Judge Rules Kansas Highway Patrol's 'Two-Step' Tactic Infringes on Motorists' Rights
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A tactic known as the “Kansas Two-Step” that's been used by the state Highway Patrol for years to detain out-of-state motorists long enough to find a reason to search their vehicles for illegal drugs violates motorists' constitutional right against unreasonable searches, a federal judge declared Friday.
Senior U.S. District Judge Kathryn Vratil also notified the patrol that she is ready to impose changes in its policing practices and appoint a special master to audit its work for at least four years.
The changes would include a requirement that troopers specifically inform motorists they stop that they have the right to reject a search or to revoke consent for one at any time — when under the “Two-Step,” patrol officers avoid telling motorists they are free to go.
Vratil issued a scathing, 79-page order in two separate lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of three motorists and two passengers traveling in 2017, 2018 and 2019 from neighboring Colorado, which has legalized recreational marijuana use.
Vratil concluded that the patrol targeted motorists traveling along Interstate 70 to or from states that have legalized either the medical or recreational use of marijuana. Kansas has authorized neither.
With the “Two-Step," troopers finish the initial traffic stop, issuing a ticket or a warning, and start to walk away, then turn back to talk more to the motorist. That allows them to keep looking for grounds for a vehicle search or to buy time to get drug-sniffing dogs to the scene.
Vratil said the patrol “waged war on motorists.”
“The war is basically a question of numbers: stop enough cars, and you're bound to discover drugs. And what's the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way?” she wrote.
Neither the patrol nor Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach's office responded immediately to text and email messages seeking comment Friday. The patrol has defended its tactics as a response to I-70 serving as a major “corridor” for drug traffickers.
Vratil listed nearly four pages of restrictions on the patrol's policing that she plans to impose, giving the parties in the lawsuits until Aug. 7 to tell her in writing why she shouldn't. Troopers would be required to get a supervisor's approval to conduct a vehicle search, and the patrol would have to keep a log of all such requests and who approved them.
The judge, an appointee of Republican President George H.W. Bush, said she would require troopers to “affirmatively inform” motorists of their right to refuse to allow searches of their vehicles. She concluded that that troopers “are more than happy to exploit (motorists') lack of knowledge of their legal rights” and “pressure drivers to submit to extended detentions," so that they "do not feel free to leave.”
The ACLU of Kansas and other civil rights advocates have argued for years that the patrol has subjected out-of-state motorists to searches that violate the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that protects people against unreasonable searches and seizures.
“This is a huge win — for our clients and for anyone else who travels on Kansas highways,” Sharon Brett, the ACLU of Kansas' legal director, said in a statement. "It also demonstrates that courts will not tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.”
Questions about the patrol's tactics became more visible after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana almost a decade ago. Missouri did the same in 2022, and Oklahoma allows the medical use of marijuana. Only a handful of states don't allow at least medical use.
Vratil wrote that state traffic laws create a host of possible reasons to stop a motorist initially. But she added that the factors troopers used to justify having a “reasonable suspicion” about a possible drug crime — such as a motorist's travel plans — “are so ordinary and benign" that they could apply to thousands of drivers.
The judge also noted that troopers are trained to end their initial traffic stop with phrases such as “have a safe trip,” “take care,” or “have a good day.”
“The KHP trains troopers not to inform a motorist that he or she is free to go,” Vratil wrote.
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Kansas Attorney General Wants to Keep Trans People from Intervening in Lawsuit over State IDs
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican attorney general in Kansas is working to keep transgender people from intervening in his state-court lawsuit against changing the sex listings on their state driver's licenses. His efforts already will block further changes until at least November.
Attorney General Kris Kobach, his legal team and lawyers for the Kansas Department of Revenue were in court Thursday to set a schedule for the lawsuit. The department's motor vehicles division issues driver's licenses and has changed the sex listing for more than 900 people during the past four years.
Kobach argues that changing driver's licenses to reflect transgender people's gender identities violates a state law rolling back transgender rights that took effect July 1. He sued two top Department of Revenue officials earlier this month after Democratic Governor Laura Kelly announced that the changes would continue despite the new state law.
Five transgender Kansas residents represented by the state's American Civil Liberties Union chapter are asking District Judge Teresa Watson to allow them to intervene in the lawsuit. Kobach said Thursday he is opposing their request, and Watson plans to rule on it after an August 16 hearing.
