Weekend Storms Slam Northeast Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Severe storms rolled across Kansas and the Midwest over the weekend knocking down trees and power lines, and causing several traffic accidents. The National Weather Service reports numerous tornadoes and funnel clouds in Kansas, including sightings in Brown, Doniphan, and Nemaha Counties in northeast Kansas on Saturday, as well as several sightings in southeast Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports that strong winds blew over several semi-trucks on Interstate 70, slowing and closing traffic in Dickinson, Geary, and Riley counties. Thousands of Kansans lost power due to the storms. Locally heavy rainfall continued to cause flooding and flash flooding in portions of eastern Kansas Sunday.
==========
President Biden Approves Federal Disaster Declaration for Kansas Related to January Storms
WASHINGTON (KPR)– The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that federal disaster assistance is available for the state of Kansas to add to recovery efforts in areas affected by a severe winter storm in January of this year. Public assistance federal funding is available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm of January 8-16, 2024. The counties eligible for this funding are Butler, Chase, Cloud, Edwards, Ford, Geary, Gray, Hodgeman, Morris, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Shawnee, Stafford, Trego and Wabaunsee.
==========
Kansas Senate Fails to Override Governor's Veto of Tax Package
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Republicans in the Kansas Senate failed Monday to override Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of major tax cuts. The Kansas News Service reports that the override failed by just one vote after some Republicans broke with leadership. Kelly and lawmakers from both parties say tax cuts are a priority. They agree on measures like eliminating taxes on social security benefits, but they’ve been unable to reach a deal on income taxes. The governor says she’ll call a special session if they’re unable to pass tax cuts. Some Republicans say the override was their last chance before they end the session. But Republican Senator Dennis Pyle, who voted against the override, says there’s still time. “I want the people of Kansas to understand, we are not done. We’re in the 9th inning,” he added. Lawmakers typically wrap up around 90 days, which will be this Thursday.
(–Additional Reporting–)
GOP Leaders Still Can't Overcome the Kansas Governor's Veto to Enact Big Tax Cuts
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators narrowly failed again Monday to enact a broad package of tax cuts over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto, making it likely that lawmakers would end their second annual session in a row without major reductions.
The state Senate voted 26-14 to override Kelly's veto of a package of income, sales and property tax cuts worth about $1.5 billion over the next three years, but that was one vote short of the necessary two-thirds majority. Three dissident Republican senators joined all 11 Democratic senators in voting no, dashing GOP leaders' hopes of flipping at least one of them after the House voted 104-15 on Friday to override Kelly's veto.
The governor called the tax plan “too expensive," suggesting it would lead to future budget problems for the state. Kelly also told fellow Democrats that she believes Kansas’ current three personal income tax rates ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share. The plan would have moved to two rates, cutting the highest rate to 5.55% from 5.7%.
Republican leaders argued that the difference in the long-term costs between the plan Kelly vetoed and a plan worth roughly $1.3 billion over three years that she proposed last week were small enough that both would have roughly the same effect on the budget over five or six years. Democrats split over the plan's fairness, with most House Democrats agreeing with most Republicans in both chambers in seeing it as a good plan for poor and working class taxpayers.
The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn for the year at the close of Tuesday's business, and Republican leaders don't plan to try again to pass a tax bill before then.
“This tax process is baked,” Senate tax committee Chair Caryn Tyson, a Republican from rural eastern Kansas, told her colleagues. “We are finished. This is the last train out of the station."
Kelly vetoed Republican tax plans in 2023 and in January that would have moved Kansas to a single personal income tax rate, something Kelly said would benefit the “super wealthy.”
Democrats and the dissident Republicans in the Senate argued that the House and Senate could negotiate a new tax plan along the lines of what Kelly proposed last week and dump it into an existing bill for up-or-down votes in both chambers — in a single day, if GOP leaders were willing.
Dissident GOP Sen. Dennis Pyle, from the state's northeastern corner, said lawmakers were making progress. Top Republicans had backed off their push for a single-rate personal income tax and both bills Kelly vetoed this year would have exempted retirees Social Security benefits from state income taxes, when those taxes now kick in when they earn $75,000 a year or more.
