Kansas Secretary of State Predicts High Voter Turnout
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - It's Election Day. Polls in Kansas are open and will remain open until 7 pm.
More than half a million Kansans have already voted. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab says he expects turnout this cycle to exceed the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
All four Kansas congressional seats are up for grabs, but the 2nd and 3rd districts of eastern Kansas and Kansas City are the most competitive. All seats in the Kansas Legislature are up for grabs this election and newly-minted citizens could be a deciding factor in some of those races. More than two thousand immigrants become citizens in Kansas each year and many are excited about casting a ballot this election cycle.
In a press release, Schwab reminded voters about the Secretary of State's election night reporting webpage providing unofficial election results. Initial results typically reflect advance voting. Advance mail ballots may be counted if they are postmarked by November 5 and received in county election offices by November 8. Provisional ballots will not be counted until county boards of canvassers meet (no later than November 18). Official results will be provided at the website after the State Board of Canvassers has certified the election on December 2.
Live election coverage begins at 6 pm on KPR-1 stations with J. Schafer, Kaye McIntyre and Jim McLean tracking Kansas results and NPR providing national coverage.
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Voters Across Kansas Weigh In on Issues, Concerns
UNDATED (KNS) – Voters in Johnson County, Kansas, say the economy, education and democracy were top of mind for them when they cast their ballot for a presidential candidate Tuesday. The election is a tight race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.
Alan Gloor told the Kansas News Service that he cast his ballot for Harris. He thinks Trump is a threat to democracy because the former president believes elections are rigged, saying that “...I expect him to continue to share those lies and just continue to stir the pot.”
Matt Below said he wants to lower taxes on wealthy Americans. He believes higher taxes on the rich lead to inflation “...because that’s what happens when you tax the rich. They just increase the prices of goods and services and just make it harder for us to deal with the price differences.”
Brooke Day says she cast a ballot for federal and state candidates who support funding public schools and special education, adding that “...I have a special needs son. So having that SPED program and that funding there is what’s important to me.”
Elsewhere in Johnson County, voters said they were torn about their final choices, yet also hopeful for a less divided country in the future.
Elizabeth Miranda says she knows election results will be hard to accept for many voters. But she says she hopes the country will come together afterward, adding that “...I'm also hoping to help people figure out how we can be change and how we can still have hope in America regardless of who’s in the presidential office.”
Bailey Darlington says she was voting for the first time and it was difficult to make a decision. She told the Kansas News Service that she "...decided to vote on policies and procedures and the people around them and hope that they made good decisions. But maybe someday we can have more independence."
Voters also reported that the economy, education and democracy were their top reasons for casting a ballot.
In western Kansas, voters relayed some of their concerns about the economy, energy production and immigration.
Seward County voter Daniela Gonzalez says immigration and education weighed heavily on her mind this year. “I think the Hispanic vote is very important, to really let our voices be heard and to make tribute to the sacrifices, for example, my parents who were immigrants had to make,” she explained. Gonzalez says she also worries about how this election will affect her children.
Seward County voter Tracy Gutierrez says he’s worried about the state of the energy industry, explaining that “...I work in the oil fields, so I want to make sure we still have a job in four years.”
Ana Martinez, also of Seward County, says this is her first time to vote after becoming a U.S. citizen. She says she’s concerned by issues facing the trucking industry, explaining that “...actually it’s my first time voting, but I never really got interested in voting until, you know we have our trucking company, and the loads are really bad, hard to find, and the economy’s pretty bad so that’s why.”
Latinos in Kansas generally have voted at lower rates than white Kansans. Martinez, who is originally from Mexico, says she wants to make her voice heard on what affects her daily life most.
Seward County resident Cecilia Duran says she’s always wanted to vote, and this year she can as a new U.S. citizen. She says she’s tried to listen to both presidential candidates, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. “I've tried to side with both, with both candidates. I looked at both interviews, and it's just like Trump is convincing. Trump is like, he knows what he's gonna do. He answers the question. Other one goes around, around and around it,” she said, adding that voting makes her feel involved in her community, and she supports candidates who she believes will do what’s best for her family.
Over a quarter of eligible voters have already cast their ballots this year in Kansas, almost doubling the numbers from 2016. Voter turnout in Kansas is high. Secretary of State Scott Schwab says he is predicting a record number of votes cast in the state.
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Network Seeks to Speed Up Organ Transplant Waiting Lists
UNDATED (KNS) – Hundreds of Kansans are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. The Kansas News Service reports that the Midwest Transplant Network is an organ procurement agency that serves Kansas and parts of Missouri. The group recently hosted surgeons and experts from across the nation for a workshop aimed at improving the transplant process. CEO Jan Finn says although the number of organ donors is rising, about 2,500 people in Kansas and Missouri are waiting for a transplant. “So it’s just getting the transplant centers ramped up to catch up. They may not have had all of the resources that they needed, perhaps surgeons or ICU beds,” she explained. Finn says the Kansas City region has a fair amount of transplant centers, and hospitals are expanding their programs to perform more transplants.
