Wayne Byers Show – Morning – Apr 20

CSi Weather…

..WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ MONDAY EVENING…

* WHAT…Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected.

* WHERE…Portions of southwest, south central and southwest North Dakota,  Eddy, Griggs, Barnes, Ransom and Sargent Counties.

* WHEN…Until 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ Monday  evening.

* IMPACTS…Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high
profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.

 

Forecast…

.REST OF TODAY…Mostly sunny. Windy. Highs in the mid 50s. Northwest

winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 35 mph increasing to around 30 mph with gusts to around 45 mph in the afternoon.

.TONIGHT…Clear. Lows in the mid 20s. North winds 5 to 10 mph

with gusts to around 35 mph shifting to the southwest after

midnight.

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. South winds 5 to

15 mph shifting to the southwest 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows around 40. West winds 5 to

10 mph.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. Northwest winds

5 to 15 mph.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of

rain. Lows in the lower 40s.

.THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain in the morning, then

chance of rain and slight chance of thunderstorms in the

afternoon. Highs in the lower 60s. Chance of precipitation

40 percent.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain and slight chance

of thunderstorms in the evening, then slight chance of rain after

midnight. Lows around 40. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.

.FRIDAY…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain. Highs

around 60.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of rain in the

evening. Lows in the upper 30s.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of rain in the

afternoon. Highs in the upper 50s.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Lows in the upper 30s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.

TODAY…Mostly su

Strong northwest winds are forecast Monday, with wind gusts as
high as 45 mph possible across the southern half of North Dakota.
Near critical fire weather conditions are possible Monday
afternoon into early Monday evening.

There is a slight chance of thunderstorms Thursday and Friday.
Severe weather is not expected.

 

This Day In History, April 20, 1883 – Dakota Territory proclaims  Jamestown as a City . . . .  from the 125th Anniversary Calendar of Jamestown History

The Great Seal of Dakota Territory affixed by James H. Teller to document proclaiming Jamestown as a City.

The community had outgrown the village form of government it had operated under. That winter a bill was passed by the territorial assembly incorporating Jamestown as a city. The first city elections were held in April 1883.(*1)

Link to the Fire Danger Map for North Dakota at csinewsnow.com.

Stutsman and Barnes Counties are in the High Category today.  Fire Danger Rating can be found either by going to the Stutsman County websiteatwww.co.stutsman.nd.usand clicking on the green “Fire Danger”icon at the top of the page,or by calling the Stutsman County Communications Center at 701-252-1000

Update…

Jamestown  (CVHD)  Central Valley Health District has confirmed a second positive case of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)  in Stutsman County.

Unit Administrator Robin Iszler says those in close contact with the 18 year old individual are being traced, in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Health.

She says, a third positive was also confirmed in Stutsman County, by the North Dakota Department of Health, although they had indicated a different address than Stutsman County.

 

Bismarck  (CSi)  Governor Doug Burgum held a COVID-19 news briefing, at the state capital in Bismarck, on Saturday, with Grand Forks Mayor Michael R. Brown to discuss the response to the increase in COVID-19 cases related to the LM Wind Power facility.

He began the news briefing with the COVID-19 numbers released on Saturday morning.  He said he expected a doubling of numbers, which occurred the past two days, 90 new positives reported on Saturday. Barnes County reported another positive case, bringing the total to three.

 

Update for Sunday…

As of Sunday, April 19, 2020 – 11:01am

Categories: Coronavirus

 

 

Burgum said the state is well prepared with adequate hospital beds in the event of a surge in positive cases.

He talked about LM Wind Power’s plant in Grand Forks, owned by General Electric, employing 900 workers.

He said on Tuesday eight LM workers tested positive, and the state Response team responded, along with the National Guard assisting in conjunction with the Grand Forks Health Department.

Burgum said since then 110  employees have tested COVID-19 positive, with 22 more lab test results out, as of Saturday afternoon.  One employee has been hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Saturday afternoon.   Close contacts with those individuals will be determined with contact tracing.  A thorough plant cleaning is being conducted and is a critical manufacturing plant, designated by the Department of Homeland Security.

