Furloughed Federal Workers Can Seek Unemployment Benefits
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Department of Labor is recommending that federal employees who are furloughed because of the partial government shutdown should apply for unemployment benefits. The department said in a news release Thursday that unemployment insurance was created to help people who are not working through no fault of their own. Federal employees in Kansas can apply for benefits by calling a contact center at 1-800-292-6333. Applicants will need to provide wage verification, such as pay stubs or W-2 forms. Federal employees who are working full time but not being paid are not eligible for unemployment benefits. The law requires anyone receiving back pay to repay any jobless benefits they received.
click here to connect with the Office of Personnel Management's shutdown furlough guidance
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Davids Says Reopening Federal Government Is Top Priority
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Newly elected Democratic Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids says her top priority is reopening the government. In a speech Friday at a Kansas City, Kansas, Chamber of Commerce forum, Davids called the partial government shutdown "completely unacceptable." She said she would push for back wages for furloughed government workers and low-wage contractors. There are nearly 19,000 federal employees in the Kansas City area, where her district is located. Davids also announced she is opening an office in Wyandotte County. She will also maintain the office in neighboring Johnson County's Overland Park that had housed former 3rd District U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder's staff.
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Kobach Says He's Seriously Considering US Senate Bid in 2020
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is considering running for the U.S. Senate in 2020. He told The Associated Press on Friday: "I am seriously considering it." Four-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts announced earlier this month that he would not seek re-election. Kobach said he does not have a timetable for deciding whether to seek the GOP nomination. Kobach is out of political office after eight years as Kansas secretary of state after losing the governor's race last year. Kobach has been a vocal ally of President Donald Trump and had Trump's endorsement. State Treasurer Jake LaTurner already is running for Roberts' seat. Other Republicans who've expressed an interest include western Kansas congressman Roger Marshall, former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle.
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Key Part of Kansas Governor's Budget Plan Appears Doomed
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A key part of Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's budget plan appears doomed, creating potential trouble for her proposals to boost education funding and expand Medicaid. Opposition hardened swiftly Friday, a day after the Democratic governor proposed cutting the state's annual payments to its pension system for teachers and government workers. The move would free up $145 million during the budget year that begins in July to allow Kelly to increase spending on public schools, expand Medicaid health coverage for the needy, finance other initiatives and maintain healthy cash reserves. The pension system's board of trustees voted unanimously Friday to condemn the proposal. Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature also have criticized it. Budget Director Larry Campbell said that the proposal makes pension payments more manageable without endangering retirees' benefits.
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Kelly Embraces $364 Million Schools Plan, Warns Against Tax Changes
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly's proposed budget embraces a proposal to phase in a $364 million increase in funding for public schools over four years. The Democratic governor also proposed Thursday to spend $14 million during the budget year beginning in July to expand the state's Medicaid health coverage for the needy. As Kelly outlined her budget proposals to legislators, she warned against pursing changes in tax laws. Income tax relief is a top priority for Republican leaders. The education proposal is the State Board of Education's plan for complying with a Kansas Supreme Court order last year. Kelly proposed lowering annual payments to pensions for teachers and government workers. She also would take three years to end an ongoing diversion of highway funds to general government programs.
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GOP Lawmakers Rip Kelly Plan on Kansas Pensions
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers are strongly criticizing a proposal from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly to reduce the state's annual payments to Kansas' public pension system. The plan is a key part of the budget proposals Kelly outlined Thursday for legislators. Kelly wants to increase spending on public schools, expand the state's Medicaid program and boost spending on services and social workers to help troubled families. A 2012 law committed the state to an aggressive schedule of increasing payments to pensions for teachers and government workers to close a long-term funding gap in the pension system by 2034. Kelly is proposing to revise the schedule so that the gap closes in 2049. GOP lawmakers said the state will not only put off closing the gap but increase its overall long-term costs.
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USDA to Open Offices to Help Farmers with Loans and Taxes
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Federal officials say 90 offices will be open in Kansas for three days to process loans and tax information for farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the offices will be open today (FRI) and Tuesday. The offices will be closed Monday on Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The opening is part of a national recall of 2,500 Farm Service Agency employees in response to the federal government partial shutdown. The USDA says the staff will help agriculture producers with existing farm loans and to ensure the agency provides 1099 tax documents to borrowers by the Internal Revenue Service's deadline. Some services won't be available, including paperwork for new loans or for new applications for the Market Facilitation Program.
