Officials Say Kansas Drug Ring Tied to K-State Overdose Death; Dozens Charged
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Federal and local authorities say they've dismantled a major drug-trafficking operation in northeast Kansas linked to the 2017 overdose death of a college student. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister and other officials said Wednesday that federal criminal charges against more than 50 people in the Manhattan area are part of a single, large drug-trafficking case. The charges were contained in 13 grand jury indictments issued last week and unsealed Tuesday. Six defendants face a felony charge of conspiring to distribute illegal drugs resulting in the September 2017 overdose of an 18-year-old Kansas State University student. Officials said the student was trying heroin but it also contained the powerful opioid fentanyl. McAllister said some of the defendants were former Chicago residents and obtained illegal drugs through Chicago.
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USDA: Probe Launched over Beef Pricing After Kansas Fire
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Agriculture Department says it has launched an investigation to determine if there is any beef price manipulation, collusion or other unfair practices after the fire at the Tyson beef processing plant in Holcomb, Kansas. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Wednesday that as part of efforts to monitor the fire's impact, he has directed the department's Packers and Stockyards Division to examine recent beef pricing margins. Perdue says in a statement if unfair practices are found, it will take quick enforcement action. The price of live cattle has fallen since the August 9 fire, while wholesale beef prices have risen. Industry experts say the Holcomb plant processed about 6,000 cattle a day, about 6% of all the cattle processed in the United States. Tyson plans to reopen the plant.
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Ex-Kansas Governor Seeks Primary Challenger for Kansas Congressman Steve Watkins
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Republican Governor Jeff Colyer is calling for a GOP primary challenger for freshman Rep. Steve Watkins in his eastern Kansas district. Colyer on Tuesday urged state Treasurer Jake LaTurner to drop out of next year's U.S. Senate race in Kansas and run for Watkins' congressional seat. Colyer issued a statement saying the district's voters are "solid, conservative folks" who deserve to be represented by someone sharing their values. Colyer spokesman Colton Gibson said the former Republican governor is concerned that Watkins cannot win re-election next year. Watkins is a former Army officer who won the seat in 2018 by less than a percentage point as a political unknown. President Donald Trump carried the district easily in 2016. Watkins' spokesman and LaTurner's campaign did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
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Insurance Chief Promises Fast Fix for Kansas Medicaid
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An insurance company with a $1 billion-a-year contract to help run the Medicaid program in Kansas is apologizing for failing to meet the state's expectations. Aetna Medicaid CEO Randy Hyun told lawmakers Tuesday that the company is taking steps to quickly improve its performance. The Kansas City Star reports that Ryan said experts from across the company are coming to Kansas to help resolve issues. Hospitals and others have complained about problems including delays and mistakes in payments to doctors and hospitals. The program, known as Kancare, provides health coverage to about 400,000 low-income and disabled Kansans, and Aetna serves about 100,000 of them. Kansas Medicaid director Adam Proffit told lawmakers the state would like Aetna to improve and keep the contract but the state won't let the problems drag on for years.
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Federal Death Row Inmate from Kansas Wants Execution Delayed
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal death row inmate from Kansas who raped, killed and dismembered a 16-year-old girl and beat an 80-year-old woman to death wants the chance to present claims that his trial lawyer was ineffective. The Kansas City Star reports that attorneys for Wesley Ira Purkey want his execution stayed. It's currently scheduled for December 13. The defense argues that his trial lawyer failed to investigate his traumatic childhood, which included sexual abuse by alcoholic family members and a Catholic priest. Purkey, of Lansing, killed Jennifer Long in 1998 after picking her up in Kansas City, Missouri, and dumped her remains in a Kansas septic pond. Nine months later, Purkey beat Mary Ruth Bales to death in her Kansas City, Kansas, home. He was sentenced to death for Long's killing.
