listen, respond and finish it. Any naysaying beyond this gets your back as you walk away.

Dear Carolyn: I’ve been dating a guy for about a year, and so far it’s

Leg clot causes feeling of heaviness when walking Dear Dr. Roach: I am a 62-year-old female. In January 2018 I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. I received a stem cell transplant in May of that year and am in remission.

Everything was progressing fairly normally until six months post-transplant, when I suddenly developed a blood clot in my right leg.

Now I am 21 months posttransplant, but my blood clot is still there. I was on Eliquis for nine months, Pradaxa for five months and have just been switched to Xarelto. The results of my ultrasound last week showed “unchanged clot occluding the femoral vein down to the veins in the calf.”

I can’t understand why the clot won’t dissolve. At first, I was told clots usually take three to six months to dissolve. When it didn’t, I inquired about a surgical procedure that had been mentioned to remove it, but was told it wouldn’t be safe with my compromised immune

Monday, March 16, 2020

The Iola Register

Dr. Keith Roach To Your Good Health system. Later I was told that since the clot was in the vein and not the artery, they can’t do the surgical procedure. My oncologist/ stem cell transplant doctor talked with a colleague who specializes in clotting disorders, and he said I would need long-term anticoagulants. If I’m on my feet for more than 30 minutes, my foot and ankle area get a numb, heavy feeling. Do you think there is anything else that can be done to dissolve the blood clot? — S.T. Answer: You have a very large clot extending from the calf all the way up into the mid-thigh. Blood clots don’t really dissolve, but they do organize and usually develop channels for

the blood to flow through again. Sometimes, however, the vessels are permanently blocked and the blood finds other ways to flow around the area of blockage. This is called collateral circulation.

Think of it as people driving on surface streets when the highway is blocked: Traffic moves, but it is slow and there is a backup. In your case, the symptoms of that backup are the heavy feeling you get when gravity is making it harder for the blood in the leg to get back to your heart. Swelling would be common as well.

Although procedures to reopen clotted veins do exist — these can be done within the vein, such as stenting, or through open surgery — they are generally used for people with severe symptoms, such as nonhealing ulcers. This would also include people who have not responded to conservative treatment, including prescription support stockings and elevating the leg above the heart three times daily.

B3

gone really well. I love him and he loves me. Falling in love with him was totally unexpected for me, I guess because we’re so different? Essentially none of the same interests, vastly different life experiences, families, education levels.

But it’s been great so far — we laugh all the time, he is by far the kindest person I’ve ever dated, and time spent with him is so easy and natural.

Maybe this sounds silly, but sometimes I worry all those differences will eventually catch up with us. What if eventually we run out of things to talk about, or the googly eyes of early love wear off and I’m with a guy who I don’t feel I can relate to? I’m sure we could find some common hobby or interest, but I think we’re also pretty content doing our own things right now. Is this a normal thing to worry about? Do I just have to wait and see? — Significant Other With Vastly Different Interests Significant Other With Vastly Different Interests: Waiting and seeing sounds lovely.

What you’re doing now, by the way, is relating to him (with an endorphin assist). Interests in common are one way to get that, but hardly the only one.

ZITS

BEETLE BAILEY

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

by Mort Walker

by Chris Browne

CRYPTOQUOTES V NW DW G E P B

FUNKY WINKERBEAN

by Tom Batiuk

K O P HY O H W K G A W V NW G D G E N T B D E B BV N G P H O P M SY G W V G P H .

— R B N P F G K K G P HV B P E Z P HW

BLONDIE

by Young and Drake

BABY BLUES

by Kirkman & Scott

HI AND LOIS

by Chance Browne

Saturday’s Cryptoquote: However crazy you may think it is, there is a place for what you want to do and who you want to be.

— David Bowie

B4

Monday, March 16, 2020

The Iola Register

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UFC: Does not cancel events

CDC: No more sports for awhile

Continued from B1

By TIM REYNOLDS The Associated Press

show, White said.

The London show is likely to be held in the U.S., but Europe-based fighters are unlikely to be able to compete on the card. White’s matchmakers are putting together a new undercard for the show, which is slated to be headlined

by American welterweight Tyron Woodley against Britain’s Leon Edwards.

The UFC also intended to hold fan-free shows in Las Vegas on March 28 and April 11, but White said the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s decision to suspend any combat sports competition in the state until March 25 have made it impossible to stick with that plan.