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Kobach's Defeat Puts Future of Voter Database in Doubt
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The future of a much-criticized database that checks if voters are illegally registered in multiple states is up in the air after its patron, Kris Kobach, lost the Kansas race for governor and is out of elected office. A spokeswoman for Kobach's successor as Kansas secretary of state said Friday the office is reviewing the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program and consulting with other member states about it. "No formal decision has been made either way" about whether to end the program, said Katie Koupal, the spokeswoman for Secretary of State Scott Schwab. Crosscheck, which had been administered by Kobach's office, compares voter registration lists among participating states to look for duplicates. The program is aimed at cleaning voter records and preventing voter fraud, but has drawn criticism for its high error rate and lax security. Crosscheck was started in 2005 and had only four participants when Kobach took office in 2011. By 2017, 30 states were participating in Crosscheck and more than 100 million voter records were added to the database, according to the ACLU lawsuit. Eight states — Florida, Alaska, Kentucky, Washington, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts — have left the program due to security risks and data reliability concerns since Kobach began managing it.
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Report: Kansas Electricity Costs Higher Than Other States
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A report says Kansas customers are paying more for electricity than in neighboring states because of investments in coal and wind power. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Kansas Corporation Commission recently presented its analysis of electricity rates to lawmakers. The commission found that utilities Westar Energy and Kansas City Power & Light spent billions of dollars over the last decade on coal-fired power plants in Kansas. They also spent millions of dollars complying with a now-repealed state rule for 20 percent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. Commission Chief Accountant Justin Grady says Kansas decided to invest in coal when it was cheaper than gas, but the price of natural gas has since dropped. The state Senate Utilities Committee plans to discuss the report next week.
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Wichita Man Sentenced for Human Trafficking Operation
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 33-year-old Wichita man has been sentenced to 47.5 years in prison for human trafficking. Prosecutors say Christopher Reed used social media to sell drugs and promote prostitution. His youngest victim was 17. He was convicted in December of 19 crimes including rape, human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of a child. Evidence during this trial showed Reed used a vacant apartment in a Wichita building he owned to post photos of teenage runaways online and to force them to work in prostitution. District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a news release that Reed was on parole for voluntary manslaughter while he was trafficking teen girls and young women.
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Nurse Sentenced for Medicaid Fraud in 3 Kansas Counties
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A nurse from northeast Kansas has been sentenced to two years in prison for Medicaid fraud and related charges in three counties. Prosecutors say 57-year-old Kathleen Kleuskens, of Ogden, forged prescriptions for opioids and intercepted deliveries from pharmacies to nursing facilities then altered medical records and forged signatures to hide evidence of the stolen prescriptions. Prosecutors say she also altered records to make it appear that nursing home residents were given opioids when they had not. Kleuskens was sentenced for stealing drugs working as a licensed practical nurse at nursing facilities in Clay Center, Junction City and Wamego.
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Wichita Police Seek Person Who Killed Abused Dog
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police are asking the public for help identifying whoever dumped a dog that was shot to death and showed signs of abuse and scars. The brown pit bull's body was found earlier this week south of downtown Wichita. Police spokesman Charley Davidson said the dog had injuries consistent with illegal dog fighting. A witness told police the driver of a yellow station wagon dumped the dog. The Wichita Animal Action League said on its Facebook page that the dog apparently was shot in the head at point-blank range. The group says the dog appeared t have been bred repeatedly and forced to fight and likely was killed after she "outlived her usefulness." The Animal Action League is offering a $3,000 reward, with another $2,500 reward possible from Crime Stoppers.
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Kansas Teen Injured in Confrontation with Officers Charged
SMITH CENTER, Kan. (AP) — A 15-year-old Kansas boy who was injured in a confrontation with law enforcement officers last month has been arrested in Salina. Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents served an arrest warrant Thursday at Saint Francis Community Services in Salina, where the teenager has been held since he was released from a hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. The warrant includes charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. He was taken to the Sedgwick County juvenile detention center. The KBI said in a news release that additional charges are possible. The boy was shot and wounded Dec. 15 after he allegedly attacked a 66-year-old woman in Smith County and fled on horseback. Authorities say he was shot when he fired at Kansas Highway Patrol troopers. No officers were hurt.
