Kelly Silent on Whether She Will Sign Tax Cut Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Major tax cuts are headed to Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s desk, although she's not saying whether she will sign the bill. The Kansas News Service reports that the three-year, $1.6 billion tax cutting package passed with bipartisan support after the House and Senate struggled for weeks to reach a deal. It would condense the state’s three income tax brackets into just two. Those making up to $23,000 would be taxed at 5.15%. Income beyond that would be taxed at 5.55%. Republican Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson urged his colleagues to support the bill, saying “...this plan is a compromise. It’s fair, and it’s time.” Kelly supports some parts of the bill, like state property tax relief. But it’s unclear if she will accept the income tax changes. She has up to 30 days to sign or veto the bill.
(–Related–)
Kansas Legislature Passes Income Tax Overhaul
TOPEKA, Kan. (KCStar) - The Kansas Legislature passed an overhaul of the state’s income tax early Saturday, condensing the three current tax brackets into two, but it’s unclear whether Gov. Laura Kelly will sign the measure. The Kansas City Star reports that the proposal would tax income at rates of 5.55% in the top bracket and 5.15% in the bottom bracket. For individuals, $23,000 a year in taxable income marks the dividing line between the two rates; $46,000 for married couples filing jointly.
The Senate passed the bill 24-9 just before 1 a.m. Saturday morning. The House followed, sending the legislation to Kelly in a 119-0 vote at about 2:30 a.m.. The measure was the last bill the Legislature approved before beginning its spring break. Lawmakers will return to Topeka on April 25.
The bill’s passage came a day after a tax compromise supported by the Senate ran into opposition in the House. The compromise, which maintained the three-bracket tax system, had Kelly’s approval. But Kelly may be hesitant to sign the new deal. The Democratic governor didn’t immediately comment on the legislation, but her chief of staff, Will Lawrence, shared with reporters concerns about the size of the package.
The measure is expected to cost roughly $635 million in revenue in the first year, and roughly $460 million each year after. During tax negotiations, Kelly has generally wanted to limit annual costs to about $425 million.
The proposal also eliminates taxes on Social Security income, lowers the statewide mill levy for schools from 20 mills to 19.5 mills and accelerates the elimination of the state sales tax on food to July 1, six months ahead of current law.
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Bill Passed by Kansas Lawmakers Would Make It a Crime to Coerce Someone into an Abortion
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — People who make physical or financial threats against others in Kansas to force them to get an abortion could spend a year in prison and be fined up to $10,000 under one of several proposals pushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Abortion opponents in Kansas pursued the measure against abortion “coercion,” increased reporting on abortion and aid to anti-abortion centers providing free counseling, supplies and other services to pregnant women and new mothers because of the state's unusual legal climate. While the Legislature has strong anti-abortion majorities, the state Supreme Court declared in 2019 that the state constitution protects abortion rights, and Kansas residents decisively affirmed that position in a statewide August 2022 vote.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is a strong supporter of abortion rights, and many lawmakers expect her to veto all the anti-abortion measures reaching her desk. All the proposals appear to have or be close to having the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a veto.
“The vast majority of Kansans agree that too many women feel abortion is their only choice,” Danielle Underwood, a spokesperson for Kansans for Life, the state’s most politically influential anti-abortion group, said in an email Tuesday.
Kelly has until Monday to act on the bill that would make coercing someone into an abortion a specific crime. She also faces a Monday deadline on a bill that would require abortion providers to ask their patients why they want to terminate their pregnancies and then report the information to the state health department.
Anti-abortion groups and lawmakers have said they’re pushing for the state to collect the data to better guide state policy. Abortion rights supporters contend the measure is unnecessary and would violate patients’ privacy.
Two other measures will arrive on Kelly's desk by Monday. One would grant up to $10 million a year in income tax credits for donors to anti-abortion counseling centers and exempt the centers from paying the state's 6.5% sales tax on what they buy. In addition, a provision in the next state budget would give those centers $2 million in direct aid, continuing a policy enacted last year over Kelly's veto.
Abortion opponents argue that such measures simply help vulnerable women. But Democrats have been frustrated with GOP lawmakers' push for new legislation and aid to the anti-abortion counseling centers, arguing that it breaks faith with voters' support for abortion rights.
