Trump Records Call for GOP Candidate in Kansas 4th Congressional District
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — President Donald Trump has stepped into a special congressional race in Kansas by recording a call urging prospective voters to cast their ballots for Republican candidate Ron Estes. The Associated Press obtained a recording of the call Monday as the Estes campaign started using it ahead of Tuesday's election. The recording was provided by a person close to the campaign who didn't want to be identified because the recording was released ahead of an official announcement. The person said it was recorded over the weekend. Trump said in the call: "Republican Ron Estes needs your vote and needs it badly." Estes is in a tougher-than-expected race in the 4th Congressional District of southern Kansas against Democrat James Thompson. They're seeking to replace Mike Pompeo after Trump named Pompeo CIA director.
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Cruz Says Eyes of Nation on Kansas House Race
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz says the Democratic left has a small impassioned group of activists who are out of their minds. The Texas Republican told about 200 supporters of Republican Ron Estes at a rally Monday that the hard-core base is going to show up at the nation's first congressional election on Tuesday in Kansas. He says the enemy right now is complacency. Estes is in a tougher-than-expected race in the 4th Congressional District of southern Kansas against Democrat James Thompson. They're seeking to replace Mike Pompeo after Trump named Pompeo CIA director. Cruz says his coming to Kansas on the eve of the election is indicative that this race matters nationally. He says the eyes of the nation are on Kansas.
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Number of Mumps Cases up to 15 at Kansas State University
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The number of mumps cases at Kansas State University is now up to 15 since February. The Manhattan Mercury reports that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is recommending that people in close contact to others diagnosed with mumps receive a third dose of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. The recommendation is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's outbreak control guidance. The university says that three students were diagnosed in February, forcing the school to consider the situation an "outbreak." The CDC says that some of the symptoms for the illness include fever, exhaustion and swollen salivary glands under the ears. Mumps is an airborne virus that can be spread by sneezing and coughing. Riley County Health Department director Jennifer Green says health agencies continue to identify and contact those who may face increased risk.
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Crash Kills 2 Teens, Injures 7 After Driver Ignored Police
LENEXA, Kan. (AP) - Authorities say a 13-year-old and a 5-year-old died and seven other teens were injured when their vehicle slammed into a tree shortly after the driver refused to stop for police. The crash happened around 5 a.m. Sunday in Lenexa. Police say an officer noticed a vehicle driving without headlights and tried to stop it, but the driver didn't stop. The officer allowed the vehicle to go, but found the crash site a short time later. The driver and front passenger both died. Seven others, who all appear to be teens, were taken to hospitals for treatment of their injuries. Authorities are still working on identifying all of the people who were in the car, so their names were not immediately released.
UPDATE: According to the Kansas City Star, school officials and Lenexa police have identified the boys as 15-year-old Isaiah Stroble and 13-year-old Angelito Espinosa. Isaiah attended Argentine Middle School and Angelito was a student at the Bridges Wyandot Academy. Lenexa police said that Isaiah was the driver of a car that slammed into a tree early Sunday morning, near 80th Street and Mauer Road. Seven other occupants of the car were injured. One girl was reported in critical condition.
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Exterminators Battle Bed Bugs at Lawrence Call Center
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) _ Exterminators are working to eradicate a bed bug infestation at a Lawrence call center that does data management for the federal government. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Douglas County Health Department forwarded several reports to the city after receiving calls from employees at General Dynamics Information Technology. A company spokeswoman, Yvonne Hylton, said in a statement that the company is working to resolve the situation "as quickly as possible.'' General Dynamics already had contacted an exterminator by the time the city learned of the infestation. The exterminators will use a combination of heat, cold and chemicals to kill the insects and their eggs.
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St. John Pilot Uninjured When Plane Flips on Muddy Takeoff
STAFFORD, Kan. (AP) _ Authorities say an 86-year-old Kansas man wasn't hurt when his plane flipped on a muddy field. Milton "Bud'' Pinkston, of St. John, went off a grass runway while preparing to take off yesterday (SUN) afternoon from the Stafford airport. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the plane's landing gear dug into mud and the aircraft overturned.
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Strong Storms Possible in the Midwest This Week
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Strong thunderstorms with high winds, large hail and a slight possibility of tornadoes is forecast for much of the nation's midsection this week. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, says the storms are expected from southern Oklahoma -- north through Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota. Portions of South Dakota, Michigan and Wisconsin may also be affected. Forecasters say the storms could impact 13.3 million people. Eastern Kansas is part of the affected area. In fact, the chance for hail is highest in Kansas and Oklahoma. The primary threat is severe hail with damaging winds, but forecasters say tornadoes can't be ruled out.
