Forecast Gives Kansas a Little Room on Medicaid, Tax Relief
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials have issued a new fiscal forecast that is a little more optimistic about how much tax revenue the state should expect to collect over the next two years. The slightly better projections released Thursday would give the state more budget room to expand Medicaid or provide modest income tax relief. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly urged the Republican-controlled Legislature to be cautious. She wants to expand Medicaid, while income tax relief is a priority for top Republican lawmakers. The forecasting group increased its projections for tax collections during the current budget year by $45 million to almost $7.3 billion. The group boosted its projection for the 2020 budget year that begins in July by $64 million to nearly $7.5 billion. The forecasters issued their previous forecast in November.
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Strong Storms Rumble Across Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas
DALLAS (AP) — Severe thunderstorms rumbled across North Texas, the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas, producing several tornadoes and unleashing widespread hail. In all, seven tornadoes were reported across the Plains from the northeastern Texas Panhandle to southeastern Kansas. Strong winds hit elsewhere Wednesday evening, toppling utility poles and trees and downing power lines in parts of North Texas. No significant structural damage has been reported. The National Weather Service received numerous reports of hail pelting the storm-struck areas. Egg-size hail was reported about 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth. The storms were expected to move Thursday into the Deep South, days after dozens of tornadoes from East Texas to Georgia left at least eight dead.
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Air Force Evacuates 13 Planes to Washington to Avoid Storm
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Air Force moved 13 aircraft from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita to a base in Washington state in advance of Wednesday's potential for severe weather. Air Force spokesman 2nd Lt. Daniel de La Fe said in a news release Wednesday that the planes were being evacuated to Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington. Del Fe says that base can house displaced McConnell personnel and provide maintenance for the aircraft. McConnell personnel were not evacuated from the Wichita base. The National Weather Service was predicting strong storms with large hail and high winds Wednesday in south central and southeast Kansas.
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Lawsuits over Deadly Shootings in Hesston Settled for $2 Million
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The families of victims of a mass shooting at a central Kansas business in 2016 have won a $2 million legal settlement from a pawn shop that sold the firearms to the shooter's girlfriend. The settlement of three lawsuits in Harvey County District Court was announced Wednesday by Brady, a national center against gun violence. Brady attorneys represented the wife and young son of one of three people shot to death at the Excel Industries factory in Hesston. Fourteen people also were wounded. The victims' families argued that the now-defunct A Pawn Shop should have known that shooter Cedric Ford's girlfriend was a straw buyer. He was a convicted felon barred from possessing the firearms. An attorney for the pawn shop did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment.
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Man Dies of Electrocution in Suburban Kansas City Home
SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a man has died after being electrocuted while working in the garage of a suburban Kansas City home. The Kansas City Star reports that police say the man's death Wednesday morning in Shawnee is under investigation but appears to be an accident. The name of the man wasn't immediately released.
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Kansas Police Officer Seriously Injured in School Bus Crash
TYRO, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a police officer was seriously injured when he rear-ended a stopped school bus in southeast Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash happened Wednesday after the bus driver stopped to drop off students along U.S. 166 about 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) west of Tyro. The officer had to be cut from his patrol vehicle and was flown to a hospital. The patrol says no students were hurt but that the bus driver complained of pain. Seven students from Caney Valley Schools were on the bus at the time. The Coffeyville Police Department says in a Facebook post that the officer was returning from out-of-town training and wasn't responding to an emergency when the crash happened. The officer's police dog also was in the car but wasn't seriously injured. Tyro is near the Oklahoma border about 120 miles southeast of Wichita.
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Psychiatrist Loses License to Practice Medicine in Kansas
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A suburban Kansas City psychiatrist has lost his license to practice medicine in Kansas after state regulators alleged he had sex with a patient. KCUR-FM reports that 42-year-old Brian Patrick Lahey, of Overland Park, waived his right to a hearing and agreed Tuesday to an indefinite license suspension. Lahey's attorney, Nancy Crawford, said Lahey acknowledged the Kansas Board of Healing Arts had sufficient evidence to prove he violated the state's Healing Arts Act. The Kansas board suspended Lahey's license in July on an emergency basis over drug use. At the time, it was investigating whether he had sex with patients and improperly prescribed opioids and other drugs. Other allegations against Lahey include that he exploited a patient relationship for financial gain. Crawford says the board's charges remain allegations, not findings.