“Abortion is a legal health service,” Democratic state Rep. Tom Sawyer, of Wichita, said when the House debated the tax breaks for the centers and their donors. “If you want to try to encourage people to not get abortions, it's your right to do it, but we should not be so generously funding them with state funds.”
Abortion opponents hope that lawmakers will approve one other bill they're backing, to ensure that prospective mothers can seek child support back to conception to cover expenses from a pregnancy. The House approved it before the Legislature adjourned early Saturday for a spring break, and the Senate could consider it after lawmakers reconvene April 25 to wrap up business for the year.
Abortion opponents portrayed the bill on coercion as something to help the state fight human trafficking and other crimes, such as the rape of a child. The bill's definition of coercion includes destroying or hiding someone's passport or immigration papers or threatening to harm or “physically restrain” them to force them into getting an abortion.
“This is something that flows from criminal activities," state Sen. Mike Thompson, a Kansas City-area Republican, said during the final debate on the bill.
The measure is similar to laws in Idaho, Indiana, Michigan and South Dakota.
Critics said the Kansas bill is written broadly enough that a doctor who is seen as too aggressive in arguing that an abortion is necessary could fall under it. So, too, they said, could a husband who threatens divorce or a live-in boyfriend who threatens to leave if a woman decides to have a child.
“I just see how this could turn into a real, real sticky situation for a lot of young people,” Rep. Ford Carr, another Wichita Democrat, said during his debate.
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Kansas Lawmakers Approve Bill Criminalizing Encouragement of Suicide
UNDATED (KNS) – A Kansas bill that would make it a crime to encourage suicide appears likely to become law after a last-minute push by lawmakers. The Kansas News Service reports that Jill Janes spearheaded the proposal after her son Max died by suicide in Wichita last year. She says it came after people texted him urging him to end his life., explaining that “...they knew he was suicidal, he told them he was suicidal. And they continued to push and push and encourage and encourage. And so he did.” That set of texts, and other communications intended to persuade someone to die by suicide, could soon become a felony in Kansas. The proposal got overwhelming support in both chambers of the legislature late last week after lawmakers attached it to a bill that would increase penalties for organized retail theft. It’s now headed to the governor’s desk.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988.
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Kansas Legislators Pass Measure to Change How School Districts Count Students for State Funding Allocation
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers have voted to change the way school districts count students for state funding. The Kansas News Service reports that state senators overwhelmingly approved the plan. It lets districts count students based on the current year’s enrollment or an average from the past two years. Growing districts pushed for current-year enrollment so they could get state funding for new students. Districts with declining enrollment could use a two-year-average for only the coming school year. Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner says the compromise makes sense because funding should follow the students. “So when you have a loss of enrollment, you will have a reduction in funding, because the students aren’t in the seats,” she explained. If the new plan is approved by the state House and the governor, it would cost the state an extra $4.6 million next year in funding to declining districts.
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Proposal in Kansas Legislature Seeks Transparency in Civil Asset Forfeiture
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - A bill calling for greater transparency in civil asset forfeiture has received unanimous support in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature. KSNT TV reportsthat Senate Bill 458 would remove certain offenses that sometimes end in forfeiture, direct the court to determine whether forfeiture is unconstitutionally excessive, and amend several other parts of the Kansas Asset Seizure and Forfeiture Act. Last year the Americans for Prosperity Foundation-Kansas released a report on civil asset forfeiture. The report found Kansas law enforcement seized more than $25 million in money and property but the group alleges that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) grossly underrepresented the total amount of cash and property forfeited in its annual reports. In 2022, the KBI reported a total of $3,447,219 in forfeited property.
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Advisory Group to Continue Contributions on Indigenous Education Issues in Kansas Schools
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A group that urged Kansas schools to get rid of Native American mascots will continue to weigh in on education issues. The Kansas News Service reports that the Kansas Board of Education and the Board of Regents have agreed to establish the advisory council for indigenous education. It includes representatives from the four federally recognized tribes in Kansas, as well as members appointed by state education groups. Kansas State University professor Alex Red Corn says the mascot issue is a political hot button. But the group plans to tackle broader questions, Red Corn explained, such as "...what are the things that we could be teaching in our schools to help us better understand this actual state and this actual place?” About 10,000 indigenous students attend public schools in Kansas.
