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Headlines for Monday, October 7, 2024

A graphic representation of eight radios of various vintages, underneath the words "Kansas Public Radio News Summary"
Emily DeMarchi
/
KPR

State of Kansas Sending Search & Rescue Task Force to Florida in Advance of Hurricane Milton

TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that the Kansas Division of Emergency Management is sending a swift water search and rescue task force to Florida in preparation for Hurricane Milton’s arrival. Kansas Task Force 2 was deployed to Florida on Sunday night. Kelly said the state was "...committed to mobilizing resources and personnel to provide immediate support to those affected by Hurricane Milton.” Kansas Task Force 2 consists of personnel from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Chanute Fire Department, Cherryvale Fire-Rescue, Johnson County Med-Act, Manhattan Fire Department, Neodesha Fire Department, Salina Fire Department, Shawnee Kansas Fire Department, and Wichita Fire Department. Their mission will be to search for and rescue individuals, provide basic life support medical care, transport humans and animals to the nearest location for secondary air or land transport, provide shore-based and boat-based water rescue, provide animal rescues, and support helicopter and urban search and rescue in water environments.

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WSU Denies Report of School President's Alleged Plagiarism

WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Wichita State University says President Rick Muma did not engage in misconduct after a media report alleges his 2004 dissertation was plagiarized. A Kansas Reflector article alleges that the university president copied dozens of passages in his doctoral dissertation years ago. The Kansas News Service reports that in an email to university employees, Muma says the passages in question were not properly cited when his dissertation was originally published. He also says after the Reflector originally contacted him for the story, the university launched an inquiry that made the same conclusion. The university inquiry did not find that Muma engaged in misconduct. However, Muma says he’s “taking steps to make corrections” to the passages in question.

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Teen Pleads Guilty to Charges Connected with 2022 Olathe Murder

JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KCUR) – A teenager pleaded guilty Monday to murder and other charges for a 2022 fatal shooting at Black Bob Park in Olathe. KCUR reports that his was the last of four cases from the incident to be resolved. In all, four teens were charged in the murder of nineteen-year-old Marco Cardino. The suspects were 13 and 14 years old at the time of the alleged drug deal gone wrong. The final teenager was tried as an adult, and pleaded guilty to second degree murder, attempted second degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and attempted aggravated robbery. He will be sentenced in December. Previously, two other teen boys pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. They were sentenced last spring to serve time in a juvenile correctional facility until they are twenty-two and a half. One teen girl pleaded no contest to aggravated battery last summer.

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Kansas Rodeo Queen Killed, Teammates Injured in Truck Crash

THOMAS COUNTY, Kan. (KAKE) - Colby Community College is in mourning. A 19-year-old competitive horse rider from the school's rodeo team was killed in a single vehicle crash Friday night in northwest Kansas. Five of her equestrian teammates were injured. Authorities say the 2024 Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas, Emma Brungardt, was the only fatality. Brungardt is from Blue Rapids, Kansas. She was a sophomore at Colby Community College. KAKE TV reports that the rodeo teammates were riding inside a pickup truck driven by an unidentified 18-year-old. The driver and four others were hospitalized. Authorities say the truck left the roadway and struck a row of trees in rural Thomas County.

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Three Killed Saturday in Separate Kansas Crashes

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - It's been a deadly weekend on Kansas roadways. The Highway Patrol says three people were killed Saturday in separate vehicle crashes across the state. KAKE TV reports that the first crash, in Labette County, killed 30-year-old Spencer Gatewood. The second crash, which took place in Jackson County, claimed the life of 77-year-old Dianna Slavens, of Topeka. A third fatality accident took place in Montgomery County, taking the life of 33-year-old Matthew Creed, of Parsons.

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Nitrate Contamination Affects Kansas Town's Water Supply

PRATT, Kan. (KNS) - The town of Pratt in south-central Kansas has lost a large part of its water supply to nitrate contamination. Pratt’s tap water is safe. The city shut off one affected well last summer and one this summer. But those two wells were more than one-fifth of its supply. Kansas State University is tracking a dramatic rise in nitrate affecting many south-central Kansas wells. So far, most of the nitrate they have found is from crop fertilizer, though it can also come from things like livestock and city wastewater. The state is giving Pratt $3 million to build a new well and do some groundwork toward nitrate treatment. More and more places need these water treatment facilities. But small cities and towns struggle to afford them.

Such treatment facilities can cost tens of millions of dollars, according to Regina Goff, Pratt's city manager. “We’re doing everything that we can to move in that direction in a responsible way - because it’s a very expensive path," she said. "But we have to supply quality, healthy drinking water to our citizens and adhere to all the regulatory limits.”

