Smith County Man Gets Seven Life Terms in Prison for Child Sex Crimes
SMITH COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a Kansas man has been sentenced to seven life sentences for committing sex crimes - for years - against a young child. In a news release issued by the KBI Wednesday, prosecutors say Colter J. Ducote was convicted by a Smith County jury on numerous charges. The victim in the case was 11-years-old when she first reported the abuse, telling authorities Ducote started abusing her when she was six-years-old.
A Special Agent assigned to the KBI West Child Victims Unit led the investigation into the case. The jury returned the guilty verdict in August. Ducote was sentenced on October 31. He was given a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years-to-life on each of the seven counts against him.
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Kansas Woman's Lawsuit over "Sugaring" to Continue
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A Shawnee County judge has denied the state cosmetology board’s request to dismiss a lawsuit over licensing requirements for a hair removal process called "sugaring." Bryn Green, of Hays, is suing the board over a requirement that she go to cosmetology school before opening a sugaring business. Sugaring is a hair removal technique that involves using sugar, lemon juice and water. And the technique is not typically taught in cosmetology school. Sam MacRoberts with the Kansas Justice Institute is representing Green. "In our view, the Kansas Constitution prohibits unreasonable occupational licensing requirements, and in our view, that's exactly what these sugaring requirements are," he said. The state cosmetology board did not respond to a request for comment. State lawmakers attempted to deregulate sugaring last spring but Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the bill. She and other Democrats raised questions about safety and background checks.
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Police: Burglars Take $20,000 Cash from Travis Kelce
LEAWOOD, Kan. (KC Star) - Police in Leawood say burglars took $20,000 in cash from the home of Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce. The Kansas City Star reports that the break-in happened in early October. Investigators believe the thieves broke in through the back door of Kelce's home. They also believe the burglary happened around 7:30 on the night of October 7th. That would have been during the first quarter of the Chiefs' Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints. Authorities say the home of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes - near Belton, Missouri - was also burglarized in early October.
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Kansas Minimum Wage Now Lags Behind 3 Neighboring States
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas is now surrounded on three sides by states with higher minimum wages. This month, voters in Missouri passed a measure to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That's twice as much as the minimum wage in the Sunflower State. In Kansas, the minimum hourly pay for workers is $7.25. That's lower than the minimum hourly rate in Nebraska, Colorado and Missouri, which have all passed measures increasing their minimum wages to around $15 an hour. A bill in the Kansas Senate would have increased minimum pay in Kansas to $16 an hour by the year 2027, but that legislation died in committee during this year's session.
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Advocates: Law Enforcement Can't Solve the Problem of Homelessness in Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - Some Kansas lawmakers say police are not doing enough to address crime stemming from homelessness, including violations like trespassing, vandalism and even jaywalking. Advocates serving homeless populations say that puts law enforcement in a difficult position. The Kansas News Service reports that arresting homeless people probably won’t address the underlying issues. Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said, " We can't arrest our way out of homelessness." (Read more.)
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KU Researcher's Project Advances to Final Round of NASA Consideration
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - In October, NASA announced that a space probe project proposed by a University of Kansas astronomer had advanced to the final round of consideration for a billion-dollar mission planned for the 2030s. Dr. Elisabeth Mills, an assistant professor of astronomy at KU, recently spoke to KPR's Laura Lorson about the project, and her area of expertise. (Check it out here.)
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Johnson County Makes History with New Sheriff
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KNS/KCUR) - Johnson County sheriff-elect Byron Roberson says he thinks residents are ready for law enforcement to go back to the basics - keeping the community safe. Voters in Johnson County made history last week when they elected Roberson as the first African-American sheriff to the department. Roberson - currently the chief of police in Prairie Village - will take over for outgoing Sheriff Calvin Hayden who spent years and taxpayer dollars investigating the accuracy of the 2020 election. "I am about law enforcement," he said. "I've built the previous police department to be a law enforcement that is putting people in jail that need to be in jail." Roberson joined the Prairie Village police force in 1995 and became chief in 2021. Roberson is the first Democrat to win the office in nearly a century.
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Report: Kansas Mothers Getting Inadequate Prenatal Care
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A report by the child advocacy group Kansas Action for Children finds that 1 in 6 Kansas mothers do not receive adequate prenatal care while pregnant. In recent years, the percent of women receiving adequate prenatal care in Kansas has been relatively constant at around 83%. Still, access is much lower in Southwest Kansas, where many counties are maternity care deserts. Heather Braum, a senior policy advisor with KAC, said the state "should be looking into policy solutions like providing adequate funding to recruit and train prenatal care providers.” Infant mortality in Kansas remains slightly higher than the national average, and Black infants continue to be much more likely to have low birth weights or die within their first year of life.
Learn more in the 2024 Kansas Kids Count Data Book.
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KU Volleyball Gets Back on Winning Track
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - After a pair of losses last week on its two-match road trip to Arizona, the KU women's volleyball team got back on the winning track Wednesday night in Lawrence against No. 18 TCU. The 12th ranked Jayhawks beat the Horned Frogs, 3-1. KU is currently in second place in the Big 12 standings - right behind Arizona State. KU takes on No. 17 Baylor this Saturday at noon in Lawrence.
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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).