The uptick in cases at the LM Wind Power facility in Grand Forks led to the drive-thru screening of 424 people who were identified has having had close contact with some of the infected workers. About 2,500 people are at risk of the spread.

State Health Officer Mylynn Tufte has ordered all LM employees, positives and others with close contacts into quarantine. It only applies to co-workers, and not family members of a positive employee.

Burgum reminded all residents to observe social distancing.

Mayor Brown said the Rapid Response Team responded quickly and he thanked all responders, and he expects, “a prolonged battle,” to ensue.

He urged all Grand Forks residents to stay home, and otherwise observe social distancing, and use goof hygiene and sanitation.

Altru Health President, Dr. Steven Weiser, on the phone thanked the state for a strong swift response, adding that Altru has in place  previous plans to handle positive cases, and offers testing.  He said Altru has 292 critical care beds available, and 88 ventilators.  He said the main thrust is to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

With homelessness, Burgum said,  a multi-agency task force announced a new temporary shelter program in North Dakota for vulnerable individuals who are homeless and who cannot safely stay at existing homeless and domestic violence shelters because they have tested positive for COVID-19, are showing symptoms and awaiting test results, or need to be in quarantine because of recent travel to the state from hotspot areas.

The new shelter and support program, which has been set up temporarily during this public health emergency, is currently serving 12 people in a couple of communities. If needs grow, officials are prepared to expand to serve homeless individuals who need to self-isolate in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot and Williston.

To access the temporary shelter program, individuals must be referred by a homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, hospital, public health unit or other partner agency. Local human service zone offices (formerly known as county social service offices) will work directly with any homeless individuals or families referred to the program. Individuals cannot refer themselves.

Shelter location information will not be provided due to health-related privacy concerns and safety considerations. Some participants are fleeing domestic violence.

Burgum announced, unemployment pandemic claim payments have been put into claimants accounts by Monday…with 60,000 back weeks.

He reiterated for resident to observe social distancing and good hygiene practices, and not to gather in crowds greater than 10.

He said restart of the state will be based on data, as more active positive  cases are greater than ever in North Dakota.  April 30 is the targeted date to reopen businesses, and will be reviewed for a possible extension at that time.

Jamestown (CSi) A COVID-19 Joint Briefing with Jamestown/Stutsman County representative was held Friday, April 17, 2020, at 2:30-p.m.

Presenters are from: Central Valley Health District, JRMC, Job Service, and Community Action.

Central Valley Health District Administrator, Robin Iszler said, to continue to practice social distancing.   She added that CVHD is available for week clients, and continue to perform fit testing of N-95 face masks.  They also assist in positive case investigations.

She said to continue to support local businesses, with walk ups to take out orders.

JRMC’s CEO Mike Delfs said the hospital’s guidelines are in line with the CDC’s.

He said as of Friday afternoon JRMC has performed 75 COVIC-19 tests, with zero positives.

He said hospital staff may be in full protective garb, if a person comes into the Emergency Department with respiratory system symptoms.  Otherwise those coming in for other tests, may see the staff in other garb.

He said with the CDC guidelines, individuals are screened before entering with questions, about symptoms and have their temperature taken.

He said the hospital continues to take regular appointments, practicing the use of protective equipment.  He urges people to come to the Emergency Department if they are sick and need to be seen, and call ahead.

He pointed out that UJ’s Larson Center, and Newman Center, are available in the event a surge of positives need to be hospitalized, if JRMC beds are all occupied.  At this point he says that does not look likely, but possible.

He said social distancing has helped flatten the curve of positive cases.

Jamestown Job Service reports that between  March 16, and April 11 the Jamestown office received 651 claims, which have since declined.  Applications for regular unemployment and claims related to the COVID-pandemic are being received.

She explained that payments to claimants under COVID-19 should be going out soon.

She talked about the Job Service web site to file claims, Jobsnd.com

Community Action, Region six, Director, Kathy Williams said the food pantry is available, on Monday’s and Wednesday’s by appointment.  Otherwise, the office is closed, with limited staff.

All applications are received by phone or E-mail and checked regularly.