Kelly herself declared in her January veto message that to enact tax relief, “I'll call a special session if I have to.”
“Just look at how far we've come,” Pyle told his colleagues. “Our work is not finished.”
The bill Kelly vetoed also would have reduced the state’s property taxes for public schools, saving the owner of a $250,000 home about $142 a year. It would have eliminated an already set-to-expire 2% sales tax on groceries six months early, on July 1. The governor backed those provisions, along with the exemptions for Social Security benefits.
==========
Kansas House Votes to Override Some Gubernatorial Vetoes of Abortion Bills
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas House legislators have voted to override some of Governor Laura Kelly’s vetoes of abortion bills. The Kansas News Service reports that House legislators voted to override Kelly’s veto on a bill that would require medical facilities and providers to report the reasons for abortions they perform to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Also, House legislators voted to override the governor’s veto on a bill that would make coercing a person into getting an abortion a felony crime. To become law, these bills will need to go through another round of override votes in the Senate.
==========
UPDATE: Backers of a Ban on Gender Care for Minors in Kansas Fail to Override the Governor's Veto
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas failed Monday to override the Democratic governor's veto of a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
The vote was 82-43 in the state House to reverse Gov. Laura Kelly's veto, but that was two votes shy of the necessary two-thirds majority.
Two Republicans who'd backed the bill earlier voted against overriding the veto, citing their concerns about provisions that included one that would have barred state employees from advocating social transitioning for transgender youth.
The House's vote came after the Senate voted 27-13 to override the veto, with the exact two-thirds majority required in that chamber.
Under the bill, social transitioning includes “the changing of an individual’s preferred pronouns or manner of dress,” and the rule against promoting it would have applied to state workers who care for children. The measure doesn’t spell out what constitutes promoting it.
The vote in the House was expected to be close after LGBTQ+ rights advocates raised questions about whether the provision against promoting social transitioning is written broadly enough to apply to public school teachers who show empathy for transgender students.
The bill is part of a broader push to roll back transgender rights from Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the U.S. Kansas would have been the 25th state to restrict or ban such care for minors, and this week the South Carolina Senate expected to debate a similar measure that already has passed the state House.
“Unfortunately, in today’s society, the predator in particular is a woke health care system,” said Republican state Sen. Mark Steffen, a central Kansas anesthesiologist and pain management specialist.
Like other Republicans across the U.S., Steffen and other GOP lawmakers in Kansas argued that they're protecting children struggling with their gender identities from being pushed into health care that the lawmakers see as experimental and potentially harmful. But that puts them at odds with the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other major U.S. medical groups.
LGBTQ+ rights groups such as Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and Equality Kansas have stopped short of saying they would challenge the new law in court, but they've said they believe the provisions preventing state employees from advocating social transitioning violates their free speech rights. They've said that provision makes the Kansas law more sweeping than laws in other states.
Other critics argued that enacting such a ban sends a message that transgender residents aren't welcome. When Kelly vetoed a similar ban last year, she suggested that it would hurt the state's business climate.
“This is not the message we want to send to Americans about the welcoming opportunities that Kansas has,” said state Sen. Tom Holland, a northeastern Kansas Democrat.
About 300,000 youths ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender in the U.S., according to estimates by the Williams Institute, an LGBTQ+ research center at UCLA Law. It estimates that in Kansas, about 2,100 youths in that age group identify as transgender.
Republican lawmakers last year enacted laws barring transgender girls and women from female college and K-12 sports teams and ending legal recognition of transgender residents' gender identities. Transgender residents no longer can change the listing for “sex” on their driver's licenses or birth certificates to match their gender identities, something Kelly's administration had allowed.
“I do feel like there’s a genuine fear about me and what my body means, when I’m very happy,” Isaac Johnson, who is transgender and just finished a social work internship in Topeka’s public schools, said during a recent Statehouse news conference.
Transgender youth, parents of transgender children and dozens of medical and mental health providers all described gender-affirming care as life-saving and argued that it lessens severe depression and suicidal tendencies among transgender youth. At least 200 health care providers signed a letter to lawmakers opposing a veto override.
==========
Kansas Won't Have Legal Medical Marijuana or Expand Medicaid for at Least Another Year
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will remain among the handful of states that haven't legalized the medical use of marijuana or expanded their Medicaid programs for at least another year.
