Red Flag Warning in Effect Thursday
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a Red Flag Warning for eastern Kansas, in effect until 8 pm Thursday. The Red Flag Warning means conditions are favorable for the development of wildfires. Forecasters say strong winds, low humidity, dry conditions and warm temperatures have combined to create an extreme fire danger for northeast and east central Kansas, as well as parts of western Missouri. Winds from the south and southwest are expected to gust up to 30 and 40 miles-per-hour.
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Wichita Man Sentenced for Making Race-Based Death Threats
WICHITA, Kan. (KPR) - A Kansas man has been sentenced to more than 6.5 years in prison for making race-based death threats. Federal prosecutors say 31-year-old Austin Schoemann, of Wichita, threatened multiple Black people in and around the Wichita area. Prosecutors also charged him with interfering with the housing rights of a white woman because he believed she was dating and associating with Black people. Schoemann had previously pleaded guilty to the charges.
As part of his plea, he admitted that in 2022, he brandished a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station. He also admitted to making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited one white woman's home.
The FBI Kansas City Field Office and Wichita Police Department investigated the case.
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Marijuana Hearing Leaves Many Unanswered Questions for Legislators
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers still have unanswered questions after an all-day hearing on medical marijuana this week. The Kansas News Service reports that legislators asked to hear from schools and banks about their perspective on legalizing the drug. They also asked about how other states test and track it. Republican Representative Steve Howe asked to hear from growers in other states, saying “...there’s a lot of uncertainty and maybe a lot of risk out there for a grower. And just understanding what those risks are, you know, just the uncertainty of what the federal government is going to do or not do.” The committee on medical marijuana will hear more in-depth information about those topics at a second hearing later this month. After that, it could potentially recommend legislation for the upcoming session. Polls indicate more than 70% of Kansans support legalizing medical marijuana.
(–Earlier Reporting–)
Kansas Legislators Hold Informational Hearing on Medical Marijuana
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Members of the public filled a committee room at the Kansas Statehouse Wednesday morning as lawmakers held an informational hearing on medical marijuana. The Kansas News Service reports that legislators heard about the history of the drug and what it might look like if Kansas legalizes it for medical use. Dustin Rogge of the Kansas Pharmacists Association says that if medical marijuana is legalized in Kansas, it should be dispensed through existing pharmacies. “Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to provide essential services related to cannabis use, including screening for medication cannabis interactions, monitoring usage and potential misuse, and counseling patients on proper use and storage,” he added. The Kansas House passed a medical marijuana bill in 2022 but the Senate never voted on it. Lawmakers will host a second hearing later in October.
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Kansas Attorney General Among Those Asking Judge to Restrict Access to Mifepristone
UNDATED (KNS) – Republican Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and officials from Missouri and Idaho are asking a federal judge to make it harder to access the abortion pill mifepristone. The Kansas News Service reports that they want the court to reinstate older restrictions around the drug that would limit its use after seven weeks of pregnancy instead of 10, and require three in-person doctor’s visits. None are currently required. It would also ban prescribing to minors. The request is more limited than a previous challenge to the drug that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected this summer. Mifepristone is used in around 60% of abortions in Kansas.
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Kansas Capital Punishment Facing Another Constitutional Challenge
UNDATED (KNS) – The death penalty is facing a new constitutional challenge in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that critics say capital punishment reinforces racist outcomes in the justice system. The American Civil Liberties Union and other legal groups are taking up cases in Wyandotte County District Court. Their arguments focus on death disqualification, a rule that says anyone serving in a capital trial jury must believe in the death penalty as a valid punishment. But ACLU attorney Megan Byrne says Black citizens are more likely to disagree with the death penalty and get disqualified to serve on a jury. “We're also telling people, you know, whole groups of people, ‘you can't be a part of that decision, you can't be a part of the most important things that we're deciding in courts,’” she explained. The last state execution in Kansas took place about 60 years ago.
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Review Board: Kansas Needs More Affordable Child Care to Lower Risks for Children
UNDATED (KNS) – A state review board says Kansas needs more affordable and high quality child care to lower risks of neglect and abuse. The Kansas News Service reports that advocates say state lawmakers need to help cover the cost of expensive child care.
The state board noted in its annual report on child deaths that Kansas needs to increase access to child care. But the report did not recommend how to produce it. John Wilson of Kansas Action for Children says the state should take steps to make it more affordable, like increasing financial aid for programs. He says another option is providing tax relief to parents, adding that “...a child tax credit that could certainly help pay for child care, but also basic needs.” Wilson also recommends streamlining state services for early childhood support to make access easier for families.
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Johnson County Doctor Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation Charges
UNDATED (KNS) – A Johnson County pediatric neurologist accused of sexually exploiting children could face up to 30 years in federal prison. The Kansas News Service reports that the doctor pleaded guilty in federal court this week. 50-year-old Brian Aalbers pleaded guilty to 13 counts of attempting to produce child sexual abuse material and one count for possessing it. The U.S. Attorney’s Office accuses Aalbers of secretly filming 13 children between 2020 and 2023. Court documents say Aalbers coerced his victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Aalbers previously worked at Overland Park Regional Hospital, but investigators say there is no evidence that any of his victims were patients. Details about the victims are sealed. Sentencing is scheduled for February.
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Experts: Naloxone Can Help Prevent Overdose Deaths Among Children
UNDATED (KNS) – Experts say Kansas parents and teens can help prevent rising drug overdose deaths among children by carrying naloxone, a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. A recent state report shows overdose deaths among children in Kansas rose significantly from 2018 to 2022. The increase was driven by teens unknowingly consuming fentanyl. Professor Ty Schepis of Texas State University studies adolescent drug use, and told the Kansas News Service that teens who carry naloxone could save a friend who overdoses at a social venue or a party. “You could be called into a situation where someone overdoses away from home and having the ability to intervene can be life-saving,” he said. State officials also recommend parents advise their children that medications not prescribed by a doctor are not safe to use.
