Winter Is Coming. In Fact, It's Already Arrived in Western Kansas
GOODLAND, Kan. (KPR) Winter has arrived in parts of western Kansas. The National Weather Service in Goodland has issued a Winter Storm Warning for portions of western Kansas and eastern Colorado.
Forecasters say several inches of heavy wet snow are expected in Sherman County, Kansas. The Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for portions of western Kansas until 5 pm Thursday.
A Winter Storm Warning means that significant amounts of snow, sleet or ice are now occurring or are imminent. Travel will become very hazardous or impossible.
Persons traveling on Interstate 70 will experience travel delays. Hazardous driving conditions can be expected on I-70 in western Kansas and in Colorado. Use extreme caution if you must travel. Thursday evening, the Kansas Department of Transportation announced via press release that westbound I-70 has been closed at Colby because of the severe winter weather conditions in Colorado. The release also cautioned that the closure could last until Saturday or longer.
It is possible that more sections of I-70 or other highways in Kansas could be closed to prevent strandings as accommodations and truck parking areas fill up.
For the latest updates on road closures and conditions, visit www.kandrive.gov, or call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas.
Motorists are advised to keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in their vehicles in case of an emergency.
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New State of Kansas Unemployment Website to Launch November 19th
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansans can expect a new and improved unemployment website to launch November 19th. The Kansas News Service reports that it’s part of a plan to modernize the Kansas Department of Labor’s computer systems, which are decades old and have long been plagued with issues. Amber Shultz, secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor, says the site will soon be easier to navigate and have added security measures. “With modern technology, we are able to use more modern tools to fight the threat of cyber attacks and bad actors,” she added. Issues with the unemployment site came into focus after it was flooded with applications at the start of the pandemic in 2020. The site and department phones will be down for the overhaul starting Wednesday, November 13.
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KBI: Juvenile Dies in State Custody
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (KBI) - An investigation is underway into the death of a juvenile in state custody. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a 17-year-old boy from Dodge City died Tuesday morning at the Northeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Junction City. The teenager had been at the facility since early August. An independent autopsy is scheduled.
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Two Kansas Legislative Races Get Closer Scrutiny
TOPEKA, Kan. (KMBC) - At least two Kansas legislative races were so close this week that they deserve a closer look. Secretary of State Scott Schwab has initiated close-race audits for Kansas Senate District 5 and Kansas House District 49. KMBC TV reports that those two races fall within the 1% margin required for a close-race audit under state law. Schwab says the audits are just another step in "showing how fair, free and secure elections are."
In Senate District 5, Republican Jeff Klemp leads Democrat Jeff Pittman by 57 votes.
In House District 49, Democrat Nikki McDonald leads Republican Kurtis Ruf by 95 votes.
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Trump Carries All But Four Kansas Counties
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - President-elect Donald Trump won all but four counties in Kansas Tuesday night. The once and future Republican president carried the state and its six electoral votes, but his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, claimed victory in Douglas, Johnson, Riley and Wyandotte counties. Statewide, Trump took 57% of the vote. Harris took 41%. Nationwide, Trump claimed both the Electoral College and the popular vote.
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Democratic-Backed Initiatives Unlikely to Advance in Kansas Legislature
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Despite widespread support from Kansas residents, political experts have little faith that Democratic-backed initiatives - such as expanding Medicaid and medical marijuana - will be supported by the state legislature in the coming year. The Kansas GOP maintained a supermajority in the state’s House and Senate in Tuesday's elections.
Bob Beatty, Chair of the Political Science department at Washburn University, says there's a growing disconnect between these conservative legislators, who Kansas residents continue to vote into office, and the beliefs residents appear to hold. “Polls have shown Medicaid expansion and medical marijuana at some points at 60 to 70% support. The legislature is fervently against these things,” he pointed out. Polls by Fort Hays State University and the Midwest Newsroom show that both issues have received more than 70% support from Kansas residents.
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Democrats Fail to Break GOP Stranglehold on Kansas Legislature
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - A campaign to break Republican super-majorities in the Kansas House and Senate has failed. The effort was spearheaded by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. A political action committee controlled by Kelly injected $2 million into a handful of legislative races in an effort to hold some Democratic seats and flip some Republican districts. Enough to protect her ability to bring Republican lawmakers to the bargining table by vetoing legislation. It didn't work. Democrats lost Senate seats in Leavenworth and Manhattan and failed to pick up targeted seats in Johnson County. Their efforts in the House met a similar fate. Hutchinson Representative Jason Probst was among the casualties. His narrow loss to Republican Kyler Sweely means Democrats will no longer hold any legislative seats west of Wichita. Many of the races were close. But in the end, Kelly and the Democrats lost ground.
Initial results show the GOP expanded their two-thirds supermajorities in the Statehouse. That means it will be easier to override vetoes by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. Republican House Majority Leader Chris Croft said it’s too early to say which bills Republicans will introduce next session. But he knows what their first priority will be, saying “...the biggest thing I talked to people at the door was property tax. That was the number one thing.” Democrats lost races in Manhattan, Leavenworth and the Johnson County area.
Find more Kansas election results here.
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Kansas Governor Grants Clemency to 7 Prisoners
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is using her authority to grant clemency to several prisoners. Kelly hasn't granted clemency since 2021. In 2010, Lauren Holle was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for charges in the death of her newborn infant. Holle was 19 at the time and abandoned the child in her backseat after giving birth. Kelly is granting clemency to Holle and six others after review by state officials. Also among them is Deshaun Durham, a 23-year-old serving a nearly 8-year prison sentence for a first time marijuana possession charge. Kelly says she considered factors like unusually harsh sentences and how much each person showed rehabilitation.
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Applebee's Files Suit Against Kansas City-Area Franchise Group
UNDATED (KCUR) – Applebee’s is suing the owners of a franchise group that abruptly closed eight locations in the Kansas City area last week, including six on the Kansas side. KCUR reports that Applebee’s is alleging Apple Central KC closed the locations without their permission and have stopped paying its rent and franchise fees. According to a federal lawsuit filed in Kansas, Applebee’s is suing for breach of contract and seeks $8 million in damages. Apple Central KC, which also filed for bankruptcy, gave employees no notice before shuttering the franchises and laying workers off in late October. Two corporate-owned Applebee’s locations remain open in the Kansas City area. Applebee’s president Tony Moralejo said in a statement that the company is exploring options about the future of the closed restaurants.
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Report: Some School Districts Not Taking Advantage of Federal Free-Meal Programs
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – More Kansas students could be getting free meals at school. A new report shows that some districts aren’t taking advantage of federal free-meal programs. The report by Kansas Appleseed says more Kansas districts now qualify for a program that lets schools in high-poverty areas serve meals at no cost to families. According to the Kansas News Service, some of them...including the Wichita School District, which is the state’s largest...don’t participate because they say it requires too much paperwork. Haley Kottler with Kansas Appleseed says it gets easier after the first year. “Once schools are up and running on this program, there is less paperwork and it’s much less tedious for them to be able to provide meals to kids.” The report says Kansas could also pick up the family co-pay on reduced-price meals for between $4 million and $7 million a year.
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KU Soccer Upsets Texas Tech, Advances to Big 12 Tourney Final
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (LJW / KPR) - The Kansas Jayhawks women's soccer team upset Texas Tech 2-1 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, advancing to the Big 12 Tournament final. KU will face top-seeded TCU in the tournament final Saturday at 7 pm. (Read more at KUsports.com.)
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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).