Tuberculosis Outbreak Confirmed in Kansas City Area
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas health officials have confirmed a tuberculosis outbreak in the Kansas City metro. The Kansas News Service reports that 56 people in Wyandotte and Johnson counties are being treated for tuberculosis. That’s more cases than the whole state saw last year. Plus, another 19 people are being treated in other Kansas counties. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says the public is at very low risk of infection, but if you think you’ve been exposed, contact your county health department. TB spreads through the air, for example, when a sick person coughs. State and county health officials are working to ensure patients get appropriate treatment. Two people have died of TB this year in Kansas.
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One-Term Kansas House Representative Marvin Robinson Dies
UNDATED (The Beacon) – The Kansas Democrat who helped ban transgender girls and women from women’s sports died of pancreatic cancer on Thursday. Marvin Robinson II was 67. The Beacon reports that Robinson served one term in the Kansas House. He was controversial for his backing of Republican-led priorities, like banning transgender women from women’s sports. But Robinson also pushed for a ban on the death penalty and freeing inmates on marijuana charges. He was a strong advocate for funding restoration of the Quindaro Ruins. That’s a stop on the underground railroad that fell into disrepair and was almost turned into a landfill. Robinson lost his primary election this month to Wanda Brownlee Paige, who will take his seat next January. On Friday afternoon, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly directed flags to be lowered to half-staff on all state buildings, grounds, and facilities, effective immediately until sundown on the day of Robinson's interment.
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Kansas Legislature Reviewing Budget Process
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are reviewing the state Legislature’s budgeting process to consider how they can better examine new spending proposals. The Kansas News Service reports that Republican Representative Troy Waymaster of Bunker Hill is leading the committee conducting the review. He says the Legislature currently crafts a nearly $10 billion state budget in just six weeks. He says that is an aggressive timeline that may need systemic changes, adding that the Legislature may need to be “...moving forward in an earlier fashion than what we have done in previous years and maybe even for decades.” Changes could include allowing lawmakers to begin analyzing parts of the budget before receiving the governor's recommendations, which are published in mid-January. The committee overall is looking at the Legislature’s historical practices and how other states craft their budgets.
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Former Kansas City Police Officer Charged in Deadly Walmart Shooting
PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (KMBC) — A former Kansas City police officer has been charged in a fatal shooting Wednesday afternoon. Prosecutors accuse 47-year-old Tequiza V. Johnson of fatally shooting 71-year-old Ronald Barnett at a Northland Walmart parking lot. Johnson is now facing second-degree murder charges. KMBC TV reports that the incident was recorded by video surveillance cameras. Johnson worked for the Kansas City Police Department from 2003 until 2014.
Authorities say that after an apparently minor confrontation that wasn’t physical, Johnson shot Barnett and then fled the scene in his car. The video captured the license plate number on Johnson’s car, which led to his arrest.
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Talks on Ogallala Aquifer Sustainability Held in Manhattan
UNDATED (KNS) – The multibillion-dollar livestock industry in Kansas needs the Ogallala aquifer to survive. the Kansas News Service reports that discussions about the sustainability of that water source were held this week in Manhattan. Unlike most water conservation discussions in Kansas, this one aimed to get more direct input from the livestock industry, with help from the Kansas Water Institute. They targeted policies that are not beneficial to conservation, like using water on failed crops, and incentivizing water intensive feed. Susan Metzger, director of the Kansas Water Institute, says conservation will start at the local level, and slowly work toward systemic changes at the federal level. “This group really also identified sort of the short term wins that they could have, and then also the things that they have the most power to do,” she added. The livestock industry uses up to 95% of western Kansas water for beef and dairy production. Most towns are tied to the sustainability and success of the industry.
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KCK Civil Rights Activist Chester Owns Dies at Age 91
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) – Civil rights activist and historian Chester Owens, a lifelong resident of Kansas City, Kansas, has died. KCUR reports that Owens will be remembered for his efforts to organize letter writing and picketing campaigns to desegregate downtown Kansas City, Kansas. He was the first Black Kansas City, Kansas, councilman and in the mid '60s co-founded the first Black bookstore in the Midwest…called The Hub...where icons of Black culture came for readings and discussion. Owens often spoke about his frustration that more people don’t protest injustice, particularly in his beloved Wyandotte County. “You have a moral obligation to say something or do something about it. There’s something going on in Wyandotte County every day,” he once said. Chester Owens died at his home in Kansas City, Kansas. He was 91.
