UPDATE: FBI Investigating Origins of Suspicious Mail Sent to Kansas Officials' Offices
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – The FBI is investigating the origins of suspicious mail sent to government officials in Kansas and other nearby states. Authorities say two separate pieces of mail were sent Monday to Memorial Hall, a government building near the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka. The Kansas News Service reports that one was sent to the Secretary of State’s Office and a larger package was sent to the attorney general. The pieces of mail were covered in an unknown substance, which led state troopers to evacuate the building. The substance was later deemed harmless. The packages also reportedly referenced a “US Traitor Elimination Army.” Government offices in Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming also received suspicious mail.
(–Earlier reporting–)
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.
==========
Election Officials Recognize National Voter Registration Day in Missouri and Kansas
KANSAS CITY, MO. (KCUR) – Election officials marked National Voter Registration Day Tuesday. KCUR reports that Missouri and Kansas voters have less than a month if they want to participate in the November election. Kansas residents have an October 15th deadline to register by mail, online, or in person. October 16th is the deadline for Kansas advance voting - the Secretary of State's website doesn’t include information for advance voting at this time.
For Missouri, the deadline to register either online, by mail, or in person is October 9th. You can vote early in person on October 22nd if you can’t make it on the Nov. 5th election day. There are several requirements if you want to mail in an early ballot- including illness incarceration or caretaking duties.
==========
Census Data Shows Kansas Uninsured Rate Exceeds National Average
UNDATED (KNS) – New census data shows that more than 8% of Kansans lack health insurance. That's higher rate than the national average. The Kansas News Service reports that for the third year in a row, Kansans are less likely to have health insurance than Americans overall. Analysts say that’s partially due to the state being one of only 10 that has not expanded Medicaid. Compared with non-Hispanic white Kansans, the uninsured rate is twice as high for Black Kansans and three times higher for Hispanic Kansans. Kansas Health Institute senior analyst Sheena Schmidt says the state’s Medicaid rules likely play a role. “If you’re an immigrant here legally in the state, you still have to wait five years before you’re eligible for Medicaid,” she explained. At least 35 states have removed the five-year Medicaid waiting period for lawful immigrants.
==========
Audit Shows Kansas Foster Children Still Struggling, Even After Lawsuit Settlement
TOPEKA, Kan. (The Beacon) – Young people in foster care in Kansas are struggling to get quality mental health care and stable housing, an audit of the state’s foster care system found. The report says foster children are moving to more homes and getting fewer timely mental health services. The Beacon reports that Kansas Appleseed, the National Center for Youth Law and Children’s Rights all sued Kansas over poor treatment of foster kids in 2018. The state settled the lawsuit in 2020 and agreed to a list of court-mandated reforms. Failing to make progress could land the case back in court. Statistics for 2023 show the state is falling short of those goals and falling further behind on them. A previous audit said just under three out of four kids got proper mental health services. Now, barely over half of foster kids are getting help. Governor Laura Kelly said the report showed great progress in foster care, despite data to the contrary, but said much more work needs to be done.
==========
Sixth Woman Joins Federal Lawsuit Against Former KCK Police Detective
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) – Another Kansas City, Kansas, woman has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was abused by former Detective Roger Golubski. KCUR reports that the woman also says police and local government officials let it happen. Jermeka Hobbs joins five other women in filing a federal lawsuit against the detective she says abused her from 2005 through 2010. The six women say police brass allowed Golubski to protect gangs and traffickers in exchange for money and sexual favors. Hobbs’s lawsuit also named the Unified Government of KCK and Wyandotte County – which had no comment on the suit. Golubski is scheduled for trial in December on charges of violating several women’s civil rights.
(–Related–)
Kansas Court Hears Appeal from Man Claiming He Was Set Up by Disgraced Former KCK Detective
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) – The Kansas Appeals Court heard the case of a Kansas City, Kansas, man Tuesday who said he was set up by former Police Detective Roger Golubski. Brian Betts spent 25 years in prison for a 1997 murder he says he didn’t commit. Wyandotte County prosecutor Kayla Roehler acknowledged that Betts’s case unfolded during a period when officers used questionable tactics, but said Golubski’s name was not in the investigation files. Betts said that shows officials covered up Golubski’s crimes. “The biggest strike against their ethics and their morals is that they know that these officers were engaging in just despicable actions,” he explained. Golubski is accused of violating several women’s civil rights and faces a federal trial in December.
==========
Trial Concludes for Cult Leaders on Charges of Forced Child Labor
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - A nearly month-long trial concluded Monday with convictions for six members of a former cult accused of orchestrating a forced labor conspiracy that involved minors. KCTV reports that a jury in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas convicted 50-year-old Kaaba Majeed, 39-year-old Yunus Rassoul, 62-year-old James Staton, 49-year-old Randolph Rodney Hadley, 43-year-old Daniel Aubrey Jenkins and 60-year-old Dana Peach of conspiracy to commit forced labor. Evidence shown in court said the defendants were all former high-ranking members of the United Nation of Islam (UNOI).
Court records said the group’s principles included a required duty of unpaid labor and emphasized negative eternal religious consequences of noncompliance. UNOI operated businesses in cities around the United States with locations in New York; New Jersey; Ohio; and Georgia along with Kansas City, Kansas.
Some of the minors involved in the forced labor conspiracy were as young as eight years old, court records said. The victims worked in UNOI-owned and operated restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, labs and a clothing and sewing factory. Federal prosecutors said the victims also lived in what was described as “deplorable conditions,” with mold, mice and rats found in overcrowded facilities.
Sentencing hearings for the individuals convicted are scheduled for Feb. 18, 2025.
==========
Kansas State Reports Student Tested Positive for TB
MANHATTAN (KSNT) – Officials at Kansas State University are reporting that a student tested positive for tuberculosis this month. The university made the report public in an issue of “K-State Today” sent to students on Friday. KSNT TV reports that a student in Manhattan told university officials about testing positive for tuberculosis. The student is currently in isolation, per CDC guidelines. Tuberculosis can show up as a bad cough lasting for several weeks, pain in the chest and coughing up blood, according to the CDC. Other signs of infection include weakness, fatigue, weight loss, no appetite, chills, fever and sweating at night. K-State administrators are encouraging students, staff and other community members to visit the university’s health center to learn more about tuberculosis.
==========
U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Says Conservation and Food Assistance Funding Non-Negotiable in Farm Bill
UNDATED (HPM) – Debbie Stabenow, chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, says funding for food assistance and conservation in the latest Farm Bill are non-negotiable. That’s as the legislation has stalled in Washington. The farm bill is a federal package that's renewed every five years. Harvest Public Media reports that it's already been pushed back a year, and the September deadline is quickly approaching. Senator Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat from Michigan, says it's become harder to settle on a deal amid partisan divides, but she says "we're not going backwards....the attacks that we're seeing on nutrition - there just won't be a bill - we're not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. We're not going to take money away from conservation and all the climate efforts that are so important." The Republican-controlled house committee has proposed a 28-billion-dollar cut to SNAP food assistance benefits. Stabenow says it's possible the bill can still be completed by the end of the month.
==========
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.
==========
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 under-insured 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.
==========
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.
==========
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.
==========
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.
==========
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).