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Prosecutors Drop Rape Case Against Ex-KU Basketball Player Arterio Morris, Citing Insufficient Evidence
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors dropped a felony rape case against former University of Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris on Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence while filing a motion in Douglas County District Court to seek its dismissal without prejudice.
Morris was charged last August and dismissed from the Jayhawks’ program after an incident report came to light detailing an alleged rape that occurred at McCarthy Hall, which houses the men’s basketball team along with other residents. The criminal complaint alleged that a sexual assault involving an 18-year-old victim occurred on Aug. 26.
Morris was not named in the incident report, but he was subsequently suspended from the team and then dismissed.
Morris had transferred to Kansas despite facing a misdemeanor assault charge in Texas, where he spent his freshman season playing for the Longhorns. According to Frisco, Texas police, Morris was arrested after officers were called to his ex-girlfriend’s house, where she told police that he had grabbed her arm, pulled her off a bed and hurt her neck.
Morris entered a no-contest plea to a Class C charge in that case and was ordered to pay a $362 fine.
Morris was a top-20 recruit out of Kimball High School in Dallas. He signed with the Longhorns and appeared in 38 games, helping Texas beat Kansas in the Big 12 title game and advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament two years ago.
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Missouri Executes Convicted Murderer Despite Pleas for Clemency
BONNE TERRE, Mo. (KCStar) - The state of Missouri carried out the execution of Brian Dorsey on Tuesday night. The 52-year-old Dorsey had been convicted in a double murder in 2006. Dorsey was administered a lethal dose of pentobarbital and was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. The executions was conducted at the Missouri Department of Corrections facility in Bonne Terre, about an hour south of St. Louis. The Kansas City Star reports that Dorsey was found guilty in the 2006 killing of his cousin Sarah Bonnie and her husband Ben Bonnie in central Missouri. In his final statement, Dorsey apologized to the Bonnies’ family members.
An hour before his execution, members of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty occupied the corner of 39th Street and Troost Avenue in Kansas City speaking out against the execution. Similar protests took place across the state in Jefferson City, St. Louis, Columbia and Bonne Terre.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson denied Dorsey clemency on Monday. Over 150 people who signed onto the clemency application supported granting Dorsey life without parole, including more than 70 corrections employees, five jurors, three Republican state representatives and a former Missouri Supreme Court judge who in 2009 upheld Dorsey’s death sentence. Parson said in a statement that “the pain Dorsey brought to others can never be rectified, but carrying out Dorsey’s sentence according to Missouri law and the Court’s order delivered justice and provided closure.”
Eleven men remain on death row in Missouri. They include David Hosier, whose execution is scheduled for June, and Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, whose innocence claims are being litigated.
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Suspects Shoot at Police During Chase on Interstate 35
GARDNER, Kan. (KSNT) – Two people have been arrested in Johnson County after a traffic stop and a car chase with one of the suspects shooting at police. Just before 3:00 Tuesday afternoon, a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy stopped a car for speeding on Interstate 35. The deputy suspected drug use or possession and questioned the suspects. KSNT TV reports that the driver sped off and deputies chased the car north on I-35 into southwest Johnson County. Authorities say the suspects in the car twice fired a gun at pursuing officers. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed near the Gardner Road exit. Both suspects fled on foot into a wooded area. Police used drones and K9s to find the suspects. They were arrested without incident, the vehicle was searched and deputies found a quantity of drugs and a handgun. The incident shut down I-35 near the Gardner Road exit for several hours.
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MLB Donates $100,000 to Replace Jackie Robinson Statue in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Major League Baseball has donated $100,000 to replace a statue of Jackie Robinson that was stolen and destroyed earlier this year in Wichita. KMUW reports that the statue was taken in January from the League 42 complex. More than 600 children play in a low-cost baseball league there, which is named for the number Robinson wore. League 42 says money from the gift also will be used to enhance the area around the Jackie Robinson Pavilion and improve security. League officials hope to erect a replacement statue in August.
