Forecasters Warn of Severe Weather Through Holiday Weekend
The forecast calls for more heavy rain in northeast and east-central Kansas through the Memorial Day weekend. State emergency management officials are warning the rains could send more creeks, rivers and reservoirs over their banks. The recent storms that triggered flooding in southeast Kansas were what meteorologists call “training” thunderstorms that drench the same area multiple times. National Weather Service meteorologists expect storm clouds to hover over central and northeast Kansas through the weekend and into next week. The Kansas National Guard says there is also an increased threat of tornados. The National Weather Service says the storms could dump as many as 20 inches of rain on areas that usually average only five inches for the entire month of May.
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Kansas Officials Worry About Increased Flooding
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Kansas officials are worrying about flooding as the number of communities facing problems grows. Forty-six of the state's 105 counties were covered by a disaster declaration first issued by Gov. Laura Kelly earlier this month. Allen County in southeast Kansas and Pawnee and Rush in western Kansas went on the list Friday. In Rush County, Kansas 96 was closed west of Rush Center because of flooding. Portions of at least six other state highways were closed for the same reason. The American Red Cross operated shelters in Erie in southeast Kansas and Salina in central Kansas. State officials said flooding could push small wild animals and even deer or coyotes out of their habitats and into populated areas and advised people to avoid feeding them and to leave them alone.
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NWS Investigating Why Siren Didn't Sound
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The National Weather Service is investigating why a warning wasn't issued for a small northeast Kansas town when a tornado hit the city. The Kansas City Star reports that the EF1 tornado developed early Friday morning on the southwest side of Marysville and went through about 3:45 a.m. The twister was about 50 yards wide and produced winds of 105 mph. No injuries were reported. A home suffered roof damage and a 3,000-gallon gasoline tank was tossed around. National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Baerg said sirens for the town of 3,300 people about 75 miles northwest of Topeka didn't go off because no warning was issued. He said the National Weather Service is reviewing radar and other data to see what happened and ensure that it doesn't happen again.
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Kansas Sheriff Urges Riverside Residents to Leave
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A sheriff is urging people living along a river in far southeast Kansas to voluntarily evacuate their homes because of concerns about flooding. Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves issued the call Thursday as state officials expressed concern about heavy rains causing more flooding through the Memorial Day weekend. Groves issued his warning for people living near the Spring River. It runs on the east side of the towns of Riverton and Baxter Springs. Part of U.S. 166 west of Baxter Springs was closed by flooding Thursday afternoon. State officials said flooding was especially serious in southeast Kansas but that they expected problems further north and west. The concerns prompted Gov. Laura Kelly to issue a public warning for people to avoid floodwaters and to watch weather reports.
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Kansas Agrees to Pay $1.03 Million for Wrongful Conviction
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has agreed to pay $1.03 million to a man who spent nearly 16 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the 1999 rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl. Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced in a news release Thursday Kansas resolved the second lawsuit under the mistaken conviction statute enacted last year. Floyd Scott Bledsoe filed his compensation claim in July 2018. Shawnee County District Judge Richard Anderson approved the settlement and granted a certificate of innocence. Bledsoe also is entitled to state health care benefits for two years. Another lingering claim is for Floyd Bledsoe, who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for nearly 16 years for the 1999 rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl — a crime that his brother admitted doing in a suicide note.
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Bill Targets Vaccine Misinformation Amid Measles Outbreak
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas is partnering with two Midwestern Democrats to fight the spread of misinformation about vaccines in the face of measles outbreaks across the nation. The Kansas City Star reports Roberts introduced legislation Thursday to instruct Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award competitive grants for public information campaigns aimed at combating the anti-vaccine movement. The bill does not specify a dollar figure, but would enable the CDC to steer money toward them. The Kansas senator called a lack of confidence in vaccines as one of the top public health threats in a video released by his office Thursday. Co-sponsors on the legislation are Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan and Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, both Democrats.
