Morning Storms Bring Heavy Rain, Flooding to Parts of Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR/KAKE) - Thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall across Kansas today (TUE), which led to flash flooding in central and eastern parts of the state. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Emporia and other communities in central Lyon County, where up to six inches of rain fell in a short amount of time. Other flood warnings were issued for Coffey, Osage, Chase, Marion, McPherson and Ellsworth Counties. KAKE TV reports that Emporia's municipal court was closed, and the Lyon County Sheriff's Office advised residents not to travel.
There's a chance for more rain and storms every day this week across eastern Kansas.
(Earlier reporting...)
Update: All of the Flash Flood Warnings and Flood Warnings for east-central Kansas have expired.
For the latest weather information, visit the National Weather Service.
Flash Flooding Hits East Central Kansas
EMPORIA, Kan. (KPR) - Flash flooding is affecting parts of east central Kansas this (TUE) morning, where up to six inches of rain have already fallen. The National Weather Service has issued Flash Flood Warnings for central Lyon County, northern Coffey County and southern Osage County at least until 10:45 am. Additional rainfall is possible across much of the area. The weather service says life threatening flas flooding is occurring in creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.
Some of the affected communities include Emporia, Americus and Neosho Rapids, as well as the Kansas Turnpike (between mile markers 123 and 134) and Interstate 35 (between mile markers 128 and 143).
Other locations affected by flash flooding include Lebo, Waverly and Beto Junction, as well as Interstate 35 (between mile markers 144 and 163).
REMEMBER: Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.
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Former Kansas Police Chief Formally Charged over Marion Newspaper Raid
UNDATED (NBC) - A former Kansas police chief linked to the August 2023 raid of a small town newspaper has been formally charged with one count of interference with the judicial process. Gideon Cody, who resigned from the Marion, Kansas Police Department less than two months after the raid, is accused of inducing a witness to withhold information in a felony case, according to a complaint filed Monday.
NBC News reports that the charge comes a year after the offices of the Marion County Record were searched in a raid that also targeted the homes of its publisher and co-owner Eric Meyer and City Council member Ruth Herbel. Meyer's 98-year-old mother Joan Meyer, also a co-owner of the newspaper, lived with him and was home at the time of the raid. She collapsed and died the day after the raid, and Meyer blamed her death on the stress of the raid.
Cody used his five-member force and help from Marion County sheriff’s deputies to launch warrant-based searches based on his belief that one of the newspaper's reporters committed identity theft by accessing the driver records of a restaurant owner. The paper said that the raid was unjustified and that its reporter, Phyllis Zorn, found restaurant owner Kari Newell’s driver’s record by routinely using the state Revenue Department’s online search engine. The newspaper began looking into Newell’s driver's history after it received a tip that she was convicted of a DUI in 2008. The paper said it wanted to know whether the conviction would prevent her from having a liquor license. Councilwoman Herbel had received the same tip about Newell’s DUI.
Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey, however, withdrew the search warrants after determining that "insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized." He told law enforcement to immediately return any seized items. Eric Meyer had said that computers, his cellphone, and the home's internet router were taken during the raid. Herbel said her computer and phone were taken.
Two special prosecutors in the case announced their plans last week to charge Cody. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson said that the newspaper's staff had committed no crimes.
Since the raid, several lawsuits have been filed against Cody, the city, its former mayor and other government officials. Cody could not be reached at phone numbers listed for him on Tuesday.
(–Additional reporting–)
Felony Charge Filed Against Former Police Chief Involved in Newspaper Raid
UNDATED (KNS) – A felony charge has officially been filed against a former local police chief who led a 2023 raid on the Marion County Record newspaper. The Kansas News Service reports that Gideon Cody, former police chief for Marion, Kansas, faces one felony count of interfering with the judicial process. The complaint document says Cody quote, “knowingly or intentionally” persuaded a witness to withhold information from authorities sometime between the August 11th, 2023 raid and August 17th. The complaint doesn’t give specifics about Cody’s conduct. A report released last week by the special prosecutors assigned to the case cleared Marion County Record staff of any crimes.
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Back to School Time for Many Kansas Area Students
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - It's back to school time. Area school districts begin classes this week. Many districts in the greater Kansas City area start Tuesday, including Blue Valley, Leavenworth, Louisburg and Ottawa. Other area districts, including Lawrence, start classes on Wednesday. Kansas City, Kansas and Baldwin City schools won't begin until Thursday and students in Eudora and Bonner Springs head back to class on Friday.
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Fewer Students than Expected Use Open Enrollment to Attend Johnson County Schools
UNDATED (The Beacon) – This is the first year that students can freely open enroll in other school districts under a new Kansas law. The Beacon reports that fewer students arrived in Johnson County than expected. The Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission and Olathe school districts only accepted a few dozen applicants each. The districts enroll between 20 thousand and 30 thousand total students. The Beacon reported that Blue Valley had 86 openings, but only 48 applicants. Shawnee Mission opened more than a thousand spots but only accepted 38 students. Education advocates said families may not have applied because they’d have to provide their own transportation.
