Kansas GOP Leaders: Food Assistance Policy Breaks State Law
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Republican legislators are accusing Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's administration of breaking Kansas law with a new policy on food assistance. But the Department for Children and Families is standing by the policy it set last month to make it easier for non-working adults to keep food assistance. GOP House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins demanded in a letter Tuesday that Kelly rescind the policy. The department will extend assistance month-by-month to some able-bodied adults without children instead of cutting it off because the recipient isn't working or enrolled in job training. Hawkins said the policy violates a 2015 law setting stricter food and cash assistance rules. Republican Senate President Susan Wagle said lawmakers would hold Kelly accountable. The department says the policy helps young adults who age out of foster care.
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Kansas Collected $77 Million More in Taxes in May than Anticipated
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas reports it collected $77 million more in taxes than expected in May. The state Department of Revenue said Monday that Kansas collected $563 million in taxes last month when it anticipated $486 million. The surplus was 15.9%. Tax collections for the budget year that began in July 2018 were nearly $6.7 billion, or $158 million more than anticipated, for a 2.4% surplus. And that's after officials issued a more optimistic fiscal forecast in mid-April. Kansas' tax collections have exceeded expectations 23 of the past 24 months since legislators in 2017 repealed past income tax cuts championed by then-Republican Governor Sam Brownback. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed two tax relief plans from GOP lawmakers since taking office in January, saying the measures would undermine the state's finances.
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Kansas Commission Reduces Insurance Rates for Some State Employees
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Most Kansas state employees will be getting a break on health insurance rates after years of significant increases. The Kansas Employees Health Care Commission voted Monday to reduce state employees' rates 6 percent or keep reductions flat, while the state increases payments by 4.5%. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the vote reverses a five-year trend that saw some state employees' health insurance premiums increase by 115.5%. The commission approved a 6 percent reduction for plans that include spouses, families and retiree. Increases for other plans will stay flat. During the last five years, insurance fund reserves dropped from $195 million in 2014 to a low of $24 million in 2017. Under the changes adopted Monday, the reserve balance is expected to increase from $48 million to $52 million next year.
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Report: Spring Planting Far Behind in Kansas Amid Storms
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The latest government report shows just how far behind Kansas growers are in planting their crops amid all the rain and flooding in the state. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 26% of the soybeans have been planted. Normally by this late in the season about 53% on average would be seeded by now. Just 8% of the state's sorghum crop has been planted, well behind the 26% average. Corn planting is going slower than usual with 79% seeded, compared to the 93% average for this time. Even winter wheat planted last fall is maturing slower. About 16% of the wheat is coloring, well behind the 48% average for this time. Wheat condition is rated as 13% poor to very poor, 30% fair and 57% good to excellent
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Mosquitoes Pester Cleanup Volunteers After Missouri Flooding
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Mosquitoes are challenging volunteers helping in recovery and cleanup efforts after a tornado outbreak slammed southwest Missouri. The Joplin Globe reports that state health officials have warned about mosquitoes after heavy rain in the region. The insects are a nuisance and can carry disease. Volunteer coordinator Gary Stubblefield says volunteers cleaning up after an EF-3 tornado struck parts of Carl Junction on May 22 have asked for repellent contributions since their second day at the site. He says organizers have handed out hundreds of cans, and more is needed. The Department of Health and Environment in neighboring Kansas is encouraging residents to clear standing water that could become a breeding ground for the insects. The Missouri Department of Conservation says given the correct habitat, mosquitoes can reproduce in 10 days.
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Lawsuit Filed by Topeka Man Who Fell Through Bridge Gap
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man is suing the city of Topeka for nearly $2.78 million in damages for injuries he suffered when he fell through a gap in a highway bridge in the same place four people have plunged through since 2001, including a 14-year-old boy who died. The lawsuit filed Monday contends Trong Do Turner suffered severe and disabling injuries on July 9, 2017 when he fell through a gap between the northbound and southbound lanes of the Kansas Avenue Bridge where he mistakenly believed there was a sidewalk. Signs at both ends of the bridge warn that no foot traffic is provided but the lawsuit said Turner entered the bridge from a sidewalk where no warning was posted, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported . City spokeswoman Molly Hadfield said the city doesn't comment on pending litigation. The lawsuit, filed by attorney Eric Kjorlie, names the city; its engineering division and public works department; public works director Jason Peak; city engineer Shawn Bruns; and one or more unnamed city employees. The bridge included a pedestrian walkway between its northbound and southbound lanes when it was built in 1967. Most, but not all, the sidewalk was removed when the city redesigned it in 1996 and 1997 to make the bridge handicap accessible. Two 14-year-old boys fell through the gap in 2001. One of them, Raymond Cox, died, and the other, Jason Beckwith, was seriously injured. Turner's attorney, Eric Kjorlie, also represents Julie Kathleen Grey in lawsuit filed after she fell through the gap in June 2014. The fall left her "crippled for life," according to the $1.3 million lawsuit. The lawsuit was dismissed in Shawnee County District Court in 2018 but the Kansas Court of Appeals in March of that year partially affirmed and partly affirmed that decision and sent the case back to the county court, where it is pending.