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Kansas State Horticulture Center Might Not Close
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University's horticulture center near Wichita might not be closing after all. The university in June said it planned to close the John C. Pair Horticulture Center in Haysville, as part of a $3.5 million budget reduction for the College of Agriculture and Research and Extension. The center's director, Jason Griffin, and a task force were asked to develop a plan to find $230,000 in new revenue sources each year for a center with annual revenue of about $30,000. The Wichita Eagle reports those plans include research on industrial hemp. The center said in a news release that university leaders foresee the center becoming the primary research location for hemp crops in Kansas, which could bring in grants. Operating revenue could be generated from certified plants and seeds.====================
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Kansas City Foster Parents Sue Missouri over Gun Rules
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Kansas City couple is suing the state of Missouri over restrictions on their ownership of loaded firearms. James and Julie Attaway allege in the lawsuit that the Missouri Department of Social Services' firearms policies violate their rights under the Missouri and U.S. constitutions. The Kansas City Star reports Missouri doesn't prohibit foster parents from possessing firearms if they are legally allowed to do so. But foster parents must follow several restrictions, such as keeping firearms locked in areas inaccessible to children and storing firearms and ammunition separately. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Kansas City, says those restrictions prevent the couple from carrying loaded, functioning firearms.
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Authorities Seeking Information on Woman Missing Since 2017
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Lincoln County Sheriff's officers are asking the public for information about a woman who hasn't been seen since November 1, 2017. Authorities say a 39-year-old Glenna Bullard was last seen in Lincoln, Kansas. She was thought to be going to Texas but never contacted relatives in that state. She was traveling in a blue, single-cab pickup around the time of her disappearance. Bullard is a white female, 5-feet-11 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds. She has brown hair and green eyes. Anyone with information about Bullard's disappearance should to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Callers may remain anonymous.
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Kansas Sheriff Sentenced for Selling Gun to Felon
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A former Kansas sheriff has been sentenced to two years of probation for selling a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition to a convicted felon. Court records show former Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple was also ordered Thursday to pay a $4,000 fine. Whipple pleaded guilty in October and agreed to resign and surrender his law enforcement certification as part of the plea deal. Whipple initially faced three wire fraud charges alleging that he faxed reports falsely certifying that deputies had received training. But under the plea agreement those charges were dismissed at his sentencing hearing.
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Kansas City Man Charged in Fatal Shooting of Driver
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A 25-year-old Kansas City man is charged with murder in the shooting death of a 71-year-old woman in what police say might have been a case of mistaken identity. Dakkota Siders was charged with second-degree murder and six other charges in the death of Barbra Harper. Police responding to reports of an injured driver early Wednesday found Harper dead in a car on Interstate 70. KCTV reports surveillance video showed a vehicle driven by Siders speeding behind Harper's car before her car hit a guard rail. Investigators determined Siders was involved in an earlier shooting near a lounge. Court records indicate detectives believe Siders may have mistaken Harper's car for the car of a person involved in the earlier dispute.
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Student Sues Kansas School District over Alleged Racial Discrimination
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - A black student is suing a Johnson County school district, alleging that she was told she couldn't perform with a school dance team during a school event because her skin was "too dark." Camille Sturdivant alleges in a lawsuit against the Blue Valley School District that she suffered racial discrimination and was ostracized from dance team events after she complained about how she was treated because of her race. Sturdivant graduated in May 2018 from Blue Valley Northwest High School, where she was one of two black students on the 14-member Dazzlers dance team. She also contends the dance team's coach was fired last year because of racial comments she made about Sturdivant. The school district said in a statement that it doesn't tolerate discrimination.
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Ex-Teacher, Cop Sentenced to Probation for Sex with Student
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former teacher and police officer has been sentenced to probation for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. The Wichita Eagle reports 45-year-old Johnny Yelverton was sentenced to three years of probation after the relationship with a Maize Career Academy student. He could be sentenced to 32 months in prison if he violates his probation. He also must register as a sex offender. Yelverton pleaded guilty in December to two counts of unlawful sexual relations. Court records indicate Yelverton and the girl had sex on and off the school campus between March and May in 2018. He taught fire science and law and public safety courses to Maize High School and Maize South High School students at the academy. He resigned shortly after he was arrested May 7.
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Rural Bankers in 10 States Worry over Farm Loan Defaults
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of rural bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests banks are growing increasingly concerned about farm loan defaults in 2019. More than 4 of every 10 bankers questioned for the Rural Mainstreet survey for January said they expect farm loan defaults to be the year's biggest challenge. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says their outlook is being negatively influenced by tariffs, trade tensions, weak commodity prices and the partial federal government shutdown. The survey's overall index dropped to 51.5 from December's 54.2. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.