Earlier this month, Watson granted Kobach's request to block driver's license changes while his lawsuit moves forward. Both Kobach's office and the Department of Revenue's attorneys agreed it should stay in place at least until another hearing, now set for November 1.
During Thursday's hearing in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka, Kobach unsuccessfully pushed Watson to move ahead with a full trial of his lawsuit as early as next month.
“It’s a pretty cut-and-dried case,” Kobach told reporters. “The statute means what it says. They have a different interpretation of the statute.”
Because of Kobach's lawsuit, Kansas is among only a few states not allowing transgender residents to change their driver's licenses, along with Montana, Oklahoma and Tennessee. In a separate federal court case, Kobach also is trying to stop changes in the sex listings on Kansas birth certificates.
The new Kansas law defines male and female based on a person's sex assigned at birth and says those definitions apply to any other state law or regulation, ending legal recognition of transgender people's gender identities. Kobach contends it requires Kansas to undo past changes in its records. The Republican-controlled Legislature enacted the law over Kelly's veto.
ACLU attorneys argue that the new law violates transgender people's rights under the Kansas Constitution, including their rights to privacy and bodily autonomy.
“When we’re trying to make this about something very simple like statutory interpretation, what we’re doing is ignoring the reality that transgender Kansans are going to face every single day in this state,” Sharon Brett, the ACLU of Kansas' legal director, said after the hearing.
In interviews, transgender Kansas residents have said having a driver's license with a sex listing that doesn't match their gender identity complicates getting through airport security, dealing with a traffic stop or even using a credit card. They also have said interactions with others out them publicly as transgender — and potentially jeopardize their safety.
In a court filing, Kathryn Redman, a 62-year-old Kansas City-area resident, said that before she changed her Kansas driver's license in 2021, she was subjected to “invasive pat downs in the genital area of my body” before getting on flights.
“I frequently received rude comments and I was always uncomfortable in public settings where showing my license was required,” she said.
Kobach said after Thursday's hearing that the transgender people's legal claims are premature because Watson hasn't ruled on whether driver's license changes violate the new state law. He said he sees the first task as considering the new law's meaning.
“There will be more than adequate time for constitutional questions to be considered,” he said.
The Department of Revenue's attorneys have argued that the new law conflicts with an older law specifically dealing with driver's licenses and that the agency remains bound to follow the older one. The department supports allowing the transgender people to intervene in the case.
“We’re not in a position as the Department of Revenue to appropriately address those concerns,” Pedro Irigonegaray, one of the attorneys, said after Thursday's hearing.
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Homeless Man Attacks Elderly Couple in Lawrence
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) – Another violent attack has been carried out by a homeless person in Lawrence. KCTV reports that a 72-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman were walking near the levee behind Johnny's Tavern last Saturday morning when a man from the city's homeless camp began chasing them armed with an ax. The couple escaped serious injury and ran for help. Police later identified the suspect as 32-year-old Brandon Snow. He was arrested and charged with felony assault but has since been released from jail. His next court appearance is set for August 22.
This latest incident follows another attack by a homeless man in Lawrence at the end of May. In the earlier attack, which happened in downtown Lawrence, two people suffered head injuries after a 34-year-old homeless man ran across the street and -- without warning -- started punching them.
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Kansas Man Fined $20,000 for Moose Poaching in Colorado
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KAKE) – A Kansas man has pleaded guilty to illegally killing a bull moose and leaving it to rot in Colorado. Authorities say 33-year-old Steven Samuelson, of Oakley, pleaded guilty in Teller County District Court to willful destruction of wildlife, a felony. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor crimes for hunting without a license, illegal possession of wildlife and other charges. KAKE TV reports that Samuelson was fined $20,000 and received two years of probation.
The investigation began in September 2021 when Samuelson was caught on trail cameras illegally shooting a moose with an arrow near the town of Divide, west of Colorado Springs. Investigators concluded a poacher had shot the moose and then attempted to remove the animal's head. The suspect laid tree branches and sticks across the carcass in an attempt to hide it.
