KPR to Carry Presidential Address Wednesday Night
WASHINGTON (KPR) - President Biden will address the nation Wednesday night. He's expected to explain why he dropped out of the presidential race when, within days, he had vowed to stay in it. KPR and KPR-2 will carry the president's address Wednesday at 7 pm.
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U.S. Lawmakers Express Anger at the Way Haskell Indian Nations University Is Being Run
WASHINGTON (LJW) - A congressional panel is calling out a "toxic culture" at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, a Democrat from New Mexico, said Tuesday “there’s a toxic culture at Haskell, period.” She was just one of many members of Congress raising questions and concerns about Haskell, which has faced withering criticism in recent years. The school has had six leaders in eight years. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a bipartisan hearing was held Tuesday to discuss problems at the school.
The panel was sparked by a recent federal report detailing a university culture plagued by mismanagement and severely lacking in process and procedures. “This is a challenging situation to parse out,” Stansbury said, holding up the thick report. One of the concerns expressed Tuesday was the way in which sexual assault cases are handled at Haskell.
The Bureau of Indian Education oversees Haskell. It too was criticized by the congressional panel for failing to hold people accountable. While some lawmakers blamed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and the Biden administration, others, like Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat from Oregon, pointed out that the problems at Haskell go back many years under multiple administrations, both Republican and Democratic.
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New Contract-for-Deed Regulation Takes Effect in Kansas
UNDATED (KMUW) – Contracts-for-deed offer a low-barrier pathway to homeownership. KMUW reports that a new law regulating these types of sale in Kansas went into effect this month. Contracts-for-deed are deals where a homebuyer makes monthly payments directly to a seller instead of to a bank or traditional lender. But lawmakers say such contracts can exploit buyers. The new law, passed in April, gives buyers more rights. Tara Roche is with Pew Charitable Trusts, a national organization which recently studied the risks of contracts-for-deed. Roche commended the Kansas law, especially a section focused on transparency that allows buyers or sellers to record the contracts with the county. "Calling for the ability to record these is absolutely a step in the right direction. And it will help us learn a bit more about the market," Roche said. The law also guarantees buyers at least 30 days to catch up on payments if they fall behind. (Read more.)
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School Districts Prepare for New Students as Open Enrollment Law Goes into Effect
UNDATED (KNS) – Some school districts across Kansas are getting an influx of new students as part of a statewide open enrollment law. The Kansas News Service reports that the new law lets students enroll in any public school district as long as there’s space. Numbers are still coming in, but several suburban districts say they’ve accepted anywhere from dozens to hundreds of new students. Olathe Superintendent Brent Yeager says his district accepted 72 out-of-district students. But he doesn’t know how many Olathe students may leave. “The only way we will know for sure if a family of ours is going to another district is when they enroll in the other district and we get a records request from that district,” he explained. Districts with declining enrollments, including Wichita, say they’ll accept non-resident students past the June 30th application deadline.
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New Crop Art Near Lawrence Features Kamala Harris
UNDATED (KCUR) – If you find yourself flying over Lawrence, Kansas, and look down, you just might see a half-acre crop portrait of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. KCUR reports that world renowned crop artist Stan Herd from Lawrence says he started working on the Harris about two weeks ago. He says he just had a feeling about what was going to happen. “I’m a political junkie, you know, so I follow this moment by moment. It just seemed like the writing was on the wall,” he said. The piece is near the Kansas River in north Lawrence and made of native prairie, compost and sand. Herd says the landowner doesn’t want to give an exact location because he’s nervous about people showing up. The piece will be completed after Harris names a running mate. (Read more.)
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Topeka Man Charged with Embezzlement
TOPEKA, Kan. (KQTV) – The federal Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Office announced Monday that a Kansas man has been charged with embezzlement. KQTV reports that 39-year-old Matthew Waits of Topeka was charged by a federal grand jury in Topeka with one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. Court documents show that Waits was accused of using his position as program manager and director of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation's Diabetes Prevention Program to embezzle more than $5,000 in federal grant funds between January of 2023 and December of 2023. The FBI and the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are investigating the case.
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Douglas County Fights Back Against Solar Farm Lawsuit
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) - A Douglas County commissioner has been accused of seeking favors for her husband and a co-worker in exchange for her support of a proposed 600-acre solar farm, but the county commission's attorney says those allegations are false. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that county officials have responded to a lawsuit challenging county approvals of the Kansas Sky Energy Center. That's a massive utility project that would put about 8 million square feet of solar panels on about 600 acres of farmland north of North Lawrence.