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Kansas Governor Laura Kelly Taps Idaho Prison Official as Secretary of Corrections
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has selected an Idaho prison official as her new secretary of corrections. The governor said in a news release that she had picked Jefferey Zmuda, the deputy director of the Idaho Department of Correction. He starts July 1. Kelly says this is a critical time of change and recovery for the Kansas Department of Corrections. She says Zmuda has agreed to take on the challenge of restoring the corrections system and improving morale across all facilities. Zmuda previously served as chief of prisons in Idaho where he oversaw prison operations for the nine state-run facilities. Kelly commended Acting Secretary of Corrections Roger Werholtz, saying he shared problems that had been concealed for eight years at Kansas facilities. His last day will be May 31.
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Feds Defer Prosecution of Kansas Online Gamer in Hoax Case
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The government has agreed to an alternative to prosecution of a Kansas online gamer whose dispute sparked a hoax call that resulted in police shooting a man who lived at his former Wichita home. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren approved on Friday the joint motion for deferred prosecution that had been filed earlier in the day by prosecutors and the attorney for 20-year-old Shane Gaskill of Wichita. Such agreements typically result in charges being dropped if a defendant fulfills all its conditions. Gaskill is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and making false statements. The judge deferred court proceedings and discovery during a period ending on Dec. 31, 2020 and ordered Gaskill to pay $1,000 in restitution, costs and penalties as required under the deal.
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Lawsuit: Kansas Cadet Fired After Alleging Sexual Battery
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) _ A lawsuit alleges a Kansas police cadet was fired after pressing sexual battery charges against her supervisor. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Kansas contends the Kansas City, Kansas, cadet delayed reporting the abuse for fear of retaliation and found that fear justified when Police Chief Terry Zeigler fired her for ``exaggerated cause'' following the criminal prosecution of her attacker. The Kansas City Star reports police officer Steven Rios was sentenced in December to a year's probation for misdemeanor battery of a young cadet whom he supervised. The Kansas City, Kansas, police department says it disputes the allegations and declined to comment on the reason for the cadet's departure because it was a personnel matter. The accused officer took a plea deal and retired from the department.
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Revenue Department Seeks to Rebuild Workforce
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas Department of Revenue is trying to refill dozens of jobs that were eliminated beginning in 2018 after the state awarded two no-bid contracts to outsource information technology work. The department is working to rebuild its workforce after Governor Laura Kelly's administration canceled the contracts worth more than $110 million with CGI Technologies. The Wichita Eagle reports Revenue Secretary Mark Burghart says the agency is wants to refill about 56 jobs. He says the department is encouraging some of the laid-off employees to return because they are experienced in handling tax processing. Kelly's administration said it canceled the contracts because CGI didn't meet a key deadline last year and had other problems. In a statement, CGI said it was proud of the benefits it generated for Kansas.
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Kansas Clinic Returns to Court over Telemedicine Abortions
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A clinic in Kansas stopped providing telemedicine abortions months ago because it concluded that the legal climate remains uncertain despite a judge's order saying the state couldn't stop them. The Trust Women Foundation was back in state court Wednesday for a hearing on its request for another order to prevent the state from enforcing laws on its books barring clinics from providing pregnancy-ending medications to patients without a doctor physically present. The foundation operates a clinic in Wichita and filed a lawsuit in January after it couldn't get written assurances from state and local officials that they wouldn't enforce bans on telemedicine abortions. A judge previously ruled in December that no ban can be enforced. The clinic started offering telemedicine abortions in October but stopped at the end of December.
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Man Killed in Wichita Police Shootout Fired Dozens of Times
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a 56-year-old man who died in a shootout with officers fired 52 rounds into common walls he shared with two neighbors. Police say Fred Burton's neighbors called early Thursday to report what they thought was an explosion at MacArthur's Lake Apartments. Capt. Brent Allred said officers saw dozens of gunshot holes in the one wall and three rounds in another common wall. Allred said the people living in the apartment were extremely lucky they weren't hit by gunfire. KAKE reports police say Burton shot at officers during the standoff. Two SWAT officers eventually returned fire, killing Burton, who police say was in a mental health crisis. One officer is a 15-year veteran and the other is a 13-year-veteran of the department. Police and the KBI are investigating.
