Kansas Secretary of State's Office Evacuated After Delivery of Suspicious Mail
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) – The Kansas Secretary of State’s office had to be evacuated Monday because of a suspicious piece of mail. The Kansas Reflector reports the office received a message with a return address that referenced traitors and contained a harmless, white powder. Kansas officials had been already alerted to evacuations over similar packages on Monday at elections offices in Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming. While the package was thought to be harmless, the building was evacuated as a precaution around 2 p.m.
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Allen County Substance Abuse Recovery Home at Risk of Closure
ALLEN COUNTY, Kan. (KNS) - A substance abuse recovery home in southeast Kansas is at risk of closing after its grant funding ran out. The home in Allen County has helped nearly 40 men in the area seek recovery from substance use since it opened in 2022. Without the facility, the next nearest sober living homes are more than an hour away. April Jackson is the home's director. She says it's helped build a community for people in recovery in Allen County and surrounding communities. “We know what it's like, and you can come out of it. There is hope. You know we just gotta, you just got to follow us and do what we do until you're able to do it on your own.” Thrive Allen County helps run the home. It’s hosting a fundraising initiative as it waits to hear on other grant applications.
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12 KC Area Men Indicted on Drug and Weapons Charges
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) - Authorities say 12 Kansas City area men - including two Mexican citizens - have been indicted on drug and weapons charges. Prosecutors say the men were involved in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl that led to at least one death. KMBC TV reports that law enforcement executed three search warrants in Kansas City and confiscated nearly 7,000 fentanyl pills, 11 firearms, five stolen cars and more than $75,000 in cash.
The following individuals were charged in a 35-count indictment:
- Justin D. Rivera, 20, Kansas City, Mo.
- Yael Figueroa, 23, Kansas City, Mo.
- Jose R. Lugo Jr., 20, Kansas City, Mo.
- Aaron Contreras-Jaquez, 24, Kansas City, Mo.
- Jose Lorenzo-Medina, 24, Kansas City, Mo.
- Antonio R. Baeza-Brown, 25, Kansas City, Mo.
- Simon L. Figueroa, 26, Kansas City, Mo. (Mexican citizen)
- Jonathan Gonzales, 25, Kansas City, Mo. (Mexican citizen)
- Luis Calvillo-Ortiz, 19, Independence, Mo.
- Marcos Favian Alvarado, 20, Kansas City, Kan.
- Chad B. Green, 24, Kansas City, Kan.
- Crencio Carbajal-Loya, 18, Kansas City, Kan.
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Governor's Choice to Head KDWP Advances to Full Kansas Senate Vote
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – State lawmakers on Monday advanced Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s pick to lead the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The Kansas News Service reports that Chris Kennedy has been the interim secretary of the wildlife department since March of this year. He previously worked for nearly 30 years at the Missouri Department of Conservation. Kennedy says he wants the Kansas agency to engage more with the public. “I think we’ve got a lot of work to do. I think there are still a lot of citizens that don’t know what we do. Or they think we just ride around in four-wheel-drive trucks and give people tickets,” he explained. Some Republican lawmakers recently threatened the department’s funding after it considered a ban on deer-baiting. The practice can spread chronic wasting disease among deer, but hunting lodges use it in part to bolster deer populations. Kennedy’s confirmation is still subject to approval from the full Senate.
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Kansas Tribes Say Members Subject to Double Jeopardy
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Leaders of the four federally recognized tribes in Kansas say their members are not protected from double jeopardy under current law. The Fifth Amendment says no United States citizen can be tried for the same crime more than once. But under the federal Kansas Act of 1940, tribal members in the state can potentially be tried separately for the same crime under tribal, state and U.S. laws. Joseph Rupnick, chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, told the Kansas News Service “...that happens today, and it’s still going on, and that’s part of that over-reach because of the Kansas Act.” The act says Kansas can prosecute crimes committed on reservations like it does elsewhere in the state. At the time, Congress passed it due to a gap in jurisdiction on tribal land. Tribes have since developed their own judicial systems, but the federal law unique to Kansas hasn’t changed.
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Kansas Cold Case Ends 44 Years Later with Man's Conviction
GREAT BEND, Kan. (KPR) - More than 44 years after a nursing student was killed in her trailer home in central Kansas, her former neigbor has been convicted of killing her. In January of 1980, 23-year-old nursing student Mary Robin Walter, of Great Bend, was shot to death. The case went cold but in 2022, new technology was used to identify her killer - Steven L. Hanks, who was 25-years-old at the time. Hanks had been a suspect early on. Hanks is now 70. Under a plea agreement, Hanks was sentenced to 10 to 25 years for second degree murder. The Barton County Sheriff says this could be the oldest cold case in Kansas to be solved and result in a conviction. Mary Robin Walter was a wife, mother and a nursing student when she was shot multiple times with a .22 caliber pistol, 44 years ago.
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Experts Stress Importance of Fall Vaccinations
UNDATED (KNS) – Fall is right around the corner in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that experts say it’s now time to get vaccinated for COVID, RSV and the flu. Geovannie Gone, with the Immunize Kansas Coalition, says people should get vaccinated by the end of October or early November. She says COVID vaccines aren’t free for everyone, but private insurance companies often cover vaccinations for COVID, the flu and sometimes RSV. Gone says vaccines are free for children and teens on Kansas Medicaid through the Vaccines for Children Program. She says adults who are uninsured or underinsured should watch for free vaccines at health fairs or pharmacies. “We’ve also seen an increase of employers offering flu shots at work for their employees,” she added. Gone says it’s important to get vaccinated to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses.
