Kansas GOP Rep. Watkins Faces Calls for Tougher Gun Laws
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Rep. Steve Watkins is getting heat from frustrated eastern Kansas constituents who want him to publicly endorse proposals for tougher gun laws. Several people left a town hall meeting Monday in Topeka unhappy with the freshman congressman's answers on gun issues. Watkins spoke to an audience of about 40 people at the offices of civil engineering firm. Local gun-control advocate Danielle Twemlow pushed Watkins to support stronger background checks for firearm purchases and a law allowing authorities to take guns from people deemed a danger to themselves and others. Watkins didn't endorse either proposal during the meeting and a testy back and forth with some audience members followed. But after the town hall Watkins told reporters he is willing to look at a proposal for a so-called red-flag law.
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Former Kansas Governor Colyer Not Running for U.S. Senate Seat
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer is not running for the U.S. Senate next year. The ex-Republican governor made the announcement Monday. He said he is doing "interesting things" in the private sector and medicine. Colyer is a reconstructive plastic surgeon and a recently named fellow for fall 2019 at the Institute of Politics and Public Service at his alma mater of Georgetown University. He served as governor in 2018 after being elevated from lieutenant governor when then-GOP Gov. Sam Brownback resigned to take an ambassador's post. Colyer narrowly lost last year's Republican gubernatorial primary to then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach lost the general election but is now part of an already crowded field for the U.S. Senate race. Four-term GOP Sen. Pat Roberts is not seeking re-election in 2020.
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$1.45 Million Settlement in Taping of Kansas Inmate Calls
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A proposed settlement has been reached with inmates whose conversations with attorneys were taped at Leavenworth Detention Center in Kansas. KCUR reports the agreement calls for the private operator of the prison and the phone provider to pay $1.45 million into a settlement fund for inmates. After payments to attorneys, the money will be distributed to about 539 current and former Leavenworth inmates. The settlement with CoreCivic, which runs the prison, and Securus Technologies, which provided the phone and video services, needs court approval to become final. On Aug. 15, a federal judge ruled that prosecutors in the U.S. attorney's office in Kansas City, Kansas, improperly listened to the recorded conversations and willfully violated court orders during an independent investigation. The ruling could impact hundreds of federal convictions and sentences.
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Reports: Stolen Hy-Vee Account Information Being Sold on the Internet
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa-based grocery chain says it's aware of reports that hacked customer account information is being sold online. The Des Moines Register was the first to report that credit and debit card information of some Hy-Vee customers is being sold on an internet site for $17 to $35 apiece. Hy-Vee issued a statement saying it is aware of reports of the stolen information being sold and is working with payment card networks to identify the cards and work with issuing banks. Hy-Vee acknowledge earlier this month that it detected unauthorized activity on some of its payment processing systems linked to card payments at Hy-Vee restaurants, fuel pumps and drive-thru coffee shops. The company doesn't believe the breach extended to payments systems used inside its grocery stores, drugstores and convenience stores. Hy-Vee operates more than 240 retail stores across Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
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Anesthesiologists Draw Highest Hourly Wage in Kansas Survey
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An annual labor survey shows that anesthesiologists are the highest-paid workers in the state. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the Kansas Department of Labor says that Kansas anesthesiologists earned an average wage of $140.42 per hour in 2018. The national average is $128.38 per hour. The report released Thursday found that eight of the 10 highest paid occupations were in the health field. Meanwhile, nine of the 10 lowest compensated occupations were in food preparation and serving-related jobs. The report also found that the average hourly wage in Kansas increased by 34 cents to $21.77 per hour.
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Donations Sought as Kansas Homeless Shelter Drops Capacity
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Social service agencies are seeking to help as a homeless shelter in Lawrence prepares to cut the number of people it serves by nearly half. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Lawrence Community Shelter is preparing to reduce its capacity Friday to 65 people from 125 because of a funding shortfall of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center Homeless Outreach Team is coordinating a campaign with the shelter. Bert Nash Homeless Outreach Program Manager Mathew Faulk says the first priority is to get as many people as possible into some kind of housing. But he says the program would also like to gather supplies to make living outdoors more comfortable for those who must ultimately resort to that option.