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Man Freed in 'Doppelganger' Case Facing Federal Indictment
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man who was released from prison and awarded $1 million for his wrongful conviction has been indicted on weapons and drug charges. Federal prosecutors say Richard Jones is charged in a five-count indictment returned Wednesday by a grand jury. He is charged with possessing cocaine and methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of weapons. The Kansas City Star reports Jones' original conviction became known as the "doppelganger" case after he was wrongfully convicted of a robbery that he said was committed by someone who looks like him. Eyewitnesses said Jones committed the robbery in 1999 in Roeland Park, Kansas. But the witnesses recanted their identification and evidence pointed to a man who looks like Jones. He was released from prison in 2017 after serving 17 years in prison.
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Kansas Museum Sends Restored NASA Consoles Home to Texas
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Mission control consoles used by NASA to guide trips to the moon are being restored by experts in Kansas and will soon be returned to the control room in Houston, Texas, where they were used from the 1960s through the 1990s. SpaceWorks specializes in the restoration and replication of spacecraft and space artifacts, and is affiliated with Cosmosphere, the space museum and STEM education center in Hutchinson, Kansas. Spaceworks crews have restored 19 NASA mission control consoles over the last year and a half, the Hutchinson News reported. NASA picked up 10 of the consoles last year, and the remainder will be sent to the Johnson Space Center in Houston on May 31. NASA is spending $5 million to restore the Houston mission control room. The consoles will be unveiled in June ahead of the 50-year anniversary celebration of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. The consoles were used for the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. They also helped communicate with astronauts to fix an oxygen tank that exploded on Apollo 13. The SpaceWorks team of experts replaced the old tube television screen on the consoles with LED screens. But most of the other parts were kept the same. The LED screens will display data specific to what engineers would have seen on the console during a mission. Jack Graber, Cosmosphere's vice president of exhibits and technology, said they also plan to place ashtrays, books and paper on the consoles to have them appear as they would have at that time.
"We're kind of really sad to see this go," Graber said of the project. "It's been so much fun — especially the scope of this."
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Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Deaths of Five in 2014 Rampage
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Prosecutors say a man will spend the rest of his life in prison for a 2014 rampage that killed five people in Kansas City, Missouri. The WDAF-TV reports Brandon Howell was convicted in April of five counts of first-degree murder for beating two people to death and shooting and killing three others. His sentences are consecutive, and he'll never be eligible for parole. Howell beat 80-year-old George Taylor and his wife, 86-year-old Anna Taylor, while trying to steal their vehicle. They died a week later. Their neighbor, 69-year-old Susan Choucroun, was shot in her driveway. Eighty-eight-year-old Lorene Hurst and her son, 63-year-old Darrel Hurst were killed as they returned from a store. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker says the case struck terror in a whole community.
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WWI Memorial in Kansas City Plans Events for Memorial Day Weekend
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City is offering a range of events for this Memorial Day weekend. The memorial also is offering free admission for veterans and active duty military and half-price general admission for the public Friday through Monday. The events will include installation of 140 U.S. flags to draw attention to the 140 veterans lost to suicide every week. Visitors also will be able to use research stations to find any possible family connection to WWI, or to write letters of support to military or first responders. On Memorial Day, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and Kansas City Mayor Sly James are scheduled to attend a ceremony that will feature music and a keynote address from U.S. World War I Centennial Commissioner Dr. Monique Seefried.
