Wildfire Near Tuttle Creek About 90% Contained
RILEY CO., Kan. (WIBW) - A wildfire near the northern shore of Tuttle Creek has been about 90% contained. The Kansas Forest Service says that it sent tanker Tuesday to drop six loads of water on the fire burning in Riley and Pottawatomie counties. WIBW TV reports that crews continue to battle that blaze. Officials say the fire is burning heavy dead and downed timber near the river bottom.
(Earlier reporting...)
Firefighters Battle Blaze in Northern Riley County
MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - Officials in Riley County have declared a local state of emergency as fire crews battle a large wildfire north of Tuttle Creek Lake. WIBW TV reports that the Riley County Board of Commissioners declared the emergency Tuesday. The fire is also burning in parts of neighboring Pottawatamie County. Another wildfire erupted in Marshall County. Authorities are urging extreme caution as high winds and dry vegetation mean the fire danger remains exceedingly high throughout many parts of Kansas.
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Kansas Cattle Ranchers Scavenging for Feed Sources Amid Drought Conditions
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — It's getting harder for some Kansas ranchers to find feed for their cattle. In a typical year, green pastures would be flourishing throughout the state, but the ongoing drought has left dry and bare grounds for beef cattle to graze. KSNW TV reports that the issue hits western Kansas the hardest, where the U.S. Drought Monitor lists exceptionally dry conditions. The pastures do not contain enough proteins to maintain healthy cows. So many ranchers are searching for hay and failed milo crops touse as feed that shortages are now becoming an issue. And the prices for forage are also much higher than usual. In addition to feed shortages, ranchers are also lacking water sources for their beef cattle. The lack of rain has left dry farm ponds.
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Drought Conditions Persist in Some Parts of the Midwest, Great Plains
UNDATED (HPM) - At this time of year, many farmers and ranchers across the Midwest are planting their crops and turning their cows to graze on pasture. But Harvest Public Media reports the drought conditions across the Great Plains region will make the growing season difficult. States like Missouri and Illinois had enough winter precipitation to help relieve a lot of last year’s drought conditions. But most areas of Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma did not. Derrell Peel is a livestock marketing specialist for Oklahoma State University Extension. He says a springtime drought sets up a challenging year ahead for farmers and ranchers. “When you start the year in drought like we are right now, you don't grow anything. And so, not only do you not have anything now, there's no prospects of getting anything anytime soon," he said. Peel says the drought has made it difficult for pastures to grow, forcing some ranchers to decide to sell their cattle early. He also says It’ll make it difficult for crops to grow over the summer if rain doesn’t come soon.
This past winter’s precipitation is a tale of two regions for the Midwest and Great Plains. Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinois experienced wet weather, which helped mitigate drought conditions — setting the stage well for this year’s planting season. But parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma are still facing severe drought conditions. Dennis Todey is the director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Midwest Climate Hub. He says it needs to rain frequently in the Great Plains. “We still are hoping that this spring, we'll get some decent amounts of precipitation that will help move things forward. But the severity of the drought that we're dealing with, it's hard to imagine that we'll be able to recover all of this over this whole area," he said. Todey says some farmers in drought-stricken areas might switch to planting drought-tolerant crops like sorghum instead of corn to help them get by this year.
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No Mandatory Jail Time for Kansans with Suspended, Revoked Driver's Licenses
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Governor Laura Kelly has signed a bill to remove mandatory jail time for Kansans caught driving with a suspended or revoked license. People can lose their licenses because of issues like unpaid fines. If they’re caught driving without a valid license, judges will now be able to decide if a first-time offender should serve jail time. Prior Kansas law had a mandatory five-day sentence. Supporters of the change argue the five-day sentence was excessive and can keep people in a cycle of poverty. This is the latest reform in Kansas around suspended drivers licenses. Previous changes allow waiving court fees and reinstating licenses more quickly.
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Kansas Law Classifies Uber Drivers as Independent Contractors
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - Governor Laura Kelly has signed a bill into law that classifies Uber and Lyft drivers as independent contractors and not employees. The bill was introduced this session on behalf of Uber. A spokesperson for the ride-share company says it already views its drivers as independent contractors, and the new law simply clarifies that. The spokesperson says Uber drivers furnish their own vehicles, and provide their own gas. They also don’t work set hours and are free to drive for other companies. Some labor unions in the state oppose the new law. They say it will provide Uber and Lyft an unfair advantage against their competitors, which have to pay into programs like Medicare and unemployment insurance. States like Florida and Michigan have recently passed laws with similar language. Some other states, like California, have seen movements to classify Uber and Lyft drivers as regular employees.
