Stormy Weather Expected on Thursday and Through Weekend
TOPEKA , Kan. (KPR) — Eastern Kansas will enjoy relatively pleasant weather today (TUE) and Wednesday but the National Weather Service in Topeka says a strong storm system is expected to bring rain to central Kansas beginning as early as late Wednesday night. The weather service says some of the storms are likely to be severe with the greatest probability for severe thunderstorms over northeast Kansas on Friday. Forecasters still don't know the exact location and timing of the storms but say hail, tornadoes, high winds and flooding are all be possible.
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Governor Kelly Again Urges Medicaid Expansion as Legislators Return for Veto Session
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Democratic Governor Laura Kelly is urging Kansas lawmakers to debate Medicaid expansion when they return to the Statehouse later this week. The Kansas News Service reports that the expansion is just one of several policies on the agenda. Forcing a vote on Medicaid expansion would require 24 votes in the 40-member Kansas Senate. At a Wichita town hall this week, Kelly said she’s hopeful, despite strong opposition from Republican leaders, who say the policy is too expensive. “I’m fairly optimistic that those votes are there if the legislators feel empowered to buck leadership,” she added. Kansas is one of 10 states that has not yet expanded Medicaid. Lawmakers are also expected to try to override Kelly’s vetoes of laws that would direct more money to anti-abortion counseling centers; further restrict advance voting; and ban gender-affirming care for trans minors.
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Governor Kelly Signs Bill Creating Office of the Child Advocate as Independent State Agency
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has approved a bill codifying the state’s foster care oversight office. The Kansas News Service reports that the Office of the Child Advocate is now an independent state agency. Kelly created the Child Advocate position through an executive order in 2021. But that meant she or the next governor could remove it at any time. Now that it has been written into state law as a formal state agency, the position of Child Advocate will be appointed by the governor and requires Senate confirmation. The individual will serve a five-year term. The position independently reviews complaints about the Kansas child welfare system.
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Kansas Farm Animals Killed in Monday's Barn Fire
LYON COUNTY, Kan. (KSNT) — Several farm animals were killed when a fire broke out inside a barn in Lyon County. The barn, near the town of Allen, became engulfed in flames Monday. Fire officials say a brush fire started by a farmer in the area over the weekend had spread to the barn by Monday. KSNT reports that several pigs died in the blaze. Firefighters had difficulty putting out the blaze due to Monday's powerful winds. The fire and high winds also led to local power outages near the town of Allen.
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Topeka Police Shoot Carjacking Suspect
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — One man remains in critical condition after he allegedly fired a gun at police officers during a chase in Topeka over the weekend. KSNT reports that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation is reviewing an officer-involved shooting that happened Saturday afternoon. Police say they received a call reporting an armed carjacking near central Topeka. Responding officers say they observed the suspect, 34-year-old Terrell Hayes-Osby, running away and began to chase him. During the chase, officers say Hayes-Osby fired a gun in their direction. Four of the officers returned fire and hit the suspect. He remains hospitalized but is expected to survive. No officers or civilians were injured in the incident.
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Kansas Governor Signs Several New Bills into Law
TOPEKA , Kan. (KSNT) — Governor Laura Kelly has signed off on several bills that will become new state laws. Among the bills signed by the governor yesterday is one that will create a new state agency to protect the well-being of children. KSNT reports that the new law establishes the Office of the Child Advocate as an independent state agency. Another new law will prohibit public utilities from exercising eminent domain for the placement of solar generation facilities. Other legislation establishes new specialty license plates including tags for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Royals, Sporting Kansas City, and the Topeka Zoo among others. Another bill signed by Kelly will establish new state funds to address deferred maintenance and demolition of facilities at Kansas universities and colleges.
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Wichita Announces Plan to Close Older Schools
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) — Wichita school leaders are considering a plan to reduce the number of schools in the state’s largest city by more than 25% over the next two decades. Consultants hired by the district say many Wichita schools are too old to fix or that they just weren’t designed for the way kids learn today. Options call for bond issues to build or renovate dozens of schools, and to reduce the overall number from 80 to 57. Consultant David Sturtz says most urban districts are facing declining enrollment and rising repair costs. “These buildings, so many of them are past their useful life." he said. "It is an opportunity to reimagine what your schools look like. An era of rebuilding is here.” So far, the plans don’t include price tags. School board members will vote on a plan in June.
