Kansas Becomes First in the Nation to Adopt New Option for Teens in Foster Care
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Hundreds of Kansas foster children face aging out of the state’s care at age 18 without a family or a safety net. That can lead to issues like homelessness. A new state law aims to help by letting teenage foster children choose a relative or close friend to serve as their permanent custodian. (Read more.)
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KDHE Changes Spill Reporting Requirements
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Small spills of pollutants will no longer have to be reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment under a new state policy. KMUW reports that historically, the state has required spills of any size to be reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). But in 2021, the legislature directed the KDHE to set minimum quantities on spills that must be called in. This spring, the agency finalized the new standards, which are the same as the federal government's. The KDHE says under the new rules, responsible parties still have to clean up spills that are too small to be reported. But some Wichita residents who live in areas impacted by pollution worry the change could allow small spills to go untreated. (Read more.)
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USDA Program to Provide Free Meals for Kids Through Summer Months
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Some schools and other sites across Kansas will offer free meals for kids this summer through a program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Kansas News Service reports that summer can be a hungry time for kids who rely on free meals at school. But again this summer, hundreds of sites across Kansas are serving free meals to anyone 18 or younger. Adrea Katzenmeier with the Wichita school district says the summer food program ensures that children won’t go hungry. Many sites serve breakfast and lunch. “That’s what we’re about, we’re about feeding kids. Some kids don’t have food at home, and this gives them the opportunity to have free food,” she explained. The meals are free for any child, and there’s no qualifying paperwork. To find a site in your area, call 866-3-HUNGRY, or text “food” to 304304.
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Body of Newborn Infant Found at Recreation Area in Northwest Missouri
MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) — Police are investigating after the body of a newborn infant was found at a recreation area in northwest Missouri. The body of the newborn was found Saturday at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park in Maryville. Police Chief Mike Stolte said a park employee found the remains while performing routine maintenance in a remote area of the park. Police say the cause of death has not been determined. No additional information has been released.
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Kansas Workshops Held to Discuss Bird Flu, Livestock Industry
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KND) - The nation's livestock industry is concerned about recent reports of avian influenza. Dairy famers are especially concerned. This Thursday (May 30) in Manhattan, the Kansas Department of Agriculture will present a series of workshops to talk about such concerns. Justin Smith, animal health commissioner for KDA, says eight workshops are scheduled this summer across Kansas. He says the workshops are split into two parts - an afternoon session for county officials and an evening session for veterinarians and farmers. Smith says they’ll discuss things like highly pathogenic avian influenza, or the bird flu, and how to manage it, as well as other types of emergency management for livestock. He says they’ll also leave room to hear from attendees. “We want these regional meetings to be a conversation. So we'll get feedback from them about what you know is concerning to them and and what we need to be addressing. ” The first workshop is in Manhattan. The workshops are free to attend but registration on KDA’s website is required.
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This Year's Kansas Wheat Harvest Will Be a Lot Better than Last Year's
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - This year's Kansas wheat crop is now projected to be better than previously thought. This year's crop could be the best since 2021. Better-than-average yields are projected and now, the experts say Kansas wheat farmers could harvest 290 million bushels. Aaron Harries, with the Kansas Wheat Commission, says this year's harvest will be much better, adding that "...last year, we were down around 200 million bushels, so... a significant improvement over that." But by Kansas standards, it's not a cause for celebration. The harvest is still expected to be about 20 million bushels below the five-year Kansas average.
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Experts Warn of Harmful Bites During Summer Tick Season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Ticks drink the blood of humans and other mammals and they can carry serious, sometimes deadly diseases. KCUR reports that ticks are especially prevalent in summer months. In Missouri and Kansas there are three common ticks to watch out for: the American dog tick, the Lone Star Tick, and the deer tick. Stephanie Kemp is Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center’s Assistant Manager. She says it’s important to protect yourself from bites. “When you're checking for ticks on your body. Look around your hairline, around your ears, your underarm area. Anywhere where clothing is going to be tight to the skin,” she warned. Kemp says to consult a doctor if you experience symptoms of tick-borne illness.
