Kansas Lawmakers Consider New Retirement Plan for State Workers
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The chair of the Kansas Senate’s tax committee wants to create a new retirement plan for state workers. It could ultimately reduce costs for the state, but would not pay a guaranteed benefit to workers like the current pension. Republican Senator Caryn Tyson plans to hold hearings on a bill that would create the new system. It would match employee contributions into a retirement plan, similar to a 401(k). Lawmakers will consider creating the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) after the legislative session starts in January. Tyson says the healthy Kansas budget makes the shift possible. “If we could start converting to the TSP system, especially with the money in the bank now, now would be the time to do it,” Tyson sad. The plan could lead to higher investment returns for workers and would save the state money in the long term. Under the change, the investment risk would be shifted to workers and they wouldn’t have a guaranteed payout at retirement. The state infused more than $1 billion in KPERS in 2022. Tyson believes that is a temporary fix and that phasing out KPERS entirely will save taxpayers money.
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Kansas City Police Investigate Holiday Weekend Homicides
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/KC Star/KPR) – It was a deadly weekend in the Kansas City metro area. KCTV reports that officers were called to the scene of a homicide in downtown Kansas City, near the West Bottoms, early Sunday morning. The victim has since been identified as 32-year-old Antwan Hill. Another shooting in Midtown Kansas City left two men dead Saturday morning. Police have identified the men as 23-year-old Dillion Zino and 28-year-old Steven Williams. Kansas City Police have identified the victim of another Saturday shooting as 28-year-old Leroy Purkett. The Kansas City Star reports that the latest death marks the 138th homicide in Kansas City this year. That's significantly higher than the number of homicides reported at this time last year.
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Body Found After Drowning at Maxwell State Lake Near McPherson
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Officials are investigating after a body was found in a lake in central Kansas over the weekend. KWCH reports that the McPherson County Sheriff's office confirmed that a body was found at Maxwell State Lake early Saturday morning. The sheriff's office said it appears to be a case of drowning. The Canton Police Department and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks are assisting in the investigation.
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Kaw Official: Kansas Schools Should Offer Tribal Members Full Scholarships
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - A Kaw Nation official says universities in Kansas should offer full scholarships to members of the tribe. The Kaw Nation once inhabited nearly half of Kansas. The federal government forced the Kaw out of Kansas 150 years ago and gave some of the territory to Kansas State University and schools in several other states. The schools sold that land at a massive profit. Jim Pepper Henry, vice chairman of the Kaw Nation, is calling for full scholarships for all Kaw students. “If you were to take that 22 million acres in today’s dollars - and the resources that have come from that land - it’s in the multi-trillion dollars,” Henry said. The Kansas Board of Regents, which governs universities in the state, replied that it grants in-state tuition to Kaw students who don’t live in Kansas.
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Douglas County Courts Chosen to Participate in Initiative for Alternatives to Eviction
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) - Douglas County District Court has received a grant that will help it implement alternatives to the traditional eviction track. The Lawrence Times reports that the grant from the National Center for State Courts Eviction Diversion Initiative is intended to improve housing stability across the county. Douglas County was selected to participate in the experiment through a competitive application process. The court will use the funding to hire dedicated staff to implement new strategies for both landlords and tenants as alternatives to the traditional eviction procedures. The court will still hear and decide eviction disputes when landlords and tenants are unable to reach a resolution, but the goal of the initiative is to help both sides avoid the time and expense of traditional litigation. The initiative aims to implement new reform strategies and make use of existing community resources including legal aid, financial counseling, and rental assistance programs. Other courts were selected in Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington. Find more information on the Eviction Diversion Initiative Grant Program HERE.
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KU Aerospace Engineering Students Win Big with Missile Design at International Competition
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Aerospace engineering students at the University of Kansas took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place at an international aerospace design competition. One of the award-winning designs is for a new missile, which has drawn the attention of military contractors. The missile took 2nd place, but KU professor Ron Barrett-Gonzalez says the design really impressed the judges, especially those who work in the U.S. defense industry. "There were several managers from Lockheed-Martin Missile and Fire Control," he said. "They gave us a call, they wanted a briefing. They're currently signing some papers with KU." The KU Center for Research is already seeking a patent for the new missile design. With its latest accolades, the aerospace engineering program at KU has won more than 100 awards from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, far more than any other school in the nation. (Read more.)
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Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza Owners Default on $300 Million Loan
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star / KC Business Journal) — The companies that own the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City have defaulted on the nearly $300 million loan used to purchase the property. That's according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Kansas City Star reports that the partner companies who purchased the Country Club Plaza (Macerich Company and Taubman Centers) reported in May that they were in default of the loan provided by a Chicago-based lender. News of the default was made public in a quarterly report earlier this month. In a statement released last week, a Plaza spokesperson said there were active discussions with the lender to come to some kind of arrangement.
This development marks another sign of distress for the Plaza, an iconic shopping district that has suffered setbacks in recent years, including vacant storefronts and loss of tenants. Last year, fashion retailer Nordstrom bailed on its plan to put a store on the west side of the outdoor mall. The loan default was first reported Thursday by The Kansas City Business Journal. The Journal, citing multiple unnamed sources, says the lender has begun pitching the idea of selling the debt to local and national groups.
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KCC Recommends Lower Rate Hike for Kansas Evergy Customers
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas regulators say a proposed electric rate hike for Evergy customers is too high, and they’re recommending a much lower increase. Evergy had asked regulators for a 9.7% rate increase for the Kansas Central region, which includes Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence, Manhattan and parts of Johnson County. That would have raised customer bills by an average of $173 a year. But the staff members of the Kansas Corporation Commission say the hike isn’t justified. They’re suggesting the company increase revenues by 1.6%. Evergy says the proposed increases are needed to offset rising interest rates for power-plant improvements.
