Kansas-Born Astronaut Joe Engle Dead at 91
HOUSTON (KPR) - The nation is mourning the loss of one of its greatest astronauts. Kansas-born Joe Engle died Thursday in Houston, surrounded by family and friends. He was 91. Engle is the only astronaut to pilot both the X-15 hypersonic rocket plane and the space shuttle. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1955 with a degree in Aeronatical Engineering and then became a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force. At the age of 32, Engle became the youngest pilot ever to qualify as an astronaut.
Born in 1932, Engle grew up in the small Dickinson County town of Chapman. A green highway sign on I-70 reminds drivers that Chapman is Engle's hometown.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called him "a natural pilot who helped humanity's dreams take flight in the Apollo Program and as one of the first commanders in the Space Shuttle Program."
==========
Kansas Purchases 911 Translation and Transcription Services
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Emergency dispatchers in Kansas will soon get a tool to help them respond to non-English speaking callers. The Kansas 9-1-1 Coordinating Council has approved purchasing a transcription service that also translates languages, like calls from Spanish speakers. Jeff Ridgway, who works for the coordinating council, says third-party translators, not dispatchers, will speak directly to the foreign language callers. But the new service will provide the dispatchers with a real-time translated transcription of the conversation between the caller and the translator. He says that will help dispatchers better understand what the caller needs. “Our goal being, reduce the time that it takes to get resources to wherever they’re needed to go and make sure we're identifying the correct resources to send," he said. The coordinating council is paying more than $260,000 to implement the service for the state’s dispatcher stations. Each station will then pay to license the program.
==========
KBI Crime Data Suggests Violent Crime Has Dropped
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has released crime data for 2023. Violence seems to have dropped across the state as state and local police recorded fewer murders, rapes and robberies than in 2022. Still, agencies report higher violent crime rates now compared to a decade ago. Travis Linnemann, an associate professor of criminology at Kansas State University, treats this data with skepticism. He says statistics aren't always reliable and most incidents go unreported to police. “We don't really know exactly what's going on with crime in a given year and we're only kind of given a small, imperfect window into understanding it," he said. Linnemann says homicide tends to be the best-tracked data point. Kansas had 157 murders last year, the fewest since the pandemic started.
Meanwhile, the KBI reports 34 murders in Topeka in 2023. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that's more than double the 15 murders committed in 2022.
==========
Federal Trial Date Finally Set for Accused Former KCK Police Detective
TOPEKA, Kan. (KCUR) – A federal judge has finally set a trial date for disgraced former Kansas City, Kansas, Police Detective Roger Golubski. KCUR reports that it comes nearly two years after his arrest. Golubski’s federal trial on charges of rape and kidnapping will begin on December 2nd and run through January of next year. He’s accused of using his badge to get away with abusing vulnerable Black women for decades. He was arrested by the FBI in September 2022 and has been on home detention since then. The trial, inside a federal courtroom in Topeka, will be held on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule to work around Golubski's dialysis appointments.
==========
Kansas GOP Legislative Leaders Agree to Hearings on Medical Marijuana
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Republican leaders in the Kansas Legislature will allow two days of hearings on medical marijuana later this year. The Kansas News Service reports that the Legislature formed a special committee on medical marijuana in light of a recent federal proposal to reclassify low-potency cannabis to a less restricted scheduling. The joint committee will hold hearings on how other states implemented medical cannabis and the potential impact if the U.S. government reschedules the drug. Hearings have not yet been scheduled but could happen as soon as this summer. Currently, 38 states and Washington, D.C. have legal medical cannabis. In Kansas, some Republican leaders in the Legislature have opposed it.
==========
State Board of Education Won't Ban Cell Phones, but Remains Concerned About the Effects of Screen Time and Social Media Use on Kansas Students
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Studies show social media use... can be damaging to your mental health. This is especially true among young people. Education leaders in Kansas say they’re worried about the constant use of cell phones by students. But they don’t support a statewide ban. Education leaders say schools should still do more to limit the use of cell phones by students during the school day. State school board members this week discussed research that ties screen time to higher rates of teen anxiety, depression and suicide. Board member Cathy Hopkins pointed to states like New Hampshire and Louisiana, which have offered advice to schools about screen time and social media. “I agree it’s a local decision," she said. "But I would definitely like to think, as a state board, that we would at least try to give some kind of recommendation, guidance, to local districts to do something.”