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Gas Prices Continue to Fall
UNDATED (KCUR) – Gas keeps getting cheaper. In Kansas, the price is down 80 cents from a year ago and now averages $2.94 a gallon. The American Automobile Association told KCUR that Missouri now has the tenth lowest gasoline price in the country. On Monday morning, the average price per gallon was $2.91, 78 cents cheaper than a year ago. AAA spokesman Nick Chabarria says demand is down and the winter blend of gas will be here in a few days. “Local gas stations and local gasoline distributors are trying to sell through their summer blend gasoline stocks to make room for the winter blend switch over which is coming,” he explained. If you have an electric vehicle, AAA says Kansas and Missouri continue to be the cheapest states to charge your car.
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Red-Light / Speed Cameras May Soon Return to Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) - Red-light / speeding cameras may be returning to Kansas City. That's according to Mayor Quinton Lucas, who sponsored the ordinance that passed out of the city council last week. The city had to disconnect its red-light cameras in 2013 following a lawsuit in eastern Missouri. In that lawsuit, two drivers claimed someone else was driving their vehicles when they went through red lights. The case ended up with the Missouri Supreme Court that ruled the red-light camera technology wasn't good enough. WDAF TV reports that now, new and improved cameras will be used identify both the vehicle and the driver. Mayor Lucas says they even have ways to address drivers who may be wearing face masks. If the Board of Police Commissioners approves of the idea, the new cameras could be operating again in the beginning of 2025.
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Fatal Dog Disease Striking Kansas City Pets
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — A disease has been detected in Kansas City that can be fatal to animals. A recent rise in leptospirosis cases in local dogs now has veterinarians urging pet owners to vaccinate their pets. KMBC TV reports that the disease, also known as Lepto, is a bacterial infection. It can spread through wildlife, such as rodents, raccoons and other dogs. Lepto can cause kidney and liver failure - and it can be passed from animals to humans. Vaccination is an easy preventative measure to protect pets and their families with the typical cost of the vaccine around $15.
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KU to Host Speaker Series on Taylor Swift and Popular Culture
UNDATED (KNS) – The University of Kansas is hosting a speaker series this fall that will explore topics through the lens of pop star Taylor Swift. The Kansas News Service reports that members of KU’s faculty will talk about Taylor Swift’s music, her business sense and her influence on popular culture. The series will also feature a poet and literary critic from Harvard University who teaches an English course called “Taylor Swift and Her World.” KU economics professor Misty Heggeness helped organize the speaker series. She’s developing a Swift-focused course that will launch at KU next fall. “Using Taylor Swift or using some of these pop culture moments as learning opportunities, I think, is a win-win for everybody. And it’s also fun for the faculty,” Heggeness explained. All six events on the Lawrence campus are open to the public.
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Report: Pace of Inflation for Food Slowing Down
UNDATED (Harvest Public Media) – The pace of food inflation is slowing. That’s according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But prices are still much higher than they were a few years ago. Harvest Public Media reports that sticker shock is making its way into the presidential campaigns. Candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris frequently bring up high grocery prices when pitching why they should be the next president. Pocketbook issues are extremely important and motivating for voters, according to Donna Hoffman, a political science professor at the University of Northern Iowa. "If their pocketbook is particularly being hit by high gas prices or high food prices, then those are certainly things that can work their way into the things that the presidential campaigns want to address," Hoffman added. Above all else, Hoffman says presidential candidates want to convince voters they care about the concerns of an average American. But once they’re in office, Hoffman says presidents are somewhat limited in their ability to lower food prices.
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Work Begins on Expansion of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands
UNDATED (KNS) – Work started last week to convert cropland back into habitat near Great Bend in central Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that Cheyenne Bottoms is the country’s largest inland wetland basin. It draws hundreds of thousands of migrating birds each fall and spring. Half of the basin is a state wildlife area. The Nature Conservancy wanted to protect more of the basin, so it began acquiring land in the 1990s. Last month the Conservancy got an additional 1,000 acres, with help from another conservation group, Ducks Unlimited. The farm fields will be turned back into wetlands. Shorebird numbers have been dropping for decades in part because of habitat loss.
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Chiefs Beat Bengals by One Point in KC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a 2-and-oh start this season after a 26-25 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Sunday's game featured another down-to-the-wire finish. Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal as time ran out to lift the Chiefs to the come-from-behind win. The Chiefs turned the ball over three times, which included two interceptions thrown by Patrick Mahomes. "We played not as clean as we wanted to and still found a way to win," Mahomes daid. "That speaks to the defense and the full entire team. Obviously, we’ve got to clean up a lot on offense as we go forward," he added. The biggest break for the Chiefs took place in the final minute when they were down to their last chance facing fourth-and-16. The Bengals were whistled for defensive pass interference on a Mahomes pass attempt, which gave the Chiefs a first down, new life and they capitalized.
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Chiefs Running Back Isiah Pacheco Out for Several Weeks with Leg Injury
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) – The Kansas City Chiefs will be without starting running back Isiah Pacheco for several weeks because of a fractured fibula. Pacheco was hurt on the Kansas City Chiefs’ final drive of the game. Between running and pass receptions, Pacheco had 59 total yards for the day. Chiefs coach Andy Reid says Pacheco took the news of his injury hard after the game, explaining that "...here’s a guy that loves to play the game. He had tears. He was emotional. You never want to lose it." In his two-plus seasons with the Chiefs, Pacheco has been the most reliable back on each of the last two Super Bowl championship teams and one of his backups, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, is already on the non-football illness list for at least two more games.
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