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KU Faculty Protest Higher Visibility for Chick-fil-A
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Faculty advocating LGBTQ rights are denouncing the University of Kansas's more visible relationship with Chick-fil-A and calling for a boycott of the restaurant chain. The Kansas City Star reports they are upset that a Chick-fil-A outlet moved this year from the basement of one building to a high-traffic area in the student union and that the restaurant is sponsoring the coin toss starting each home football game. The university's Sexuality & Gender Diversity Faculty and Staff Council said in a letter this week to Chancellor Doug Girod and the athletic department that each move "violates the feelings of safety and inclusion" that council members strive to foster. The group is protesting Chick-fil-A owners' support for anti-LGBTQ causes. The company did not respond to requests from The Star for comment.
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Sedgwick Student in Custody for Alleged School Threat
SEDGWICK, Kan. (AP) — A 14-year-old student is in custody for an alleged threat against Sedgwick schools in Harvey County. Sedgwick police and the Harvey County sheriff's office investigated a threat of potential violence on Monday evening. The sheriff's office said in a Facebook post that the teen suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of criminal threat. No details about the alleged threat were released. Authorities said it was an isolated incident and there is no active threat.
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Donations Sought as Lawrence Homeless Shelter Drops Capacity by Half
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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Latest in Lottery Scam Affecting Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Wisconsin
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Lawyers are withdrawing a subpoena that sought the interview notes of an Iowa journalist who wrote a book about a lottery insider who rigged jackpots in several states. Perry Beeman received the subpoena last week from lawyers for Larry Dawson, an Iowa jackpot winner who contends that the rigging reduced his prize by millions of dollars. Beeman co-wrote a recent book, "The $80 billion Gamble," with former Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich. It tells the story of how now-imprisoned lottery security contractor Eddie Tipton altered number-picking programs on computers to win jackpots in Colorado, Wisconsin, Kansas and Oklahoma. The subpoena ordered Beeman to turn over his correspondence with Rich since January 2018, including notes related to four interviews conducted last year. But on Tuesday, hours after The Associated Press published a story about the request, Dawson's legal team decided to withdraw the subpoena after speaking with Beeman. Beeman says he's happy with that decision.
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Midwest States Seek to Fix Missouri River Flood Bottlenecks
JEFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Several Midwestern states are joining together to try to identify bottlenecks along the Missouri River that can cause waters to back up and worsen flooding in certain areas. Dru Buntin, the deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, says the state is joining with Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska to submit a study proposal Tuesday to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The proposal comes after two rounds of devastating flooding this year caused billions of dollars of damage in Midwestern states. A Corps commander cautioned Missouri officials during a meeting Tuesday that relieving pinch points at one spot in the river might result in new problems elsewhere. The states also are hoping for long-term changes in the way the Corps manages dams in the Missouri River basin.
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Man Dies After Being Shot by Police in Salina
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Salina police say an officer was involved in a fatal shooting at a home in west Salina. Police Capt. Gary Hanus told KSAL that the confrontation began Wednesday morning when officers went to the home for a welfare check. He says a person who was armed was shot by police during the incident. Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Melissa Underwood said the suspect died after being taken to a hospital. She said no officers were injured. No further details were immediately available.
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Federal Judge Blocks Missouri's 8-Week Abortion Ban
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A ban on most abortions at or after eight weeks of pregnancy won't take effect as scheduled in Missouri. U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs on Tuesday issued an order temporarily blocking the law as a lawsuit against it plays out in court. The law had been scheduled to take effect today (WED). Attorneys for the state can appeal Sachs' decision. The abortion ban includes exceptions for medical emergencies for the mother, but there are no exceptions for rape or incest. Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri argue the law is unconstitutional and goes against the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Similar laws have been struck down in North Dakota and Iowa.
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Appellate Court to Hear Veteran's Fight to Keep Daughter in U.S.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A federal appellate court will hear the case of a retired Army lieutenant and his wife who are seeking to keep their adopted Korean-born daughter in the country after she graduates from college. The Wichita Eagle reports that attorneys for the family of Hyebin Schreiber said Monday that the hearing is set for next month. Schreiber was 15 when she went to live with her aunt and uncle, Army veteran Patrick Schreiber, in Lansing, Kansas, because of family problems in Korea. Schreiber's deployment to Afghanistan caused the couple to put off her adoption until she was 17. The age limit for a foreign-born adopted child to become a naturalized U.S. citizen is 16. She currently is in the U.S. legally on a student visa, but could be forced to leave after she graduates from the University of Kansas.
