Kansas Grass Fire Season Is Here, Red Flag Warnings Take Effect
WICHITA, Kan. (KPR) - Wildfire season is well underway in Kansas. Last week, firefighters battled grassfires in Sedgwick, Sumner, Chase and Finney counties, just to name a few. About 10 firefighters in Lawrence spent about two hours putting out a vegetation and brush fire along the Kansas riverfront Sunday afternoon. No one was hurt battling the blaze west of the Kansas river levee.
A Red Flag Warning will be in effect Monday for Junction City, Salina and Manhattan - and areas west of Manhattan. This includes Riley, Geary, Dickinson and Morris counties. The National Weather Service in Topeka says the Red Flag Warning also affects areas west of Lyon County.
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'Kansas Speaks' Survey Shows Significant Support for Medicaid Expansion in Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A survey released Monday by the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University finds that support for Medicaid expansion remains high in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that the annual Kansas Speaks survey found 72% of Kansans support expanding Medicaid and 76% think doing so would help rural hospitals remain in business. That support is up slightly from last year. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has tried for years to expand Medicaid but the Republican supermajority in the Kansas Legislature has blocked the policy. Alexandra Middlewood, a political science professor at Wichita State University, says the response highlights how voters’ beliefs on key policy issues don’t always align with their voting behavior. “We can see that a huge portion of Kansans say that it is important to some degree, but there are so many other issues, too, that they’re being forced to consider when making decisions about who to vote for,” she explained. The survey also found that significant majorities of Kansans support legalizing medical and recreational marijuana.
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Kansas Legislators Hear Arguments on Legalization of Medical Marijuana
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers heard arguments Monday on whether medical marijuana should be legal in the state. Sam Jones is with Kansas Natural Remedies, a company that grows and sells hemp. He cited a recent poll by the Midwest Newsroom and Emerson College that found nearly 73% of Kansans support the legalization of medical marijuana, adding that “...with that information, I really liked what one of the previous testifiers said, is, you know, he said, ‘Let’s not – let’s not be a nanny state.’” Data released Monday from Fort Hays State University’s annual Kansas Speaks survey aligns with the Midwest Newsroom poll when it comes to medical marijuana. It also found 61.3% of Kansans support legalizing recreational weed.
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Death Penalty Opponents Testify in Capital Punishment Hearings
UNDATED (KNS) – Opponents of the death penalty in Kansas were in court Monday to testify in the first of many hearings on capital punishment. The Kansas News Service reports that national legal groups including the American Civil Liberties Union are challenging the death penalty in Wyandotte County District Court. They say it’s racially discriminatory. Alex Valdez, a staff attorney for the ACLU, says Black people are struck from juries at higher rates because they’re more likely to oppose the death penalty. “It's horrible that racism infects at every single level, but it's unimaginably wrong that it could lead to someone's death at the hands of the state,” she said. Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said the challenge is premature because the defendant in the case being cited hasn’t been sentenced yet.
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More E. Coli Cases Reported, The Culprit? Slivered Onions in McDonald’s Burgers
UNDATED (KPR/NPR) - The Centers for Disease Control is monitoring more cases of E. coli linked to McDonald's restaurants. The CDC says there are now 75 cases across 13 states, including cases in Kansas and Missouri. Dozens have been hospitalized and at least one person died in Colorado. The CDC has now identified the source of the outbreak: slivered onions used in McDonald's hamburgers.
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Advocacy Group Recommends Limiting Screen Time in Kansas Schools
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - An advisory group studying the effects of technology and social media wants Kansas schools to limit the amount of time students spend on screens. The 36-member task force includes Kansas teachers, students, parents and school leaders. They plan to recommend that schools balance technology with non-digital lessons. They also want to limit cell phones to students who need them for medical reasons, such as monitoring blood sugar levels. Erika Sheets is a parent in the Blue Valley district. She says widespread bans on personal devices aren't reasonable and should be left up to parents. “We’re not going to go through and ban every distraction," she said. "There’s a long list of what can distract kids, right? Of all ages. We all know that.” The task force will present its recommendations to the Kansas State Board of Education in November.
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Woman Dies in Freak Propeller Accident in Derby
DERBY, Kan. (KWCH) - A woman was killed over the weekend after she was struck by a moving airplane propeller. It happened Saturday afternoon in Derby while the woman was taking photographs at a skydiving center. KWCH TV reports that the woman accidentally backed up into the propeller. She later died at the hospital.
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Cities of Hays and Russell Take Edwards County to Court over Water Project
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Low water levels have sparked a legal conflict in western Kansas. The cities of Hays and Russell in Northwest Kansas are suing neighboring Edwards County over alleged attempts to slow down a water transfer project. The Kansas News Service reports that the cities say their water source is susceptible to contamination and drought. To solve this issue, thirty years ago, they bought land in Edwards County to draw water from. But the lawsuit argues Edwards County imposed zoning regulations to try and keep the water from leaving. Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty says Edwards County can’t decide how the water is used. “The only entity that can tell you what you can and can't do with that property right is the state of Kansas, because they own the water. Everything else is superficial,” he added. An attorney for Edwards County says he's still reviewing the lawsuit.
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Wildlife Officials to Install Preventive Grate at Bowersock Dam
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas wildlife officials hope to block a species of invasive carp from moving upstream of a dam in Lawrence. The Bowersock Dam on the Kansas River is a relatively low one. And the silver carp are excellent jumpers. When the river is high, they could leap over the hydroelectric dam. The Kansas News Service reports that the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks plans to install a kind of grate to prevent the carp from expanding its range. Liam Odell, a biologist with the agency, said “...the way I can describe it is – it will kind of be like these metal fingers will come off of that north powerhouse, where we’re worried about them potentially jumping over. And those will prevent them from being able to achieve enough height to go into the other side." Wildlife officials want to block this species because it’s a prolific spawner that grows fast and competes with native fish for food.
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Chiefs Remain Unbeaten After Win Against Raiders
UNDATED (KPR) - The NFL’s only unbeaten team remains unbeaten. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Raiders 27-20 in Las Vegas. The Kansas City Chiefs, now 7-0, resorted to their most reliable combination — quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — to grab the lead for good in the second quarter. On National Tight End Day, Mahomes says Kelce wasn’t clamoring for the ball in the end zone. "He’s all about balling, all about winning," Mahomes said. "I think you saw that the last game last year whenever he could’ve gotten 1,000 yards and sat himself out even though he wanted to play. He’s all about winning at the end of the day and that’s what makes him a special player."
Along with his two TD passes, Mahomes also had his eighth straight game tossing an interception. The Chiefs defense bailed him out, however, with a goal line stand and allowed the Chiefs to pull away in the fourth quarter.
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Salvador Perez to Receive MLB's Roberto Clemente Award
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) – Catcher Salvador Perez became the first member of the Kansas City Royals to be awarded the Roberto Clemente Award in recognition of humanitarian work. Perez has become well-known for his outgoing personality and his easy engagement with fans and young people. Early this summer, he joined in with some neighborhood kids playing baseball and it ended up going viral on social media. He’s been an active participant in Kansas City’s Urban Youth Academy, but he’s also the owner of a youth baseball league in his Venezuelan hometown of Valencia. Other causes he’s supported have been in fundraising and awareness for ALS, cancer and the families of fallen or wounded police officers. The prestigious Clemente Award caps off a multitude of honors for Perez’s 13th season with the Royals, including his ninth appearance as a member of the American League All-Star team. A representative from Major League Baseball will present the award to Perez Monday night prior to Game Three of the World Series in New York.
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