The lawsuit, filed by the North Lawrence Improvement Association and more than 20 businesses and area homeowners, alleges that Douglas County Commissioner Karen Willey worked behind the scenes to get her husband hired as a consultant on the solar farm project. The lawsuit also accuses her of trying to get one of her private-sector co-workers hired as a consultant. The county's attorney has denied the allegations.
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Smithville Police: It Will Take Some Time to ID Body Found in Missouri Woods
SMITHVILLE, Mo. (KCTV) - A man’s body was found in some woods near a Smithville, Missouri, neighborhood over the weekend. A resident living by the woods found the man’s body Sunday. Authorities will need help from the medical examiner’s office in order to identify the man. KCTV reports that authorities don't know how long the body had been there or how the man died, so it remains unclear whether foul play was involved. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office won’t know more until an autopsy is complete and that could take a few weeks.
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Kansas Flags Fly at Half-Staff in Honor of Late Kansas House Speaker
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has ordered all state flags lowered to half-staff in honor of a former Kansas House Speaker Marvin Barkis. The rural Miami County native died earlier this month at the age of 81. Barkis served in the Legislature from 1978 to 1992. He served as speaker during the 1991 legislative session. He is perhaps best remembered for leading efforts to reform school finance laws.
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KPR Community Spotlight: After The Harvest KC
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) - When fruit and vegetable growers sell their produce to grocery stores, some of it is rejected because it's not aesthetically pleasing. So, what happens to all the rejected produce? An organization called After the Harvest KC takes the still-good produce and distributes it to KC area food pantries. This month's KPR Community Spotlight shines on After the Harvest KC. KPR News Director J. Schafer spoke Executive Director Michael Watson to learn more. (Incidentally, Watson is a former basketball star for UMKC and the Boston Celtics - wow!) (Learn more.)
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Biden Administration Proposes New Protections for Workers in Extreme Heat
UNDATED (HPM) – The Biden Administration is proposing a new rule to protect workers from extreme heat. Harvest Public Media reports that the rule is expected to reach 36 million employees across the U.S. including agricultural workers. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S., and the proposed rule is meant to reduce heat injuries, illnesses and deaths in the workplace. Antonio De Loera of the United Farm Workers said the rule is overdue, adding that "'It's a bittersweet moment, because we know that this probably would not have happened had workers not died.'" The rule would require that employers make a heat illness and injury prevention plan including requirements for drinking water, rest breaks and control of indoor heat. Federal officials are encouraging the public to submit comments on the proposal. (Read more.)
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WSU Population Forecast Shows Slowing Growth in Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A new population forecast out of Wichita State University projects Kansas to see slowing growth in the next few decades before picking back up around 2050. The Kansas News Service reports that researchers expect growing diversity to contribute. Researchers say Kansas could see a new wave of population growth starting around the middle of the century. That’s driven by birth rate trends and growing racial and ethnic diversity, like an increase in Hispanic Kansans. Jonathan Norris at WSU’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research says more workforce diversity is a reason for optimism. “We would expect that to lead to some fairly significant positive outcomes for workers in terms of wages and equity that we’re seeing across races and ethnic backgrounds. It tends to promote social cohesion and social justice.” Major metro areas will see the largest population growth, but Northwest and Southeast Kansas will likely see population losses.
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Smoky Hill River to Flow Through Downtown Salina Once Again
UNDATED (KNS) – Downtown Salina will have a flowing river by the end of 2030 – along with trails and boat launches. The Kansas News Service reports that sixty years ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers protected Salina from flooding by building a channel that bypassed seven miles of the Smoky Hill River. Now the Army Corps will help Salina safely restore flow to that stretch in the downtown area – and add wetland habitat. Martha Tasker leads the project for the city of Salina. She says residents miss the river where many grew up fishing, boating and picnicking. “Many people would like to have the ability to connect with the river again and just enjoy that life again,” she explained. The U.S. Department of Transportation will help the city pay for new bridges, a boardwalk, boat launches and other amenities.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers. Our headlines are generally published by 10 am weekdays and are updated through 7 pm. This ad-free news summary is made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on X (formerly Twitter,).