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KC Police: 2 Men Killed in Shooting at Community Center
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ It was a violent night in Kansas City. Authorities say two men were killed in a shooting in the parking lot of a community center. Police say gunfire erupted around 6:30 pm last (SUN) night after the Brush Creek Community Center closed for the night. One victim died at the scene and another at a hospital. Police identified the men as 28-year-old Cortez Seals and 29-year-old Marcus Neal. It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the shooting.
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Kansas Man Dies While Rock Climbing in Colorado Canyon
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Authorities say a 50-year-old man from Kansas has died after he fell while rock climbing in Colorado. The Boulder County Sheriff's Department says the man fell about 60 feet Saturday in an area called the Bell Buttress, in Boulder Canyon, about 9 miles west of downtown Boulder. His name has not been released. The sheriff's department says the man and a companion had just completed a climbing route and were searching for a way to descend. When the victim walked to the edge of a cliff to look over, a rock gave way and he fell.
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Fans, Family, Friends Gather in Lawrence to Remember Late KU Broadcaster
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) -- About 1000 fans, friends, and family members gathered in Lawrence over the weekend to remember Kansas broadcaster Max Falkenstien. The man known as "The Voice of the Jayhawks" died last month at the age of 95. He spent 60 years calling KU sports on the air. Falkenstien was remembered at Saturday's event at the Lied Center by broadcasting partner Bob Davis, as well as by KU volleyball coach Ray Bechard, KU basketball coach Bill Self and others. Falkenstien retired in 2006. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the KU Athletic Hall of Fame, the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. ( Read more here.)
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Leadership Shakeup at Aetna Better Health of Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) -- Aetna is fighting to keep its Medicaid business with the state of Kansas and will bring in new leaders to help do that. Kansas officials have confirmed that the CEO of Aetna Better Health of Kansas, Keith Wisdom, is out. The company wouldn’t answer questions about Wisdom’s job, but did say in an emailed statement that it has chosen new leaders with "extensive experience in Medicaid." In July, Kansas told Aetna it was at risk of losing its contract… under which about 100,000 Kansans are insured. Hospitals and doctors say when they bill Aetna for services, they struggle to get paid. Kansas officials are demanding Aetna address the problems - and soon.
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Hearing Delayed for Defendant in Topeka Triple Murder
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A plea hearing for man charged in a 2017 triple murder in Topeka has been rescheduled. The Capital-Journal reports that a judge on Friday pushed the hearing for 20-year-old Shane Mays to October 24. Mays - one of five people charged in the case - initially faced two counts of first-degree murder. Court records show prosecutors agreed to reduce his charges to second-degree murder and aggravated battery in exchange for testifying against Kora Liles, who was sentenced in May to three life terms. Joseph Aaron Krahn also received three life terms last November. Joseph Lowry was sentenced in July to 138 years in prison, and Brian Flowers is awaiting a hearing on a request to withdraw his guilty pleas to two counts of murder. Investigators say 19-year-old Matthew Leavitt, 20-year-old Luke Patrick Davis and 38-year-old Nicole Star Fisher were strangled in March 2017; Davis was also stabbed. Mays' attorney has argued that Mays was forced to participate in the killings.
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Kansas Commission Drops $50 Fee to Visit Soon-to-Open Park
WINONA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas commission has decided not to charge a $50 fee to visit a soon-to-open state park that includes a fragile landscape made up of chalky formations of spires and buttes. The Wichita Eagle reports that scheduled tours of the 330-acre Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park in western Kansas will be free. State Parks Director Linda Lanterman said at this month's meeting of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission that the "goal is to make it affordable for all." Backlash from the public and The Nature Conservancy drove the decision to drop the so-called backcountry access pass. The $50 fee originally was proposed as a way to deter visitors from damaging the rock formations, which date back 85 million years to when the area was covered by a giant sea. Vehicle permits will still be required.
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Kansas Community College Putting Netflix Show Behind It
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Independence Community College is beginning a new football season this weekend with plans to try and put something behind itself -- the fame and infamy gained from a Netflix show about the school and its football program. The school now has a new president, a new coach and a new athletic director who says the goal is to clean up the school's image while building a championship culture. The Netflix series -- "Last Chance U" -- focuses on junior-college football, where programs are often the last chance for players who are talented but sometimes have problems such as academic challenges or criminal records. The school's football program was featured during its best season in decades in 2017. But then the program spiraled downward with a 2-8 season in 2018.