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Kansas Student Behavior Getting Worse Since Pandemic
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - Kansas schools are reporting a surge of disruptive behavior by students, including violence against teachers. The subject has caught the attention of teachers unions and state lawmakers — but solutions are hard to find. Kansas teachers say student behavior has gotten much worse since the COVID pandemic. Some students are lashing out at classmates and teachers. “Pushing, shoving, hitting, slapping, throwing item - the amount of physical violence has increased so much," said Jackie Tabor, who has taught elementary and middle school in Wichita for about 12 years. Schools across Kansas have been reporting more disruptive and even violent incidents. At the state’s largest school district in Wichita, this school year began with several large brawls and weapons arrests. (Read more.)
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Derby High Principal Resigns After Sparring with School Board
DERBY, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - A Kansas principal has resigned after sparring with school board members who challenged his anti-racism efforts at Derby High School. Tim Hamblin, a longtime principal of Derby High School, south of Wichita, announced in an email that he will leave the district at the end of this school year. About a year ago, Hamblin showed students and teachers a video by Black author Joy DeGruy, in which she talks about being treated differently at a store, and how a relative spoke up for her. A Derby school board member called the video divisive and directed Hamblin to apologize for showing it. That launched a series of actions by the board to oppose efforts focused on diversity and inclusion. Hamblin has accepted a district-level position with Wichita public schools.
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What to Know About KC Shooting of Black Teenager Ralph Yarl
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Black teenager Ralph Yarl was shot twice, in the head and arm, after going to the wrong home in Kansas City, Missouri, to pick up his younger brothers. Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old white man, told police he fired at the 16-year-old honors student out of fear last week. But whether Lester will ultimately claim self-defense in court has yet to be seen. The case raises anew questions about race relations in the United States. Here's a look at what happened, where the criminal case stands, how the teen is faring and the role gun laws in Missouri could play in the case.
WHAT LED UP TO THE SHOOTING?
Yarl mixed up an address. Instead of going to 115th Terrace to pick up his twin brothers Thursday night, Yarl showed up at Lester's home on 115th Street, at 10 pm. Lester told police he had just gotten in bed when he heard the doorbell. Before answering, he grabbed his revolver. Lester said he then saw Yarl pulling on the storm door handle, something Yarl disputes, according to the probable cause statement. Lester told police he thought the teen was attempting to break into the home and he was "scared to death," the statement said. Without saying a word, Lester fired twice.
Yarl said the first shot struck him in the head, knocking him to the ground. As he lay there, the second bullet pierced his arm. Yarl told police he fled as the homeowner yelled, "Don't come around here," the statement said. Yarl said he went to "multiple" homes asking for help. A neighbor ultimately used towels to stem the bleeding until paramedics arrived.
WHERE DOES THE CRIMINAL CASE STAND?
Lester was charged with first-degree assault Monday and turned himself in Tuesday. Some civil rights leaders have called for a hate crime charge, but Zachary Thompson, Clay County prosecuting attorney, said first-degree assault is a higher-level crime with a longer sentence — up to life in prison. Lester also was charged with armed criminal action, which has a penalty range of three to 15 years. Lester was to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon. An attorney was not yet listed for him.
WHERE IS YARL NOW?
The wounded teen is recovering at home, but his mother, Cleo Nagbe, said the trauma is evident. She told "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King that her son is "able to communicate mostly when he feels like it, but mostly he just sits there and stares and the buckets of tears just rolls down his eyes." "You can see that he is just replaying the situation over and over again, and that just doesn't stop my tears either," she said. Yarl's classmates rallied for him Tuesday, holding signs that read, "We Walk For RALPH," "Stop The Hate" and "Justice 4 RALPH."
WHAT ARE THE RACIAL ELEMENTS OF THE CASE?