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Traffic Reduced for Signage Work on Portions of I-70 in Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A construction project will reduce traffic along Interstate 70 in Topeka starting this week. The Kansas Department of Transportation says a contractor will begin work Tuesday on the inside lanes in both directions between SW Wanamaker and SW 6th St. Crews will be installing electronic message boards in the median area. WIBW TV reports that new message boards are part of an effort to improve driver safety through the instant transmission of real-time information to travelers. KDOT says the installation is expected to take about one month. On and off ramps will remain open throughout the project.
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Denny Hamlin Signs Multiyear Contract Extension to Stay with Joe Gibbs Racing
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is staying with Joe Gibbs Racing. The organization announced Monday that Hamlin signed a multiyear extension to keep driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry TRD in the NASCAR Cup Series. The company said in the release terms of the contract extension will not be disclosed.
Hamlin first drove in a Cup Series race at Kansas in October 2005 and has since made more than 600 starts all for owner Joe Gibbs.
Gibbs said in a statement it was amazing to think Hamlin first drove for the team nearly two decades ago.
“He's been a big part of Joe Gibbs Racing ever since then and we look forward to that continuing for years to come,” Gibbs said.
Hamlin has 50 career Cup Series wins, tied for 13th all time in NASCAR history. He won three Daytona 500s, three Southern 500s at Darlington Raceway and one Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Hamlin is part of his 17th NASCAR playoffs and has reached the final championship four times: 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Hamlin said his relationship with Joe Gibbs and his team “means a lot to me. We have accomplished so much together over the years.”
Hamlin had a strong car at Darlington on Sunday night, leading a race best 177 out of 367 laps. But problems in the pits and a late accident dropped him to a 25th-place finish in the Southern 500. Hamlin was asked last Thursday and at NASCAR playoff media day if he still hoped to drive for JGR and quickly answered, “100 percent.”
Hamlin and the 15 other NASCAR playoff drivers compete at Kansas on Sunday.
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Chiefs Expect WR Toney, CB Sneed to Be Available for Week 1 Matchup with Detroit
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs expect to have wide receiver Kadarius Toney and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed available when they play the Detroit Lions on Thursday night to kick off the NFL’s regular season. Toney missed nearly all of training camp after having surgery for a torn meniscus in his knee in late July. If he is available, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Monday that all seven of their wide receivers could be active. Sneed missed 12 practices and all three preseason games with swelling in his knee. But like Toney, he has been at practice this week and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said the cornerback has looked good.
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All-Pro Defensive Tackle Chris Jones Fails to Report to Chiefs for Start of Regular-Season Game Prep
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris Jones did not report to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday to begin preparing for their season opener against Detroit, making it highly unlikely that the All-Pro defensive tackle will play against the Lions on Thursday night.
Jones has been holding out while trying to get a long-term contract. He is entering the final year of a four-year, $80 million pact, and has been racking up millions in fines for missing offseason workouts, training camp and all three preseason games.
The 29-year-old pass rusher will forfeit about $1.1 million for each regular-season game he misses.
“You're never sure how it's going to work out. You deal with too many people in this type of thing,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who declined to discuss his own involvement in the negotiations before the first significant practice of game week.
“These things can go any direction. I don't want to spend too much time on it," Reid added. "We had 90 guys in the offseason that I was making sure were going in the right direction, and now we're getting ready to play a game. That's how I go about it.”
Reid was more hopeful that wide receiver Kadarius Toney and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed would be ready for the opener. Toney missed most of training camp after surgery for a torn meniscus and Sneed, one of the Chiefs' best cornerbacks, has been out for more than a month with swelling in his knee.
Most of the attention remains on Jones, though, given his importance to the Kansas City defense. He tied a career high with 15 1/2 sacks last season, picked up his first postseason sacks and helped the Chiefs beat Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said last week communication with Jones' representatives picked up after a long impasse ahead of the regular season.
Veach even said he was “certainly hopeful” that a deal could be reached in time for Jones to report to practice and be on the field when the Chiefs raise their latest title banner at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I don't know what his agenda is," Reid said, “or when he is coming.”
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is close with Jones, went on his “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, and implored his teammate to report to practice. Kelce sounded much like Reid, telling Jones: “You must know something I don’t know because I just don’t get it. I really want to win another Super Bowl ring with you, brother."
“I mean, at this point you just prepare to play the game with the guys that are in the building,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes added before Sunday's sweltering practice, “and let the front office handle that. We have a tough test and we're going to focus on how we can win with the guys we have here.”
Indeed, the Chiefs are preparing to face one of the league's top offenses. Led by quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions had the third-most yards in the NFL last season and finished fourth in touchdowns.
Jones' absence is compounded by the fact that pass rusher Charles Omenihu, who was signed to replace defensive end Frank Clark, is suspended for the first six weeks of the season for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy.
“It's the same thing as if a guy got hurt in the middle of the season,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. “The situation is what it is. Chris is one of the best players in the NFL. But we have to go with what we've got.”
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, who carries the green dot and is responsible for getting the defense set, pointed out that Kansas City has been without Jones throughout the offseason and training camp. That's given time for Derrick Nnadi and Turk Wharton to get more reps in the base defense and backups Keondre Coburn and Malik Herring extra work at the tackle spot.
“We gave a lot of people a chance to play,” Bolton said. “A lot of guys that don't get a lot of playing time with Chris here will get a lot of opportunities. The guys we've got, we've got, and we're going to go out there and try to dominate Week 1.”
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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. You can also follow KPR News on Twitter.