Some Evergy Customers Still Waiting for Power Restoration
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Some customers who lost power last week are still waiting for their electricity to be restored. Severe storms last Wednesday knocked out service to more than 100,000 people in Kansas. According to the Evergy Power Outage Map, as many as 104 customers were still without power as of 5 p.m. Monday.
==========
Prosecutors Say They Will File a Criminal Charge Against Former Marion Police Chief in Connection with Newspaper Raid
UNDATED (KNS) – An investigation by a special prosecutor says a local police chief broke the law and should be charged in the wake of a 2023 police raid on the Marion County Record newspaper. The Kansas News Service reports that prosecutors say they’ll file a criminal charge against Gideon Cody, former police chief of Marion, Kansas who led the raid. Report documents allege Cody attempted to interfere with the judicial process after the search warrants were executed. The investigation also concluded that staff at the Marion County Record did not commit any crimes when accessing public driving records. The report notes several civil lawsuits filed as a result of the raid.
==========
Search of Kansas City Home Turns Up Bombs, Weapons and Drugs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Three people are being held after a large stash of illegal explosives, drugs, and weapons were found in a Kansas City home. KCTV reports that Clay County law enforcement officials searched the home Friday after receiving several tips. They reportedly found two pipe bombs, 15 grenades, more than 100 pounds of explosive powder, several guns -- including an Uzi, and a large amount of ammunition. A child was present in the home at the time, but has since been placed with relatives. One man and two women were taken into custody on various drug and weapons charges. Additional federal charges may be filed for the explosives and weapons that were found.
Prosecutors say 32-year-old Erika Lehr and 46-year-old Cory Young have been charged with child endangerment, as well as weapons and drug charges. 52-year-old Tammie L. Bindel Cole was arrested on drug and weapon charges.
==========
Applications Open for Another Set of Opioid Settlement Fund Grants
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Applications are now open for another round of grants from State of Kansas opioid settlement funds. The Kansas News Service reports that the state has $4 million that it will allocate for programs focused on prevention, health providers and first responders. The grant funding is limited to state agencies, local and county governments, and non-profits. Providers can apply for up to $200,000 in funding. The money is part of a national legal settlement against prescription opioid makers, distributors and pharmacies. More information can be found at the Kansas Attorney General's website.
==========
Illinois Man Arrested for Threatening Chiefs at Arrowhead Concert
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/KPR) - An Illinois man has been arrested after threatening to shoot two Kansas City Chiefs players at a concert. Detectives with the Kansas City police department discovered the threat against the Chiefs on social media. The concert, featuring country music singer-songwriter Morgan Waller, was delayed by 40 minutes Friday while authorities searched for 23-year-old Aaron Brown III at Arrowhead Stadium. KCTV reports that several Chiefs players attended the concert, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. Brown is charged with making a terrorist threat, a felony.
==========
Cases Against Teens Connected to Super Bowl Parade Shooting Resolved
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Three teens who were accused of being part of the fatal shootings at the Super Bowl parade last February have wrapped up their cases in Jackson County Court in Missouri.
KCUR reports that the three boys were never named, as is required by law, and a family court judge ruled that they would not be tried as adults. Jackson County Court officials say they amended the felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon against a 16-year-old with the initials “A.M.” and his case is being resolved. A 15-year-old with the initials “R.G.” pleaded guilty to the same charge and was ordered to be committed to the state Division of Youth Services for less than a year. Officials say the third teen faced lesser gun charges and that’s also been resolved.
Three adult men also face second-degree murder charges in the shooting that killed one and injured 24 others.
==========
KC Woman Guilty in $900,000 PPP Fraud Scheme
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) - A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty to helping defraud the federal Paycheck Protection Program out of nearly a million dollars. Prosecutors say 55-year-old Renetta Golden-Larimore admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud. KMBC TV reports that her guilty plea involves submitting false loan applications to the Paycheck Protection Program, which resulted in the federal government giving $900,000 in loans to ineligible recipients. Some of these loans were then forgiven despite being used for unauthorized purposes. Prosecutors say Golden-Larimore herself earned about $76,000 in the scheme.
==========
Drone Survey Gathers Data from High Plains Aquifer
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – The aquifer that’s the main water source for western Kansans can still be a mystery even to hydrologists. The Kansas News Service reports that’s why a helicopter recently zigzagged through rural northwest Kansas, gathering data from the High Plains Aquifer for the first phase of an airborne study. The helicopter dragged a large electromagnetic tool above the ground to get more accurate readings of the thickness and sediment composition of the aquifer. Jim Butler with the Kansas Geological Survey says different sediments can change how much water can be pumped out of the ground. “You might have a nice sandy gravel zone that all the wells are pumping from, but then as the water level drops down, it may drop down into less permeable conditions,” he explained. Butler says this new data can help both scientists and farmers more accurately predict the future of the aquifer.
==========
Water Restrictions Take Effect this Week in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KPR) - Several places in Kansas, like Hays, already have water restrictions in place - and have for years. Other cities are now following suit. The city of Wichita is enacting restrictions this week as water levels at Cheney Reservoir continue to fall. The city gets its water from the reservoir and the Equus beds. Levels at Cheney are the lowest since 2013. Wichita water customers will be limited to one day a week for outdoor watering. That day depends on where residents live. Residents are also only allowed to water in the late evening to early morning hours. The restrictions will last for at least two months. Residents who use well water are exempt from the restrictions.
More information is available at savewichitawater.com. (Read more.)
==========
With Bird Flu Detected in Dairy Herds, More Concerns Raised About Consuming Raw Milk
PARKVILLE, Mo. (HPM) - The demand for raw milk is strong. But the emergence of bird flu in dairy cattle is raising new concerns about the safety of drinking raw milk. Farmers producing the unpasteurized milk say they’re closely monitoring their herds and supply. At Be Whole Again Farm, in PArkville, Missouri, Rachel Moser said her team tests milk from each quarter of each cow’s udder everyday. Missouri has had no reported cases of bird flu in cattle. “Most of my customers trust that we are doing everything in our power to keep our product extremely safe… and that we’ve got their best interest at heart,” she said.
Still, health experts warn that raw milk can contain pathogens that the pasteurization process kills – including e-coli, listeria and salmonella. In June, raw milk from a farm in California was connected to the largest salmonella outbreak from the product in over 20 years.
Bird flu was detected in dairy cattle for the first time in March. Since then herds in 13 states have tested positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While there’s no evidence that humans can contract bird flu through drinking raw milk, Nicole Martin, an assistant research professor in dairy foods microbiology at Cornell University, said there are unanswered questions about how the virus can spread. Learn more here.
==========
Trust Women Clinic Re-opens in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A Wichita abortion clinic says it’s reopened after closing more than two months ago amid leadership turmoil. The Kansas News Service reports that the closure limited abortion access in the state. Kansas allows abortions until 22 weeks, but Trust Women’s closure meant access in Wichita effectively ended at 15 weeks. The clinic stopped seeing patients in May after its board fired its executive directors and other key leaders. A majority of its doctors then quit in protest. Trust Women’s board did not explain the changes but hired a national consulting firm to help the clinic reopen. The organization’s Oklahoma City clinic remains closed. The announcement came on the two-year anniversary of Kansans rejecting a ballot measure that may have eventually led to an abortion ban. (Read more.)
==========
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).