He intends to find new homes for those shows, which were initially scheduled for Columbus, Ohio, and for Portland, Oregon.

The UFC broadcast from Brasilia included constant promotion of the UFC 249 would be headlined by lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson in a matchup that has been booked four previous times, but canceled each time due to injuries or other circumstances.

“Unless there’s a total shutdown of the country where people can’t leave their houses and things like that, these fights will happen,” White said. “We will find venues and we will figure this out. The only thing that’s going to stop us is a complete government shutdown

where people are confined to their homes.”

The show in Brasilia was likely a boon for ESPN, as it filled a yawning void of live sports during what’s usually one of the busiest weeks of the international sporting calendar. The fights were initially scheduled to be aired in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription service, but instead filled nearly six hours on ESPN. Oliveira (29-8) ended the show by finishing Lee (18-6), a former lightweight title contender who missed weight for the bout.

Oliveira has won seven straight fights by stoppage, and the Brazilian veteran’s celebratory screams echoed through the empty arena after his UFC-record 14th submission victory.

“We spent the whole week not knowing if this was going to happen,” Oliveira said. “I came to make history again, this time without anyone cheering. Of course I wanted everyone to be there, but I’m sure that an audience that didn’t know me yet had the opportunity to meet me today.”

In the show’s penultimate bout, Gilbert Burns knocked out Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Demian Maia, who hadn’t lost by stoppage in 25 fights since August 2009 at UFC 102.

The 42-year-old Maia (28-10), a UFC stalwart since 2007, had won his last three bouts in a latecareer surge before was stopped by Burns (18-3), a fellow Brazilian who has won five straight fights.

The absence of fans led to a unique atmosphere. The UFC still played its fighters’ walkin music as they walked to the cage, and ring announcer Joe Martinez declaimed the fighters’ names with no fans in attendance to hear it.

After conducting an in-cage interview, UFC broadcaster Michael Bisping instinctively exhorted the absent crowd to “Make some noise!”

The absence of crowd energy perhaps played a role in the card’s first nine fights all going to decisions. Brazil’s Jussier Formiga lost a narrow unanimous decision to Mexican lightweight Brandon Moreno in the type of close bout that might have been influenced by thousands of fans cheering for the home fighter.

Another touted Brazilian also lost: light heavyweight Johnny Walker dropped a one-sided decision to Ukraine’s Nikita Krylov for his second straight defeat since a nine-fight winning streak that had moved him into contention for a title shot at Jon Jones.

Lightweight contender Renato Moicano got the card’s first stoppage victory nearly 4 1/2 hours into the show, finishing Damir Hadzovic in 44 seconds with a rear naked choke.

“I’m very frustrated because today I fought in my hometown, and I don’t see nobody,” Moicano said. “I didn’t see familiar faces. I didn’t see my family over here.

I don’t know what to say.”

The already-delayed professional sports seasons in North America could be on hiatus for significantly longer than first planned after federal officials said Sunday that they recommend all in-person events involving 50 people or more be called off for the next eight weeks.

That’s twice as long as the 30-day shutdowns that the NBA, NHL and Major League Soccer decided to put into place last week in response to the global coronavirus pandemic that has already made a deep impact on the U.S. financial markets and has been blamed for at least 64 deaths in this country.

Major League Baseball also was going with what essentially was a 30-day shutdown after canceling the rest of spring training and pushing back the start of regular season play for two weeks; opening day was to have been March 26.

But new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday night seem to suggest that sports in this country could for all intents and purposes be gone until May, if not later.

“CDC, in accordance with its guidance for large events and mass gatherings, recommends that for the next 8 weeks, organizers ... cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States,” it said. “Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried

out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene, and social distancing.”

The eight-week window easily exceeds what would have been the remainder of the NBA and NHL regular seasons, plus would cover about the first 25% of the MLB season — or roughly 40 games per team. It would also cast serious doubt on the ability to hold other major U.S. sporting events as planned, such as the Kentucky Derby in early May. The NBA was already bracing to play games without fans in arenas, something that would have started late last week had a player — Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz — not tested positive for the virus, COVID-19.

Utah teammate Donovan Mitchell and Detroit’s Christian Wood have tested positive since, but Gobert’s diagnosis was enough for the league to say that it was suspending play.