(–Related–)
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to Accept Remnants of Vandalized Wichita Statue
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Cleats from a vandalized statue of Jackie Robinson that was stolen from a Wichita park will have a new home Thursday in Kansas City. KCUR’s reports that police say thieves toppled the statue in January just days before Robinson’s 105th birthday. The vandals destroyed most of the statue leaving just the cleats. In a press release Tuesday, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum said it will add the cleats to an existing display, about the legend who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier. Museum President Bob Kendrick will formally accept the remnants Thursday, as a way to teach future generations about tolerance.
Wichita Police arrested and charged a 45-year-old man in the theft. Police do not believe it was racially motivated.
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EPA to Implement Drinking Water Standards Addressing PFAS Chemical Contamination
UNDATED (HPM) – Only two states in the Midwest regulate toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water. But now, PFAS chemicals will be federally regulated, following an announcement from the Biden administration. Harvest Public Media reports that the Environmental Protection Agency is implementing the first-ever drinking water standards on six PFAS chemicals. The chemicals join a list of nearly a hundred contaminants - including lead and copper - that must be screened for by all public water systems in the country. Sandy Wynn-Stelt, a Michigan resident whose drinking water was contaminated by a shoemaker, says she felt like the government had failed her when she lost her husband to liver cancer...a disease associated with PFAS exposure. "This has been a long journey, not just in our state where we have made incredible progress, but for our country. This is really a day of celebration," she added. Roughly ten percent of public utilities in the US will need to make changes to meet the new standards, according to an EPA estimate.
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Oklahoma Attorney General Sues Natural Gas Companies over Price Spikes During 2021 Winter Storm
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed lawsuits on Wednesday against two Texas-based natural gas companies over their role in soaring gas prices during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
The lawsuits, the first by the state against natural gas operators over profits reaped during the storm, were filed in Osage County, Oklahoma, against Dallas-based ET Gathering & Processing, which acquired Enable Midstream Partners in 2021, and Houston-based Symmetry Energy Solutions.
The lawsuits allege Enable and Symmetry used various tactics to reduce natural gas supplies and drive up the price during the devastating storm that sent temperatures plummeting across the country and left millions of people without power.
“I believe the level of fraud perpetrated on Oklahomans during Winter Storm Uri is both staggering and unconscionable,” Drummond said in a statement. “While many companies conducted themselves above board during that trying time, our analysis indicates that some bad actors reaped billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains."
A Symmetry spokesperson said in a statement that the company "adamantly denies the unfounded allegations in the lawsuit, which it will vigorously defend.” A message seeking comment left with ET was not immediately returned. The lawsuits were filed in Osage County, Oklahoma.
The devastating storm sent temperatures plummeting across the country and left millions of people without power.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a similar lawsuit in federal court in December against a natural gas marketer operating in that state. In Texas, which was also hard hit by Winter Storm Uri, the electric utility Griddy Energy reached a settlement with state regulators there over crushing electric bills its customers received during the deadly winter storm.
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Oklahoma Judge Orders Kansas City Chiefs Superfan 'ChiefsAholic' to Pay $10.8 Million to Bank Teller
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma judge ordered a Kansas City Chiefs superfan known as “ChiefsAholic” who admitted to a series of bank robberies to pay $10.8 million to a bank teller he threatened and assaulted with a gun.
A judge in Tulsa handed down the order last week against Xaviar Michael Bubudar, 29, who was known for attending Chiefs games dressed as a wolf in the NFL team's gear. Former bank teller Payton Garcia alleged Bubudar used a gun to assault her during a robbery of a Bixby, Oklahoma, credit union in December 2022, court records show.
The judge ordered Bubudar to pay Garcia $3.6 million for her injuries and loss of income, and $7.2 million in punitive damages. A message left Tuesday with Bubudar's attorney was not immediately returned.
Garcia's attorney, Frank Frasier, acknowledged that it would be difficult to collect the money for his client, but said the judgment sends an important message.
“I think the judge feels that way,” Frasier told The Associated Press. “She did not come right out and say it during the hearing, but I argued that nobody should be able to profit from this, be it notoriety, clicks, views or likes.”