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K-State to Reopen First Floor of Fire-Damaged Library
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Students returning to Kansas State University for fall classes will be greeted by a new Hale Library. A fire in May 2018 damaged 85% of the library's interior. The building was undergoing renovations when the blaze began. The first floor will reopen Wednesday after renovations funded by $7 million in donations and $58 million from the university's insurance policy. Library dean Lori Goetsch says the floor now features 14 collaboration rooms for student study spaces. Library officials hope to begin 24-hour operations from Sunday to Friday later this semester. Eventually, the library will house an innovation lab and a second cafe. It also has a new sprinkler system. Renovations on the rest of the library are expected to be complete by the end of 2020.
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Democrats Flock to Jason Kander's Veterans Nonprofit in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Democrat Jason Kander's job running a nonprofit for homeless veterans has made the Kansas City site a campaign stop for Democratic presidential hopefuls. The former Missouri secretary of state was considered a strong candidate for mayor of Kansas City. Then he dropped out of the race to get treatment for the post-traumatic stress disorder he'd struggled with since leaving the Army 11 years earlier. The Kansas City Star reports that Kander began to resume his public profile in July when he announced he would lead a national expansion of Veterans Community Project. Since then, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke and Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton have visited the home village, where the nonprofit provides rent-free temporary housing while helping veterans find permanent housing and jobs.
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Planned Parenthood Asks Judge to Pause Missouri Abortion Law
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Critics of new abortion restrictions in Missouri are headed to court to try to block them from taking effect this week. Attorneys for Planned Parenthood will argue Monday that the law set to take effect Wednesday should be temporarily blocked until the lawsuit is decided. They argue the law is unconstitutional and goes against the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The new law bans abortions at or after eight weeks of pregnancy. There are exceptions for medical emergencies for the mother, but there are no exceptions for rape or incest. Similar laws have been struck down in North Dakota and Iowa. U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs has two days to decide whether to allow the law to be implemented as scheduled on Wednesday.
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KBI Warns Fingerprint Database in Danger of Failing
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas Bureau of Investigation officials are warning that a system used to check prints of criminal suspects is in danger of failing. The system contains more than 2 million finger and palm prints used by law enforcement in criminal investigations and by child welfare workers for background checks on potential foster parents. The Kansas City Star reports that KBI spokesman Joe Mandala told lawmakers that the database needs to be replaced. He warned that if it fails, the state's criminal justice and public safety operations would be crippled. Kansas is the last state using the database and the company that makes it plans to stop providing maintenance by 2025. Replacing it would cost $8 million and take about two years. The KBI hopes to request proposals for replacement this year.
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Black Faculty Numbers Increase at University of Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Four years after student protesters denouncing a racist campus culture and demanding a more diverse faculty disrupted the University of Missouri, school data indicates minority hires have edged up but still lag the national average. Kevin McDonald was hired as the university's first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer in early 2016 to, in part, fire up minority hiring. By 2018, nine more black faculty worked at MU than two years earlier, raising the proportion of black people on staff to 3.4%. That year, less than 6% of full-time U.S. college faculty members were black. The Kansas City Star reports that McDonald recently left MU for the University of Virginia. Missouri administrators say the committed team he established still has much work to do to build a diverse faculty.
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Mississippi National Guard Unit Gets Commander from Kansas
BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi's largest Army National Guard unit has a new commander, but he's from Kansas. Colonel Jason Nelson took charge of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team on Saturday in Biloxi. Nelson takes over command from Col. Ralph D. Ferguson, who led the unit during a nine-month deployment to the Middle East as part of Operation Spartan Shield. The trip to Kuwait was the unit's third deployment to the Middle East since 2001. WLOX-TV reports Nelson deployed with the unity to Kuwait as deputy brigade commander. The Tupelo-based brigade has units in McComb, Senatobia, Starkville, Amory, Monticello and Meridian, as well as Kansas City, Kansas. Integrating the Kansas portion of the unit has taken four years. Ferguson has been named deputy commander of the Kansas-based 35th Infantry Division.
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