UPDATED: Miami County Sheriff: Spring Hill Teenager Detained After Death of Olathe Teen
MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. (KC Star) - One teenager is dead and another is in custody following a suspicious death early Wednesday morning in rural Miami County. The Kansas City Star reports that the 16-year-old suspect in the death of a 15-year-old Olathe teen has been remanded to a juvenile detention center in Miami County.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home near Spring Hill (in the 22800 block of Lewis Drive) around 3:00 am Wednesday after someone inside the home called an ambulance. An teenage boy from Olathe was pronounced dead at the scene. A 16-year-old boy, a Spring Hill resident, was sent to a nearby hospital as a precaution, though he was not injured. Both the suspect and the victim were students within the Spring Hill School District.
Neither has been publicly identified, and the district has not commented. No charges have been filed in conjunction with the alleged killing as of Thursday night.
(Earlier reporting...)
Teenager Found Dead in Rural Miami County; Another Teen in Custody
MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. (KMBC) — Authorities are investigating after a teenager was found dead in rural Miami County. Emergency crews were dispatched to a home in a rural area (in the 22800 block of Lewis Drive) just before 3 am Wednesday, where they found one teenager deceased and took another teen into custody. Miami County Undersheriff Matthew Kelly said the ongoing investigation will affect the community, multiple families and school students. Other individuals were present at the home during the incident, but the sheriff's office did not confirm if both teens lived there. KMBC TV reports that neighbors described the area as a quiet and friendly rural neighborhood.
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Details Emerge in Former KCK Police Detective's Apparent Suicide
UNDATED (KCUR) – More details were released Thursday on the apparent suicide of former Kansas City, Kansas, Police Detective Roger Golubski. KCUR reports that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued an update saying an autopsy was conducted on Golubski on Tuesday and the medical examiner found a single gunshot wound to his temple. But a final determination on cause of death could take another 12 weeks because of toxicology reports. The statement also said that agents have not found evidence of foul play. Golubski was found dead Monday, the day his federal trial was set to start. He was charged with using the power of his badge to violate the civil rights of two women through rape and kidnapping.
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Legislation in Kansas and Missouri Would Ban Smoking in Casinos
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KWCH) - Smoking inside casinos would be banned in Kansas and Missouri if new legislation is adopted in those states. KWCH TV reports that a group called CEASE is behind the idea. CEASE stands for Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects. Organizers with the CEASE say 85% of Kansans and Missourians do not smoke and many different groups already support the ban, including the American Heart Association.
Jeff Morris, a spokesman for Penn Entertainment, which operates Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas, and the Argosy Casino in Riverside, Missouri, said they seek to accommodate the needs of both smoking and non-smoking patrons. He said they do that by using state-of-the-art ventilation systems, extremely high ceilings, and through adequate separation of smoking and non-smoking areas.
Kansas has four state-owned casinos, located in Mulvane, Dodge City, Pittsburg and Kansas City, Kansas.
Missouri lawmakers return to the state capitol on January 8 for the new legislative session. Kansas lawmakers will return to Topeka on January 13.
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Kansas Supreme Court Appoints Committee to Examine Pretrial Detention Policies
UNDATED (KNS) – The Kansas Supreme Court has appointed a committee to study the policies that dictate whether someone stays in jail or is released before trial. The Kansas News Service reports that a previous study found more than half of local jail inmates in Kansas have not been convicted of a crime. Many people can’t afford to pay their bond. Karen Arnold-Burger, chief judge of the Kansas Court of Appeals, will lead efforts to study those policies as chair of the new committee. She says it's not just about justice. Holding inmates is expensive. “These are people that have never been convicted of anything...so, the question is, is that where we want our resources to go is jailing people prior to trial?” she asked. Arnold-Burger says it could take up to two years to propose new reforms to state law and court policies.
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Wild Geese, Ducks Drop Dead Across Kansas, What's the Cause?
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - Dozens of wild geese and ducks have been dropping dead across the state and wildlife biologists are trying to find out why. They are currently monitoring reports of wild migrating birds being found dead in different parts of the state this month, including Cheyenne Bottoms near Great Bend. Bird flu is the likely culprit but that has yet to be confirmed.
Officials with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks told KSNT that wild geese are being reported dead or dying in several wetlands and reservoirs across Kansas. The dead birds include migratory geese species like snow, Canada and Ross varieties. Dead birds have been found at the following places:
- Glen Elder Reservoir
- Jeffrey Energy Center
- Elk City Reservoir
- Webster Reservoir
- Kirwin Reservoir
- Lovewell Reservoir
- Norton Reservoir
- Cheyenne Bottoms
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Honey Bee Colony Losses Hit 14-Year High
UNDATED (HPM) – Honey bee keepers in the U.S .saw the highest rate of colony losses in 14 years, according to a new national survey. Harvest Public Media reports that research from Auburn University and the Apiary Inspectors of America shows U.S. bee keepers lost an estimated 55 percent of their managed honey bee colonies between April of 2023 and 2024. That was nearly 15 percent higher than the previous average. Auburn University researcher Agostina Giacobino worked on the survey, which received responses from more than 16 hundred beekeepers. She says the results are concerning, adding that they were “...surprised by the results because this is one of the higher losses recorded so far.” Giacobino says the losses could be due to poor weather conditions and parasites.