Frasier said if Bubudar ever sold his story, wrote a book or was somehow able to profit from his story, his client would be able to collect some of the judgment against him.
Bubudar pleaded guilty in February to a string of robberies of banks and credit unions in multiple states. He remains imprisoned until his formal sentencing, which is set for July 10 in Kansas City.
Federal prosecutors said Babudar admitted to the robberies and attempted robberies in 2022 and 2023 and to laundering the stolen money through casinos and online gambling.
As part of the plea agreement, Babudar must pay at least $532,675 in restitution. He also must forfeit property — including an autographed painting of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes that was recovered by the FBI.
Before his arrest, Babudar was a well-known figure on social media for his rabid support of the Chiefs and attended several games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs’ clothing.
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NAIA Announces Ban on Transgender Athletes in Women's Sports Competitions
UNDATED (KPR) – The NAIA released a revised policy statement Monday that bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. The policy kicks in with next season’s athletic calendar that starts on August 1st. Jim Carr is the executive director of the NAIA office based in Kansas City. He explained why the membership has voted to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, telling reporters that "...we determined that essentially there’s a reason that there’s a male category and a female category in all those and it’s because there’s a male advantage in speed, strength or endurance. Or in many cases all of those. This does apply to all of our sports." The only exception would be dance and cheer competition, which is already coed. The NAIA membership is made up of 250 schools and about 83,000 student athletes.
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Wichita High School Students Stage Walkout to Protest Anti-Transgender Legislation
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – About 200 Wichita high school students walked out of class Tuesday to protest anti-transgender legislation in Kansas. A bill headed to Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s desk would ban gender-affirming medical care for anyone under 21. The Kansas News Service reports that students at Wichita East High School gathered on the front lawn of the school to wave flags and voice their opposition to the ban. Seventeen-year-old Miles Wilson, a transgender boy, says he was suicidal as a preteen. But the possibility of surgery and hormone therapy gave him hope. “I hope I can someday experience the comfort in my body that so many take for granted. I hope that someday existing won’t feel as painful as it does now,” he said. Supporters of the bill say surgeries are permanent, and they worry children could regret their decision.
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Wichita Approves "Gang List" Lawsuit Settlement
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – The Wichita City Council approved a settlement Tuesday for a federal lawsuit involving the use of its gang list. The Kansas News Service reports that according to the suit, people were put on the list without notice or without criminal charges being filed. It says the list also targeted people of color. People on the list are subject to heightened surveillance and face higher bail bond costs. They also received stricter probation and parole terms. Kunyu Ching with the ACLU of Kansas says that more than half of the names on the list could be removed as a result of the settlement. “I think this settlement and changes that it's going to bring to the policy...is a step toward restoring that community trust,” Ching added. The department will create an appeals process for people who think they were wrongfully placed on the list. The federal court is expected to approve the settlement in the coming months.
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Kansas Deputy Fatally Shoots Woman Holding Knife and Scissors
ATTICA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas deputy fatally shot an Oklahoma woman who was wielding a knife and scissors and lunged at another officer, investigators said. A Harper County deputy responded to a report just before 7 a.m. Tuesday of a car stopped in the middle of U.S. Highway 60 near the town of Attica, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting. The bureau said that as the deputy approached the car he saw the woman, identified as 54-year-old Cheryl R. Gaines, of Oklahoma City, holding a knife in one hand and scissors in the other. An Attica police officer arrived, and the deputy and the officer backed away and called for backup. Gaines got out of the car but refused to drop the knife and scissors, charged at and lunged at the two law officers, the bureau said. The Attica officer tripped and fell, and as Gaines neared the officer, the deputy fired three shots, the bureau said. Gaines died at the scene. The officer and the deputy were unhurt.
(–Earlier reporting–)
Woman Dies Following Officer-Involved Shooting in Harper County
ATTICA, Kan. (KAKE) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a woman has died following an officer-involved shooting in Harper County in southern central Kansas. KAKE-TV reports that agents responded Tuesday morning to a shooting involving the Attica Police Department that happened along U.S. 160 just west of the town, according to the KBI. The KBI also said no law enforcement officers were hurt in the incident. The Kansas Department of Transportation said at around 9 a.m. that U.S. 160 had been closed around the west side of Attica. The Harper County Sheriff's Office requested the KBI's assistance at around 7:15 a.m. The KBI said it would release more information when it becomes available.