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Wichita Schools Propose New Student Code of Conduct
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – The Wichita school district has rolled out a proposed student code of conduct that would guide discipline measures at schools. The Kansas News Service reports that the 16-page draft document is in response to a U.S. Justice Department report released in July. It found that Wichita schools discriminated against students based on race and disability. The proposed code of conduct puts student violations into three categories and lists possible consequences. Vince Evans with the Wichita district says the goal is to be consistent with discipline. “This is more of a step-by-step guide that’s going to give us a common set of rules and guidance across the district for how to handle these types of situations,” he added. Wichita is gathering feedback on the code of conduct and plans to submit it to the Justice Department for review in October. (Read more.)
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Wichita Teacher Vacancies Hit Lowest Level in a Decade
WICHITA, Kan. (KN S) – The Wichita school district will start this school year with the lowest number of teacher vacancies in more than a decade. The Kansas News Service reports that Wichita closed six schools as a budget-cutting measure earlier this year, so that reduced the overall number of vacancies. But the district also ramped up recruiting and raised the starting teacher salary. Jenna Shaban with Wichita schools says the district started offering a $3,000 signing bonus for special education teachers, which are traditionally hard jobs to fill. "So we offered it all of last year and we are still offering it this year -- very, very attractive for our special education teachers," she explained. Kansas still faces a severe teacher shortage, with more than 1,800 vacancies statewide. State education leaders have eased some requirements for people to become teachers.
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Former Kansas Lawmaker's Fraud Convictions Upheld in Federal Court
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – A federal appeals court has upheld the fraud convictions of former Kansas lawmaker Michael Capps. KMUW reports that the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday against Capps. He had argued that the judge in the original case erred by not re-reading jury instructions at the trial’s close. Capps served in the Kansas House from 2018 until 2021. He was convicted on 12 counts of fraudulently obtaining COVID relief funds for his businesses. He faces 27 months in prison. Capps also faces a civil suit for his role in producing a false attack ad aimed at Brandon Whipple during the 2019 Wichita mayoral campaign.
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Teenager Electrocuted at Central Kansas Airport; Another Man Injured
GREAT BEND, Kan. (Wichita Eagle) - A Wichita teenager has died after being electrocuted while working at an airport in central Kansas. The victim has been identified as 16-year-old Ivan Joel Mollins. A second person, 24-year-old Allistar Jose Sanchez, also from Wichita, was hospitalized. The Barton County Sheriff’s Office says the incident happened Tuesday morning when a roofing company was working on a hangar at the Great Bend airport. The Wichita Eagle reports that Mollins and Sanchez had been in a bucket on an aerial boom when they touched high-voltage power lines.
Both men were taken to the Great Bend Regional Hospital where Mollins died. Sanchez, who received serious burns, was flown to a Wichita-area hospital.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein File for Ballot Access in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Third-party presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Junior and Jill Stein are filing to get on the ballot in Kansas for the November general election. The Kansas News Service reports that Kennedy is an independent who consistently ranks third in national polls, with about 5% of voters saying he’s their first choice. Candidates who don’t belong to a party recognized in Kansas need 5,000 signatures to secure ballot access. Kennedy’s campaign says he’s turned in nearly twice that many. Jill Stein secured about 850 signatures. She’s running with the Green Party for the third time, but will likely have to run as a write-in candidate in Kansas.
The other candidates set to appear on the ballot are Democrat Kamala Harris, Republican Donald Trump, and Libertarian Chase Oliver.
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Southeastern Kansas Health Center to Expand
UNDATED (KNS) – A health center in Southeast Kansas, where health ratings are generally low, is expanding to improve health access and outcomes. The Kansas News Service reports that Labette Health is adding to its rural health clinic and emergency room in Independence so patients in the region have access to more services. Brian Williams, Labette Health president and CEO, says the expansion is a step in the right direction. But he says to build a sustainable health care model, Southeast Kansas cities need to create a regional health system. “We need to aggregate our population, aggregate our resources, so that we can provide a better future and a better life for the people that depend upon us to do it,” he explained. Williams says the expansion is estimated to be complete next summer.
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Low-Income Kansans Go into Debt Because of Unpaid Traffic Tickets and Interest
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - When a low-income driver in Kansas fails to pay a traffic ticket on time, municipal courts can send that debt to collection agencies and add interest on top - turning the ticket into thousands of dollars of debt. Critics argue that adding additional fees and interest on unpaid traffic fines is unfair to low-income drivers. And it may not even be legal under Kansas law. (Read more.)
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Kansans Vote for Flint Hills License Plate Design
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas officials have revealed the next design for the state's new personalized license plates. Five designs were put up for public vote online earlier this month. After more than 30,000 votes were cast, people across the state chose the design showcasing the iconic Flint Hills. The Kansas Department of Revenue says the Flint Hills design received more than 56% of the vote. Here's what the new personalized tags will look like:
When the new design is available, Kansans can visit their local county treasurer’s office to purchase the new plate for $45.50.
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Johnson County Minimum-Security Inmate Back in Custody
GARDNER, Kan. (KPR) — A Johnson County minimum-security inmate is back in custody. Authorities say Ricardo Marin-Valadez had been placed on escape status after he failed to report for his scheduled shift Friday morning at the Adult Residential Center. He was taken into custody without incident Sunday night in Kansas City.
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Serial Killer Book - One of Two Selected to Represent Kansas
UNDATED (KPR) — Each year, the National Center for the Book comes up with a list of books representing each state. For Kansas... the book chosen involved a re-telling of the infamous Bender family of Labette County. Susan Jonusas is the author of "Hell's Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier." KPR's Kaye McIntyre spoke to her about her book involving the "Bloody Benders." (Learn more.)
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