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Dolly Parton Coming to Kansas to Celebrate Her Imagination Library Program
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Singer, songwriter and philanthropist Dolly Parton is coming to Kansas next month to celebrate her Imagination Library program. The governor's office says the country music icon will visit the state August 14 for a closed event. The governor's office also announced that every child in Kansas - from birth to age 5 - can now receive free books every month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The program has gifted more than 200 million books worldwide since it was launched in 1995. The first Imagination Library located outside of Tennessee was established in Pratt, Kansas, in 2005.
Parton was inspired to start the Imagination Library program in 1995 due to her father’s inability to read and write. Her library program mails more than 2 million books directly to children’s homes every month at no cost to families.
Find more information about the program here.
Learn more about the Imagination Library of Kansas here.
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Kansas Officials Considering Extension of Economic Incentives Program
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Governor Laura Kelly’s administration wants to extend a law that offers hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives to lure new businesses and jobs to the state. But its future may be in doubt. The state offered $830 million for Panasonic’s $4 billion plant in De Soto and $300 million for Integra’s $1.8 billion semiconductor plant in the Wichita area. But the state will be unable to offer any more mega-projects deals unless the tax incentives law is extended. Some conservative lawmakers question whether the incentives are too generous. Paul Hughes of the Kansas Department of Commerce says the program is a useful tool, and without it he says, the state will not have an active role in growing the economy. “You’re not really the captain of your destiny,” Hughes said. “At that point, you’re just waiting for something to happen and hoping that it does.” Hughes says Panasonic will have hiring and economic data in the fall to show if the incentives tool works. That’s in time for the state to ask for an extension to the law during next spring’s legislative session.
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Fort Hays State Enters Partnership to Train Doctors to Work in Rural Areas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A new partnership between Fort Hays State University and the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Wichita, known as KansasCOM, will let qualified students accelerate their medical training with the goal of addressing the state’s shortage of physicians in rural communities. The program will let undergrads begin their first year at KansasCOM during their senior year at Fort Hays State. KansasCOM officials say the school wants to train doctors to serve rural Kansas and they say those who complete the Doctor of Osteopathy program have about a 60 to 70% chance of staying in the state. The private, nonprofit osteopathic school is the first in Kansas. It welcomed its first class last year. Around 20% of the students were from Kansas. A 2017 Kansas task force found 92 of the state’s 105 counties were medically underserved.
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Valley Center Man Dies in Small Plane Crash
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) — A Valley Center man died Thursday morning when his twin-engine Piper PA-31P crashed just after takeoff from the Midwest Regional Air Center in Mosby, Missouri. The small, general aviation airport is in Clay County, just northeast of Kansas City, Missouri. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call just after 9:30 a.m. from a witness who saw the plane crash into a farm field near the airport. KSHB TV reports that emergency crews found the plane fully engulfed in flames. The only occupant was the pilot, identified as 79-year-old Alan “Doug” Moler. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An initial investigation indicates the plane clipped some power lines during take-off, causing local power outages. The Sheriff’s Office says Moler was flying to an airport in the Wichita area. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will continue to investigate the circumstances of the crash.
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Longtime College Administrator Lew Perkins Dies at the Age of 78
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Longtime college administrator Lew Perkins, who played basketball at Iowa before serving as the athletic director at several universities and taking on an influential role within the NCAA, died Tuesday. He was 78.
Perkins' family announced his death in a statement issued by Kansas, where he served as the athletic director from June 2003 through September 2011, a period that included a men's basketball national championship. No cause was given, though Perkins had been battling the effects of Parkinson's disease.
"Lew made an indelible impact on Kansas Athletics and served his role at KU with passion and vigor on a daily basis," Jayhawks athletic director Travis Goff said. "We will forever be grateful for his dedication to this university and athletic department. We are thinking of Lew's amazing family during this time and sending our deepest thoughts and sympathies."
Perkins was chosen for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees in 2005. He also served on the NCAA championships and competition cabinet and the NCAA bowl certification committee. Perkins grew up in Massachusetts before joining the Hawkeyes, where he played from 1965-67 under Hall of Fame basketball coach Ralph Miller. He then embarked on a career in administration at the University of South Carolina-Aiken, where he helped the school grow from a junior college to a four-year school as both athletic director and basketball coach. Perkins returned to USC-Aiken in 2005 to receive an honorary doctorate.