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KU School of Social Welfare Launches Project to Focus on Health Equity in Kansas

UNDATED (KNS) –There’s a new research center at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. The Kansas News Service reports that the project aims to eliminate health inequities in the state. The Center for the Advancement of Health Equity will serve as a hub for scholars and community members to find solutions for health equity and access issues. Co-director Jason Matejakowski says they’ll focus on social determinants of health, like housing, food insecurity and access to care to make health outcomes better. “We have lofty goals, but we've got a good team of experts. I'm not sure I like using that word all the time, but folks who are dedicated to this type of work and research and collaboration,” he explained. Matejakowski says they’re recruiting research affiliates to join.

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KC Moves Forward on $4 Million Plan to Improve SW Blvd

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) - Officials in Kansas City say they are moving forward with a $4 million plan to improve Southwest Boulevard. The city claims the improvements will create more parking, a path for shared use and additional lighting. WDAF TV reports that city officials are hoping to make Southwest Boulevard a safer connection to Kansas City's Westside.

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KC Man Faces Decades in Prison After Child Sexual Abuse Videos Found in His Possession

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City man faces up to 75 years in prison after multiple videos of child sexual abuse were allegedly found in his possession. KCTV reports that 39-year-old Jontez E. Wilson has been charged with five counts of child pornography. The Jackson County, Missouri, Prosecutor’s Office revealed that the crimes allegedly took place in August 2023. Multiple videos that depicted child sexual abuse were found in Wilson’s possession. A pretrial conference has been scheduled for November 14. He faces between 5 and 15 years on each count - or a maximum of 75 years in prison.

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Voter Registration Deadlines Near in Kansas and Missouri

UNDATED (KPR) - The November general election is less than a month away. Millions of people in Kansas and Missouri will vote on a myriad of races and constitutional amendments. The deadline to register to vote in Missouri is Wednesday (October 9th). In Kansas, the deadline is October 15th. Advance voting in Kansas begins October 16th. The general election is November 5th.

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Conservation Credits to Fund Restoration of Some Prairie Chicken Habitats

LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – A program is using conservation credits to pay for restoring prairie chicken habitats in southern Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that lesser prairie chicken populations have diminished, driven by loss of habitat. The company Common Ground Capital is paying ranchers to restore grassland. That protects bird habitat and creates better land for cattle grazing. Then the company sells the conservation credits to energy companies to offset their impact on the bird’s habitat elsewhere. Dillon Hilton, who has been working on clearing out invasive salt cedars on a 46,000 acre ranch, explained that “...the more trees we cut, the more native prairie we have, the more credits we generate. It's better for the prairie. It's better for their pocketbook. It's better for our pocketbook.” The program hopes to conserve 1 million acres of grassland for lesser prairie chicken habitat over 10 years. (Read more.)

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KCC Approves KGS Rate Increase Request

UNDATED (KNS) – Some Kansas residents will soon pay more for natural gas used in their homes. The Kansas News Service reports that state regulators signed off on a rate increase that will cost users about $46 more each year. The agreement allows Kansas Gas Service to increase rates to generate about $35 million of new revenue. It will increase monthly bills by an average of almost $4. Kansas Gas Service originally requested an increase of $58 million. The company said the rate increase is the first in five years and it has invested $600 million in capital improvement projects. The company serves about 650,000 customers throughout the state. The new rates go into effect in November.

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KC Royals Take on Yankees in Game 2 of ALDS

NEW YORK (KPR) - The Kansas City Royals face the New York Yankees tonight (MON) in game two of the American League Division Series. The Yanks lead the best of five series 1-0. First pitch is scheduled for 6:38 pm.

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4-0 Chiefs Take on the Saints on Monday Night Football

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs take on the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium at 7:15 pm on Monday Night Football.

(–Additional Reporting–)

Big Sports Night for Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) – The Kansas City Royals and Chiefs will be playing at the same time Monday night. First pitch for Game 2 of the American League Division Series in New York is 6:38, and the Chiefs will kick off at 7:15 against the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium. The Royals lost Game 1 in the best-of-5 series and will send Cole Ragans to the mound to start Game 2 against the Yankees. Royals manager Matt Quatraro says he’s not concerned that Saturday’s one-run loss could carry over. "I’m not worried about that at all. We’re here to play. We’re confident. We know that it’s going to be a tough game. Clearly. But I’m not worried about their morale or anything like that," he added. Only once in Kansas City sports history have the Royals and Chiefs made the playoffs in the same season. It was in 2015 when the Royals won the World Series. That season, the Chiefs lost in the AFC divisional playoff round to the New England Patriots.

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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).