Republican state senators on Friday blocked efforts to force debates on both issues before the GOP-controlled Legislature's scheduled adjournment for the year Tuesday. Supporters of each measure fell short of the 24 of 40 votes required to pull a bill on each subject out of committee.
Backers of both proposals argue that they have popular support yet have been thwarted going on a decade in each case. Kansas doesn't allow voters to put proposed laws on the ballot statewide, a path that has led to approval for each measure in other states.
All but 12 states have legalized medical marijuana, and all but 10 have expanded Medicaid in line with the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act and its promise to cover almost all of the cost. Besides Kansas, only Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming have done neither, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. “We're behind the times,” state Sen. John Doll, a western Kansas Republican who voted for both measures, said after Friday's votes.
Republican leaders had expected both efforts to fail, given the GOP's 29-11 Senate majority, and viewed them largely as political grandstanding. The medical marijuana vote was 12-25, with three senators absent. Law enforcement officials oppose the idea, seeing medical marijuana as likely to be close to legalizing recreational use.
During committee testimony earlier this year, opponents also pointed to Oklahoma officials' frustration with the legalization of medical marijuana by ballot initiative there in 2018. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, has said the explosive growth of the marijuana industry under a lax law has attracted an influx of criminals and foreign nationals for illegal black-market operations. "We had no idea we were going to have 10,000 growers, way more than they have in California and all these other states, and anybody with a hangnail could get a medical card," Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said. But Oklahoma also received nearly $52 million in revenue from its excise tax on marijuana and an additional $67 million in state and local sales taxes in 2023.
Cheryl Kumberg, a registered western Kansas nurse and president of the Kansas Cannabis Coalition, said Oklahoma's problems stem from its lax law. She said Kansas residents who can get cannabis from other states are using it, risking legal issues to address their medical problems. “It’s ridiculous,” she said. “I can go 45 minutes one way, a couple hours in the other direction, and you can just you can just use it however you want.”
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly even linked medical marijuana to Medicaid expansion in 2021, unsuccessfully pitching marijuana taxes to cover the state's relatively small share of the cost of expanding Medicaid health coverage to another 150,000 people.
The Medicaid expansion vote Friday was 18-17 despite months of aggressive public campaigning by Kelly and other expansion advocates. In early January, she said she was taking a “more political approach” and suggested plans to hit anti-expansion Republicans hard during the fall campaign. She backed off that idea this month, telling reporters after one pro-expansion event, “Whether it's an election year or not — that's irrelevant.”
But last year, Kelly formed the Middle of the Road political action committee, and it raised nearly $1 million by the end December for elections this year for all legislative seats. Also last year, two former Kelly campaign aides helped form a nonprofit advocacy group, the Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, to back the governor's goals. That group put out a post-vote statement suggesting that a no vote was a vote against lowering health care costs and helping rural hospitals.
But Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said before the vote that he wasn't expecting Medicaid expansion to become a major campaign issue. He dismissed surveys and polling that expansion supporters released showing its popularity as “just based on how the question is asked.”
"If you ask them, 'Do you want able-bodied people to get free health care?” people will vote no," Masterson said, repeating a common GOP argument.
==========
Overdose Addition to Kansas Good Samaritan Law Awaits Governor's Signature
UNDATED (KNS) – A bill to include drug overdoses in the state's Good Samaritan law is now awaiting the governor’s signature. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill would protect most people from prosecution if they call 911 to get medical attention for someone who’s experiencing an overdose. The bill was amended to not protect people on parole or probation if they call for help. Advocates say the proposed law will allow people to feel more comfortable about calling for help without fear of prosecution for being in possession of an illegal substance. Kansas is one of two states without a Good Samaritan overdose law.
==========
Federal Prosecutor Terra Morehead Disbarred
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – The Kansas Supreme Court has officially disbarred a federal prosecutor. KCUR reports that the action taken by the high court to disbar Terra Morehead on Friday was expected. She agreed earlier this month to turn over her law license as part of a deal with a Kansas disciplinary board. Morehead was a Wyandotte County prosecutor during the 1990s who became known for allegedly helping former KCK Police Detective Roger Golubski frame an innocent man who spent 23 years in prison. While in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas, Morehead was accused of threatening witnesses and concealing evidence. Morehead retired from the U.S. Attorney’s office last year. (Read more.)