He went on to serve as the associate athletic director at Penn before getting the AD job at Wichita State, which was then serving two years of probation. He made the controversial decision to end the school's football program in a cost-saving move, but Perkins was also praised for the hiring of successful basketball coach Eddie Fogler. Perkins left for Maryland in 1987, where the men's basketball program was reeling from the death of star basketball player Len Bias. During his brief stay, Perkins brought in basketball coach Gary Williams, who later led the Terps to a national title.
Perkins spent the next 13 years as the athletic director at Connecticut, where the women's basketball program won four national titles and the men's basketball and soccer programs also claimed championships. He also was instrumental in the development of the Huskies' football program, which joined the Division I level in 2000 and the Big East a year after his departure.
The often-affable Perkins is perhaps best known for his time at Kansas, though.
While he was the Jayhawks' athletic director, their long-downtrodden football program won the 2008 Orange Bowl under Mark Mangino and, months later, the men's basketball national title under Bill Self. The schools' athletic budget soared and significant upgrades were made to Memorial Stadium, the Booth Family Hall of Athletics and other facilities on campus. Perkins' tenure ended in scandal when, in March 2010, the school announced it was conducting an internal investigation of the athletics ticketing office. A separate investigation led by the FBI and IRS led to federal charges against five employees and one consultant and alleged that they had stolen more than $2 million in tickets to be illegally resold.
Perkins announced months later that he would retire, and he stepped away from the Jayhawks in September 2010.
"Lew did a lot of good things in his time here at KU," Self said. "He was a big contributor in us changing the mindset of the athletic department and also competing for championships on a more consistent level. ... The one thing I will remember most about Lew was he always put the student-athletes first, and the student-athletes that got to know him well, all loved him."
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Kansas Governor Announces Funding for Diabetes Support
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Governor Laura Kelly has announced nearly $5 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support Kansans affected by diabetes and those at significant risk of the disease. WIBW TV reports that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment will receive funds from the CDC as part of the state health department’s community clinic project. The annual Kansas Diabetes Report says diabetes costs approximately $2.4 billion in Kansas every year in direct medical expenses and indirect costs. The report also states that people with diabetes are more likely to have other chronic diseases like heart disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage. Kelly announced the funding at the Kansas Statehouse Wednesday.
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State Seeks Contractor for Anti-Abortion Counseling Centers
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas is looking for a contractor to run a $2 million program distributing money to anti-abortion counseling centers. The goal is to encourage people with unplanned pregnancies to choose childbirth instead of abortion. The new Alternatives to Abortion program will give tax money to groups that discourage women from having abortions and offer resources like free pregnancy tests and diapers. The centers have been criticized for using misleading tactics. Lawmakers overrode a veto by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly to approve $2 million for the program this year. The Kansas Treasurer’s office is looking for a nonprofit to run the program. Bidding will close mid-August. The program comes as Kansas clinics see record numbers of people traveling to the state for abortions.
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Premiums Increase for ACA Insurance Plans
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — The number of Kansans buying health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace is up, and so is the cost of premiums. The average premium for a silver plan for a family of four in Kansas rose more than 8% over last year, an increase nearly double the national average. The state also saw a record number of people enroll in marketplace plans, especially in rural areas. Linda Shepperd at the Kansas Health Institute says that’s partially thanks to bigger pandemic-relief tax credits that made plans affordable for more people. “We had a pretty high number of folks in the rural parts of the state who were not insured," she said. "And so I think that was just an area that was kind of ripe for growth.” But Kansas now lags behind the U.S. when it comes to overall insurance rates. One reason, Sheppard says, is the state’s failure to expand Medicaid.
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Free Application Days Set for Kansas Regents Schools
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — For three days this fall, Kansas universities will waive their application fees to try to get more students to apply to college. The Board of Regents approved the new program. Free application days for Kansas residents will be November 7th through 9th. Daniel Archer is vice president of academic affairs for the Regents. He says colleges need to increase the number of students of color who apply to college. “What are some things that we can do right now to remove barriers and better position ourselves to have a more robust high-school-to-college pipeline?” he said. In 2014, more than half of Black and Hispanic high school seniors in Kansas applied to a state college. In 2021, that number dropped below a third. College application fees range from $25 to $40, depending on the school.
