Tyson to Close Emporia Meat Plant, Cutting More Than 800 Jobs
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tyson Foods says it will permanently close a beef plant in Emporia. Reuters reports that the Emporia plant employs more than 800 people. The meat processor announced the closure Monday. Tyson has also closed six U.S. chicken plants since the start of 2023 and an Iowa pork plant, laying off thousands of workers.
Tyson faces financial pressure as the nation's cattle herd has dwindled to its smallest size in decades, raising the price for the animals the company processes into beef. Tyson will shut down its plant around February 14, terminating 804 employees. Company officials encouraged employees to apply for other jobs at the company and said it is working with state and local officials to provide workers with resources.
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall expressed his disappointment in the decision to close the Emporia facility. "This facility is one of the largest employers in the region, and its closure will leave hundreds unemployed," he said. "This is devastating news for these families and the community, especially at Christmas time." Marshall said his office has been in contact with city leaders to try and do everything possible to help affected individuals find new jobs.
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Tyson Foods to Close Emporia Beef Packing Plant
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KWCH) – More than 800 Kansans will lose their jobs, as Tyson Foods plans to close its beef packing plant in Emporia. The Kansas News Service reports that it’s part of Tyson’s plan to consolidate plants that process beef. The company says it lost nearly $300 million in income this past fiscal year. Trey Cocking is the city manager in Emporia. He tells KWCH he hopes another employer will buy the facility. “We have a strong manufacturing base here in Emporia, and you know...(we're) hopeful that it will sell and make our manufacturing base even stronger.” Tyson sent a notice to employees that the facility will close in February. Cocking says some operations there will move to a plant in Holcomb. Tyson currently employs more than 5,000 Kansans at plants across the state.
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Kansas Legislators Elect New Leaders for Upcoming Session
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas Republicans and Democrats have chosen new leaders to hold influential roles in the state Legislature. The Kansas News Service reports that state lawmakers voted this week for leaders who will decide which laws stand a chance of passing and affecting everyday life in Kansas. Republicans kept House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson. But Chase Blasi, a young Republican state Senator from Wichita, will take over as the next Senate majority leader. Blasi defeated sitting Majority Leader Larry Alley. He says one of his priorities is to reduce state property taxes. “I'm hopeful our friends across the aisle, the Democratic party, will share our goals in offering property tax relief to Kansans,” Blasi said. Republicans will have an easier time passing their priorities after they expanded their supermajority in November’s elections.
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Long-Running Corruption and Sexual Assault Case Ends Following Death of Former KCK Police Detective
UNDATED (KCUR) – The long case of disgraced Kansas City, Kansas, Police Detective Roger Golubski came to a dramatic end Monday. KCUR reports that Golubski didn’t show up for the start of his federal trial in Topeka and the judge issued a warrant for his arrest. But soon, Golubski’s attorneys were back in court to say he was dead. Golubski shot himself on the back porch of his home in Edwardsville at 9 this morning. Neighbor Mark Wilson told KCUR he’s convinced the former cop was guilty of horrible crimes, and that his suicide comes as no surprise. "A man like that won’t make it in prison." Wilson says the neighborhood feels a sense of relief at the death.
Prosecutors have now dismissed the case. Golubski was charged with using the power of his badge to violate the civil rights of two women by rape, kidnapping and sexual assault. A statement from the U.S .Department of Justice said it is difficult when a case is unable to be fully and fairly heard in a public trial and determined by a jury. Golubski’s victims now wonder if there will ever be any accountability.
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Golubski Death Leaves Community with Questions
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) – The death of disgraced Kansas City, Kansas, police detective Roger Golubski leaves the community with complicated emotions. Golubski died from an apparent suicide in his home Monday just as his federal trial was set to start. Nikki Richardson is the co-founder of Justice for Wyandotte. She told KCUR that people have long distrusted KCK police, and they now have many questions about Golubski’s death.
“Was it suicide or, you know, how exactly did he have a gun in his possession when he was supposed to be on house arrest? Who was supposed to be with him during that time, you know, how was he expected to get to court?” Richardson asked. Golubski, who was white, faced charges of using the power of his badge to deprive several Black women of their civil rights through rape, kidnapping and sexual assault.
Group to Continue Push for Accountability Following Golubski Death
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Former Kansas City, Kansas, police detective Roger Golubski was supposed to go to trial Monday on charges of corruption and sexually assaulting women. But after failing to appear in court, he was found dead at his Edwardsville home, an apparent suicide. Dozens of community members and victims’ advocates called for justice outside the U.S. district courthouse in Topeka, where Golubski’s trial was set to begin Monday. “We’ve seen him in courtrooms over and over again on these exoneration cases, and he just...he hasn’t had to pay for this at all,” said Lora McDonald, executive director of the nonprofit MORE2. The group organized the rally outside the courthouse. She says the group will continue to push for accountability in other cases of police misconduct and abuse in the Kansas City area.
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Kansas Fire Marshal: Two Dead in Oswego House Fire
OSWEGO, Kan. (KPR) - Two people have been killed in a house fire in southeast Kansas. On Sunday, the Labette County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the State Fire Marshal to investigate the fatality fire (at 630 Iowa Street) in Oswego. Two Special Agents have been assigned to the case. Investigators say there's nothing suspicious about the fire but the cause remains unknown. The single-family home was occupied by two adult victims who were pulled from the structure by emergency responders. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and both victims died from their injuries. Identification of the victims is still ongoing, and autopsies are pending. It is unknown if the home had smoke detectors.
