Machinists Union Members at Textron Aviation Go on Strike in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Machinists Union workers at Textron Aviation began their strike Monday after voting down a contract offer over the weekend. Many workers on the picket line say they weren’t satisfied with the company’s offers dealing with health insurance and time off. No date has been set for the company and union to resume contract negotiations. The Kansas News Service reports that nearly 5 thousand employees are represented by the union at Textron Aviation, one of Wichita’s largest employers. Workers say they will continue to strike at the company's east and west campuses until a new contract is approved.
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Elementary School in Wichita Goes into Lock Down After Man Shoots Wife
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – An elementary school in south Wichita was locked down Monday morning after a man allegedly shot his wife in the chest while they were dropping off kids. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says a deputy who was in the area arrived at Cessna Elementary School and saw a man holding a gun to his wife’s head. The deputy then shot the man. Both the man and his wife are in critical condition. Easter says some children were outside the school at the time, but no students or school employees were hurt, adding that “...law enforcement showed up within two minutes of the shooting coming out, and it never got into the school itself where the kids were in danger.” The Kansas News Service reports that parents were allowed to pick up students about an hour after the shooting. Wichita district leaders say additional counselors were dispatched to the school.
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Advocacy Group Seeks Ban on Indoor Casino Smoking in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) – An advocacy group says indoor smoking at Kansas casinos is linked to gambling addiction. The Kansas News Service reports that the group is urging policymakers to ban smoking indoors during the next legislative session. Casinos are one of the last places where Kansans can legally smoke indoors. The advocacy group Americans for Nonsmokers Rights sent open letters to Kansas regulators and state leadership asking them to address the relationship between smoking and problem gambling. Traci Kennedy is the group’s Midwest state strategist. She says banning smoking indoors would mean smokers would have to take frequent breaks from gambling. “And that action of taking a break is really an important component of addressing problem gambling,” Kennedy added. A bill that would have banned smoking in Kansas casinos failed to advance earlier this year, but advocates say they’re going to try again next year. The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission says it is neutral on the issue.
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KU Health and K-State Partner to Find Ways to Improve Rural Health
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas State University and the University of Kansas Health System are teaming up with a hospital system in Phillips County, Kansas, to improve rural health care. The Kansas News Service reports that the pilot program in Phillips County, in the northwestern part of the state, is part of the K-State 105 program, an initiative designed to build the economy across Kansas. K-State and KU will help facilitate meetings with community stakeholders in Phillips County to talk about what health services they need. Hospital CEO Tara Overmiller says they’ve held similar forums in the past but didn’t have the bandwidth to do what the pilot will. “Coming up with the formats, coming up with the questions, mining all the data, giving it back to the community members and keeping the train moving forward. It was very difficult for us to do all that heavy lifting,” Overmiller explained. Overmiller says she’s excited to see what comes of the pilot.
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KC Man Accused of Driving Stolen Car 120 MPH on I-70
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City man is accused of stealing a car, then trying to outrun police by driving 120 mph down I-70. Police tried to pull over the driver but gave up the high speed chase. Later, police used road spikes to stop the car. After hitting the spikes, the car eventually stopped. The driver and a female passenger then fled on foot. KCTV reports that 36-year-old Charles J. Weber and a woman were eventually arrested.
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Report: Kansas Senator Roger Marshall May Have Misused Taxpayer Money on Personal Travel
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – New reporting by POLITICO suggests Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas may have improperly spent $4,500 in taxpayer money on travel. Since 2021, Marshall has reportedly spent public funds on eight trips to Sarasota, Florida, where two of his adult children live. He also has a vacation home there. A spokesperson says Marshall is on committees that require trips around the country. They say the travel was for official Senate business. But The Kansas News Service reports that POLITICO reporter Daniel Lippman told KCUR’s Up To Date that Marshall’s staff didn’t provide evidence of what he did there, saying that “...I think readers and listeners just have to kind of make up their own judgment about these trips.” If Marshall did use public funds for personal travel, it would be a violation of Senate rules.
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U.S. House Passes Bill to Increase Oversight of Chinese Companies' Land Purchases
UNDATED (HPM) – The U.S. House passed a bill this month that would increase oversight of Chinese companies with ties to the Communist Party from buying farmland. Harvest Public Media reports that Chinese entities own less than 1 percent of American farmland. Still, Congressional members from both sides of the aisle express concern about Chinese-owned land being purchased near US military sites. David Ortega is a professor at Michigan State University who studies international food policy. He says if the bill becomes law it may become harder for farmers to sell products to China. "China can very well retaliate and it would be far easier for a country like China to find new sources of agricultural products than it is for, you know, American farmers to find a new market for our products," Ortega explained. The Biden administration called the bill "unnecessary", saying existing legislation achieves its aims.
