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Headlines for Thursday, August 1, 2024

A graphic representation of eight radios of various vintages, underneath the words "Kansas Public Radio News Summary"
Emily DeMarchi
/
KPR

Severe Storms Knock Out Power to 100,000+ in Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Severe storms swept through Kansas overnight, knocking out power to more than 100,000 people in Kansas. Officials with utility company Evergy say parts of Salina, Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City suffered significant damage. Evergy says power has now been restored to about 80% of the 117,000 customers who lost electricity. Wind speeds up to 80 mph were recorded Wednesday night in Kansas and Missouri, knocking down power lines and leading to widespread outages. Evergy says it has more than 1,100 personnel working to clear trees and repair power systems and has even called in power crews from other states to help out. Evergy also says that some customers in Salina and Topeka could be without power until Saturday afternoon. Some customers in the Lawrence and Kansas City areas could be without power until Friday evening.

The storms that raked over Lawrence left at least one auto dealership without power. Dale Willey announced that it would not be able to service vehicles until the power was restored.

Check out the Evergy Outage Map for the latest on power restoration.

(–Additional reporting–)

Crews Work to Restore Power Following Wednesday Night Storms

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Crews worked in Kansas Thursday to restore power and clear debris from Wednesday night's storms, which Evergy says left about 117,000 customers without power. The Kansas News Service reports that Evergy says crews worked overnight to start restoring power to people affected by the storms, which reportedly carried winds up to 80 miles per hour. About 1,100 workers were clearing trees and getting people reconnected in impacted areas, including Salina, Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City. But thanks to a cold front coming into the area in the wake of the storms, the region will see slightly cooler temperatures this weekend. Sarah Teefey is a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Topeka. “That is going to help with a bit of a pattern shift. And it’s pushing kind of that heat dome that we’ve had over the area back to the west,” she clarified. Hot and humid conditions are expected to return next week.

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State of Kansas Revenues Come in Slightly Below Estimates for July

TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – The Kansas Department of Revenue issued its statement on July tax collections on Thursday, indicating that total tax revenue numbers for the State of Kansas in July were $660.3 million. That is $6.4 million, or 1.0%, below the amount that had been estimated for July 2024. Total tax collections are down 3.0% from July 2023. Individual income tax collections were $308.5 million, which is $8.5 million, or 2.8% above the estimate and down 1.7% from July 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $34.3 million, which is $15.7 million, or 31.4%, below the estimate and down 23.3% from July 2023. Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $305.1 million, which is $4.1 million, or 1.4% above the estimate, and down $10.1 million, or 3.2%, from July 2023. Retail sales tax receipts are 3.7% less than the July 2023 collections, due to the reduced state food sales tax rate.

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Key Down-Ballot Races Often Overlooked in Primary Elections

UNDATED (KNS) – Primary elections are coming up in Kansas and Missouri on August 6th. The Kansas News Service reports that key down-ballot races often go overlooked by voters. Most voters know who the president is, and many can name their representatives in Congress. But county commissioners, sheriffs, board of education members — not so much. Don Haider-Markel, a political science professor at the University of Kansas, says those officials decide property taxes, the quality of roads, and a lot more. “On a day-to-day basis those issues matter and have a greater impact on our lives than anything the president or the Senate or the House might do,” he explained. To learn about state and local officials in Kansas who shape daily life, Haider-Markel recommends talking to family or friends, in addition to doing some research online. For more information on voting in Kansas, including key voter registration deadlines, visit VoteKansas.gov.

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Guilty Plea in Connection with Super Bowl Parade Shooting

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – A 22-year-old Kansas City man pleaded guilty Wednesday to the illegal purchase of a firearm that was later used during the fatal Super Bowl parade rally. KCUR reports that Ronnel Dewayne Williams made the plea before a federal judge to one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a licensed firearms dealer. In what’s called a “straw purchase,” Williams admitted to saying he would use the weapon when in fact he planned on selling it to someone not old enough to buy guns. The firearm Williams bought was later found outside Union Station after the February 14th shooting that killed 43-year-old Lisa Lopez Galvan and injured 24 others. Williams could receive up to five years in prison without parole.