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Judge Dismisses Case Against Woman in 1989 Kansas City, Kansas Killing
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - A judge has dismissed a Kansas murder case against a woman who was arrested last year in the killing of a teenager nearly 30 years ago. Wyandotte County prosecutors issued a statement Friday announcing the dismissal of the case against 48-year-old Carolyn Heckert of Smithville, Missouri. They didn't say why it was dismissed. Heckert had been jailed since her arrest last October in connection with the 1989 stabbing death of 18-year-old Sarah DeLeon. DeLeon's body was found along railroad tracks near Interstate 435 in Kansas City, Kansas. New DNA collection and testing technology led police to reopen the case in July 2014. Heckert's attorney, John P. O'Connor, says she is elated that charge was dropped.
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Kansas Woman Jailed in Decapitation of Ex-Boyfriend's Mother
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been arrested in the decapitation killing of her ex-boyfriend's mother whose 9-year-old grandson called 911 after fleeing from the attack.KAKE-TV reports that 63-year-old Micki Davis was killed Sunday afternoon. A 35-year-old Wichita woman has been jailed without bond in Sedgwick County on suspicion of first-degree murder. Lieutenant Todd Ojile says the grandmother was attacked after she took her grandson to a home to collect property that belonged to the victim's son. Ojile says that during the assault, the boy grabbed his grandmother's phone and ran away. Responding officers called for backup after finding the victim's body in the garage. Police say the suspect was found hiding in the home. Police plan to present the case to prosecutors Tuesday or Wednesday.
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Man Cleared of Attempted-Murder Charges Linked to Shooting
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas jury has cleared a man of attempted-murder charges linked to a shooting nearly a year ago. A Shawnee County jury acquitted 29-year-old Joshua Mathews Yasuo Valdivia on Friday, also clearing him of a weapons count. Jurors did find him guilty of interference with a law enforcement officer. Valdivia testified Thursday, denying he had never met Dennis and didn't shoot him eight times. Dennis survived. Jurors had the option of acquitting Valdivia or convicting him of attempted first-degree murder or attempted second-degree murder. A co-defendant, 23-year-old Malik Yates, is serving more than four years in prison on convictions of aggravated burglary and interference with a law enforcer. He pleaded guilty last October, when a charge of attempted first-degree murder was dropped.
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K-State to Remember Soldiers Who Died in WWI
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University is remembering 48 students who died in World War I as the nation marks the recent 100-year anniversary of entering the global conflict. The Manhattan Mercury reports that the event is planned for April 21 at Memorial Stadium, where football games were played from the 1920s through 1967. Among the soldiers to be honored is Lieutenant Eddie Wells, who was killed in 1918. Before leaving for the war, Wells was a varsity basketball and football player at what was then Kansas State Agricultural College. Jed Dunham is a writer and researcher for Kansas State's Office of Military Affairs. He set out to learn more about Wells and the others who died in the war after seeing their names on a plaque in 2014.
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Kansas Expands Access to Drugs That Stop Opioid Overdoses
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - First responders and bystanders in Kansas will soon be able to administer life-saving drugs that stop the effects of opioid drug overdoses. Governor Sam Brownback signed a bill Friday allowing first responders to administer drugs like naloxone, called "opioid antagonists." The drugs stop fatal symptoms of prescription drug and heroin overdoses. The law also allows pharmacists to give people the drug without a prescription. The Legislature passed the measure unanimously. Forty-seven other states have similar laws to help combat a national addiction crisis. Kansas hasn't seen the spike in overdose deaths some other states have, but the health department says prescription drug overdoses rose 28 percent and heroin overdoses rose 71 percent between 2013 and 2015. Brownback says the law is a "good step toward saving lives in Kansas."
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Kansas Gives Parents More Say in Children's Critical Care
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas is taking steps to give parents of critically ill or disabled children more control over medical decisions about whether those children receive care to prolong their lives. Supporters of a bill signed into law Friday by Republican Governor Sam Brownback hope it becomes a model for other states. The new law takes effect July 1. The law will prevent hospitals and physicians from instituting do-not-resuscitate orders or similar directives if one of the child's parents objects. A parent will be able to go to court to prevent a violation of the law. Health care providers also will be required if parents ask to disclose their policies on when treatment is considered futile. The law was prompted by cases in multiple states, including Missouri and North Carolina.