The shooting outraged many in Kansas City and across the country. Civic and political leaders including President Joe Biden demanded justice. Biden also invited Yarl to the White House. Thompson said Monday that there was a "racial component" to the shooting, without elaborating. But Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Alexander Higginbotham clarified in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday that "there is not a racial element to the legal charges that were filed." Still, some — including lawyers for Yarl's family — pressed the racial dimension of the case. Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr. said in a statement that a Black suspect would have been been in jail from the start.
HOW COULD GUN LAWS PLAY A ROLE?
Legal experts believe Lester's lawyers will claim self-defense under Missouri's "stand your ground" law, which allows for the use of deadly force if a person fears for his or her life. Missouri is one of roughly 30 states with such statutes. Robert Spitzer, a professor emeritus of political science at the State University of New York, Cortland, whose research focuses on gun policy and politics, said the Missouri law provides "wide latitude for people to use lethal force." St. Louis defense attorney Nina McDonnell agreed. She said prosecutors have a strong case but the "stand your ground" defense is a "huge hurdle" to overcome.
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Olathe Authorities Identify Victims in Double Homicide
OLATHE, Kan. (KSHB) — Authorities in Olathe have identified two teenagers as the victims in a double homicide Saturday. Police say 19-year-old Jessica Hicks, of Olathe, and 18-year-old Monterrio Spenser Jr., of Kansas City, Missouri, were shot and killed Saturday afternoon at an apartment complex in northeast Olathe. KSHB TV reports that the investigation is continuing and police are asking anyone with information to contact Olathe police.
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Kansas Creates a New State Park in Allen County
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Kansas has created a new state park in Allen County that includes 12 miles of trails, an abandoned quarry, a lake and a 300-foot-long cave. Governor Laura Kelly signed off on the bill creating the state’s 28th state park. The measure establishes the Lehigh Portland Trails in Allen County. KSNT reports that measure also provides disabled veterans with free permanent hunting and fishing licenses in Kansas.
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Appeals Court Reopens Frito-Lay Age Discrimination Case
DENVER, Co. — (TCJ) – A federal appeals court in Denver has reopened a case in which a former Frito-Lay manager in Topeka claims he was denied a promotion due to age discrimination. The appeals court ruled that a lower court judge was wrong to issue a summary judgment against the employee based on court filings, rather than allowing a jury to decide the case. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that the court’s decision reopens the claim of the employee, Brian Waggoner, sending it back to a U.S. District Court. Witnesses cited examples of Frito-Lay promoting younger employees, rather than older ones. The company denies it discriminated against older workers. Waggoner was 40-years-olf in 2019 when he applied for a promotion. A 27-year-old co-worker got the promotion instead.
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Kansas Looks for Ways to Ease Statewide Nursing Shortage
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - Almost 25% of Kansas nursing jobs are unfilled — the highest rate in the past decade. Efforts are underway to ease the shortage. Government, health care employers and state universities are gathering at a series of meetings this year to create a plan to combat that crisis. Even businesses that don’t operate in health care are encouraged to join the conversation. KU School of Nursing Dean Sally Maliski says employees and their families are all touched by health care - and nursing is the largest part of that workforce. “We know that healthy people are more productive. We know that communities in which health care is available, do better economically," she said. Maliski hopes engaging with middle and high school students can get more people into nursing careers.
The University of Kansas School of Nursing projects the state’s nursing shortage will persist in the coming years, adding up to more than 53,000 openings by 2026. Kansas is one of about a dozen states without a nursing workforce center. Maliski says a workforce center would help target areas where nurses are needed most and ease the shortage. “These centers support programs that develop pathways to bring students from various areas into nursing," she said. Maliski says the goal is to have KU open such a center by this fall.
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Top Missouri Lawmaker Unveils $2.8 Billion Plan to Expand I-70
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A powerful Missouri state senator has unveiled a $2.8 billion plan to widen Interstate 70 to at least three lanes across the state. This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman proposed paying for half of the project with bonds. Missouri Governor Mike Parson earlier this year asked lawmakers for $860 million to expand the interstate in the most congested areas. Republican state Senator Lincoln Hough wants to go even further by setting aside money to complete the expansion of I-70 across the state. He says the state currently has little debt and the project could be transformative.
House lawmakers initially balked at the request but on Tuesday gave initial approval to another budget bill that includes $860 million for the interstate. The House also on Tuesday voted to spend $28 million on Interstate 44 improvements, along with a $20 million environmental impact study that's needed before more expansive work can be done on the roadway. Proposals have existed for years to widen I-70 from two to three lanes in each direction across the entire state, but Missouri has never had the money to do it.