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Kansas Man Guilty of Brandishing Gun, Making Death Threats to Black People

WICHITA, Kan. (KPR) - A Kansas man has pleaded guilty to brandishing a gun and making death threats to Black people in Wichita. Prosecutors say 30-year-old Austin Schoemann, of Wichita, admitted that in July 2022, he flashed a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station. He then used his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the juveniles. Prosecutors say Schoemann also made threats to a white woman and her family that he would shoot and kill any Black person visiting her home.

When entering his guilty plea Wednesday, Schoemann acknowledged that he interfered with the federally protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited her home. Schoemann further admitted that he sent videos and messages to the woman’s family members and others in which he repeatedly threatened to shoot and kill Black people.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 16. He faces up to seven years in prison.

The Kansas City Field Office of the FBI and the Wichita Police Department investigated the case. (Read more.)

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Kansas Election Official Impersonation Law Now on Hold

UNDATED (KNS) – A 2021 Kansas law that made it a crime to impersonate election officials is on hold after the parties agreed to an injunction. Opponents have said the law is so broadly written that even holding voter registration drives could lead to criminal charges. The Kansas News Service reports that the agreement to block enforcement of the law comes two months after the state Supreme Court ruled it might violate free speech rights. Davis Hammet, president of Loud Light, a Kansas voting rights organization that challenged the policy, says “We’re very excited to get back in the field and register voters, but you know more importantly we're excited to get back to the work of trying to realize a full representative democracy in Kansas.” The injunction is temporary and the parties want the court to take up the matter again after the fall election.

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Increasing Heat Could Cost Area Workers Wages in Future

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) – Outdoor workers in Kansas may lose labor hours and wages in the future because of excessive heat. The Kansas News Service reports that climate change is expected to increase the number of days with dangerous temperatures. A study by Climate Central, a nonprofit group that compiles weather data, shows much of the U.S. is expected to see a rise in the number of days with extreme heat. And added humidity makes the heat worse. That means outdoor laborers like farmers and construction workers will need to take more breaks to stay cool. Matthew Neidell is a public health professor for Columbia University. He says more breaks for outdoors laborers means work will slow down. “You're going to get less done at the end of the day. And somebody is going to have to bear the cost of that,” he explained. Neidell says federal regulators are adapting rules to protect workers from heat-related illnesses.

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Watering Restrictions Go Into Effect Next Week in Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Watering restrictions will begin for Wichita water customers early next week. The Kansas News Service reports that the city receives most of its water from the Cheney reservoir, which is at its lowest levels since 2013. Wichita water customers will be limited to outdoor watering one day a week. That day will depend on where they live. Residents are also only allowed to water in the late evening to early morning. City Manager Robert Layton says the restrictions will last for at least two months. “We must all come together to change our lawn care practices in order to preserve our most precious resource and that is drinking water in this community,” he explained. More information is available at savewichitawater.com. (Read more.)

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KU Research Tool Reveals Where All the Federal COVID Funding Went in Kansas

UNDATED (KNS) – University of Kansas researchers have published a new online tool that shows the flow of federal COVID funding into the state and how it’s being spent. The Kansas News Service reports that the public database shows dollars received by county and by spending categories such as child care, housing and economic revitalization. KU researcher Xan Webel says nearly two-thirds of the state’s funding went to the Paycheck Protection Program…and 99% of those loans were forgiven. “When we look at the dollars that were spent in Kansas, we’re really seeing these went to businesses, to really prop up our economy. And I think it’s what contributed to Kansas’s success in recovering so quickly,” he added. The database breaks down more than $11.5 billion in federal funding that has been spent in the state through March of this year. You can find it at ksdata.ku.edu.