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Police: Kansas Man Whose Body Was Found in River Drowned
OSWEGO, Kan. (AP) — Police in Oswego say a man whose body was found in the Neosho River more than a week after he was last seen had drowned. Oswego Police Chief George Elliott said Monday that the body of 63-year-old Michael Coysh of Oswego was located Saturday about two miles downriver from the dam near where his vehicle was found parked. He'd last been seen March 30 at his apartment in the Labette County town. Elliott said an autopsy determined that Coysh drowned, and that his death is being ruled accidental.
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Missouri's Wentworth Military Academy to Close After 137 Years
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Administrators say a 137-year-old Missouri military academy and college will close after next month because of declining enrollment, rising costs and aging facilities. Wentworth Military Academy and College's board chairman and president announced the closure, effective May 31, in letters Friday to cadets, students, parents and alumni. The letter to alumni says the site 50 miles east of Kansas City will pay its debts and liquidate its assets.
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Victim of Kansas City Park Homicide Identified as Man, 57
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police have identified a homicide victim whose body was discovered in a Kansas City park as a 57-year-old man. KMBC-TV reports that police say the man found dead last week near a pavilion at Minor Park was Timothy Rice, of Excelsior Springs. An investigation into his death is ongoing. Police are urging anyone with information to call a tips hotline.
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Former Wichita Star Sexton Eulogized During Memorial Service
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A former football star for what now is Wichita State University is being remembered for his composure confronting racism directed at him and other black athletes in the 1940s. The Wichita Eagle reports about 100 family and friends gathered Saturday at Koch Arena for a memorial service for Linwood Sexton, who died March 29 at the age of 90. As a halfback, Sexton led the Shockers in total offense in 1946 and 1947, helping them to a 1947 Raisin Bowl berth. He earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors from 1945 through 1947. That's despite sitting out games in places such as Tulsa and West Texas State because of his race. Sexton is a member of the conference, Shockers and Kansas sports halls of fame.
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Woman Admits Role in Immigration-Circumventing Nuptials
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri woman admitted Monday in federal court that she played a role in a plot to arrange fraudulent marriages to help African nationals circumvent immigration laws. Thirty-seven-year-old Kakeland Barnes of Kansas City pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy count contained in an indictment last August. Three Kansas City co-defendants, including 49-year-old Delmar Dixon, also have pleaded guilty. Dixon admitted he arranged 30 to 40 fraudulent marriages, including his own. Authorities say Dixon charged the African nationals $1,000 up front for his services, which included providing them U.S. citizen spouses. The African nationals additionally had to pay $500 to the spouse at the time of the wedding, as wells as $500 immediately after the wedding. The African nationals were coached by Dixon on how to make their marriages appear legitimate.
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City of Lawrence Battling Invasive Zebra Mussels
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Lawrence, Kansas, officials approved the purchase of special equipment after utility workers found a thick coat of zebra mussels in one of the city's water transmission mains. The Lawrence Journal-World reports an inspection found a nearly 2-inch thick layer of mussels stretching about 2,000 feet in the main. Utility officials say if the mussels are allowed to grow unchecked, they could choke off pipes and intake openings. The infested transmission main moves water from Clinton Lake to the Clinton Reservoir Water Treatment Plant. In response, city commissioners this week approved the purchase of about $80,000 worth of copper ion generation equipment to manage the mussels. Philip Ciesielski, assistant director of utilities, says the equipment will put low doses of copper ions into the water, eventually killing the mussels.
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Royals Fall to Astros in 12 Innings
The Kansas City Royals played 12 innings yesterday (SUN) but still came up short, falling to the Houston Astros 5-to-4. It's still early in the season... but the Royals are at the bottom of the AL Central Division.
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Graham Will Return to KU Next Year
Kansas basketball guard Devonte Graham has announced he'll return to KU for his senior year, to play another season for the Jayhawks. He announced Sunday that he will skip the NBA Draft for a fourth and final season with the Jayhawks. Graham made the announcement via Twitter. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds in his recently completed junior campaign, shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from 3-point range in 35.3 minutes per game.
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Lawson Brothers Leaving Memphis for KU
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — High-scoring swingman Dedric Lawson and his brother K.J. Lawson announced Monday they are heading to the University of Kansas, giving coach Bill Self a pair of high-profile transfers beginning with the 2018-19 season. The former Memphis standouts will sit out next season under NCAA transfer rules. Dedric Lawson was one of the nation's top transfers available after averaging 19.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a sophomore this past season. The former McDonald's All-American will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Jayhawks. K.J. Lawson only played in 10 games as a freshman because of an Achilles injury, and averaged 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds last season. He'll have three seasons with the Jayhawks if the NCAA grants him a sixth year because of the injury.
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