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Wamego Man Convicted of Numerous Crimes Dies in Kansas Prison
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KPR) – An inmate serving time at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility for crimes committed in northeast Kansas died unexpectedly this week. The Kansas Department of Corrections reports that 33-year-old Chancellor Copenhaver, of Wamego, was found unresponsive in his cell Wednesday morning. His death is under investigation. Copenhaver was serving a 10-year sentence following convictions of numerous crimes in Riley County, including attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, assault, battery, burglary and stalking.
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Officials: Hutch Prison Conditions Could Lead to Lawsuit
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas officials say poor conditions at a prison in Hutchinson could force the state into a federal lawsuit. The Kansas News Service reports that they want about $450 million to build a new one. The Hutchinson prison is more than a century old. It lacks air conditioning in most areas and has cells that are much smaller than recommended standards. Kansas officials say the state needs to improve the prison’s conditions or risk ending up in federal court. Esmie Tseng of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas says the prison also lacks access to medical and mental health care. She says building a new facility won’t fix those issues. “It can’t just be a question of air conditioning and air flow. It’s a lot of different things,” she added. Lawmakers will need to approve funding for the project. They could pursue bond financing to break up the cost over multiple years.
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GOP Governors, Farm Groups Urge Reauthorization of Farm Bill
UNDATED (HPM) – Seventeen Republican governors and several farm groups are urging Congress to reauthorize the farm bill before the end of the year. Harvest Public Media reports that the last five-year Farm Bill expired in 2023, and a one-year extension ran out as well. National Farmers Union’s Aaron Shier says Congress ought to pull together to pass a new Farm Bill before adjourning December 20th, but he’s pessimistic, adding that "I do think it’s much more likely that we get a short-term extension of the 2018 Farm Bill than we get a five-year Farm Bill done." But Shier says farmers need a new Farm Bill now, not next year, to help them deal with inflation, catastrophic weather and rising interest rates. The Farm Bill also authorizes federal food benefits such as SNAP. (Read more.)
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KBI Cancels Silver Alert from 2019 After Finding Man's Remains in Saline County
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) – A Silver Alert that has been active since 2019 has now been cancelled after law enforcement officers in Saline County identified some human remains. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) says the remains of 69-year-old Kenneth Reitcheck were idenfied Monday, cancelling a five-year-old Silver Alert for the missing man. It was on November 4, 2019, that the Salina Police Department first reported him missing, which triggered a statewide Silver Alert. The human remains were discovered in late April at an abandoned campsite near Salina. DNA testing confirmed to investigators that the remains matched Reitcheck. The testing did not determine his cause of death.
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KU Study: Suburban Kansas Schools Becoming More Diverse
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Suburban schools in Kansas and across the country are becoming more diverse, but racial segregation remains an issue. The Kansas News Service reports that new research from the University of Kansas shows that over the past two decades, the number of suburban districts with at least 90% white students fell by 11 percentage points. Meanwhile, the number of urban districts enrolling 90% or more students of color nearly doubled. Bryan Mann is an associate professor of educational leadership at KU. He says demographics are evolving, but many schools still aren’t integrated. “Segregation is still here. It’s just, because of the overall composition of U.S. society, it’s kind of changing, a little bit, what it looks like,” he explained. Mann says the findings can help guide policies intended to address inequity in schools.
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Wichita Mayor Cleared of Charges in Complaint Filed by Firefighters' Union
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Wichita's Ethics Board announced Tuesday night that Mayor Lily Wu did not violate any city policies, following a complaint filed by the firefighters' union. KMUW reports that the Wichita Firefighters Union alleged in October that Wu had told Fire Chief Tammy Snow that she must lay off 42 employees. City law prevents council members or the mayor from giving instructions or directions to department heads. And Wichita's ethics rules state elected officials must not interfere with the City hiring process. A recording confirmed that Snow had told the union that Wu instructed her to lay off 42 firefighters. But Snow walked back her comments in the ethics board investigation, saying she misspoke or overstated what the Mayor told her. Instead, Snow said Wu had actually asked about a budgeting strategy of laying off and then rehiring 42 grant-funded employees.
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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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Creighton Upsets #1 KU
OMAHA, Neb. (KPR) - The No. 1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks suffered their first loss of the season Wednesday night against Creighton in Omaha, 76-63. The Jayhawks never led in the game as Creighton jumped out to a 10-2 lead after the opening tip. Early in the second half, KU cut the Bluejays’ lead to one, but Jayhawks coach Bill Self says he was disappointed in his team’s play. "We were off a little bit and they were really on," he said. "They’re plenty good enough to beat us if we’re both good. We weren’t good tonight." KU center Hunter Dickinson, who averages 15 points a game, was held to just 6 points. KU is now 7-1 after playing its first game of the season on an opponent's home court.
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