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Movie Theater Chain's Plan to Charge More for Good Seats Falls Flat
UNDATED (AP) – Movie theater operator AMC has ditched plans to charge more for seats with better sightlines after rival chains did not follow along. AMC began the pilot program five months ago in three U.S. markets where it said it charged slightly more for better seats, and less for those in the front of the theater and others with inferior views. AMC said its competitors didn’t raise or cut prices on any of their seats based on location. The company said because it wants its pricing to remain competitive, it’s ending the pilot program in the coming weeks and there will be no attempt to roll out those changes nationwide. AMC also found that more than three out of every four guests who previously sat in the preferred sightline section continued to choose seats in that section, even with a slight up-charge. But it saw little to no increase in people buying front row seats that were cheaper. AMC first announced the pilot program in February.
AMC, based in Leawood, Kansas, said it's now going to focus on testing more spacious seating for the front row with seats that recline at some U.S. locations later this year.
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Judge Rules in Favor of Former KHP Chief in Harassment Suit
TOPEKA,Kan. (KSNT) – A judge has ruled in favor of former Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel Herman Jones in a federal lawsuit. KSNT TV reports that the case was brought in 2021 by two former majors who supervised multiple female employees. The troopers alleged that they were victims of retaliation after the female employees accused Jones of sexual harassment and subjecting them to a hostile work environment. The court found the claims to be unfounded. In 2021, Jones was cleared of multiple allegations, including gender discrimination. He retired earlier this year.
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City of Lawrence Passes Ordinance Making Community a Safe Haven for LGBTQ+ Residents
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Lawrence city leaders have moved to make the city a safe haven for LGBTQ+ residents. Commissioners voted unanimously to codify protections against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Ordinance No. 9999 declares Lawrence a “safe haven for all persons from the effects of discriminatory acts, legislation, regulation and other actions.” That particularly applies to transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people. Commissioners approved the ordinance on first reading at its Tuesday meeting. It’ll come back for final approval at a future meeting. The action was taken in response to the recent passage of state laws affecting transgender residents.
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Suicide Prevention Hotline in Lawrence Busy Since Launch of New 988 Number
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) - It’s been a year since the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline switched to the new, nationwide 988 number. The Lawrence agency that serves as the Lifeline’s crisis center for Kansas has taken thousands of calls in the time since then. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Kansas Suicide Prevention Headquarters, based in Lawrence, took an average of 1,230 calls each month from July 2022 to June 2023. A little more than 1% of those calls resulted in an emergency dispatch, involving a response by emergency services for imminent risk of harm.
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Military Flyover Set for Saturday's Dole Institute Celebration
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) — A public celebration this weekend will mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Dole Institute of Politics on the campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Saturday's event also marks what would have been former Kansas Senator Bob Dole’s 100th birthday. KSHB TV reports that Four T-38 jets from Randolph Air Force Base in Texas are set for a flyover around 11 am Saturday. The flyover is part of the Landmark Celebration that begins at 10 am and continues through the afternoon. Dole served for 30 years in the U.S. Senate and was the Republican presidential candidate in 1996. Dole, who grew up in Russell, served in Italy in World War II and was seriously wounded. He died in December 2021 at the age of 98.
For more information, visit the Dole Institute of Politics.
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Kansas Highway Patrol Nominee Testifies
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The nominee picked to lead the Kansas Highway Patrol told state lawmakers Wednesday that he would focus on improving morale within the agency. The governor picked Erik Smith to replace outgoing Superintendent Herman Jones, whose tenure was marred by lawsuits and allegations of sexual harassment. Smith told a legislative committee that he would encourage more open communication. He said he would be hard on problems but soft on people. “Everybody in the agency needs to know that problems are going to be dealt with, problems are going to be addressed seriously, but it doesn’t have to be the end of someone’s livelihood," he said. If confirmed by the Kansas Senate, Smith would take over an agency that’s facing a shrinking workforce. Roughly 20% of the positions at the Highway Patrol are vacant.
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Koch Industries Underwriting Alternative School
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Wichita-based Koch Industries is underwriting another alternative school opening this fall in Wichita. The Koch-funded non-profit “Stand Together” announced a membership-based service called Learning Lab to be located in Wichita’s Union Station building. It will house the first Khan Academy Lab School to open anywhere other than California. Director Lydia Hampton says more Kansas families are looking for alternatives to traditional public and private schools. “We’re not finding the results that we are hoping to see by continuing to perpetuate this very siloed experience. It’s not benefiting our learners, it’s not benefiting our educators.” The Learning Lab will partner with area home schools and micro-schools and will feature specialized equipment like 3-D printers and recording studios. The Kochs are active in libertarian politics and opened a private school at Wichita State University in 2018.