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Contracting Business Owner Pleads Guilty in Fraud Scheme
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The owner of a contracting company has pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme that defrauded the government by receiving contracts intended for veterans and minorities. Forty-three-year-old Matthew McPherson, owner of Topeka-based McPherson Contractors, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and major program fraud. Federal prosecutors say the construction firms involved received $346 million for contracts for small businesses owned by veterans and minorities. McPherson, of Olathe, is not a veteran or a minority and his construction company was not entitled to compete for those contracts, in what is known as "Rent-A-Vet" or "Rent-a-Minority" schemes. The co-conspirators are accused of claiming that black, disabled veterans managed construction companies in order to receive the contracts. The federal government has filed a lawsuit against McPherson and his co-conspirators over the fraud scheme.
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Vice President Mike Pence Visits Flood-Damaged Oklahoma
CARO, Mich. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence plans to visit homes damaged by flooding in Oklahoma as residents and volunteers work toward recovery. Pence tweeted Monday that he and his wife, Karen Pence, will travel Tuesday to Tulsa. Pence said he will offer federal assistance to those who have been impacted by flooding that has waterlogged homes along the swollen Arkansas River. Damage has extended from the Tulsa area downstream into Arkansas. The river is slowly cresting, though more rain is forecast this week. Additional rain is not expected to raise water levels higher than where they crested. Major flooding is expected to subside within a few weeks. President Donald Trump declared a major disaster in Oklahoma on Saturday. Officials say six people died from severe weather this spring. Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke toured flood-damaged homes Sunday.
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Slain Sedgwick County Deputy to Receive National Award
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County sheriff's deputy who was killed in the line of duty will receive a national award from the National Sheriffs' Association this summer. Deputy Robert Kunze III will be honored with the Charles "Bud" Meeks Award Deputy Sheriff of the year for Valor. His family will receive the award for him on June 17 in Louisville, Kentucky, at the association's annual conference. Kunze was fatally shot on Sept. 16, 2018, while trying to handcuff a man on suspicion of vehicle theft about 20 miles west of downtown Wichita. Before he died, Kunze shot and killed his attacker, 29-year-old Robert Greeson, likely saving the lives of two witnesses hiding nearby.
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Man Charged with Fatally Shooting Kansas City Teen in Car
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 25-year-old Kansas City man is accused of shooting at two teenagers in a passing car, killing the driver. Jackson County prosecutors say Tracy French is charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. He is accused of killing 17-year-old Deontae Campbell in April. The Kansas City Star report s Campbell was found shot in the head before his car crashed into a storefront in south Kansas City. A passenger told police he and Campbell had just left a nearby mall when French, who was standing in the street, shot at them. French reportedly told investigators the teens robbed him and were chasing him, with one having a gun. Police found no gun belonging to the teenagers. Online records do not name an attorney for French.
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Women Complain About Discriminatory Jail Screening Policy
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri county legislator says a screening policy at the local jail requiring women to remove their underwire bras before entering the facility is sexist and she is demanding that it be changed. The Kansas City Star reports that the corrections department disputes Jackson County legislator Crystal Williams's claims. Corrections director Diana Turner says the rules implemented May 16 aim to prevent weapons and contraband from being smuggled into the Jackson County jail. Williams raised the issue on Twitter Monday after hearing complaints from female attorneys and others about the jail's screening procedures. The checkpoint consists of an X-ray machine and metal detectors. Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forté says misinformation has been spread about the screening process and that no one has been asked to remove their underwire bras.
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Kansas City Police: Man Sets Himself on Fire with Kerosene
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police are working to determine why a man soaked himself with kerosene and lit himself on fire in the back seat of a car. Spokeswoman Captain Kari Thompson says the man is in critical condition after the incident Tuesday on a busy Kansas City street. The Kansas City Star reports the driver and another passenger in the car pulled the man from the back seat. They were not hurt. Thompson said police are still investigating why the man wanted to harm himself.