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KU Gets Grant to Expand Sexual Violence Prevention Work to Other Cities
UNDATED (KNS) – The Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center at the University of Kansas is getting a grant from the state health department to expand its violence prevention work. The Kansas News Service reports that the project is called Cultivating Protective Communities, and will allow the center to replicate work it’s done with KU fraternities and sororities at other sites around Kansas, including Wichita, Hays and Garden City. Center director Jen Brockman says it’ll focus on changing attitudes and behaviors through community education, and also making environmental changes, like improving lighting. “We see some success in programs that have implemented environmental design in bar settings, and educating bar staff on how to be aware of what’s happening, or in house parties,” she explained. Brockman says those interventions can help prevent violence before it occurs. KU expects to receive around $30,000 per year through 2029.
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KC Leaders Work to Combat Homelessness Ahead of Winter Temps
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) - As temperatures begin to drop, the need for homeless shelters will increase, particularly in Kansas City. A recent report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found Kansas City had the highest percentage of people experiencing chronic homelessness who live without shelter. KSHB TV reports that winter shelters in Kansas City will open from December 1 to March 1.
Kansas City Houseless Prevention Coordinator John Henges said his organization is actively working with city leaders to try and address the issue. “This winter, we’re going to have up to 400 beds, depending on the temperature,” Henges said. “Our goal is to have 100 beds throughout the year while Hope Faith is constructing their low-barrier shelter. And the goal is we’re not going to be the city that has the lowest-performing homeless services system.”
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Kansas City Will Soon Have the World’s First Barbecue Museum
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - Kansas City is famous for its barbecue and soon, it will be getting a barbecue museum. The Kansas City Star reports that The Museum of BBQ plans a spring debut at the Crown Center Shops. Founder Jonathan Bender says KC is one of the BBQ capitals of the world and it should have such a museum. Bender has served as a certified judge for the American Royal World Series of Barbecue.
Kansas City's not the only serious barbecue region in America. Memphis, St. Louis, Texas and even the Carolinas can all claim to have great barbecue offerings. But Kansas City is home to the Barbecue Hall of Fame and the World Series of BBQ. Among other things, the new BBQ museum will explore the various American regions of barbecue - and how each place created its own distinct styles and traditions.
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Lawrence City Commissioners Vote to Keep City Hall Downtown
LAWRENCE, Kan. (The Lawrence Times) – The Lawrence city commission voted 3-2 this week against purchasing a building near Sixth and Iowa Streets to become the local government's new home. Staff members had asked the commission to approve the purchase of a building (at 2000 Bluffs Drive) for an estimated total of $15.9 million, once figuring in the cost of renovation. The Lawrence Times reports that exceeds the amount budgeted by the commission by almost $4 million, meaning that a future budget amendment would be necessary to complete the acquisition.
The current City Hall facility (located at 6 E. Sixth Street) was built in 1980. City staff and consultants say there is no longer enough space. Planning and Development Services and Lawrence Municipal Court staff already work in leased space in the Riverfront building next door. Commissioners at Tuesday's meeting heard from more than 30 people, almost all of whom supported keeping city hall downtown.
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Reading Scores Improve Slightly for Kansas Students
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Reading scores for Kansas students have improved slightly, and education leaders credit a change in literacy instruction. The Kansas News Service reports that over the past three years, the Kansas Department of Education has spent $25 million to train teachers in the science of reading. The strategy teaches kids to sound out letters and words rather than focus on context clues. Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson says the number of students scoring in the lowest level on reading dropped last spring by about a tenth of a percent, which is progress. “I wanted Level One to go down more. I wanted Level Three and Four to go up more. But they both trended in the right direction now for the last two years,” Watson added. About a third of students scored in the bottom level on reading this year, compared with 20% a decade ago.
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Former Frito-Lay Employee Sues Company over Alleged Retaliation, Interference Claims
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) – A former employee has filed a lawsuit against the Frito-Lay plant in Topeka. Jeffery R. Scott alleges retaliation and interference, and is seeking damages. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a jury trial in that case has been set for July 7. Scott had filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Kansas Human Rights Commission in 2022, alleging he had been a victim of age discrimination. Part of his lawsuit alleges retaliation by the company for filing his complaint. Frito-Lay was sued earlier this year by former employee Tiffany Norris, who alleged sexual harassment and wrongful termination
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KBI, KHP Look to Build New Joint Headquarters
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas Highway Patrol are considering whether to build a new joint headquarters in Topeka. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the two law enforcement agencies are in the early stages of potentially building a new joint headquarters building and vacating their current facilities in Topeka.
The KBI and KHP recently told lawmakers that they may be asking for funding next session. The estimated cost for a new joint headquarters could be around $134 million. But that estimate does not include land acquisition and site development costs.
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Chiefs Hope for Decision on Stadium by Next Spring
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - Kansas City Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt says he hopes the team will know by next spring whether its next home will be in Kansas or Missouri. Hunt isn’t ruling out another attempt to figure out how to renovate Arrowhead Stadium. But he says the team is looking on both sides of the state line between Missouri and Kansas to explore their options for a stadium and a training facility. When asked if Kansas presents an easier opportunity with the use of STAR bonds to fund the bulk of the stadium construction costs, Hunt was noncommittal. "We’re not looking for what’s easiest," he said. "We’re looking for the right opportunity. We’re grateful for the work that was done on the Kansas side that opens that up as an opportunity." The current lease for Arrowhead Stadium with Jackson County, Missouri ends in February of 2031.
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