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Lactaid Milk Sold in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Other States Recalled
UNDATED (WDAF) — A popular milk alternative has been recalled in more than two dozen states, including Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. The 96-ounce containers of Lactaid Milk, made by HP Hood, are being recalled because the product may contain trace amounts of almonds, which is not listed on the label. Those who are allergic to almonds may experience a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction. WDAF TV reports that so far, no illnesses have been reported.
The Lactaid Milk was shipped to retailers earlier this month (September 5-18) in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and 24 other states, including Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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Report: Abortions Increase in U.S. Despite Restrictions in 20 States
UNDATED (KFF Health News) – Last year, the number of abortions provided in the U.S. topped 1 million for the first time in about a decade. KFF Health News reports that abortions are rising, even though 20 states banned or limited access to the procedure since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. That includes most of Kansas’s neighbors. To handle the ensuing influx of out-of-state patients, Planned Parenthood Great Plains has opened two new clinics in the state. The most recent opened last month in Pittsburg, just a few miles from the borders of both Missouri and Oklahoma. But the majority of the increase in U.S. abortions last year actually came from people who already lived in the states where the procedure remains legal. Increased access to telehealth is also increasing access to medication abortions.
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Levees in Kansas City, Kansas, Will Be Taller Following Construction Project
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) — Residents of Kansas City, Kansas, will soon have taller levees shielding their neighborhoods from floods. So much rain fell on the Great Plains and Midwest in 1993, that hundreds of levees in the region failed and 50 people died. In Wyandotte County, the Kansas River came within inches of spilling over its levees. Now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is raising about 17 miles of levees in the area. Scott Mensing manages the program. “We’re doing about an average of a five-foot raise. It’s a big reduction in flood risk.” That work should be done next year. The Corps also upgraded pump stations that protect Kansas City, Kansas, neighborhoods - to handle more water per hour.
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Window Washer Rescued in KCMO After Equipment Failure
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – Equipment failure is being blamed after a window washer was rescued Tuesday on the 23rd floor of a Kansas City high-rise. The Kansas City Fire Department told WDAF-TV that crews were sent to One Kansas City Place, an office building located at 1200 Main Street, at about 10:15 Tuesday morning on reports of a window washer dangling outside the structure. KCFD said they found a man suspended from “broken hardware,” later identified as a broken harness that the window washer sits in. An on-duty Santa Fe Glass worker happened to be in the lobby, and assisted KCFD crews in removing a window from the 23rd floor. With his help, the window washer was safely pulled into the building. The window washer was uninjured in the incident.
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KU School of Music to Celebrate 100th Vespers Performance in December
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — The University of Kansas School of Music will celebrate a major milestone this year as the annual Vespers Concert turns 100. A celebration is planned December 8 at the Lied Center of Kansas. There will be two performances - one at 2:30 pm and another at 7:30 pm. The School of Music will also feature a special Alumni Choir filled with performers from decades past. In addition, the KU School of Music will present Jazz Vespers at 7:30 pm on December 11 at the Lied Center.
"This celebration is a testament to the rich musical tradition and cultural legacy that Vespers has built over the past century,” said Paul Popiel, dean of the School of Music. “It’s a joy to reflect on the countless performers, conductors and audience members who have been part of this cherished event." (Read more.)
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Slow Down! Fall Harvest Underway in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Fall harvest is underway in Kansas and state troopers are asking motorists to slow down and be aware of their surroundings as farmers collect their crops. The Kansas Highway Patrol is also asking drivers for patience as they may find themselves sharing the road with large farm equipment and machinery like trucks, tractors and combines.
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New Concert Venue on Missouri River Coming to KC's Northland
RIVERSIDE, Mo. (KC Star) — A new outdoor concert venue is coming to Kansas City’s Northland. The Kansas City Star reports that the Riverside Board of Aldermen recently approved $120 million in bonds to build the new amphitheater along the Missouri River within the next two years. The facility will be leased by global entertainment company LiveNation.
LiveNation will pay $95 million for the project. LiveNation is also getting tax incentives and a 10-year property tax abatement. The city of Riverside, which owns the site, will pitch in $5 million. The state of Missouri will contribute $20 million. The theater is expected to be located northwest of Horizons Parkway and Interstate 635. The stadium will seat 15,000 people. The opening date is yet to be announced. The Star reports that groundbreaking will take place soon in Riverside.
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