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Kansas City Man Accused in Police Chase, Hitting Officer with Car
CAMERON, Mo. (AP) — A 33-year-old man is facing charges after he led Missouri officers on a chase that began when he allegedly hit a Cameron police officer with a vehicle while trying to get away. DeKalb County prosecutors on Monday charged Michael Clyde-David Moses, of Kansas City, with felony first-degree assault, felony armed criminal action, and felony resisting arrest. Police say officers called to a burglary in progress in Cameron on Saturday saw a suspect run out of the store and into a vehicle. Investigators say Moses hit two parked cars and Cameron police Sgt. Eric Belshe, who fired at the suspect before Moses fled. Officers from several agencies pursued the suspect across Highway 36 through St. Joseph before the chase ended in Wathena, Kansas.
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Man Dead After Shooting in Downtown Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say they have made an arrest in the case of the fatal shooting in downtown Wichita this weekend. Wichita police said in a news release Monday that they have arrested a 34-year-old Wichita man on suspicion of first-degree murder. The investigation is ongoing and the case will be presented to the Sedgwick County district attorney. KSNW-TV reports that that Police spokesman Charley Davidson says that officers responded to a shooting call shortly after midnight Sunday. When they arrived, officers found a 29-year-old Ivell Ray of Wichita with multiple gunshot wounds. Ray died at the scene. Police say the investigation revealed Ray and the suspect had a disturbance in the street and the suspect fired a handgun multiple times, striking Ray.
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Director Says City Should Consider Privatizing Topeka Zoo
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Topeka Zoo's director says city officials should discuss turning its operations over to a private, nonprofit group. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Director Brendan Riley says having Friends of the Topeka Zoo oversee operations would allow the zoo to grow without risking higher property taxes. Mayor Michelle De La Isla and the City Council plan to hear a presentation Tuesday on privatizing the zoo. De La Isla said during a news conference last week that she's not necessarily opposed to the idea but any action has to been well thought out. The city has operated the zoo in largest park since the 1930s and is responsible for staffing and day-to-day operations. The Friends group formed in 1964. It provides support for the zoo and handles fundraising for major projects.
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Kansas Man Sentenced to 21 Years over Toddler Girl's Death
GREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) — A 26-year-old central Kansas man has been sentenced to 21 years in prison over the death of his girlfriend's toddler daughter. Chaz Stephens of Hoisington pleaded guilty in April to a charge of intentional second-degree murder in the March 2018 death of 2-year-old Iviona Lewis. He initially was charged with first-degree murder and faced a possible life sentence. The Kansas attorney general's office said Barton County District Judge Mike Keeley handed down the 253-month prison sentence Monday. Iviona had been gone for 48 hours when she was reported missing. Her body was found the next day near Hoisington. Police have said the girl's mother had been visiting her brother in Great Bend and confusion over who was supposed to care for her led to the delay in reporting her disappearance.
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Woman Admits Embezzling More Than $550,000 from Nonprofit
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A 51-year-old Kansas City woman has admitted that she embezzled more than $550,000 from a nonprofit that serves St. Luke's Hospital and Health System. Kathleen Frederico pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud. Prosecutors said she spent the money on shopping, travel, internet drug purchases and living expenses. Federal prosecutors say the embezzlement occurred between June 2003 and March 2017 while Frederico was accounting and special projects manager for the Saint Luke's Foundation. She was fired in February 2018. She admitted in her plea that she made unauthorized checks payable to her and created false invoices to conceal the embezzlement. She also created unauthorized checks in which the foundation paid her personal credit card bill and on two occasions a relative.
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Former Teacher/Coach Sentenced for Child Sex Crimes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 54-year-old former teacher and swim coach who worked in the Kansas City area has been sentenced to federal prison for sexually assaulting and exploiting children in crimes that spanned decades. James Green Jr. was sentenced Tuesday to concurrent terms of 30 and 10 years for production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Green faces other sex crime charges involving minors in Jackson County. Federal prosecutors say Green used hidden cameras to videotape sex he had with children at his home, and to tape high school boys undressing in school locker rooms. The filming occurred for about 20 years. Green taught and coached at Oak Park High School, in several middle schools in the North Kansas City School District and at Blue Springs South High School. He also coached at Hallbrook Country Club in Leawood, Kansas.
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Survey Suggests Midwest Slowdown of Economic Growth
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report says a May survey of business supply managers suggests economic growth will slow over the next three to six months in nine Midwest and Plains states. The report issued Monday says the Mid-America Business Conditions Index dropped to 54.3 last month from 55.9 in April. The figure was 58.2 in March. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says tariffs and flooding have harmed several states. The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
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