Board member Betty Arnold says some parents feel more comfortable knowing their children have cell phones. “Parents are divided on that," she said. "There are a lot that will say, ‘OK, if my child is in danger, I need my child to be able to reach me.’” Kansas lawmakers briefly considered a bill earlier this year that would have required local school boards to prohibit students from using cell phones during school hours, but that bill died in committee.
==========
Kansas Board of Education Gets Rid of FAFSA Requirement for High School Students
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – The Kansas State Board of Education voted Wednesday to remove a new requirement that students apply for college financial aid. The Kansas News Service reports that the board voted last month to require that Kansas high school students — starting with the class of 2028 — complete the FAFSA in order to graduate. Now board members have walked back that mandate, saying completion of the form should not be tied to a student’s high school diploma. Board member Jim Porter says many students miss out on college aid because they’re confused by the application, and schools need to do more to help. “How in the world are we going to assure that they have all the information they need to be successful? I’ve struggled with this from the beginning, and quite frankly, I’m struggling with it today,” he added. Some board members say helping students with the FAFSA could be part of a district’s accreditation requirements.
==========
KPR Frequencies in Lawrence Should Return Thursday
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Public Radio's transmitter in Lawrence has been off the air for part of this week but should return to the airwaves sometime Thursday afternoon. Crews have been climbing the tower, performing maintenance work this week, which required the station to power down FM 91.5 and FM 96.1 in Lawrence. Crews have been fixing the station's antenna, located high atop the 800 foot broadcast tower on the west campus of the University of Kansas. Other KPR stations in eastern Kansas - the FM frequencies serving Emporia, Manhattan, Junction City and Chanute - have not been affected by this work.
Listeners can still listen to KPR and KPR-2 online at KansasPublicRadio.org and by using the free KPR app.
==========
Johnson County 2020 Voter Fraud Investigation Could Resurface Following 2024 Election
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KCUR/JoCoPost) – Even though Johnson County’s sheriff has paused a controversial investigation into voter fraud, that probe could resume after this fall’s elections depending on who wins. The Johnson County Post hosted a sheriff's candidate forum, and reports that Sheriff Calvin Hayden insisted his years-long investigation into county election systems is justified. The probe has yielded no criminal charges, and Hayden still did not produce evidence to suggest any widespread irregularities. But he kept open the possibility of relaunching the probe if he wins reelection. Hayden is facing an internal Republican challenge from one of his former undersheriffs, Doug Bedford. Bedford said Johnson County residents deserve to see Hayden’s evidence, and county taxpayers should also know how much the investigation has cost. When asked, neither candidate directly committed to accepting the results of the August primary.
==========
Paralympic Competitor from Leavenworth Gets Ready for Gold Medal Run
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCUR) - A Leavenworth cyclist is preparing for another run at a gold medal in the Paris Paralympic games this summer. And a doctor from the University of Kansas is helping get her up to speed. Shawn Morelli is a three-time Paralympic gold medalist and she’s done it with her fair share of injuries and chronic vertigo. She had knee surgery after the 2020 games. Since then, she’s been working with KU Health System orthopedic surgeon Vincent Key on rehab and avoiding reinjury in training. “I have a hard time slowing down," she said. " I like to go fast, its why I win races." Dr. Key has been helping to manage Morelli's physical recovery so she can focus on the mental side. "Not not being on my bike, not being able to train…. it's mentally difficult for me," Morelli said. Her quest for another gold medal will begin August 30 with a qualifying round.
==========
Royals Take Two from the Cardinals
ST. LOUIS ( KPR) - The Kansas City Royals beat the Cardinals twice on Wednesday - in St. Louis! The Royals clipped the Cards 6-4 and then 8-5 in the double-header. The Royals have the day off. On Friday, they'll face the Red Sox in Boston. Kansas City is in 3rd place in the AL Central Division, just 7.5 games back.
==========
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,).