Kansas and Nebraska at Odds over River Project
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas and Nebraska are at odds over a river project that could expose Kansas lakes to invasive fish. Nebraska is considering funneling water from one river basin - the Platte - through canals to another - the Republican. This would get more water to farmers in an area where decades of irrigation have depleted their supplies. It would also open a path for invasive carp into the Republican River and into Lovewell and Milford lakes in Kansas. The carp harm native species and out-compete sport fish. Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly and Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach want Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen to nix the plan.
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Kansas Attorney General Wants SCOTUS to Uphold AZ Proof of Citizenship Law
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is wading back into a legal battle over whether to require proof of citizenship for people registering to vote. Kobach and 23 other top legal officers are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a proof of citizenship law in Arizona. A lower court there has blocked the provision. In 2018, a federal judge struck down a similar law in Kansas. But Kobach hopes this challenge in Arizona will lead to the same restrictions coming back to Kansas. “If the U.S. Supreme Court does take the Arizona case and does rule that the state can require proof of citizenship to register to vote, there may be a path forward to Kansas reinstating some form of citizenship requirement," he said. Voting rights advocates say voter fraud is negligible and that these laws keep citizens from getting registered to vote.
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Lawsuit Filed Against Alleged Abuse of Northeast Kansas Student with Downs
ST MARYS, Kan. (WIBW) - A lawsuit has been filed against an employee of a rural Kansas school who allegedly and repeatedly shoved a teenager with Down Syndrome into a utility closet. The lawsuit also accuses the paraprofessional with hitting the 15-year-old boy and photographing him locked in a cage used to store athletic equipment. WIBW TV reports that the lawsuit, against the Kaw Valley School District in St. Marys, was filed Friday in federal court. It names the employee, other special education staff members and the district itself. The lawsuit also alleges the paraprofessional made the teen stay in soiled clothing for long periods of time and denied him food during lunchtime.
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KC Woman Gets 7 Years for Stealing from Retail Stores
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison for repeatedly stealing merchandise from retail stores. Prosecutors say 20-year-old Asia Marshall pleaded guilty to stealing $35,000 worth of goods throughout the course of 2023. KCTV reports that Marshall was involved in 12 separate thefts from places like Bath and Body Works, Sephora, PINK and Ulta.
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Topeka Police: Beware of Credit Card Skimmers
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - Topeka police are warning residents to be on the lookout for credit card skimmers. Skimmers are placed over or near credit card readers - often at gas pumps - to steal a person's credit card information. KSNT reports one such device was recently discovered at a Dillons store on SW 29th Street. People have some advice on avoiding skimmers: If possible, use a register with a staff member, or use tap to pay whenever possible.
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Inflation Causing Problems for Farmer and Ranchers
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) - After years of drought and supply chain interruptions that have hurt the agriculture industry, Kansas farmers are still reeling from the impact of inflation. The rising cost of groceries can be a symbol of inflation for consumers, but Kansas farmers have also faced higher prices to produce those groceries. In 2022, fertilizer costs increased by 300% and western Kansas had one of its worst droughts in almost a century. Farmers are still trying to recover. Glynn Tonsor, agriculture economist for Kansas State University, says based on how the beef industry is set, higher prices for consumers do not guarantee farmers will benefit. A lot of people look at the sticker price, and jump to the conclusion that whoever's selling that to them, are making money, and that isn't enough to guarantee it.” And younger farmers trying to keep their operations going are adversely affected by inflation.
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Heat-Related Deaths in Midwest Likely Higher than Statistics Indicate
UNDATED (HPM) – Heat is the deadliest climate-driven disaster in the U.S. Already in the Midwest and Great Plains, there have been several reports of heat-related deaths this year. According to Harvest Public Media, experts say many more people likely die of heat than the numbers show. Extreme heat can cause all kinds of life-threatening health effects. Some are explicitly related to high temperatures, like heat stroke. But something like a heart attack spurred by heat can be harder to track. Dr. Alok Sengupta is an emergency medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer at Mercy Hospital St. Louis. “If heat illness or heat exhaustion or heat stroke isn't listed as a cause, you're not going to know that that was a contributing factor. So it's definitely underreported,” Sengupta said. Even without a clear picture of the data, the National Weather Service says heat kills more people every year than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods.
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Noted Game Show Host Peter Marshall Dies, Age 98; Had Special Connection to Kansas City Region
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) – Peter Marshall, who was perhaps best known for being the game show host of the original Hollywood Squares, died last week in Southern California at the age of 98. Marshall took a liking to Kansas City when his son played for the Kansas City Royals. Marshall’s son was Pete LaCock, a first baseman on the 1980 Royals team that made the franchise’s first trip to the World Series. Long before actor Paul Rudd and his celebrity friends established the Big Slick events to raise money in Kansas City for charity, Peter Marshall did it and LaCock says he has fond memories of his father's involvement. "We’d have a big show, a comedy show and everybody from Alex Trebek to Fred McMurray. There were really some great people that came into Kansas City through my dad," LaCock said. During LaCock’s four seasons in Kansas City, Marshall brought with him the Hollywood friends he had made through Hollywood Squares, which he started hosting in 1966. The Emmy-winning Marshall was host to more than 5,000 episodes of the game show.
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