The meeting airs live with replays on CSi TV 10 -The Replay Channel & CSi 67.   To view the briefing online, view it here at CSiNewsNOW.com or go to the CSi LiveStream at Facebook.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  With Governor Burgum announcing that North Dakota is extending business closures thru April 30th and will be planning for a possible Smart Start beginning after the 30th of April, Vallley City Public Schools Superintendent Josh Johnson says VCPS  has decided that the Schools will continue to close schools thru Friday, May 1st.

He said “We are hoping to be able to provide more information and updates for our students, parents/guardians, staff, and community with more information regarding the last three weeks of the school year between Thursday, April 30 – Friday, May 1. We hope that this update will include the following information; school closures, activities, graduation, and summer programs.”

Modified District Calendar

The statement said, “Please see the attached “modified” 2019-2020 district calendar, which includes our distance learning days off during the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures. These days will only be used in the event that school closures continue beyond Friday, May 1st. If, schools re-open after May 1st, we will resort back to following the original 2019-2020 calendar. Please know that between April 16th – May 1st, we will have distance learning days off on Friday, April 24th and Friday, May 1st.

The Sheyenne Valley Area Career and Technology Center will continue to follow the original calendar and students taking classes thru the SVACTC will need to follow this schedule rather than our approved “modified” calendar.

Thank you for your continued flexibility and resourcefulness during this unprecedented pandemic. If you have any questions please communicate with me via email and/or phone.

Josh Johnson

Superintendent

Valley City Public Schools

(701) 845-0483

COVID-19-Modified-Calendar

Jamestown  (JFD)  The Jamestown City Fire Department   was called out at 5:04-p.m., Friday to to a car fire inside an attached garage at 1110 15th Avenue, Southwest.

Lt. Sheldon Mohr says a small engine fire was out when the units arrived.

The car was outside the garage when they arrived.

Four city fire units responded to the call.

Jamestown   (CSi)  Stutsman County Emergency Manager, Jerry Bergquist says as weather conditions improve and outdoor activities increase, Stutsman County residents need to be reminded of the open burning ordinance that limits when burning can be safely carried out.

The ordinance is in effect 365 days a year. However, it restricts burning only when the Fire Danger Rating for Stutsman County is in the “VERY HIGH” or “EXTREME” categories or if a “RED FLAG WARNING” has been issued by the National Weather Service.Because of the dry conditions forecasted for the next several days,Stutsman County will most likely be placed in either the “VERY HIGH” or “EXTREME” fire danger categories. If this occurs, the ordinance dictates that NO burning is permitted within Stutsman County. This includes starting, conducting, allowing, maintaining, or soliciting any open burn activities.Violations of the open burning ordinance will be enforced.

A violation is a Class B misdemeanor, for which a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail, a fine of $1,500.00 or both may be imposed.This ordinance is in effect in all of Stutsman County including its incorporated cities that do not have their own open burning ordinances. The ordinance does not include the City of Jamestown which has its own ordinances relating to burning.The daily Fire Danger Rating can be found either by going to the Stutsman County websiteatwww.co.stutsman.nd.usand clicking on the green “Fire Danger”icon at the top of the page,or by calling the Stutsman County Communications Center at 701-252-1000.

A full version of the burn ordinance can also be found at the website under Departments, choose Zoning, and click on “Burn Ban Ordinance” on the left-hand side of the page.Because of the dry conditions, expect a series of days where burning will be restricted until the countryside greens-up. For more information contact the Stutsman County Emergency Manager’s Office at 701-252-9093

Jamestown  (Chamber)   The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce  is  inviting the community to a celebration of Frontline workers.
Citizens are encouraged to stand on their front step or yard and make as
much noise as they can in appreciation of these great workers in our
community. For those that don’t live right in town, we are inviting them to
hop in their car and drive by our essential businesses and honk their horns.

We hope that this simple act leads to more comradery in our community, and grows into multiple ways to show support such as sending thank you notes to our frontline workers. We also hope that this event can occur every Friday during this difficult time.

We ask that the Jamestown Community remain smart during this event and still practice social distancing.

Jamestown  (JRMC)  — Maurices is donating $250,000 to rural community hospitals in support of healthcare workers on the frontlines of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As part of this generosity, Jamestown Regional Medical Center Foundation will receive a major gift.
Maurices is a women’s apparel brand with more than 900 stores across the U.S. and Canada.