==========
Kansas Farmers, Officials, Work to Mitigate Bird Flu Spread in Dairy Cattle
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas dairy farmers and health officials are trying to mitigate the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as the bird flu. The Kansas News Service reports that the virus was discovered in Kansas dairy cattle for the first time in late March. Following a federal order, dairy cows are required to test negative for the virus before being transported across state lines. Dr. Justin Smith is with the Kansas Department of Agriculture. He says so far, 4 herds in Kansas have the virus, and those cattle have mostly recovered. Smith says regardless, dairy farmers need to stay alert. “It's highly important that these dairies, you know, step up their biosecurity, if they're bringing in new animals that we ask that they, you know, isolate those animals,” he added. One person, a Texas dairy worker, has tested positive for the virus since the outbreak began. Smith says the risk to the public remains low.
==========
Family of a Black Teen Who Was Shot After Ringing the Wrong Doorbell Files Lawsuit Against Homeowner
UNDATED (AP) – The family of a Black teenager who was shot by a white homeowner when he mistakenly went to the wrong Kansas City, Missouri, address filed a lawsuit Monday, described by the family's attorney as an attempt to put pressure on the criminal trial later this year.
The complaint, filed by Cleo Nagbe on behalf of her son, Ralph Yarl, alleges that Andrew Lester, 84, was negligent when he shot the 16-year-old without warning more than a year ago, on April 13. It states that Yarl suffered and sustained permanent injuries, as well as pain and suffering, as a direct result of Lester's actions.
Lee Merritt, the family’s attorney, said the civil suit is to “give the family a chance to be in the driver’s seat in pursuing justice for Ralph” as the state’s criminal case against Lester unfolds.
Lester pleaded not guilty in September 2023. The trial was scheduled to begin more than a year later on October 7, 2024.
Lester’s attorney in the criminal case, Steve Salmon, said he is evaluating the civil complaint and will discuss it with Lester. He said at a preliminary hearing for the criminal case that Lester was acting in self-defense, terrified by the stranger who knocked on his door as he settled into bed for the night.
“The suit is based on what he has said,” Merritt told The Associated Press. “If he’s saying, ‘I mistakenly thought this person was a robber,’ we’re saying that’s negligence. You weren’t paying close enough attention. Everybody who rings your doorbell can’t be a robber.”
Yarl mixed up the street name of the house where he was sent to pick up his siblings. Yarl testified at the hearing that he rang the doorbell and then reached for the storm door as Lester opened the inner door. Lester told him, “Don’t come here ever again,” Yarl recalled.
He said he was shot in the head, the impact knocking him to the ground, and was then shot in the arm.
The case, which drew international attention, animated national debates about gun policies and race in America.
In a statement, Nagbe said the shooting “not only shattered our family but also exposed a critical gap in our societal fabric, where the safety of our children is jeopardized by reckless actions.”
The lawsuit also names the homeowner’s association, Highland Acres Homes Association, Inc., as a defendant. The association did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
Merritt said the family is aware the litigation might be delayed pending the outcome of the criminal case but wanted to still begin the process. He cited state law that allows the victim access to the criminal case records that has not yet been satisfied, as the prosecutor seeks clarification from the judge on the case’s gag order.
Yarl was “uniquely resilient” after the shooting, Merritt said, but “his resiliency has kind of grown into some impatience with being the person who was shot a year ago.”
“He doesn’t want to be that person,” Merritt said. “He wants to be an amazing band player, a good friend, a student, a rising college student.”
==========
Derek Schmidt to Run for Congressional Seat
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Former state Attorney General Derek Schmidt Friday announced a run for the second congressional district in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that Schmidt is the highest profile Republican to enter the race since U.S. Representative Jake LaTurner announced he would not seek another term. Schmidt served as Kansas attorney general for 12 years before running against Democratic Governor Laura Kelly in 2022. He ultimately lost that race by 2 percent of the vote. LaTurner’s former senior advisor Jeff Kahrs is also running for the Republican nomination. On the Democratic side, Elgin Woody IV has filed for the race but says he will withdraw and run for the Kansas Legislature instead.