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KC Apartment Fire Displaces 16 Adults, 7 Children
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) - A fire at an apartment complex in Kansas City has displaced 16 adults and seven children. WDAF TV reports that the fire broke out Sunday morning at Orchard Apartments (at East 48th Terrace, south of Highway 40). No one was injured. Fire officials are still investigating the cause.
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End to Missouri Abortion Ban Could Improve Abortion Care Access in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) – Missouri’s abortion ban is set to lift this Friday, after voters approved an amendment to the state’s constitution. Health care providers say that could make it easier to secure abortion appointments in Kansas. Emily Wales is president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates clinics in both states. The organization will be in court in Missouri Wednesday, asking a judge to lift several restrictions like a 72-hour waiting period. “We told the court, we’re ready to go, we have trained staff. People need this care, and they need it close to home. So as long as we can get court intervention quickly, we’re going to restart care," Wales told the Kansas News Service. She says they’ll prioritize restoring abortion access in midtown Kansas City and Columbia in central Missouri. Missouri’s Republican attorney general has said the state will still enforce a ban on abortions after fetal viability and parental consent rules for minors.
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Layoffs Go Into Effect at KCK's GM Assembly Plant
Kansas City, Kan. (KNS) - About half of the workers at the General Motors assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas, are temporarily out of work as the plant reduces production ahead of a major retooling. About 700 second shift workers have started what they expect to be a year-long layoff. General Motors is overhauling its Fairfax Assembly plant in KCK so it can build electric vehicles there. UAW Local 31 union president Dontay Wilson says the cuts were planned, but not welcome. “There is no version of a layoff that that feels good.” Wilson said. “It damn sure don't feel good right around the holidays.”
About 190 workers will lose their jobs permanently. A total of about 1400 will be temporarily laid off and will continue to draw about 75% of their normal pay until they’re brought back on to build the Chevy Bolt E-V. The pause in production at Fairfax has triggered more than 750 job losses in Riverside, Missouri. Manufacturers clustered there supply parts for the GM plant.
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State Sales Tax on Kansas Groceries Expires January 1
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansans won’t have to pay state taxes on grocery store food beginning January 1. The Kansas News Service reports that experts say this may reduce health disparities. Samiyah Para-Cremer Moore is a senior analyst for the Kansas Health Institute. She says more research is needed on the positive health impacts of reducing or eliminating sales tax on food. She says current research shows high taxes on food have a negative impact on people, especially if they are low income. “The implementation of these grocery sales taxes are associated with higher rates of food insecurity, changes in where people go to purchase their groceries and how much they purchase and poorer health outcomes,” she explained. Para-Cremer Moore says though the state sales tax will be reduced to 0% next month, some Kansans may still have to pay municipal and county taxes on food.
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Kansas Tax Revenue Fails to Meet Expectations in November
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas tax revenue came in below expectations last month, just weeks after officials updated the estimate to account for tax cuts. The Kansas News Service reports that state budget officials are saying Kansas tax collections were more than 3% short in November, or $25 million. The decrease is largely thanks to lower revenues from individual and corporate income taxes. Revenues from income taxes on individuals have gone up since this time last year, but corporate income tax revenues are down overall. Republican lawmakers are pushing for further tax cuts going into the 2025 legislative session.
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Lawrence Community Shelter Seeks Another $750,000 from City Commission
LAWRENCE, Kan. – (Lawrence Times) – On Tuesday, Lawrence city commissioners will consider adding more than $750,000 to its 2024 agreement with the Lawrence Community Shelter to construct new Pallet shelters and address maintenance issues in a group of tiny homes behind the community shelter in east Lawrence. The Lawrence Times reports that the shelter has received final approval to construct 24 additional Pallet homes. The new project will operate differently from the Pallet village on North Michigan Street, which is intended to serve guests for multiple months as they transition into permanent housing. At the new Pallet shelter, LCS plans to have two people assigned randomly to each unit for overnight shelter on a night-by-night basis. Pallet shelters get their name from the Washington-based company that produces them, they are not made from pallets. The shelter is also requesting funds for maintenance of Monarch Village, a group of 12 tiny-home units behind the main shelter. It first opened to guests in 2021. The units’ airtightness led to moisture and mold issues and they had to be temporarily closed in April because they weren’t safe for guests. If the city commission approves the proposal at Tuesday’s meeting, the amended agreement will bring the city’s total funding for Lawrence Community Shelter for this year to $3,424,249.
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Missouri State Park Recognized as Protecting Night Skies
UNDATED (KNS) – Thousand Hills State Park is the first state park in Missouri or Kansas to be recognized for protecting night skies. The Kansas News Service reports that at Thousand Hills State Park, near Kirksville, Missouri, park workers are almost done replacing white light bulbs with amber ones – and adding shields so the fixtures illuminate the ground and not the sky. Park superintendent Ryan Persinger says this helps birds and other animals. “If lights are too bright outside, it can affect migration, hunting, reproduction – a lot of different aspects of wildlife living outside,” he explained. Dark Sky International named Thousand Hills an Urban Night Sky spot. Efforts to protect night skies are more common in the U.S. Southwest but are gaining some traction in the lower Midwest.
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