After the JRMC Foundation and Auxiliary canceled events and closed its gift shoppe in March, the team worried if funds would be available to support patients, staff and the work needed for COVID-19.

Lisa Jackson, JRMC Foundation Director, says, “We’ve never experienced anything like this. Businesses are closed and people are out of work. We are aware of the stress this is causing in our region.  To receive this gift and others is very humbling. We are grateful.”

Maurices said it selected JRMC and other rural community hospitals in markets that are representative of the brand’s full chain.

George Goldfarb, Maurices President & CEO. “We are proud to support our local healthcare workers who are on the frontlines treating patients in rural hospitals. These individuals are truly hometown healthcare heroes,” said George Goldfarb, Maurices President & CEO.

Jackson says, JRMC will use the money to purchase much-needed equipment in the hospital’s Emergency Department. That equipment includes a trauma cart and stretcher which can take an x-ray of a patient in the emergency bay.
“These are important because of the current pandemic, and also necessary for ongoing emergency care. ”

To learn more about how to support frontline workers at JRMC, visit www.jrmcnd.com/giving.

About Jamestown Regional Medical Center
Jamestown Regional Medical Center is located at 2422 20th St. SW, Jamestown, N.D. and serves approximately 55,000 people in nine counties. In 2019, it was named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” for the sixth consecutive year. Modern Healthcare named JRMC a “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” each year since 2017. For more information, visit www.jrmcnd.com or call (701) 952-1050.

Jamestown  (JPD)  Jamestown Police is warning the public about a convicted high risk sex offender living in Jamestown.

Monte Lyle Hojian, is a 50 year old white male, living at 414 4^th Street NE, Number 3, Jamestown, ND

He’s Five feet nine inches tall, weighing 190 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair.

He presently has no vehicle.

He has been assigned a high risk assessment by the North Dakota risk level committee of the North Dakota risk level committee of the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office.

Offense: Gross sexual imposition while working in a motel, luring a six year old boy in the hotel sauna, and fondling the boy.

Conviction Date:  June 1997, in Burleigh County District Court.

Disposition:  10 years

Offense: Indecent Exposure in public, resulting in a parole violation.

Conviction Date: March 1995 in Burleigh County, ND District Court.

Disposition: 30 days in jail, 10 days suspended.

Offense: Gross Sexual Imposition, approaching a four year old boy playing in his backyard and offering the boy candy to perform oral sex on the boy, which he preceded to do.

Conviction Date: January 1988, in Burleigh County, ND District Court.

Disposition: 10 years,  six years suspended, for five years, five years supervised probation.

Offense: Corrupt/Solicitation of a minor. He offered candy to a seven year old boy for sexual favors, but the boy ran and told his father.

Conviction Date: January 1988 in Burleigh County, ND District Court .

Disposition: Six months.

Offense: Gross Sexual Imposition.  On successive days Hojian molested a six year old, and seven year old boy in a department store bathroom.

Conviction Date:  October, 1985, in Burleigh County, ND Juvenile Court.

Disposition: 18 months, State Youth Authority.

Hojian is not wanted by police at this time, and has served the sentence imposed the court.

This notification is meant for public safety and not to increase fear in the community, nor should this information be used to threaten, assault, or intimidate the offender.

Any attempts to harass, intimidate or threaten these offenders, their families, landlords, or employers will be turned over for prosecution.

Printed handouts of the demographics of Monte Lyle Hojian are available at the Jamestown Police Department.

More information on registered sex offenders is available at the North Dakota Attorney General’s web site: www.sexoffender.nd.gov

Jamestown (JRMC ) — Even in the darkest times, we are reminded to look for the good. In Jamestown, those do-gooders are often essential workers, exceeding expectations for their teams and community.

At Jamestown Regional Medical Center, employees are facing a reduction in hours as the hospital postponed elective surgeries in March. This created anxieties among employees, especially those with young families.

JRMC President & CEO Mike Delfs. “Healthcare workers are in a challenging position. Today, we tell people they can’t work and must go home. Yet, tomorrow, we may have a surge and tell them, ‘you can’t go home.’ Healthcare workers are among the resources we need most right now, yet they carry some of the heaviest burdens of this pandemic.”