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Valley Center High School Baseball Team's Season Suspended Due to Animal Cruelty Investigation
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A Wichita-area high school has suspended its baseball team’s season because of an investigation into possible animal cruelty. The Kansas News Service reports that police in Valley Center say they are investigating reports that a chicken was killed on the baseball diamond at Valley Center High School. School officials said earlier this week that they suspended the varsity baseball team’s season after they were alerted to possible animal cruelty involving the team and coaching staff. Police say they’re talking with players and coaches and working to determine if other adults may have been involved. The Valley Center baseball team is 4-12 with 10 games left in the season. The district said in its email that a decision about the rest of the season will be made pending the outcome of the police investigation.
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U.S. Figure Skating Championships Headed to Wichita Next Year, with World Championships on Tap for Boston
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The U.S. Figure Skating championships will take place in Wichita next year, in what should amount to a preview of the names to watch for the American team headed to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy.
The national governing body announced its calendar of domestically held international events Tuesday, along with awarding the U.S. championships to Wichita. The event will run from Jan. 20-26 at INTRUST Bank Arena.
The Grand Prix season begins Oct. 18 with Skate America, which will take place for the second straight year at Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas. It is the first event in the six-stop international Grand Prix schedule.
The U.S. also will host the 2025 world championships from March 23-30 at TD Garden in Boston.
U.S. figure skaters topped the medal table with two golds and a bronze at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and they could do even better at the next Winter Games. Ilia Malinin recently won his first world title with a record-setting free skate, Madison Chock and Evan Bates won a second straight ice dance gold, and Isabeau Levito took silver in the women’s event.
“U.S. Figure Skating is very excited about each of our top-tier events, both at the national and international stages, for the 2024-25 season,” U.S. Figure Skating chief executive Tracy Marek said. “These events span our nation to provide amazing opportunities for skaters at all levels — from our juveniles to adults — as well as our fans and the skating community."
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Study: Kansas Health Care System Performs Worse for Black People than for Other Groups
UNDATED (KNS) — Fresh data from the Commonwealth Fund shows the health care system in Kansas performs the worst for Black people. The Kansas News Service reports that David Radley, an author for the study, says there are racial and ethnic disparities in health care in every state. He says in Kansas, the number of Black people who die before age 75 from treatable conditions, like appendicitis or certain cancers, is two times higher than that of white people. “You know, that is sort of, I think, the-the key measure here that sort of points to the amount of disparity that’s happened," he explained. Radley says Black Kansans are also more likely than their white peers to be uninsured or go without care because of medical expenses. He says expanding Medicaid and diversifying primary care in Kansas may help reduce these inequities. The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that addresses disparities in health care through research and grants.
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Judge Denies New Sentencing Hearing for 2 Brothers Sentenced to Death for 'Wichita Massacre'
UNDATED (AP) — A Kansas judge on Monday denied a request for a re-sentencing hearing for two brothers awaiting execution for a quadruple killing known as the “Wichita massacre,” ruling that he lacks jurisdiction to approve a reexamination of the sentences.
The legal setback was the latest for Jonathan Carr, 44, and Reginald Carr, 46. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to request a formal re-sentencing hearing, a decision that came a little less than a year after the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the two brothers had received fair trials and upheld their death sentences. “I don’t know that I can do anything about that sentence until somebody vacates it,” Sedgwick County Chief Judge Jeff Goering said at the hearing.
Attorneys for the Carr brothers said they planned to appeal.
The brothers were convicted of breaking into a home in December 2000 and forcing three men and two women to have sex with one another and later to withdraw money from ATMs. Police said the women were repeatedly raped before all five victims were taken to a soccer field, where they were shot.
Aaron Sander, 29; Brad Heyka, 27; Jason Befort, 26; and Heather Muller, 25, all died. The woman who survived testified against the Carr brothers, who also were convicted of killing another person in a separate attack. Each brother accused the other of carrying out the crimes.
Kansas has nine men on death row, but the state has not executed anyone since the murderous duo James Latham and George York were hanged on the same day in June 1965.
Attorneys for the brothers argued Monday that since some convictions were tossed out in previous appeals, a new sentencing hearing is appropriate. Julia Spainhower, the attorney for Reginald Carr, told Goering he had a chance to correct “what was an obvious error.”
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said there was no “lack of clarity” in the Kansas Supreme Court ruling that the death penalty should stand. “What the defense wants to do is reopen the whole thing,” Bennett said.