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Missouri House Backs Landowners Fighting Wind Energy Line
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri House has passed legislation that could block the developers of one of the nation's largest wind energy projects from using eminent domain to string a high-voltage power line across the Midwest. The vote Thursday by the House targets a $2.3 billion project that would carry electricity 750 miles from Kansas windmills across Missouri and Illinois before hooking into a power grid in Indiana serving eastern states. The project won approval last month from Missouri utility regulators. That decision could allow developers to use condemnation to acquire easement rights from landowners unwilling to sell. The bill blocking that now goes to the Missouri Senate. The Grain Belt Express power line was proposed by Houston-based Clean Line Energy Partners. It's in the process of being acquired by Chicago-based Invenergy.
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SCOKAN: Kansas Governor Not Allowed to File Brief in School Finance Case
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that Governor Laura Kelly cannot file a brief in support of a law that would add about $90 million annually to public school funding. The governor on Monday asked the court for permission to file the brief in support of a bill she signed April 5. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the court said on Wednesday that such motions, called amicus briefs, must be filed 30 days before oral arguments in a case. The arguments on the latest effort to address school finance litigation are scheduled for May 9. Four school districts sued the state over education funding in 2010. Attorneys representing the schools argued that late request to file the brief didn't leave them enough time to respond to her argument.
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Kansas Governor Signs National Guard Confidential Counseling Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Laura Kelly has signed a bill that protects the identities of Kansas National Guard members who undergo counseling. The legislation signed by the governor on Wednesday is designed to encourage service members to seek help if needed. It will exempt counseling-related notes and records from open records requests and court proceedings. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the bill, which passed the House and Senate with nearly unanimous approval, comes after the Guard experienced three suicides in the last 18 months and nine in the past five years. Major General Lee Tafanelli said the legislation adds to a variety of services already available to soldiers. Kelly also signed a bill that makes it easier for Kansas Guard members to receive educational assistance.
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Suspects in Kansas Band Room Destruction are Aged 8, 10 and 11
PRETTY PRAIRIE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say three suspects in the destruction of a Kansas high school's band room are ages 8, 10 and 11. Reno County District Attorney Keith Schroeder said Wednesday any case against the children would be sealed because of their age. The Wichita Eagle reports a child under 10 cannot be charged and could instead be a child in need of care case. The juveniles are suspected of trashing the band room at Pretty Prairie High School during the weekend. Principal Kevin Hedrick said paint was thrown around, many of the instruments were destroyed and fire extinguishers were discharged in the building and a school van. Officials estimate the damage was between $50,000 and $75,000. Authorities initially said four juveniles were involved but the district attorney's office has not been given information on a fourth child.
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Woman Sentenced in Stabbing, Burning Death of Lawrence Man
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 38-year-old woman has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years in the shooting death of a man whose body was set on fire in rural Lawrence. Christina Towell, of Leavenworth, was sentenced Thursday. She pleaded no contest last month to first-degree felony murder for her role in the November 2017 death of 34-year-old Joel Wales of Eudora. Towell's cousin, 39-year-old Tria Evans, of Lawrence, was convicted earlier of first-degree murder and other charges in Wales's death and sentenced to life without parole for 50 years. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Wales was alone housesitting for his mother when the women broke in, shot him six times and set his body and the house on fire. Evans and Wales had a child together.
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Kansas Law Gives Counties New Options for Polling Sites
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new law gives Kansas counties the option of letting voters cast ballots at any polling site within their county. But election officials say spotty internet service and aging voting equipment will mean that many counties can't immediately take advantage of the new flexibility. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill this week that gives local election officials discretion to allow voters to cast ballots at any county polling place, rather than only at an assigned polling site. Some rural counties have remote voting sites and some still rely primarily on paper ballots. Counties with old equipment might not be able to offer different ballots tailored to local races at all locations. It is unclear how many counties will take advantage of the new law.