==========
Attorney Dakota Loomis Announces Bid for Douglas County DA
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) - Baldwin City Prosecutor Dakota Loomis has announced plans to run as a Democrat for Douglas County district attorney. The Lawrence Times reports that incumbent DA Suzanne Valdez and Tonda Hill, a prosecutor in Wyandotte County, have also filed to run for the seat. The three — and anyone else who might file for the seat before the deadline of June 3 — will face off in the Democratic primary election on Aug. 6. No Republicans have filed for the seat so far. Loomis is 43-years-old and is a native of Lawrence. He graduated from New York University School of Law. He lives in Lawrence with his wife and daughters. The announcement comes after a panel of attorneys released their final report last week on disciplinary matter against current DA Suzanne Valdez. The panel is recommending she face a public censure for comments she made about the county’s chief judge, but the Kansas Supreme Court will make the final decision in the case.
==========
KCPD Officer Facing Charges of Embezzling from Anti-Crime Charity
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCStar) - A Kansas City, Missouri police officer is facing 16 felonies, including wire fraud and money laundering, for allegedly collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in the name of an anti-crime charity then spending the money on himself. The Kansas City Star reports that 46-year-old Aaron Wayne McKie has been indicted on charges of for allegedly stealing more than $300,000 over a period of 14 years. McKie was arrested after the federal indictment was unsealed Friday. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bond. McKie joined KCPD in 2000 and was president of the non-profit group Mid-America Crime Free, which was created to promote anti-crime programs. Authorities allege that McKie defrauded the charity throughout his tenure, skimming hundreds of thousands of dollars and allegedly spending the money on travel, entertainment, and luxury merchandise.
==========
Lawrence Commission Approves Rezoning of Land Near Baker Wetlands
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) - Nearly 200 acres next to rare wetland habitat just south of Lawrence could become a housing and business development. Last month, the Lawrence city commission approved rezoning for 177 acres just west of the Baker wetlands to potentially be developed. Now a private developer wants to buy 16 acres of the property to build housing next to the wetland parking lot and discovery center. Baker University owns the Baker Wetlands, home to hundreds of plant and animal species. University officials say they are evaluating the offer. Baker says the 16 acres being considered for development are not actually wetland and not positioned within the floodplain. The Lawrence Times reports that environmental groups oppose developing the area and have expressed concern about the sale and, what they say, is a lack of public engagement in the process.
==========
Barber County Officials Break Ground on Utility-Scale Solar Project
PIXLEY, Kan. (KNS) - Barber County officials have broken ground on the state’s first large scale solar project in south central Kansas. Once completed, the 190 megawatt project will be able to power more than 40,000 homes. Solar energy production in Kansas increased by 29% in 2023, and more growth is expected in the coming years. Almost half of the energy in the state now comes from renewable sources. But Kimberly Svaty, public policy director for renewable energy in Kansas, says there also has been more opposition to solar projects in the past couple of years. “We work very closely with landowners to make sure that we are caring for their ground, we are just guests on their ground.” Svaty says bridging the gap between local communities and renewable energy can bring more investment into rural Kansas. The Pixley Solar Energy Center in Barber County is targeted to begin operating in 2025. Pixley is in south-cemtral Kansas, about 100 miles southwest of Wichita.
==========
Kansas Senator Calls for Action After Reports of Official Misconduct at Haskell University
LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas is calling for changes to the oversight of Native American educational institutions. Moran sent a letter to the Department of the Interior after the release of a report detailing serious problems at Haskell Indian Nations University including misconduct by leadership, a lack of safeguards against sexual assault, and improper treatment of university employees. WIBW TV reports that the Bureau of Indian Education investigated several allegations against the University’s administrators. Students at Haskell say they submitted claims of sexual assault, harassment and abuses of power to university administrators, but did not see any action taken. Moran is calling for an overhaul of the Bureau of Indian Education to create more transparency and accountability within the agency.