Attorneys for both brothers raised concerns in the latest round of court filings that the trial attorneys were ineffective — Reginald Carr’s defense said they were “egregiously” so — and failed to aggressively push for a continuance to give themselves more time to prepare. They also agreed that prospective jurors weren’t properly questioned about racial biases. The brothers are Black, their victims white.
Reginald Carr’s attorney’s also brought up an investigation into members of the Wichita Police Department exchanging racist, sexist and homophobic texts and images. Several were ultimately disciplined, and Carr’s attorney wrote that one of them was involved in the investigation of the brothers.
From there, the attorneys for the brothers deviate in their court filings. Jonathan Carr’s attorneys argued that the trial attorneys failed to investigate and present evidence that Reginald Carr, who is older, had a powerful influence over his younger brother and sexually abused him. A Kansas Department of Correction evaluation conducted just days after Jonathan Carr was sentenced to death said he “appears to idolize his brother,” his attorneys wrote.
Meanwhile, Reginald Carr’s attorneys wrote that the trial attorneys were unprepared to rebut Jonathan’s defense, which it described as “largely consisting of family members prepped to promote saving Jonathan Carr’s life over his older brother’s life.” And they further argued that DNA evidence and identification was actually stronger against Jonathan Carr.
The Kansas Supreme Court upheld their convictions in 2014 but overturned their death sentences, concluding that not having separate hearings violated the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed that decision in 2016, returning the case to the Kansas Supreme Court.
When the Kansas Supreme Court took up the brothers’ cases again, their attorneys raised questions about how their cases weren’t conducted separately when jurors were considering whether the death penalty was warranted. Other issues they raised included the instructions that were given to jurors and how closing arguments were conducted.
The Kansas court’s majority concluded that while the lower-court judge and prosecutors made errors, those errors did not warrant overturning their death sentences again.
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I-70 Drug Busts Nets One Arrest and 11 Pounds of Cocaine
WABAUNSEE COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) — One person was taken into custody after law enforcement officers intercepted more than 11 pounds of cocaine early Sunday along Interstate 70 in western Wabaunsee County. WIBW TV reports that the drug bust was made public this (MON) morning on the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. According to the post, Wabaunsee County sheriff’s deputies, along with officers from Dickinson and Marshall counties, intercepted five kilos of cocaine near Tallgrass Road, just east of the Wabaunsee-Riley county line.
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Study: Industrialization Makes Wildfires Worse
UNDATED (KNS) — New research makes clear that industrialization has made wildfires worse. Scientists say greenhouse gases cause global warming and a hotter planet translates into more dry conditions, which are ripe for wildfires in places like Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. But now, there’s something else at play: University of California scientists say the increased CO2 spurs so much plant growth that extra kindling is also a key driver of wildfires. Scientists at Kansas State University have shown that extra CO2 is one reason prairies are turning into woodland and shrub-land. That conversion is making Great Plains wildfires fiercer and harder to control.
Check out this related article about wildfires across the High Plains: A "Green Glacier" of Trees and Shrubs Is Burying Prairies,Threatening Ranchers and Wildlife
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New Federal Rule Bars Transgender School Bathroom Bans, but It Likely Isn't the Final Word
UNDATED (AP) – A new rule from President Joe Biden's administration blocking blanket policies to keep transgender students from using school bathrooms that align with their gender identity could conflict with laws in Republican-controlled states.
The clash over bathroom policy and other elements of a federal regulation finalized last week could set the stage for another wave of legal battles over how transgender kids should be treated in the U.S.
In recent years, transgender people have gained visibility and acceptance in the U.S. — and some conservative officials have pushed back.
Most GOP-controlled states now have laws reining in their rights. Measures include laws to keep transgender girls out of girls school sports, limiting which school bathrooms transgender people can use, requiring school staff to notify parents if their student identifies in school as transgender, and barring school staff from being required to use the pronouns a transgender student uses.
Most of those policies have been challenged in court.
Here's a look at the new regulation, the states' laws and what could happen next.
WHAT'S THE HEART OF THE REGULATION?
The 1,577-page regulation finalized last week seeks to clarify Title IX, the 1972 sex discrimination law originally passed to address women's rights and applies to schools and colleges that receive federal money.
The regulations, which are to take effect in August, spell out that Title IX bars discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, too.