The new school is part of a trend that could pull more students from the state’s public schools. Designers envision the new Learning Lab as a sort of maker space for education. It will take up about 16,000 square feet of the Union Station building in downtown Wichita. Hampton says the COVID pandemic prompted many families to seek alternatives to public schools. “Part of the purpose of the lab is to build on the momentum that came out of COVID, with people doing and trying different things," she said.
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KDOT Announces Weekend I-70 Closures in Topeka
TOPEKA (KSNT) – State transportation officials say closures are planned this weekend on Interstate 70 through Topeka as part of an ongoing project to make repairs on the Polk-Quincy Viaduct. The Kansas Department of Transportation says it will close both eastbound lanes of I-70 Saturday morning from Topeka Boulevard to SE 8th Street. Eastbound traffic will be directed to use detours or alternate routes. Westbound lanes on I-70 will be reduced to one lane. KSNT TV reports that the Interstate is expected to reopen by Monday morning.
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Chiefs Keen to Upgrade Aging Arrowhead Stadium Rather than Building Anew
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs believe Arrowhead Stadium remains structurally sound and prefer to renovate their famous facility in the coming years, even if the neighboring Royals go through with plans to build a new ballpark elsewhere.
The NFL franchise and its Major League Baseball counterpart have played at the Truman Sports Complex since the early 1970s, when Arrowhead opened just across the parking lot from Kauffman Stadium. Both have undergone massive renovations over the years, the most recent tying them to a new lease with Jackson County that expires in January 2031.
Yet the Royals have made it clear that they intend to build a new stadium, either in downtown Kansas City or neighboring Clay County, and that they are aiming for a spring vote to renew a sales tax that would help to fund the construction.
That leaves the Chiefs to decide whether they will pursue more renovations to Arrowhead Stadium or likewise build anew.
“If the Royals decide to stay in Jackson County, we’ve had discussions about how we do that together. And if they go, then that is a variable and we’ve got to be ready to either continue on that path or pivot,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said Friday.
"Our team has done a really good job at just being ready. And I feel like we’re pretty well prepared for whatever happens.”
Donovan underscored the preference of chairman Clark Hunt to remain in Arrowhead Stadium, though. It was Hunt's father, Lamar Hunt, who founded the franchise and relocated it from Dallas to Kansas City for the 1963 season.
“We've gone through the process and made some progress there,” Donovan said on report day for Chiefs veterans for training camp. “There are still three viable options on the table that we've got to do the due diligence on: renovate-upgrade, build new on-site or build new somewhere else. All three of those options are still part of our dialogue. We've learned a lot in this process. The good news is we think the building itself is actually, structurally pretty sound. Which gives us the opportunity.”
“Having said that,” Donovan added, “we've learned it's going to take a significant annual investment to keep that building sound.”
While the Royals would use their share of a renewed tax to fund their new ballpark, the Chiefs would use their share not only for upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium but also to offset the annual upkeep that is certain to rise as the building ages.
Another complication for the Chiefs is the fact that they are due to host World Cup games at Arrowhead Stadium in 2026, and that means some costly alterations to the 51-year-old building over the next three years so that it meets FIFA standards.
“That would be really fast-forwarding everything to try to tie it all together,” Donovan admitted. “The question then becomes, ‘What are we going to do for the World Cup to be compliant to host that amazing event that potentially we could keep or benefit from or not have to redo?’ Versus, ‘We’ve got to make the building requirement-proof for World Cup, and we have to do that absolutely perfect, (but) we also have to play a football season pretty quickly after that, and we want our fans to have the best possible experience.’ So, we can’t really sacrifice the football experience because we did some things for the World Cup.”
While the futures of the Royals and Chiefs are closely linked, they differ in one very glaring way: on-field success.
The Royals began the day with the second-worst record in the majors — with little reason to hope for improvement — resulting in widespread fan apathy toward a $2 billion ballpark and mixed-use village at least partially funded by the public. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are coming off their third Super Bowl appearance in four years and just hoisted another Lombardi Trophy.