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Kansas City Chiefs' Rashee Rice Facing Aggravated Assault Charge After High-Speed Crash in Dallas
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas police said Wednesday that Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver Rashee Rice faces charges including aggravated assault after he and another speeding driver of a sports car caused a chain-reaction crash on a Dallas highway.
Police said that arrest warrants have been issued for the 23-year-old for one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. Rice's attorney, Texas state Sen. Royce West, said last week that Rice had been driving a Lamborghini sport utility vehicle when the crash occurred.
Arrest warrants were also issued for Theodore Knox, 21, who was driving the other speeding sports car, a Corvette, police said. Police said that arrest warrants have been issued for Knox for one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury.
Police said that the passengers in two speeding sports cars who left the scene will not be charged. Police said that Rice and Knox were not currently in custody.
The crash involved the Lamborghini, a Corvette and four other vehicles and left four people with minor injuries, police have said. Police said the drivers of the Corvette and Lamborghini left following the crash without determining whether anyone needed medical attention or providing their information.
Rice last week posted to his Instagram Story that he was taking “full responsibility” for his part in the wreck.
Police have said the drivers of the Corvette and Lamborghini were speeding in the far left lane when they lost control and the Lamborghini traveled onto the shoulder and hit the center median wall, causing the chain collision.
Rice was leasing the Lamborghini from The Classic Lifestyle, said Kyle Coker, an attorney for the Dallas-based exotic car rental company. West also said the Corvette belonged to Rice.
Rice was born in Philadelphia but grew up in the Fort Worth, Texas, suburb of North Richland Hills. He played college football at nearby Southern Methodist University, where a breakout senior season in 2022 put the wide receiver on the radar of NFL teams.
The Chiefs selected him in the second round of last year's draft, and he quickly became one of the only dependable options in their passing game.
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Topeka Plans Launch of Designated Outdoor Drinking Areas
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The City of Topeka is set to launch two common consumption areas where people will be allowed to drink outside bars and restaurants. WIBW TV reports that these regulated “social drinking zones” will have established boundaries where patrons can drink outside a licensed bar or restaurant. In December, the city approved two designated Common Consumption areas. One in downtown Topeka and another the NOTO Arts and Entertainment District. People are not allowed to bring their own alcoholic beverages into the designated areas but they will be allowed to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages from licensed, participating establishments within the boundaries of the so-called CCAs. The boundaries will be marked with signs and pavement markings. The designated CCAs will go into effect on April 15.
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KU Team Places 2nd in National Debate Tournament
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — A University of Kansas debate team took second place in the nation at the 78th National Debate Tournament, held from April 4 to 9 at Emory University in Atlanta. Team members Graham Revare, a junior from Shawnee, and William Soper, a senior from Bucyrus, advanced to the championship debate. The University of Michigan took first place honors.
The KU team of John Marshall, a sophomore from Lawrence, and Jiyoon Park, a sophomore from Topeka, took fifth place at the tournament as they reached the Elite Eight, but the two KU teams met each other in the quarterfinals.
It was the 20th Final Four appearance for KU Debate and the eighth time KU has advanced to the championship debate. KU has won the National Debate Tournament six times. KU has advanced to the Final Four in six of the last eight seasons.
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Mountain Goat Stuck Under Kansas City Bridge Survives Rocky Rescue
UNDATED (AP) – An escaped mountain goat that somehow got stuck under a Kansas City bridge has survived a rocky rescue effort and now may be reunited with the owners who suspect he was stolen from their farm two months ago.
“It’s the story that captured the hearts of Kansas City,” said Tori Fugate, of the KC Pet Project, a nonprofit that handles animal control for the city and operates shelters. “Forget a solar eclipse. We were on goat watch.”
After Monday's eclipse, people spotted the animal, believed to be a missing goat named Chug, hopping around on the pillars that support the bridge, high above the ground below.