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OSHA Highlights Dangers of Grain Industry Work in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
UNDATED (HPM) - Every harvest season means the movement of huge amounts of grain. Harvest Public Media reports that for those dealing with grain on farms and at elevators, the work can be dangerous. Walking on a pile of grain can be like walking on quicksand, and farmworkers have suffocated after sinking into grain inside bins. Stuart Beckman is safety director for Columbia Grain in North Dakota. He says workers who detect an issue inside a bin sometimes ignore the risks. "And then people feel compelled to enter a bin to try and get that grain to move or walk that grain down. And those are very dangerous things that we do not allow that," he said. OSHA’s Kansas City regional office recently added Missouri to the list of states where it’s been emphasizing grain handling safety - along with the states of Kansas and Nebraska.
University of Illinois Professor Salah Issa says it’s easy for workers to either sink into the corn while walking on it in a bin, or to be caught in the flow of corn being loaded. “It really doesn't take long," he said. "It takes maybe five seconds or so for the grain to reach up to your knee levels, once it's up to your knee levels, you cannot escape. You cannot get out. it just grabs you in.” Issa says stricter safety regulations and new technology have helped improve safety concerns.
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Kansas Man Charged with Killing Wife and Son During Police Standoff in Lenexa
LENEXA, Kan. (WDAF) - A Kansas City area man is facing murder charges for allegedlly killing his wife and son. Investigators are still piecing together what happened last Friday night during a police standoff in Lenexa. Prosecutors accuse 53-year-old Todd Michael Donovan of fatally shooting his wife, 52-year-old Sheila Donovan, and son, 22-year-old Tyler Donovan.
WDAF TV reports that Donovan is also facing one count of cruelty to animals after investigators say he shot and killed his neighbor’s dog on the same night. Todd Donovan is being held on a $2 million bond.
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Child Among 5 KC Area Victims in Recent E. Coli Outbreak
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The recent E. coli outbreak sickened at least five people in the Kansas City area, including a 12-year-old child. KCTV reports that three were hospitalized for up to a week. Most of the cases have been linked to the multistate E. coli outbreak connected with McDonald’s hamburgers.
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Feds Seek Solution to Toxic Algae Blooms at Milford Lake
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (KNS) - Toxic blue-green algae have bloomed on the biggest lake in Kansas for at least 14 years in a row. Efforts are underway to change that. In 2018, the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service teamed up with state and local agencies to cut how much nitrogen and phosphorus washes into Milford Lake. They’ve spent about $6 million since then and will now repeat the investment. The pollution that fuels toxic algae often comes from fertilizers and livestock. Cities downstream along the Kansas River sometimes have to treat the toxins and odors out of drinking water. The federal program helps farmers use cover crops, for example, farm without tilling and minimize fertilizer application.
Lake visitors have to watch out for the algae. Matt Unruh, assistant director of the Kansas Water Office, says cities downstream sometimes have to treat the toxins and odors to remove them from drinking water. “Anyone that lives downstream or has water that’s sourced from the Kansas River has Milford Lake water that they’re getting on a day-to-day basis," he said. The Milford program helps farmers make changes - for example, using cover crops and keeping cattle out of creeks.
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Chiefs Remain Unbeaten After Monday Night Football
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - The Kansas City Chiefs won in overtime Monday night, 30-24, over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to remain unbeaten after eight games. Running back Kareem Hunt scored the winning touchdown in the overtime on a 2-yard run. Between Hunt and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the Chiefs are getting a big lift from their mid-season acquisitions. Hopkins, who caught two touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes, says he’s working to jell with his new quarterback. "Me just picking his brain asking him what he likes. When I’m not out there taking a rep, I’m always learning and just seeing how he does things," he said.
The Chiefs are the NFL’s only unbeaten team and, dating back to last season, the Chiefs have strung together 14 consecutive wins in the regular and postseason. That’s the longest winning streak in Andy Reid’s coaching career.
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Analyst: New Receiver Aids Unbeaten Chiefs Team
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Halfway through the NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs remain the league’s only unbeaten team. That’s despite numerous injuries to key players. “Arrowhead Addict” podcast host Patrick Allen told KCUR that a new receiver could help bolster the Chiefs’ offense. Former Tennessee Titan DeAndre Hopkins has quickly become one of Patrick Mahomes’s most intriguing targets. “He’s gonna fit right into this offense. It was really clear even last week that he was gonna be a chain-mover for them and a red zone threat. And the best thing about the addition of Hopkins is seeing how it opens things up for Travis Kelce,” Allen explained. In the Chiefs' Monday night overtime win against Tampa Bay this week, Hopkins was 8 for 9 in receptions, for a total of 86 yards and two touchdowns. The 8-and-0 Chiefs next face conference rivals the Denver Broncos at noon on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
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