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Missouri Man Charged in Beating Death of His Mother
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A 38-year-old Independence man has been charged in the fatal beating of his mother. Jackson County authorities say Lucas Mauritzen was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Court records indicate his mother, Tamera Rainey, was found dead Saturday at an Independence home. Court records say Mauritzen told a detective he hit his mother throughout the day Saturday and did not try to help her when had trouble breathing. After she died, Mauritzen left and slept at a friend's house. Mauritzen reportedly told a detective he went back to the home Monday and then went to a neighbor's house, where he allegedly said "I had to put her down." Online court records don't identify an attorney for Mauritzen.
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Maize Voters Approve More than $100 Million in Bonds
MAIZE, Kan. (AP) — Voters in the Maize school district overwhelmingly approved more than $100 million in bonds, which will pay for two new schools and other projects in the rapidly growing district. The Wichita Eagle reports unofficial results from Tuesday's election show one question passed with 85 percent of the vote and the second passed with 77 percent. About 2,989 votes were cast, which is 11.6% of registered voters. Besides the new schools, the $108.2 million in bonds will be used for an auditorium, a storm shelter, an indoor pool, safety upgrades, renovations at the high school and other projects. District officials previously said taxes will not be raised for the bonds. Superintendent Chad Higgins said in a statement the district has grown 9% in five years, adding 600 students.
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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 Radio 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 August 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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School Bus Overturns in Northwest Kansas Collision
ST. FRANCIS, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a school bus overturned in a collision in northwest Kansas, sending the driver and 12 students to hospitals. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a pickup truck crashed into the side of the bus Monday morning when the bus driver failed to yield the right-of-way. The bus then overturned onto the driver's side in a ditch in Cheyenne County. The children aboard the bus ranged in age from 5 to 13. One of the children, a 7-year-old girl, had a suspected serious injury. The patrol says the other injuries were believed to be minor.
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Teenager Sentenced in Eudora Gun Shop Burglary
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — One of three teens involved in a burglary at a Eudora gun shop accepted a plea deal that resolves four cases against him. The boy was 15 when he, another 15-year-old and 18-year-old Stevan Rios were charged after a March 2018 break-in at Free State Guns and Tactical Weapons in Eudora. Several assault-style rifles, pistols and revolvers were stolen. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that on August 20, one of the juveniles, now 17, pleaded no contest to felony theft and misdemeanor criminal damage in the gun shop burglary. He pleaded no contest to two unrelated misdemeanors and charges in a fourth case were dropped. Sentencing is September 12. Rios was sentenced in August to two years of probation for burglary and theft. The other juvenile is scheduled for a plea hearing September 5.
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Lawrence Humane Society's Feral Cat Program Begins
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Lawrence Humane Society has trapped the first feral cats under a program designed to manage the wild cat population. The Community Cat Program traps, neuters and vaccinates feral cats and returns them to the areas where they were found. As part of the program, the shelter clips the ear of a cat when it's neutered so animal control will not pick it up again. Kirk Putman, the Humane Society's interim director, said that the shelter trapped a total of 15 cats in two separate efforts in the last week. The organization is asking for volunteers and donations to help with the program. Previously, the city had not allowed cats to roam free. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the program went into effect May 1, despite opposition from some citizens.
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Court Keeps Indiana Voter Registration Purge Law on Hold
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A federal appeals court has sided with critics of an Indiana law who argue it would allow officials to illegally remove voters from the state's election rolls. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Tuesday a federal judge's ruling last year blocking the Indiana law from taking effect. That law would've allowed local election authorities to immediately purge voter registrations if the program called Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck found a duplicate registration in another state for that person. Common Cause Indiana maintained the Crosscheck system started by former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach was unreliable. The ruling says Indiana law wrongly allowed registration purges without voter notification. The court also faulted the law for equating voting in two states with being registered to vote in multiple states.
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KPR's daily headlines are generally posted by 10 AM weekdays and updated throughout the day. KPR's weekend summary is usually published by 1pm Saturdays and Sundays.