“Yeah, it's a special time to be a part of the Chiefs organization, right? It's a special time to be a Chiefs fan,” Donovan said. “It's also a really special time to be a part of this community. We're proud of being a part of this community and being a contributor to this community. Kansas City is on a really, really good trend when you look at what we’re doing.”
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Chiefs' Mahomes Ready to Build Off Second Super Bowl Title Going into Training Camp
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Quarterback Patrick Mahomes arrived at training camp Tuesday with the understanding that he and his Kansas City Chiefs teammates need to be better in 2023 if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
“I think the theme this year is how can we keep building,” said Mahomes, who reported for camp at Missouri Western State University on Tuesday along with the team’s quarterbacks and rookies.
Mahomes earned Most Valuable Player honors last season and captured his second Lombardi Trophy.
“Obviously we won the Super Bowl last year and it was amazing but we still have a lot of young guys. We want to continue to get better and better. You look around AFC everybody’s gotten better.”
If the Chiefs hope to improve, much of the challenge falls on Mahomes. Following the offseason departure of free agent receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, it’s up to Mahomes to build connections with a group of young receivers including Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and this year’s second-round selection Rashee Rice.
The good thing, according to head coach Andy Reid, is how much Mahomes relishes challenges.
“With quarterbacks, the work’s never done,” Reid said. “It’s like being a farmer, and you just keep on cranking. We’re always trying to give him new challenges with things and he loves that, and loves to attack those types of things.”
It’s the ability to challenge his players that Mahomes says makes Reid a great coach.
“I’m sure you ask Travis (Kelce), you ask Chris Jones, you ask all these guys they think the same thing because he doesn’t let you be satisfied with where you’re at.”
Indeed, if the Chiefs hope to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they can’t be satisfied with what they accomplished last season.
The previous time the Chiefs looked to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they finished with a 14-2 record before losing Super Bowl 55 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9.
Mahomes feels the need to motivate his teammates further this time around.
“Even though we’re winning football games let’s not be satisfied with just winning, let’s be satisfied with finding ways to get better every single week,” he said.
“I’ve said a lot of the AFC when you look at the AFC, there’s like almost every team you can see a path of them getting to the playoffs,” Mahomes said. “I know you say that every year but I think this year is really real, and so we know week in and week out it’s gonna be a challenge for us. Let’s get better and try to win as many football games as possible and put ourselves in that position."
CHRIS JONES' CONTRACT
With only a few days until the team’s veterans report to training camp, Reid remained unsure if All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones will arrive with his fellow teammates.
“I don’t know that,” Reid said. “I’ll have to just see how that goes. There’s communication going on. That’s the important part, then we just have to see.”
Jones is scheduled to earn $19.5 million in base salary this season with a cap hit of more than $29.4 million. The 29-year-old is seeking a contract extension while the club also wants an extension for Jones to free up much-needed cap space.
INJURIES
Reid said defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, who finished last season on injured reserve with a torn ACL, will start training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Running back Isiah Pacheco, who underwent surgery for shoulder and hand injuries in the offseason will be evaluated when veterans report Friday to determine whether he’s ready to practice with the club.
Mahomes, who sustained a high-ankle sprain during the team’s postseason run, said he felt timid at times running and cutting during the offseason organized team practice activities (OTAs).
He feels he's in a good spot now, however, heading into camp.
“When I got kind of through like closer to the (veteran) minicamp and that later OTA stage, I got that confidence back in my ankle,” Mahomes said. “I’m sure I’m not going be running a lot right now, but we’ll be testing especially in these half gassers, so I’ll make sure that it’s ready to go.”
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No Round-Robin: Hoops Teams in Expanded Big 12 Will Still Play 18 Conference Games
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Men's and women's basketball teams in the expanded Big 12 will still play 18 conference games each during the 2023-24 season. The conference, which has 14 schools for the upcoming season before the departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC next summer, released its basketball scheduling matrix on Thursday. Each team will play five Big 12 opponents twice (home and away), and once each against the remaining eight league foes — four at home, four on the road. As a 10-team league since 2011-12, each team had played every other one twice — home and away — for an 18-game conference slate. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF officially became Big 12 members earlier this month. The Big 12 revealed which opponents each team would play twice, then which they would play at home only and on the road only. The full schedule with dates will be released at a later date. Conference officials said the opponents were selected based on a combination of geography, historical results and a poll of the coaches to best balance the schedule in terms of travel and competitiveness.
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