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Survey: Wichita Teachers Concerned About District
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - Wichita has the state's largest school district and nearly two-thirds of the teachers who work there think the district is headed in the wrong direction. Research conducted by a Wichita State University professor also shows educators are frustrated by student behavior and a perceived lowering of standards.
Katie Warren heads United Teachers of Wichita, which commissioned the study. She says teachers need resources to achieve the district’s goals. “It’s nice to be able to say, ‘We’re going to do this, this and this.’ But then, how is this going to impact their workload? How are we going to support them with these changes?," she said. Less than half of those surveyed said they support the district’s strategic plan, which focuses on raising graduation rates and preparing students for college or careers.
Wichita Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld says results likely were affected by timing. The email survey went out while the district was considering budget cuts and school closures. “I think the community will see we’re trying to meet the needs of the stakeholders - of the parents and the business industry and the community in general," Bielefeld said.
The survey also shows most Wichita teachers have positive perceptions of the school where they work and that they plan to stay. Most also said they have a positive view of the district as a whole.
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Remembering the First U.S. Monkey to Fly into Space: Miss Able, from Southeast Kansas
UNDATED (KPR) - It was on this date, 65 years ago, that a Kansas-born monkey was placed inside a rocket and launched into space. On May 28, 1959, the U.S. Army launched Miss Able, a rhesus monkey, and Miss Baker, a squirrel monkey, into orbit. Miss Able was born on Monkey Island... at the Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence, Kansas. The two monkeys were placed aboard a Jupiter missile for their mission. Both primates survived the flight, but Miss Able - the Kansas-born monkey - died a few days later. During an operation to remove an infected electrode, she died from a reaction to the anesthesia.
Dozens of non-human primates flew in the U.S. space program, but the first monkeys sent into space by the U.S. were Miss Able and Miss Baker, 65 years ago today.
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Voter Outreach Groups Targeted by New Laws in Several GOP-Led States Struggle to Do Their Work
WASHINGTON (AP) — During the presidential election four years ago, the Equal Ground Education Fund hired over 100 people to go door-to-door and attend festivals, college homecomings and other events to help register voters across Florida. Their efforts for this year's elections look much different.
A state law passed last year forced them to stop in-person voter registration, cut staff and led to a significant drop in funding. Organizers aren't sure how robust their operations will be in the fall.
Genesis Robinson, the group's interim executive director, said the law has had a “tremendous impact” on its ability to host events and get into communities to engage directly with potential voters.
“Prior to all of these changes, we were able to operate in a space where we were taking action and prepare our communities and make sure they were registered to vote — and help if they weren’t,” he said.
Florida is one of several states, including Kansas, Missouri and Texas, where Republicans have enacted voting restrictions since 2021 that created or enhanced criminal penalties and fines for those who assist voters. The laws have forced some voter outreach groups to cease operations, while others have greatly altered or reduced their activities.
The Florida law, signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last May, imposed a $50,000 fine on third-party voter registration organizations if the staff or volunteers who handle or collect the forms have been convicted of a felony or are not U.S. citizens. It also raised the fines the groups could face, from $1,000 to $250,000, and reduced the amount of time they are able to return registration applications from 14 days to 10 days.
A federal judge blocked portions of the law earlier this month, including the one targeting felons and those who are not citizens. Even so, the law had a direct effect on the operations of Equal Ground and other voter advocacy organizations in the state before the ruling.
The League of Women Voters in Florida, one of the plaintiffs, shifted away from in-person voter registration to digital outreach. Cecile Scoon, the league's co-president, said the law stripped the personal connection between its workers and communities. Digital tools aren’t easy to use when registering voters and can be expensive, she said.