To help their teams, Patient Access Clerks Holly Wald and Annette Schall adjusted their schedules. Wald used her paid time off so colleagues could earn more of their full paychecks. Schall is working fewer hours during the week and taking on weekend shifts so those with children can work regular business hours.
Wald says, “You feel for these people. You can tell it wears on them,” Wald said. “They’re thinking ‘How can I support my family? How can I pay my bills?”

Schall agreed, saying she remembers when she worked three jobs to support her children. Her small town supported her then and she wants to pay it forward now.
She says, “Everybody is like family at JRMC. This is our culture.”

Delfs adds, JRMC’s vision is to be the best rural hospital in the country for patients to receive care, employees to work and providers to practice.
“As we prepare for this challenge, I know we have the very best people for the job. I am confident in our teams’ abilities, skill sets and training. There’s a reason we’re a Top 100 hospital and a Best Place to Work and that reason is difference makers like Holly and Annette.”

In addition to Wald and Schall, other members of the patient access team and patient financial services team have also reduced their worked hours voluntarily to support their teams. Those employees include: Shelly Fercho, Betsy Fitz, April Lange, Krista Ames, Michele Geigle, Michelle Hermanson and Betty Kennedy.

Alison Kennison, patient financial services and access manager says, “These individuals sacrificed their own lives for their coworkers and JRMC. They are truly THE difference in the lives of those we serve.”

Healthcare heroes Frontline workers community-wide are making sacrifices to care for the region.
Andrew Berkey, operations manager for Jamestown Area Ambulance, sent his three-year-old to live with his parents in Minnesota. That is five hours away, or a 10-hour trip just to say “hi.”

The ambulance team sent crews to assist in New York in addition to caring for the people of Jamestown, N.D. Thea’s mother works in a nursing home, so the likelihood of one or both of parents getting infected is high.
He “We knew our workplaces face a high likelihood of shortages, so this allows us to serve our community and keep our daughter safe.
So far, Thea has stayed with grandparents for about a month. They FaceTime twice per day.
“For me, it is awful. look at Minnesota’s case count and see the numbers rise. I just want to make sure I made the right choice. I think I did, however, it is still agonizing and terrible and I want to cave and pick her up. I hate it every day.

Berkey says he loves ambulance work, both working in leadership and working with patients. He’s used to deployments to other states, however, when he agrees to those, he knows when he’ll get to go home. For this pandemic, he doesn’t know when he’ll see his daughter again.
ne adds, “I just keep reminding myself that when Thea is older, this will make sense and I hope she will be proud of me.”

About Jamestown Regional Medical Center
Jamestown Regional Medical Center is located at 2422 20th St. SW, Jamestown, N.D. and serves approximately 55,000 people in nine counties. In 2019, it was named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” for the sixth consecutive year. Modern Healthcare named JRMC a “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” each year since 2017. For more information, visit www.jrmcnd.com or call (701) 952-1050.

Jamestown  (NDFU)  – North Dakota Farmers Union is hopeful the new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will provide critical relief to family farmers and ranchers. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the program, which will provide $19 billion to support agricultural producers. Of that amount, $5.1 billion is earmarked for the beef industry.

“There’s no doubt that funding is badly needed on the ground, especially for cattle producers who have felt the sharp blow of market disruptions,” said NDFU President Mark Watne. “Financial support is helpful and needed, but it doesn’t address the underlying problem in the beef industry. The Department of Justice needs to investigate price fixing by meatpackers and strictly enforce antitrust laws.”

NDFU will be watching closely to make sure the program gives cow/calf producers their fair share and prevents payments from going to meatpackers, Watne said.

Watne said the bulk of the new program’s funding ($16 billion) will be in direct payments to farmers and ranchers, while $3 billion will be used to purchase produce, meat and dairy products to distribute to food banks. The direct payment portion includes $3.9 billion for row crop farmers and $2.1 billion for specialty crop farmers.

“The pandemic has made our oversupply of crops even worse and it’s reflected in lower crop prices,” said Watne. “This assistance will bring a small measure of certainty to farmers as they begin spring planting.”

As NDFU eagerly awaits further details on CFAP’s structure, Watne said the organization will continue to support proposals that address underlying market challenges.