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Lawsuit Alleges KU Health System Refused to Provide Emergency Abortion

UNDATED (KNS) – A lawsuit recently filed by the National Women’s Law Center alleges the University of Kansas Health System refused to give a patient an emergency abortion in August 2022. The Kansas News Service reports that Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri resident at the time, arrived at a KU emergency room miscarrying at nearly 18 weeks pregnant. Kenna Titus with the National Women’s Law Center says KU denied Farmer an emergency abortion and all other medical care. “They didn't give her antibiotics or pain medication, they just sent her home. And that caused her significant damage to her health long term,” she explained. The lawsuit claims the KU Health System violated state nondiscrimination laws and a federal law requiring hospitals to treat patients in emergency situations. The health system says in a statement that the care it provided to Farmer was "appropriate, nondiscriminatory and in compliance with all applicable law."

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Car Clocked Going 136 MPH in Western Kansas

SYRACUSE, Kan. (KSNW) – A driver was caught driving 71 mph over the speed limit in western Kansas. It happened Wednesday morning in Hamilton County, when a sheriff's deputy clocked a driver traveling 136 mph on Kansas Highway 27, where the posted speed limit is 65. K-27 is a north-south highway that runs from Oklahoma to the Nebraska border. It is the westernmost state highway in Kansas. KSNW reports that the total fine - before court costs - is $810. And that doesn’t account for any additional citations that may be issued.

Law enforcement across Kansas has seen a sharp increase in excessive speeding. As of July 22, the Kansas Highway Patrol has issued more than 1,500 citations for divers speeding over 100 mph.

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Audit Reveals Major Concerns with U.S. Postal Service in Kansas City

SHAWNEE, Kan. (KCTV) - An audit conducted by the Office of Inspector General has shown some major concerns for United States Postal Service operations in Kansas City. The audit reviewed the efficiency of operations at the Processing and Distribution Center in Kansas City, which handles mail for 4.4 million customers in both rural and urban areas. The report shows staffing to be an issue across the board in the greater Kansas City area. KCTV reached out to the USPS for further information but postal officials declined to comment.

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Free Cook-out and School Supplies Give-Away Planned in Lawrence

LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) – Community activists in Lawrence will be handing out free school supplies, free food and snow cones for local young people at a Back-To-School Cookout on Saturday. The Lawrence Times reports that the event will be hosted by StopGap Inc., a grassroots nonprofit that aims to empower youth aging out of foster care and who are at risk of homelessness. Attendees will be offered hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and beverages, along with school supplies including backpacks, water bottles, notebooks, binders, craft supplies and more. The cookout is open to all ages, with a focus on providing resources to local youth. It’s set for noon to 5 pm Saturday, August 3 at East Lawrence Recreation Center.

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KC Current Plays in International Tournament

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - While Olympic competition continues for the USA in men’s and women’s soccer matches, the Kansas City Current are the pacesetters in an ongoing international tournament closer to home. It’s called the Summer Cup in which teams from the National Women’s Soccer League, including the Current, square off against the top teams from Mexico. A victory in the Current’s next match against a club called Tigres UANL would mean advancing to the tournament semifinals. For that match, the Current will have a newcomer, defender Alana Cook, whom the Current obtained in a trade with Seattle and previously played at CPKC Stadium as a visitor. "It’s second to none," she aid. "So, I’m really excited to get to be down on the field and feel what that’s like to have them cheering for you." Cook was on the U.S. national team last year that played in the World Cup.

The match against the Tigres UANL takes place tonight (THUR) at 7 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.

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U.S. Men's Soccer Advances to Paris Olympics Quarterfinal Round

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (KPR) – The U.S. men's soccer team has advanced to the quarterfinal knockout stage at the Paris Olympics, 3-0 over Guinea. But former Sporting Kansas City forward Gianluca Busio sat out the match with a leg injury. In the 4-1 victory over New Zealand last Saturday, Busio scored one of the four goals for the U.S. It's possible he can be re-inserted into the lineup for the Americans' next match this Friday, against Morocco.

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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,).