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Flooding at Cheney Lake Thwarts Memorial Day Plans
CHENEY, Kan. (AP) — Hundreds of people are changing their Memorial Day plans due to flooding at Cheney Lake. Cheney Park Ranger Mitchell Schwartz tells KSNW-TV he has canceled more than 300 reservations. He says on a typical Memorial Day they might have 40,000 people at the lake, but this one is going to be a little different. Historic flooding at the park has forced all but two campsites to be closed. Visitors are still able to visit the lake, but park rangers advise the public to not get in the water. Hutchinson resident Danielle Hunt says her family and friends usually spend Memorial Day weekend at Cheney Lake. She's changing her plans this year due to road closures and flooding.
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Flooding in Central Kansas Forces Closure of Hutchinson Zoo
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) _ High water in central Kansas is forcing the Hutchinson Zoo to close for the first time in more than a decade. Zoo Director Ryan VanZant says the closing earlier this week was mostly for safety. KSNW reports some sidewalks, exhibits and playing areas were underwater. VanZant says bison were moved to higher ground and employees are using a boat to get their food to them. He says all the animals still in their habitats are safe. Each habitat has a connected indoor facility that animals use to avoid severe weather. With more storms coming, VanZant says the zoo will remain closed during the weekend.
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KU Forward De Sousa Gets Year of Eligibility Back
University of Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa finally got some good news from the NCAA on Friday. His education and basketball career had been in limbo after the organization ruled in February that De Sousa was ineligible this past season and next season. But after the school appealed what it considered overly harsh sanctions, De Sousa was granted a reprieve from the NCAA's reinstatement committee. He is clear to play next season.
"I'm so excited to be able to come back to Kansas," De Sousa said in a statement. "All those days and nights wondering what would happen — this makes it all worth it."
De Sousa's long road toward playing for the Jayhawks again came after his name surfaced last summer in an FBI probe into corruption in college basketball. The NCAA found that his guardian, Fenny Falmagne, had received a $2,500 payment from a "university booster and agent" and agreed to an additional $20,000 payment from the same individual and an Adidas employee for securing his commitment to Kansas. KU decided to withhold De Sousa from competition just before the start of last season after it learned of new details in the corruption investigation. But when the NCAA's decision to suspend him for two full seasons was handed down, it was decried by those across the college basketball landscape. In an emotional news conference, Kansas athletic director Jeff Long said he was "incensed" by the NCAA's decision. Jayhawks coach Bill Self likewise vowed that he would "fight for Silvio." KU argued in its appeal that De Sousa never knew of any alleged payments, that the school had been proactive in keeping him from competing and that the punishment the 6-foot-9 sophomore received was inconsistent with those handed down by the NCAA in similar cases. In the meantime, De Sousa declared for the NBA draft under the assumption he would not be allowed to play next season. But he also said that he preferred to play another season for the Jayhawks.
"I am thankful that Silvio has the opportunity to continue his academic work and play basketball for Kansas," Long said. "He is an exceptional young man, and I am so happy that he gets to do what he truly wants to do, which is study and play basketball at KU."
So far, he has barely played half a season for them. De Sousa committed in August 2017 and enrolled for the second semester, just in time to help Kansas during its Final Four run. De Sousa played major minutes in the absence of injured big man Udoka Azubuike throughout the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments, including his best game against powerhouse Duke. But the native of Angola is still a relatively raw prospect, even though he was able to practice with the Jayhawks last season, and another year of college should help his draft stock significantly.
"I tried to turn the year off into a blessing," De Sousa said. "I got to work on my game and my academics, and now I'm going to make the most of this opportunity."
Now, De Sousa should be able to team with Azubuike to form one of the more intimidating frontcourts in the country. The 7-foot Azubuike briefly considered declaring for the draft, but he missed much of last year after wrist surgery and would have been unable to compete in pre-draft camps. The school is still waiting to hear whether guards Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes remain in the draft or return to Kansas next season. Both have until Wednesday to make a decision. Kansas also is trying to close out its recruiting class by landing a pair of five-star prospects this summer. Small forward Jalen Wilson is considering the Jayhawks after a coaching change led him to his release from Michigan, and point guard R.J. Hampton recently reclassified to this year's class. Both of them are also expected to make decisions in the coming weeks.