West Fargo  (KFGO)  Doosan Bobcat will resume production after a 2-week shutdown to help implement protective measures to combat COVID-19 in West Fargo and Gwinner.

The preventive shutdown went into effect on April 6th with a target return date of April 20th. Bobcat continued support and services for dealers and customers during the effort.

Additional precautions are in place to ensure protection including travel restrictions, working remotely, social distancing practices, increased cleaning and disinfecting of facilities and limited visitor access. Hand sanitizer, facemasks, and gloves will be provided for workers.

Shifts will began Sunday night for select locations while full production starts Monday.

In sports…

COVID-19 effects on sports..

UNDATED (AP) — Sports fans hoping for a fast return to the games they love might need to temper their expectations. Although sports leagues talk publicly about their desire to return to competition before summer, those are best-case scenarios.

Behind closed doors, they are hatching different potential plans: all 30 baseball teams playing in Arizona; home run contests to decide tie games; the Stanley Cup being hoisted in an empty arena that neither team calls home; end-of-season soccer standings decided by vote; college football games in spring.

Over the past week, The Associated Press interviewed more than 20 policymakers, coaches and players across the globe for their assessments of the situation. They all conceded that sports may not restart for months, if at all this year. Most agree that what’s needed is a drastic ramp-up in testing, a vaccine or some type of improved treatment to make players feel safe to compete.

Dr. Anthony Fauci (FOW’-chee), the infectious disease expert, has suggested that sports could conceivably return with no fans in arenas and constant testing for the players, who would likely need to be quarantined in hotels for weeks or months. Not all players are on board.

In other developments related to the coronavirus pandemic:

— Wayne Gretzky is optimistic the NHL will be able to resume at some point this summer. He tells The Associated Press he’s hopeful hockey and other sports will be able to come back from the coronavirus pandemic and serve as a sign that conditions are improving. Gretzky says he believes leaders in the U.S. and Canada will find a way to bring back hockey and other sports in June, July and August. The league is considering several options on trying to resume this season, including going directly to the playoffs at several neutral sites.

— Soccer has resumed in Turkmenistan with spectators as the Central Asian nation lifted a suspension of its national league. Around 500 people attended Sunday’s game in a 20,000-capacity stadium in the capital. The crowd size was broadly in line with typical domestic league games in Turkmenistan and as usual attendance was free. The game ended 1-1. The eight-team league was suspended on March 24 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Turkmenistan is one of the few countries in the world not to have reported any cases of the coronavirus.

— The stadium of English Premier League club Brighton has been converted into the south coast’s biggest drive-in coronavirus testing center. The appointment-only center has been put in place at the American Express Community Stadium as part of the drive to increase testing for National Health Service staff and other key workers. Officials say the center was scheduled to see more than 50 NHS frontline workers on Saturday, and they will have the results of their tests within 48 hours. Within a few days, the site should reach its capacity of up to 1,000 tests a day.

— Players and coaches for Italian soccer team Roma have waived their salary for four months. The team hasn’t played a competitive match since March 1 because of the pandemic, so the players and coaching staff will forgo salaries due to them for March, April, May and June.

— British horse racing’s most successful flat trainer of all time is recovering after contracting the coronavirus. Mark Johnston has been isolating since having the symptoms confirmed and his family says he is making good progress. In 2018, Johnston celebrated his 4,194th winner, which is the most of any trainer in British flat racing.

— A Japanese professor of infectious disease says he is “very pessimistic” the postponed Tokyo Olympics can open in 15 months. Kentaro Iwata of Kobe University says, “To be honest with you, I don’t think the Olympics is likely to be held next year.” The CEO of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee expressed similar reservations 10 days ago. Since then, the organizing committee and the International Olympic Committee have said there is no “Plan B” other than working for the Olympics to open on July 23, 2021.

— Australia’s top rugby players will demand a greater say in the future of the sport after agreeing to pay cuts designed to allow the game to weather the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Some players reportedly will give up as much as 60 percent of their income in the short term as Australian rugby faces uncertainty with major competitions shut down, perhaps for the rest of the year.

NBA-BOGUT FUTURE

Former NBA top pick Bogut unsure about playing future

UNDATED (AP) — Andrew Bogut (BOH’-gut) is close to making a decision on when to end his career after 15 years in professional basketball.