These organizations are needed because local election officials don't always provide adequate support and information, said Derby Johnson, a voter in Ormond Beach who attended a recent community event in Daytona Beach organized by Equal Ground. He said it appeared the Florida Legislature was just trying to make it harder for certain communities to register and cast ballots.
“There are parties actively working to suppress the vote, particularly in Black and brown communities, and these groups help educate and register voters to mitigate that," she said.
MOVE Texas, a voting rights group that focuses on voters who are 30 or younger, adjusted to that state's 2021 election overhaul with additional training for their staff and volunteers. Among the provisions drawing concern was one that increased criminal penalties for anyone who receives compensation for assisting a voter, which especially affected the ability to recruit high school and college students for voter registration drives.
“The law contributed to this culture of fear in our elections and being a person who registers voters," said Stephanie Gomez, the group’s political director.
Republicans in Kansas overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to pass a bill that made it a felony if anyone registering voters impersonated or was assumed to impersonate an election official.
That forced Loud Light Kansas, a voter outreach group that focuses on minority communities, to stop its registration efforts. Would-be voters typically perceived their staff and volunteers as election workers even when told otherwise, said Anita Alexander, the organization's vice president.
“We’re trying to engage impacted people, but we weren’t willing to risk anyone getting charged by doing voter engagement work," she said.
Loud Light and other local voter registration groups sued the Legislature. The Democratic governor said there has been no evidence in the state of widespread voter fraud or instances of individuals impersonating election officials.
In Missouri, the state chapter of the League of Women Voters and the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP sued after the state enacted wide-ranging election legislation in 2022.
Among other things, the new law bans compensation for those who register voters and requires that anyone who helps more than 10 people register must also register with the secretary of state’s office and be a voter themselves. Violators can face criminal penalties.
The completed secretary of state’s forms are public, which presents a privacy concern for many people who might otherwise want to help with voter registration efforts, said Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition.
“Historically, when those membership lists have been obtained, they’ve been used to intimidate. So, there’s a lot of trepidation, especially in groups that are targeting low-income or communities of color,” she said. “If you just want to volunteer for one hour on a Saturday morning to help out on your college campus or on an Earth Day or anything, you have to go through this whole process.”
The Missouri law is on hold while the legal challenge plays out, with a trial set for August.
Voting rights experts expect to see continued attempts to restrict voting and the activities of voter outreach groups in Republican-controlled states, said Megan Bellamy, vice president of law and policy at the Voting Rights Lab.
"The effort to target third-party voter registration groups is just, unfortunately, one of many policy areas that state legislatures are moving to address,” she said.
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Seven Parachute to Safety Before Plane Crashes in Western Missouri
BUTLER, Mo. (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident in western Missouri where a plane crashed but all seven people on board survived by parachuting out of the plane. It all happened at the Butler airport, about 65 miles south of Kansas City, over the weekend. Six parachuters and the pilot jumped to safety just before their small plane crashed into a hay field. The Bates County Sheriff’s Office says the plane went down Saturday afternoon near Butler Memorial Airport. Seven people were aboard but fortunately, they were on a recreational skydiving excursion and were all wearing parachutes. All six passengers and the pilot were all able to jump to safety. The plane was a total loss. The wreckage was found in a field east of the runways at Butler Memorial Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a single-engine Cessna.
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K-State Selected to Play in NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
UNDATED (USA Today) – Kansas State University has been selected to play in the NCAA Division I College Baseball Tournament as one of 64 invited teams. The Wildcats will play on Friday, May 31, in the Fayetteville, Arkansas regional bracket. K-State enters the tournament with a 32-24 record. The KU Jayhawks did not receive a bid. The eight top teams in the tournament will play in the double-elimination College World Series in Omaha beginning June 14th, with the top two playing in the best-of-three College World Series final beginning June 22.