“I’ve been feeling a little better every single day,” Gobert said in a video posted Sunday. He added, “I wish I would have took this thing more seriously.”

Later Sunday, a person with knowledge of the matter said the NBA has sent teams a memo saying players can leave their home markets during the shutdown if they so choose — yet another clear sign that the game’s hiatus is not ending anytime soon. But if those players do leave for another market, they must do so after coordinating plans with their teams and medical advisers.

The memo also told teams formal practices will remain off indefinitely, individual workouts at team facilities may continue and detailed other safeguards teams should be taking at this point, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the memo had not been released publicly.

The NBA has already been asking teams to share availability for their arenas through the end of July, a sign that the league is prepared to extend the season at least that long if necessary — and those moves came a couple of days before the CDC made its latest recommendation. The NBA regular season was to have ended April 15 and the NBA Finals were to have started June 4, with the season done on or before June 21.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

NFL: Players agree to new collective bargaining agreement Continued from B1

which will provide substantial benefits to all current and retired players, increase jobs, ensure continued progress on player safety, and give our fans more and better football,” Goodell said in a statement. “We appreciate the tireless efforts of the members of the Management Council Executive Committee

and the NFLPA leadership, both of whom devoted nearly a year to detailed, good faith negotiations to reach this comprehensive, transformative agreement.”

After discussions with the union during the day, the NFL sent a memo to all teams Sunday night that the league will open the 2020 NFL business season on Wednesday, as sched-

uled, with free agency and trades. A delay had been considered a possibility given league restrictions on travel as a safeguard against the new coronavirus.

There was no immediate word on timing and potential format changes for the draft, scheduled for Las Vegas from April 23-25, something that was also expected to be discussed by the NFL and NFLPA. A 17-game schedule won't happen before the 2021 season. The mechanics for an uneven number of games — neutral sites or which teams get nine home games — will be worked out in the interim.

Extending the season was a nonissue with the players in 2011, when

the current 10-year deal was finalized after a 4 1/2 month lockout. It has upset many of them as it will become a reality in another season or so.

Jaguars receiver Chris Conley posted his objections to a variety of items.

“Players voted for a 17-game season,” he said on Instagram. “No extra bye week. A disproportionate pay increase that will be less than promised because of the growth of the leagues revenue. No resolved player restrictions or tags. Added mandatory fines for hold outs that take an accrued season from veteran players. On top of that this CBA cut benefits for some play-

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ers in shaky medical condition. The worst part is that 500 people didn't vote. We look like a weak union to the owners and for this reason they will continue to try to low ball and take advantage of players rights.”

Earlier, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith explained the ins and outs of negotiating the new deal in a lengthy “open letter” tweet after the voting had concluded Saturday night.

“The current proposal contains increases across almost every category of wages, hours, working conditions and benefits for former and current players,” he said. "Like any contested negotiation ... the proposal also reflects trades with the counterparty which have to be carefully weighed and assessed across the entirety of the deal.

Please be confident that I hear — loudly and clearly — those of you who have passionately expressed their perspective that these gains are not enough when weighed against, for example, adding another game. That position reflects how some members have chosen to weigh what aspect of the deal is important to them.

“The fact is, however, that there are literally hundreds of issues in any collective bargaining agreement that affect thousands of circumstances and impact thousands of current and former players which we must consider carefully.”

The gains the players make in the new agreement in sharing “a bigger portion of the growing pie,” according to outgoing NFLPA President Eric Winston, swayed the vote.

Among those gains: —An increase from the 47% of league revenues given to the players, with that percentage dependent on the length of the season.

— A reduction of the preseason, initially from four games to three. More time off during training camps.

— Upgraded pensions, with the addition of groups of previous players not included in past agreements.

— Two more roster spots per team's practice squad, with players having more freedom to move up to the regular roster and back. Two more will be added later in the agreement.

— Narrowing the testing period for players for marijuana use, plus lowered discipline for using it; and a reduction in on-field fines.

Adding two playoff teams was not part of the bargaining process, but the owners were able to do so without union approval. That will occur this season, with only the top team in each conference getting a wild-card bye.

With labor peace for the rest of the decade, the NFL now will turn to negotiating new deals with its broadcast partners. Results of that, including digital media, should, as Winston mentioned, substantially grow the financial pie.