=========
Kansas Governor Signs Law Tightening Rules on Civil Forfeiture
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – People who have their property taken by Kansas police will soon have a better chance at getting it back. The Kansas News Service reports that Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has signed a new law tightening rules on civil asset forfeiture. The changes include raising the legal standard for forfeitures, speeding up the court process and forcing the return of seized property faster. It also denies forfeiture in cases of lower level crimes like simple possession of drugs. Sam MacRoberts of the Kansas Justice Institute says it was previously too easy for police to take property and cash from people, even if they are not charged with a crime. “We think this is a really good start to cut down on the more abusive forfeiture cases,” he said. The bill received broad bipartisan support in the Legislature. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation had opposed some proposals but supported the final bill that became law. (Read more about this story.)
==========
KU Faculty and Academic Staff Vote to Join Labor Union
UNDATED (KNS) – More than 1,500 professors, researchers and librarians at the University of Kansas will be represented by a labor union. The Kansas News Service reports that faculty and academic staff voted Thursday to form the union. More than 85% of the vote was in favor of the new organization that will bargain on behalf of the employees. Organizers pointed to wages, job security and academic freedom as driving factors for the union. Berl Oakley, a molecular biologist at KU, says the union gives employees a voice. “This will give us more of a say in what the university does.” The union will next focus on negotiating its first contract. A university spokesperson says administrators look forward to working with the union.
==========
Kansas Approved for Federal Funding to Expand Internet Access
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas is among the first states to be approved for the latest round of federal funding to increase internet access for everyone. The Kansas News Service reports that the $452 million should help connect more underserved Kansans. With new updates in technology, people should be more connected than ever. But many rural Kansans are left out when it comes to reliable internet access That’s where this federal funding comes in: State officials will use it to build fiber-optic and wireless infrastructure across the state. Jade Piros de Carvalho, director of broadband development for Kansas, says one of the requirements of the program is to keep costs low for internet users. “It doesn't do any bit of good to have infrastructure running past your home if you can't afford to take advantage of it, ” she added. The next step will be to designate funding to applicants that will bid to provide service in the state. Efforts will focus on western and southeast Kansas, where service is needed the most.
==========
Kansas GOP Senator Calls for Action on Farm Bill
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran is calling on his colleagues to pass a new Farm Bill. The bill is typically updated every five years. It helps support farmers and food producers, as well as providing funding for crop insurance and conservation initiatives. The Kansas News Service reports Moran said Thursday in Wichita that some members of the agriculture committee are satisfied with extending funding for the bill and are not interested in creating a new one. “We need a new farm bill to take into account the new circumstances that farmers are facing. And those…circumstances are pretty damning in the cost of production, and the reduction in income,” he added. Moran says the new bill needs to address issues such as drought and inflation. Lawmakers passed an extension of the 2018 farm bill last year, which is set to expire in September.
==========
Riley County Police Apprehend Kidnapping Suspect
RILEY COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) - A suspect has been taken into custody following an armed kidnapping in Riley County and a high speed chase on Interstate 70. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports they were called in by the Riley County Police Department after the suspect fled eastbound on I-70 toward Kansas City. He was apprehended after, troopers deployed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention maneuver. KHP reports the victim escaped from the kidnapper before the arrest and is safe. The Kansas Highway Patrol was assisted by the Bonner Springs and Kansas City, Kansas police departments.
==========
Hunter Dickinson Announces His Return to KU for a Final Season
UNDATED (AP) – University of Kansas star center Hunter Dickinson announced Friday he would return for a final season with the Jayhawks.
Coach Bill Self also announced he has signed a fourth player from the transfer portal in Rylan Griffen, a starter on the Alabama team that reached the NCAA Final Four.
Dickinson was a first-team All-Big 12 pick and conference newcomer of the year after averaging 17.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in his first season with the Jayhawks after transferring from Michigan.
“Yeah you're right coach. I guess it's time to tell everyone I'm coming back! Rock Chalk!” Dickinson wrote on social media.
Griffen started 33 of 37 games and averaged 11.2 points per game for Alabama. He should help a KU offense that ranked 11th in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting.
“Rylan’s won everywhere he’s been,” Self said. “He’s a solid shooter, making 39% from 3-point range on last season’s Final Four team at Alabama. He’s also a solid defender, often guarding the best perimeter player on the opposing team. Rylan fits our system well.”