Lawmakers now have an opportunity to tap into the state's historic budget surplus to make that happen. Hough urged fellow lawmakers to pump more money into I-70, citing current rates on government bonds and Missouri's few outstanding debts. "The infrastructure improvements that we can make right now given the cash balances we have are transformative," Hough said.
An Associated Press request for comment to Parson's office was not immediately returned Tuesday. The committee and the full Senate still need to vote on Hough's plan. If passed the budget bill would head back to the House for another vote before it could go to Parson's desk for approval. Lawmakers face a May 5 constitutional deadline to pass a budget.
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Kansas Senator Releases Report on Origins of COVID-19
WASHINGTON (WIBW) – Kansas Senator Roger Marshall says the origins of COVID-19 remain undetermined. The Republican sentaor just released a 300-page report on the investigation into the beginnings of the pandemic. WIBW TV reports that Marshall led the push for the investigation by a U.S. Senate committee. The report examines the two primary theories about the how the virus started. One is that the virus occurred naturally in China’s wet markets in Wuhan. The other prominent theory is that the virus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan where coronaviruses are studied. Marshall says the report includes circumstantial evidence supporting the lab leak theory more than the natural cause theory.
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Kansas Governor Signs Law to Give More Legal Rights to Child Sex Abuse Victims
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has signed a bill into law that provides more legal support to victims of child sex crimes. The bill received unanimous support from the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature. The bill removes the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of child sex abuse. It also provides more time for victims to pursue civil lawsuits stemming from sex crimes against children. Current law requires those lawsuits to be filed before the victim turns 21. The bill extends that timeframe to 31 years of age. The changes come after a Kansas Bureau of Investigation report documented decades of sexual abuse by certain Catholic priests in the state. It found that the current limits to file charges hampered prosecution of the crimes.
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Section 8 Housing Vouchers in Kansas Often Expire Before They Can Be Used
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Section 8 housing vouchers are supposed to help Kansans find affordable housing, but many vouchers expire before they can be used. Vouchers are expiring because Kansas lacks enough affordable housing and landlords are not taking them as often. Rising rents mean fewer apartments are eligible for the program. In Johnson County last year, 60% of the vouchers expired before they could be used. In other counties, it’s between 30-50%. Kamber Corpening spent a year calling almost 100 places trying to find someone to take her voucher. “I had horrible luck finding an apartment complex, much less duplex that accepted Section 8 vouchers, a lot of places stopped accepting them," she said. Tenants and affordable housing groups are calling for more affordable housing stock and more collaboration between housing authorities and landlords.
KC METRO AREA: Last year, 60% of the vouchers in Johnson County expired before they were used. In Wyandotte County, the number was 50%.
WICHITA AREA: Wichita Housing Authority says in 2022, around 40% of its vouchers expired before being used.
SOUTHEAST KANSAS: In 2022, the Southeast Kansas Community Action Program said 40% of its vouchers expired.
TOPEKA AREA: The Topeka Housing Authority says around 30% of its vouchers expire in a typical year.
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$2.6 Million Awarded to Address Homelessness in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has released a list of communities that will receive federal grants and housing vouchers to help address rural homelessness. The USDA’s program will bring housing vouchers worth more than $2.5 million dollars to three Kansas communities. WIBW TV reports that the entities receiving housing vouchers in Kansas include: the Lawrence/Douglas County Housing Authority, the Manhattan Housing Authority and the Pittsburg Housing Authority. HUD officials say the grants and vouchers will give the communities tools to help people who are experiencing homelessness move into permanent housing. The federal agency says that nearly 70,000 Emergency Housing Vouchers have been offered to help homeless families since the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 began.
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‘Ring of Fire’ Eclipse to Appear Above Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Later this year, Kansans can catch a glimpse of a "Ring of Fire" in the sky. KSNT reports that Kansans are set to experience an annular solar eclipse this fall when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun while the moon is at its farthest point from Earth. According to NASA, the eclipse, also known as a “ring of fire,” will cross over North, Central and South America October 14 and be partially visible to residents of the Sunflower State. Kansans should able to see 60-80% of it when it occurs, depending on where they live in the state.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.