Many Republicans say this wasn't the intent of the law.
The new rules also provide more protections to students who make accusations of sexual misconduct.
RULE CONTRADICTS BATHROOM LAWS
At least 11 states have adopted laws barring transgender girls and women from using girls' and women's bathrooms at public schools. The new regulation opposes those sweeping policies. It states that sex separation at schools isn't always unlawful. However, the separation becomes a violation of Title IX's nondiscrimination rule when it causes more than a very minor harm on a protected individual, “such as when it denies a transgender student access to a sex-separate facility or activity consistent with that student’s gender identity.” The laws are in effect in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee. A judge’s order putting enforcement on hold is in place in Idaho. A prohibition in Utah is scheduled to take effect July 1.
RULE ALLOWS PARENTAL NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
At least seven states have laws or other policies calling for schools to notify parents if their children are transgender. The regulation seems to authorize those requirements, stating that “nothing in these final regulations prevents a recipient from disclosing information about a minor child to their parent who has the legal right to receive disclosures on behalf of their child.” The requirements are already law in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana and North Carolina. The Arizona law requires schools to provide information to parents but does not specifically include details about students' gender expression or sexuality. Virginia asked schools to provide guidance to the state's school districts to adopt similar policies, though they're not written into state law.
ARE PRONOUN RESTRICTIONS LEGAL? IT DEPENDS
At least four states — Florida, Kentucky, Montana and North Dakota — have laws intended to protect from discipline teachers and/or students who won't use the pronouns transgender or nonbinary students use. The regulations wrestle with this, finding that “harassing a student — including acts of verbal, nonverbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, or hostility based on the student’s nonconformity with stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity or gender identity — can constitute discrimination on the basis of sex under Title IX in certain circumstances. ”But they also spell out that “a stray remark” does not constitute harassment and seek to protect the right of free speech.
THE BIG DEBATE: SPORTS PARTICIPATION
The new rules don't specifically mention whether states can ban transgender girls from girls sports competitions. The Biden administration has put on hold a policy that would forbid schools from having outright bans. State laws that contain such bans have been adopted in at least two dozen states in the name of preserving girls sports. But judges have paused enforcement of some of them, including in a ruling last week that applies only to one teenage athlete in West Virginia. While the new rules are not specific to sports participation, advocates on both sides believe they could apply.“ They may be saying that this doesn't address it, but through the broad language they’re using, the ultimate result is you have to allow a boy on a girls team,” said Matt Sharp, a lawyer with Alliance Defending Freedom, falsely identifying transgender girls as boys. Alliance Defending Freedom is a conservative group that has represented female athletes challenging sports participation by transgender women and girls.“ This document gives a good sense that says you can’t have a rule that says, ‘If you’re transgender, you can’t participate,’” said Harper Seldin, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
Lawsuits, probably. After the rules were unveiled last week, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti posted on X that “TN is prepared to defend Title IX & protect against unlawful regulations that redefine what sex really means.” “We absolutely plan to challenge this betrayal of women in court,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement Monday. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond submitted comments critical of the rule before it was finalized. Over the last two decades, attorneys general have frequently sued the opposing party's president over rules and executive orders. Sharp of Alliance Defending Freedom said his group is still dissecting the federal rules but does represent groups that could be affected, including female athletes and religious schools and could sue over aspects of the rules. He expects states to do the same thing. “I don’t think a lot of states want to wait until the federal government enforces this,” he said. The ACLU's Seldin said his organization will watch carefully how the rules play out. “What do theses laws and regulations mean in terms of transgender youth and transgender students who find themselves attacked in every aspect of their lives?” he asked.
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Chiefs Extend Contracts for Reid, Management Team
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) – Much remains to known about what the Kansas City Chiefs team will look like on the field in the fall but we know who the coach will be. KSHB TV reports that the Chiefs have announced contract extensions for Head Coach Andy Reid along with Chiefs President Mark Donovan and General Manager Brett Veach. The three leaders have been together since 2017 and have achieved historic success during that time with the team winning four AFC Championships and three Super Bowls, including the most recent two. Reid continues to move up the list of head coaches with the most victories in NFL history. He ranks fourth on the all-time win list with 258 and is just 44 victories behind Bill Belichick.