Bogut was planning to retire after playing for Australia at the Tokyo Games this summer. With those games delayed until July 2021, the 35-year-old is debating whether to wait it out. He says he probably needs to decide by mid-May.

Bogut was a 2005 No. 1 draft pick by Milwaukee and won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2015. He has played for Sydney in the National Basketball League the past two seasons.

NASCAR-VIRTUAL RACING

Byron makes it 2 straight wins

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — William Byron won his second consecutive NASCAR virtual race by holding off Timmy Hill in a drama-free event at virtual Richmond Raceway.

The most excitement came when Matt DiBenedetto was parked for intentionally crashing Ryan Preece and the two then engaged in a Twitter spat. The iRacing Series has had a sour taste since Bubba Wallace lost a sponsor for quitting a game in a rage and Kyle Larson was fired for using a racial slur.

FORMULA1-VIRTUAL RACING

Leclerc wins virtual GP, again

UNDATED (AP) — Charles Leclerc has won his second straight Formula One Virtual Grand Prix, taking the Chinese GP from the pole position.

The Ferrari driver finished ahead of Red Bull’s Alex Albon and Guanyu Zhou (gwahn-yoo zhoo), who races in Formula 2.

The 22-year-old Leclerc has won two actual F1 races and only started playing the video game at the start of the month. The actual Chinese GP originally was scheduled for April 19 but was postponed in February due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In world and national news..

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says his administration and Congress are getting close to a deal on an aid package of up to $450 billion. The money would boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said he is hopeful of a deal that could pass Congress quickly and get the program back up by midweek. The proposed deal would add roughly $300 billion for the government’s Paycheck Protection Program. An additional $50 billion would be appropriated for small-business disaster loans.

(AP)  A Dutch privacy watchdog says it can’t evaluate if seven smartphone coronavirus apps the government tested over the weekend sufficiently protect users’ personal data. The Dutch Data Protection Agency said Monday that terms given to developers were so unclear that it is not possible to work out if apps under consideration will work while safeguarding users’ data. The announcement is a setback for the government, which wants to use a contact-tracking app to safeguard the public when coronavirus restrictions are gradually eased. Prime Minister Mark Rutte is set to announce Tuesday evening whether some lockdown restrictions will be partially eased.

 

BANGKOK (AP) — World shares are mixed as last week’s rally on Wall Street fades and oil prices retreat. Stocks fell in Paris, Tokyo and Sydney but gained in London and Frankfurt. Japan reported its exports fell nearly 12% year-on-year in March as the pandemic hammered demand in the U.S. and China, its two largest markets. The weaker start to this week followed an advance that pushed the S&P 500 up 2.7% on Friday after the White House released guidelines for states to begin reopening their economies. But a fresh crop of grim economic data is expected this week.

SEVERE WEATHER-SOUTH

 

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Severe storms raked a wide swath of the Deep South during the nighttime hours, and forecasters are warning of the possibility of tornadoes just a week after a deadly twister outbreak in the region. The National Weather Service said Sunday that parts of several states are under a flash flood warning because of heavy rain and thunderstorms. The agency says tornadoes are a possible threat for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. The storm threat comes a week after Easter storms pounded the Deep South, killing dozens.

 

(AP)  The burger chain Shake Shack says it will return a small-business loan it got to help weather the coronavirus crisis after topping up its funding. The company’s CEO, Randy Garutti, and its founder Danny Meyer said Monday the chain has laid off or furloughed hundreds of its employees and needed the assistance. In a statement they said they were able to get extra funding late last week through an “equity transaction” and decided to immediately return the $10 million paycheck protection loan obtained through the CARES Act. They said Shake Shack was returning the money “so that those restaurants who need it most can get it now.”

 

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian police say a gunman disguised as a police officer has killed 16 people in a shooting rampage across the province of Nova Scotia. It was the deadliest such attack in Canadian history. The suspect is also dead. Several bodies were found inside and outside one home in the small, rural town of Portapique. Bodies were also found at other locations. Several homes in the area were set on fire as well. Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman Daniel Brien confirmed Sunday that 16 people have been killed in addition to the shooter.