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Kansas City Chiefs Visit White House Friday
WASHINGTON (KPR) — The Kansas City Chiefs will visit the White House Friday. It will be the team's second trip to the White House in two years. The reigning Super Bowl champions also won the previous Super Bowl and visited the White House in June of last year. The Chiefs will visit the nation's capital May 31. No further details were released by the White House.
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Jackie Robinson Rebuilt in Bronze in Colorado After Theft of Statue from Wichita Park
LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) — As he coats a mold of Jackie Robinson with wax, metalsmith Alex Haines reflected on the extra importance of a project that will soon give the city of Wichita a replacement bronze statue of the baseball icon after thieves brazenly destroyed the original.
“Many sculptures come through here,” said Haines at the Art Castings studio in Loveland, Colorado, where the original statue was cast. “Some are a little bit more important than others. And this is definitely one of them.”
It all started in January, when thieves cut the original statue off at its ankles , leaving only Robinson’s cleats behind at McAdams Park in Wichita. About 600 children play there in a youth baseball league called League 42. It is named after Robinson’s uniform number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he broke the major league's color barrier in 1947.
The news spread wide, and a national outpouring of donations followed that enabled Wichita to quickly reorder a replacement.
“There’s been a lot of serendipity when it comes to League 42 throughout our entire existence,” said Bob Lutz, who is executive director of the Little League nonprofit that commissioned the statue. “It’s almost like there’s somebody watching out for us. And certainly, in this regard, we feel like...there was a guardian angel making sure that we could do this statue again.”
As news spread of the theft, the nonprofit was flooded with an estimated $450,000 to $500,000 in donations. That includes a $100,000 gift from Major League Baseball, which will cover the statue’s $45,000 replacement cost and other improvements, including landscaping and adding decorative bollards that will keep people from driving too close to the statue.
The rest of the money raised will go toward enhancing some of the nonprofit's programming and facilities. Last year, the group opened the Leslie Rudd Learning Center, which includes an indoor baseball facility and a learning lab. There might even be enough money to add artificial turf and more lighting, Lutz said.
Another blessing for Lutz is that the replacement will look exactly like the original, which was created by his friend, the artist John Parsons, before his death in 2022 at the age of 67. That is possible because the original mold was still viable.
“If that wasn’t the case, I don’t know that I would feel as good about all this as I do,” Lutz said.
It looked dire five days after the theft, when fire crews found burned remnants of his statue while responding to a trash can fire at another park about 7 miles (11 kilometers) away from the scene of the theft.
One man has pleaded guilty, and the investigation continues into a crime that police have said was motivated not by racial animus but by plans to sell the bronze for scrap.
It was a stupid plan, said Tony Workman, owner of Art Castings of Colorado. The town where the business is located, around 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Denver, is well known for its abundance of sculptors and artists.
“The problem is you can’t get a fire in a dumpster hot enough to melt metal,” Workman said. “All you’re gonna do is burn the sculpture. So you’re still going to be able to tell what it was.”
Beyond rebuilding the statue, the severed bronze cleats from the original statue found a new home last month at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
It is a fitting location. Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, paving the way for generations of Black American ballplayers. He is considered not only a sports legend but also a civil rights icon. Robinson died in 1972.
“The outpouring of support that folks have gotten as a result of this, it reminds us that light indeed does come out of darkness," said Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
At the museum, the cleats are part of a display that also includes a gunfire-riddled plaque that had been erected outside Robinson’s birthplace near Cairo, Georgia.
“It renews our spirt and belief in people because sometimes people will do despicable things, and it makes you want to give up on people,” Kendrick said. "But you know you can’t give up on people, even though sometimes you want to.”
On a recent morning, Emilio Estevez, a financial services worker from Miami, stopped to look at the cleats. He described Robinson as an inspiration — both because of this athleticism and his ability to put up with jeers while integrating the sport.
“We can all learn from that,” he said.
And the thieves couldn't take that away, Estevez said.
“He’s still in all our minds. He’s still very present, like here in the museum, very prevalent," he said.
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