Hoping to guide it to safety, a driver managed to get a rope around the goat's neck, but that only added to the danger, said Fugate. When firefighters tried to rappel over the side of the bridge to capture the goat, he spooked and tried to jump to the next platform. But his hooves slipped and the rope caught, causing the goat to hang from his neck, not moving.
Firefighters managed to undo a snag in the rope, creating slack in the line. The goat then fell as much as 15 feet to the ground, landing in a spot where crews had added padding in an attempt to soften the impact, Fugate said.
A waiting veterinarian sedated the goat and crews carried him in a sling to the top of a rocky hill, where firefighters gave him oxygen. Then he perked up and was taken for X-rays, Fugate said.
“He miraculously has no broken bones,” Fugate said. The goat had been clambering along bridge supports that are as much as 80 feet above the ground, a fall he wouldn't have survived, she said.
She said this was just the latest part of the goat's adventure. He entered the shelter as a stray on March 13, was dubbed Jeffrey and was adopted later that month. But he immediately jumped the fence at his new home, she said.
“Thanks to his media fame, yesterday (editorial note: Monday) we had somebody reach out and they said that he is very similar to their goat that went missing back in February,” she said.
The family lives two hours away and plans to came to come to the shelter Wednesday to confirm he is their stolen goat, named Chug. If he is, they plan to bring him home with them, and the goat's adoptive owners say that is OK with them.
“He seems to be very particular about his living situation,” Fugate said.
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KU Researchers Launch Study on Lack of Black Sperm Donors
UNDATED (KNS) – There’s a nationwide shortage of Black sperm donors. Researchers at the University of Kansas are trying to figure out why. The Kansas News Service reports that Courtney Marsh is leading the research team for this project, which KU says is one of the first to study attitudes toward sperm donation in the Black community. Marsh, who also is an OB-GYN, says she was inspired by her patients who were having trouble finding a Black sperm donor.
“I had at least three couples who came to me and were delaying their treatment because they could not find sperm. And I, you know, I thought, ‘Well gosh, I can help with this,’” she explained.
Marsh says about 3% of the total sperm population in the nation’s top sperm banks is from Black donors. She and her research team are hosting focus groups in Wichita, Kansas City and Topeka through July. They’ll use what they learn to come up with solutions to the shortage.
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Innovative Soccer Facility Opens at Kansas State School for the Blind
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) – Officials at the Kansas State School for the Blind cut the ribbon on a new and innovative sports facility in Kansas City, Kansas Friday afternoon. The soccer field was specifically built for the visually impaired. A $32,000 grant from the Victory Project, a Sporting Kansas City philanthropic foundation, made it possible. Molly Quinn,the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes CEO, says the professional men’s and women’s soccer leagues recognize the need for such a facility, saying that "...our purpose for USA Blind Soccer and part of our mission is to be able to figure out how do we make this happen with MLS and NWSL." The Kansas City, Kansas facility is the first of its kind in the Midwest and is expected to host camps and coaching clinics in the future. For more on Blind Soccer, click here for an in-depth examination of the sport and this new facility.
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Topeka Native Gary Woodland Returns to Augusta National for the Masters Tournament
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Gary Woodland is back at Augusta National this week, feeling perhaps more grateful to be at the Masters than anyone.
A mere seven months ago, the former U.S. Open champion was undergoing brain surgery after a tumor was discovered. The 39-year-old from Kansas had been experiencing symptoms for months, yet he continued to play through the summer, even as the symptoms and subsequent medications left him wracked with anxiety and paranoia.
In August, doctors drilled a baseball-sized hole in the side of Woodland's skull. They removed as much of the tumor possible, though they couldn't get it all, but deemed the procedure a success. The tumor was found to be benign.
Woodland returned at the Sony Open in January. And even though he has missed five of eight cuts, he believes he is finding his form. Woodland shot three rounds in the 60s and tied for 21st a couple of weeks ago at the Houston Open.
“The reception has been amazing,” he said. “For so long I wasn’t saying anything, and so nobody knew. That was the hard part, putting on a smile and acting like everything is OK. It shows that people care. We’re a big family out here, at the end of the day. We’re all out here trying to win, but we’re all here to support each other as well, and I’ve definitely felt that.”
He certainly felt it during the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday. Woodland elicited a roar when he aced the sixth hole.
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