(-Additional Reporting-)
Chiefs Sign Coach Andy Reid, GM and Team President to Contract Extensions
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have signed coach Andy Reid, general manager Brett Veach and team president Mark Donovan to contract extensions. The team did not say how long the deals would last or provide any other details, saying in a statement only that “the leadership team of the Chiefs will remain in place for the long-term future.” On the field, the Chiefs have won seven consecutive AFC West titles, four conference championships and three Super Bowl titles, including the past two. They also have been in six consecutive AFC championship games. Off the field, the Chiefs have been able to expand their fan base and footprint internationally, particularly in places such as Germany.
“Mark, Brett and Andy have achieved historic success together, and we are thrilled that they will continue in their roles for many years to come,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. “Individually, Mark, Brett and Andy each represent the best in the National Football League at their respective positions, and together, they make up one of the finest leadership teams in all of professional sports. They have been tremendous leaders for this organization on and off the field."
On the field, the Chiefs have won seven consecutive AFC West titles, four conference championships and three Super Bowl titles, including the past two. They also have been in six consecutive AFC championship games.
They will head into next season trying to become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls. “I’m incredibly grateful to Clark and the entire Hunt family for giving me the opportunity to lead this historic franchise,” Reid said in a statement. “There have been so many people that have contributed to our success and Super Bowls, and I’m grateful to the players, coaches and staff that have all invested their time into this process."
Veach, who was largely responsible for drafting Patrick Mahomes before he was promoted to GM, has worked side-by-side with Reid to build one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. Veach has been particularly adept when it comes to the draft, selecting such stars as linebacker Nick Bolton and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie in recent years.
Donovan has been in charge of off-the-field work, such as expanding the team's international fanbase and footprint. “It is a privilege to help lead this organization’s business operations,” Donovan said. “I’m proud to be a part of a team that has had unprecedented success and look forward to creating and experiencing more historic moments with the Kingdom.”
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KC Current Owners Announce Plans for Stadium District Along the Kansas City Riverfront
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The ownership group of the Kansas City Current announced plans Monday for the development of the Missouri River waterfront, where the club recently opened a purpose-built stadium for the National Women's Soccer League team.
CPKC Stadium will serve as the hub for the project, which will break ground later this year and include residential units, public recreation and gathering spaces, and restaurant locations designed to create a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood setting.
Chris and Angie Long, part of the KC Current ownership group, said in a statement that more than $200 million in private funds have been guaranteed for the project. It is expected to exceed $800 million in total investment. “Kansas City was founded at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. With the next phase of our investment in Berkley Riverfront Park, our goal is to reconnect Kansas Citians to their riverfront, bringing even more energy and activity to the water,” Angie Long said. "We believe this foundational investment will benefit our community for years to come and cement the Berkley Riverfront as one of Kansas City’s great neighborhoods for residents and visitors alike.”
The announcement of the waterfront district, which lies on the north edge of downtown Kansas City, comes after residents in Jackson County, Missouri, voted down the extension of a sales tax initiative that would have earmarked money for the Chiefs and the Royals. The Chiefs wanted to use their share to help fund renovations to Arrowhead Stadium, while the Royals hoped to use their share to help fund a new stadium that would anchor a ballpark district at the southern edge of the downtown area.
The renderings unveiled by the KC Current show modern glass-and-stone buildings along with a promenade, and the club said the intention is for public spaces to be used year-round for movie nights, food festivals, live music and other gatherings.
The centerpiece of the project remains CPKC Stadium, which opened March 16. The $117 million stadium was almost entirely financed through private money and is believed to be the first of its size built for a women's professional sports franchise. “We are creating an experience on par with some of the best waterfront redevelopment projects in the country,” Chris Long said. “The Berkley Riverfront is the front door to Kansas City and our aim is to make it a world-class destination for all in our region.”
Marquee Development is leading the development alongside the KC Current. It has worked on projects such as Gallagher Way near Wrigley Field in Chicago, the North Loop Green in Minneapolis and FC Cincinnati's mixed-use district.
Perkins Eastman will provide the architectural designs. It has worked on waterfront projects in New York and Washington.
The club said an impact study estimated the first phase of this project would deliver more than $210 million in economic output for the city over the next 30 years. It also said a portion of the residences would be set aside for lower-income housing. “The historic development plan signed with the Current will connect Kansas Citians and visitors to entertainment, housing and retail opportunities," Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said, "generating millions in economic activity and thousands of jobs for generations to come in a long-underinvested area.”
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