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.
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String of Recent School Threats Made Across Kansas
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (KWCH) — In the wake of this month's school shooting in Georgia, at least 13 threats have been made against schools in Kansas. In Georgia, a 14-year-old boy is charged with fatally shooting two students and two teachers. In Kansas, most of the threats against schools have been made online. Since Tuesday of last week, threats have been made against multiple Kansas City area schools, as well as schools in Salina, Hays and Junction City.
One of the threats involved Junction City Middle School. That threat, spread on social media, reportedly included names of students and staff members in USD 475. KWCH TV reports that a student has been charged with making the threat against the middle school. Geary County Public Schools Superintendent Reginald Eggleston said that only about 50% of the student population attended classes on Monday.
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FBI Investigates Origins of Suspicious Mail Sent to Offices of Kansas Officials
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.
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Kansas City-Area Congressmembers Seek Fix for Mail Delivery Problems
UNDATED (KCUR) – A group of Kansas representatives and their Missouri congressional counterparts are calling on the U.S .Postmaster General to fix problems with mail delivery in the Kansas City area. KCUR reports that the letter from Republican Jake LaTurner and Democrat Sharice Davids follows increasing complaints from residents about mail that arrives delayed, or not at all. A study of the distribution centers in the Kansas City area found problems with property conditions and mail clearance times. Federal lawmakers have said the USPS should ensure locations are complying with mail processing procedures.
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Lenexa City Council Denies Permit for Hotel Conversion into Homeless Shelter
LENEXA, Kan. (Johnson County Post) – The Lenexa City Council has dealt what appears to be a fatal blow to a much-discussed plan to create a new homeless shelter in Johnson County. The Johnson County Post reports that the Lenexa City Council on Tuesday voted to deny a special permit needed to convert a hotel on I-35 into a year-round homeless shelter. The county first put forward the proposal last year, framing it as a unique opportunity to address the growing issue of homelessness. But Lenexa planning officials argued it could negatively impact other properties in the area and be a financial drain on city resources. The shelter plan also garnered intense pushback from residents, some of whom frequently veered into conspiracy theories. Following the vote in Lenexa, the county commission called a special meeting for Thursday to discuss terminating the purchase of the hotel, effectively ending the project in this form.
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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.
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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.
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Group to Issue Recommendations About Cell Phone Use in Schools
UNDATED (KNS) – A group appointed by Kansas education leaders will offer recommendations about the use of cell phones in schools. The Kansas News Service reports that the group has been meeting weekly to discuss Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Anxious Generation,” and how screen time and social media affect young people. Members recently heard from counselors and other experts who say schools should limit the time kids spend on screens. Shelby Burnett is a social worker in the Basehor-Linwood school district near Kansas City. She says it’s hard to restrict students’ screen time when so many classroom lessons depend on computers. “How are we accurately monitoring how much time a student is on their devices at school, knowing that we are in a technologically based education system right now?,” she asked. State school board members have said they support guidelines but don’t want to impose statewide restrictions.
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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 February 18, 2025.
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Kansas State Reports Student Tested Positive for TB
MANHATTAN (KSNT) — A Kansas State University student has tested positive for tuberculosis. The student is currently in isolation. Tuberculosis can show up as a bad cough lasting for several weeks, pain in the chest and coughing up blood. KSNT TV reports that 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.
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Kansas Turnpike Warns of New Text Message Scam
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Turnpike Authority is warning people about a new scam involving text messages. The KTA says the scammer is sending out text messages that look like they are from the Turnpike Authority - but they are not. In this so-called smishing scam, people get a text message that looks official, saying they owe turnpike fees and must pay them in order to avoid additional fees. The fake text messages include a link but Turnpike officials say: don't click on the link. The KTA says it does NOT send unsolicited text messages, let alone messages that ask for money. The FBI says toll agencies across the country have reported similar scams.
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Egg Prices Increase Following Bird Flu Outbreaks
UNDATED (HPM) – Egg prices are higher than usual, peaking at around $3.30 per dozen in recent months. That’s mostly due to multiple bird flu outbreaks throughout the country that resulted in a loss of thousands of hens. Lee Schulz, an economics professor at Iowa State University, says demand for eggs always goes up around this time of year. That, coupled with bird flu, is what's sent prices up. “Demand has been stronger than we've seen the last couple of years for eggs. And especially as you look at really the dog days of summer. And I think that's where you really started to see the uptick in egg prices,” Schulz told Harvest Public Media. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the price of wholesale eggs is expected to drop in the coming months. The wholesale price could reach $1.75 per dozen next spring.
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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.
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Kansas State Fair Draws Nearly 329,000 Visitors
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas State Fair attracted nearly 329,000 visitors during its 10-day run in Hutchinson. Fair officials say fantastic weather likely contributed to this year's strong turnout. Overall, the state fair drew 328,714 attendees. Next year's fair will run from September 5–14.
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U.S. Senate Ag Committee Chair: Food Assistance, Conservation Must Be Protected 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.
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Experts Say Mussel Species Stocked in Kansas Streams Surviving
UNDATED (KMUW) – Two mussel species stocked in Kansas streams and rivers last year appear to be surviving, state officials say -- a good sign for the conservation practice. KMUW reports that historically, freshwater mussel populations have been diminished by water pollution and mussel harvests. But Kansas is attempting to reverse the decline by stocking protected mussel species in rivers and streams. The department of wildlife and parks put eighty-five hundred back in southeast Kansas last fall. Trevor Starks is the state's aquatic species recovery coordinator. This summer, he found evidence that mussels stocked last year in Neosho County survived. "That's the big 'hooray,' like, that's a big, a good, awesome first step. The thought is, with these areas, that water quality has gotten better," Starks said. A small sampling of mussels stocked at another site last fall also survived the winter. The state has added about eleven thousand more mussels to Kansas waters since last fall.
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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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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.
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