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Medical Experts Can't Explain Why Dead Nun's Body Hasn't Decomposed Four Years After Burial
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - A Catholic nun was buried near Kansas City in 2019 but when her body was exhumed nearly four years later, her body and clothing had not decomposed. And no one seems to know why. A medical team recently examined the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster but was unable to explain why her body had not deteriorated, especially since she was not embalmed and was laid to rest in an unsealed wooden coffin.
The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has now released the results of the examination by medical experts. In its final report, the investigative team noted that the lining of her casket had completely deteriorated, but the nun's habit and clothing showed no features of breakdown. And neither did her body, which lacked any kind of decomposition.
In a statement issued by the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Bishop James Johnston said the Catholic Church does not have an official protocol for determining if a deceased person’s body is incorrupt, and incorruptibility is not considered to be an indication of sainthood. The bishop also said there is no plan to initiate a cause for sainthood for Sister Wilhelmina.
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Kansas Drivers Getting New License Plates They Voted For
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas drivers will soon see license plates on the roads with a new design - one selected in a public vote last year. The state has already begun issuing the new license plates that are supposed to be easier for law enforcement officials to read. The new plates feature an outline of the state with a blue and yellow background. They also feature an image of the Statehouse dome and the inscription “To the Stars,” which is part of the state motto. Older embossed plates will be replaced with the new design when drivers update their registration. Officials say drivers who are not issued a plate with the new design may order one from their county office. The plates were originally expected to be released in the spring. But the vote on a new design delayed the rollout. Older, metal embossed plates will be replaced with the new design when drivers update their registration.
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KU Gets $26 Million Grant to Maker "Greener" Refrigerants
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR/LJW) - The University of Kansas has won a $26 million federal grant to help develop new technology to make everything from air conditioners to refrigerators more environmentally friendly. The money, from the National Science Foundation, will be used by KU researchers to come up with new types of refrigerants that are kinder to the environment. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that KU Professor Mark Shiflett will lead the effort.
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Lawrence Commemorates 161st Anniversary of Quantrill's Raid
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - It was 161 years ago this week - in the midst of the American Civil War - that the small Union town of Lawrence was sacked by William Quantrill.
On August 21st, 1863, Quantrill, along with several hundred confederate sympathizers, systematically rode through town, setting property on fire and killing around 150 unarmed men and boys. For years afterward, the women and orphaned children left behind called Lawrence the "City of Sorrow." Many historians view the raid on Lawrence as revenge for an attack on Osceola, in the slave state of Missouri two years earlier. A number of events are being held in Lawrence this weekend to commemorate the event. More details available at WatkinsMuseum.org.
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Michelin Layoffs Will Affect Emporia Plant
EMPORIA, Kan. (Emporia Gazette) - Workers at the Michelin plant in Emporia will be affected by layoffs sometime in the near future. The Emporia Gazette reports that layoffs are expected but it remains unclear exactly when they will take place and how many workers will be affected. The Emporia plant employs about 370 people. A company official says Michelin will help affected employees by offering voluntary separations and severance pay.
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Kansas State Fiddling & Picking Championships Set for Sunday
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Fiddlers and pickers will gather in Lawrence this weekend for the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championships. The music begins at noon Sunday in South Park. The free event will also feature food vendors. More information can be found at FidPick.org.
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Major Gift Made to Help Restore Former KC Home of Satchel Paige
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - Efforts are underway to restore the former Kansas City home of baseball star Satchel Paige. And now, a $750,000 gift has been made to help restore the dilapidated home. The money comes from the Mellon Foundation of New York. Satchel Paige, a star pitcher in the Negro Leagues, lived in the home for the last 32 years of his life. The Kansas City Star reports that the restoration project, in Kansas City's historic Santa Fe neighborhood, may cost between $5 million and $7 million.
Paige was a pitcher for several teams in the Negro Leagues, including the Kansas City Monarchs. In 1948, at the age of 42, Paige entered Major League Baseball, where he pitched for Cleveland, St. Louis and Kansas City. In 1971, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
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