Griffen scored a career-high 21 points twice last season, against Missouri and at Kentucky. He had 19 games of 10 or more points and had 10 games where he made at least three 3s.
The Jayhawks also have signed AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Riley Kugel (Florida) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State).
“We’ve had a lot of good things happen since the end of the season and Hunter coming back has definitely added to that," Self said. "Hunter made a huge impact on our team last year. He played and fought through injuries and was still one of the most consistent players in the Big 12 and nationally. Not only is Hunter a terrific player, he’s a great leader and teammate. We expect him to contend for first-team All-American next season.”
==========
Kansas City Chiefs and All-Pro Tight End Travis Kelce Agree to 2-Year Extension Through 2027 Season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs signed Travis Kelce to a two-year contract extension Monday that general manager Brett Veach said would make him the league's highest-paid tight end while keeping him with the Super Bowl champions through the 2027 season.
Kelce signed a four-year, $57.25 million extension with Kansas City in 2020, which followed a $46 million, five-year deal that he signed in 2016. The new extension would keep the 34-year-old Kelce with the club until he is 38 years old.
Veach did not provide a financial breakdown of the latest extension, but he did call it a priority to “adjust his contract” and that “it is very fitting that Travis is now the highest-paid tight end in these two years.”
“Hard to put into words what Travis means to this organization and this city,” Veach told local reporters on Zoom. “Just a really special day and moment for this organization to once again recognize arguably one of the greatest tight ends to ever do it.”
Kelce, who was chosen by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 draft, already is their career leader with 11,328 yards receiving. He needs eight receptions to reach 917 and pass Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez for that record, and three touchdown catches would give him 77, dropping Gonzalez to No. 2 on that franchise list.
Most importantly, Kelce has helped Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowls and three titles in the past five years.
“Every now and then you have one of these guys that are outliers,” Veach said, “and Travis is one of those players. It's not even May yet and today we had a chance to get out there in phase two (off the offseason) and Travis was the first one in line.”
It's not just on the field where Kelce is a star, either.
His relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift has taken him to another level of celebrity, while appearances on shows such as “Saturday Night Live” have helped to make him a household name. He hosts one of the most popular podcasts across several genres with his brother and former Eagles center Jason Kelce, and he will soon host a quiz show on Amazon Prime.
But it all began on the field, where Kelce has long been considered one of the best tight ends in the game.
He missed the season opener with a knee injury last season, and he skipped the regular-season finale when the Chiefs already were assured of their playoff seeding. Those two games cost him the chance to extend his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to eight; he finished with 984 yards on 93 catches with five touchdown receptions.
When the postseason rolled around, Kelce once again took his performance to another level.
He had seven catches for 71 yards in a wild-card win over Miami, the fourth-coldest game in NFL history. He had five catches for 75 yards and two scores in a divisional win in Buffalo. He had 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the AFC title game in Baltimore, and capped it all with nine catches for 93 yards in the Super Bowl against San Francisco.
Along the way, Kelce batted down rumors of retirement, saying: “I have no reason to stop playing football. I love it.”
“The odds of someone playing this far into their 30s is low,” Veach acknowledged, “but it does happen. There are unicorns in the profession and Travis is one of those. He's shown no signs of slowing down.”
The extension for Kelce comes one week after the Chiefs announced they had signed Veach, coach Andy Reid team president Mark Donovan to contract extensions. The team did not say how long those deals would last, but they are expected to keep the three most central leadership figures with the franchise through the 2029 season.
Patrick Mahomes, whom Kelce considers one of his closest friends, is under contract through the 2031 season. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, the third piece of their three-player core, signed a five-year, $158.75 million deal in March.
Along with rewarding Kelce for his continued superlative play, Veach pointed to several young players who will be due contract extensions in the next couple of years as another reason for getting the tight end's long-term situation sorted out.
“We do have some younger guys coming up and like always, once the draft settles down, we’ll have a chance to address that,” he said. “Travis is an outlier here. We all know that. When you talk about Travis and his career and his legacy here, this is something we wanted to knock out of the park early on and shift our focus onto the young guys coming up.”
==========
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, Twitter, whatever.