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Man Sentenced for Stealing More than $380,000 in Copper
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 42-year-old Kansas man has been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay about $384,000 restitution for stealing copper from his employer. District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a news release Tuesday that Matthew Belshe, of Wichita, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft. Belshe was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution to Kruse Corporation, Belshe's former employer, and Traveler's Insurance. Investigators say Belshe bought the copper pipe on company accounts and for four years, sold it to scrap dealers and kept the money.
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Record Kansas Super Cash Jackpot Won in Northeast Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Lottery says someone in northeast Kansas won a record Super Kansas Cash jackpot. The winner matched all five numbers and the Super Cash Ball in the April 17 drawing. The record $6,691,944 jackpot is the first time someone won the Super Kansas Cash since Jan. 10, 2018. Lottery officials did not name the location where the winning ticket was purchased. The winner has a year to claim the prize. Under Kansas law, the identity of the winner does not have to be made public. All Super Kansas Cash jackpots are paid in one-lump sum.
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Bid to Reduce Penalties for Pot Possession Fails in Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — An attempt to abolish jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana has failed in the Missouri House. Missouri law currently makes possession of 35 grams of marijuana or less a Class A Misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. Republican Rep. Shamed Dogan, of Ballwin, proposed an amendment Wednesday to a criminal justice bill that would have reduced that to a Class D Misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine with no jail time. Dogan said marijuana is one of the least harmful drugs, some prosecutors already have stopped pursuing possession cases and that black residents are disproportionately arrested for marijuana possession. Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr ruled that the amendment failed on a voice vote.
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Missouri Lawmakers Upset with UMKC Chancellor
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Some Missouri lawmakers say the University of Missouri-Kansas City's chancellor should resign because of what they called an inadequate response to the disruption of a conservative speaker's appearance on campus last week. The Kansas City Star reports some lawmakers also threatened to cut the school's budget because they believe Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal's statement after the incident showed liberal intolerance to conservative speakers. Last week, student Gerard Dabu used a water gun to shoot a substance toward conservative Michael Knowles, who was giving an anti-transgender speech. Dabu was charged and banned from campus. Agrawal issued a statement the next day supporting free speech but saying Knowles' opinions didn't match the university's commitment to inclusion for all. After that statement was criticized, Agrawal issued another condemning the disruption and supporting freedom of expression for everyone.
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Dog-Friendly Restaurant Remodeled by Chef Ramsay to Close
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A dog-friendly Wichita restaurant that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay remodeled as part of a reality TV show is closing. Owner Greg Buss posted Wednesday on social media that April 28 will be the last day for the Fetch Bar & Grill. The Wichita Eagle reports that for the past several months, Fetch has been open only on the weekends. Buss and his wife, Pamela, originally opened Fetch as a place for people to dine with their dogs. The restaurant was struggling in 2017 when they were contacted by producers of "24 Hours to Hell and Back." The episode featuring the restaurant re-do aired last July. Buss says the closure is "heartbreaking" but that the location "just isn't right." Another Fetch location in the nearby town of Moundridge will remain open.
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Bankers Survey: March Floods in Midwest Hitting Farmers Hard
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of rural bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states shows about one of every five expects an increase in farm loan defaults stemming from last month's devastative Midwest floods. The Rural Mainstreet survey for April, released Thursday, shows the survey's overall index dropping from 52.9 in March to 50 this month. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says "43.8 percent of bank CEOs indicated that the recent floods were having a negative impact on their local economy." Bankers also noted that farm loans for April surged as the borrowing index climbed to 81.3, the highest recorded since the survey began in 2006. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.
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KU Appeals De Sousa's 2-Year Suspension
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has officially appealed the NCAA's two-year suspension of forward Silvio De Sousa that resulted from an FBI probe into corruption in college basketball. The university said Thursday that De Sousa was suspended for most of the 2018-19 basketball season and all of the 2019-20 season "for alleged violations that he was unaware of and from which he did not benefit." The school said it would have no further comment. The Kansas City Star reports the appeal now goes to the NCAA's Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. That committee's ruling is final. The NCAA found that De Sousa's guardian, Fenny Falmagne, received a $2,500 payment from a "university booster and agent" and agreed to an additional $20,000 payment from the same person and an Adidas employee for securing De Sousa's commitment to Kansas. KU has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the case.
