Freezing Drizzle Creates Slick Conditions Across Eastern Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Slick roads caused problems Wednesday morning across eastern Kansas. Freezing rain, drizzle and below-freezing temperatures combined to create slippery surfaces. A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 6 pm for Atchison, Doniphan, and Leavenworth counties in Kansas, and Andrew, Buchanan, Clay, Holt, Nodaway, Platte, and Ray counties in Missouri. A dense fog advisory will go into effect at 9 pm for Allen, Anderson, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Dickinson Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Linn, Lyon, Miami, Morris, Neosho, Osage, Ottawa, Riley, Wabaunsee, Wilson, and Woodson counties in Kansas. Visibilities around or below ¼ mile are possible.
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Child Rescued, Man Shot During Hostage Standoff in Salina
SALINA, Kan. (KPR) - A toddler has been rescued after a man barricaded inside a home was shot and wounded by police during a standoff in Salina. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says police responded to a home late Tuesday morning where a man -- 29-year-old Manuel Johnson-Ponce -- had barricaded himself inside a home with a three-year-old hostage. Police say the man was threatening the child and would not let the child leave. Two hours later, police shot and wounded the man and rescued the child. Johnson-Ponce was treated at the scene and then transferred to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No officers were injured.
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Early Morning Lawrence Apartment Fire Displaces Residents of Six Units
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - An early morning fire has displaced residents of a Lawrence apartment complex. Just before 3 am Wednesday, firefighters responded to a porch fire on West 26th street (1821 West 26th Street) where they found flames extending from the first floor to the third floor apartments. Residents from six apartment units were displaced. Other residents who had been evacuated were allowed to return to their homes. No one was injured. Investigators are looking into the cause.
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Adoptive Kansas Parents Arrested After Child's Body Found in Backyard
ROSE HILL, Kan. (TCJ) - Police in south-central Kansas have arrested the adoptive parents of a girl whose body was found buried in a backyard five months ago. According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, child welfare officials have yet to release a summary of the state's involvement in the case.
On Monday, the Rose Hill Police Department arrested the adoptive parents of the girl, whose birth name was Natalie Garcia. The child's adoptive name was Kennedy Schroer. Her adoptive parents are 50-year-old Crystina Elizabeth Schroer and 53-year-old Joseph Shane Schroer. Rose Hill police say their case has been built through the development of timelines spanning more than four years. The adoptive mother was arrested on suspicion of murder, kidnapping, child abuse and other charges. The adoptive father was arrested on charges of child abuse, felony theft, Medicaid fraud and other charges.
Under a new state law, once criminal charges are filed in connection with a child's death, the Kansas Department for Children and Families is required to release a summary of limited information. A spokesperson for DCF told the Capital-Journal that the agency is still processing a request for the summary. The agency previously said the little girl was adopted from foster care through Saint Francis Ministries.
Detectives say the girl was born in 2014 and adopted in 2018. It's believed she died in late 2020, which would have made her 6-years-old.
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Protesters Gather at Kansas Statehouse to Oppose Trump Policy Decisions
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Kansas Statehouse Wednesday to criticize policy decisions by Republican President Donald Trump. The Kansas News Service reports that protesters rallied in cold, foggy weather to march around the statehouse, hold political signs, and lead chants against Trump. They protested his relationship with billionaire Elon Musk, plans for mass deportation and recent, anti-trans executive orders. Darcy Snyder is with a grassroots women’s rights group in Topeka. The group helped organize the Statehouse rally. “Women fight for everyone’s rights, and that’s what we have to– we have to fight for everyone. We have to fight for those that can’t fight, those that can’t speak, or those that are afraid to speak,” Snyder said. The rally was part of a loosely coordinated, online effort to host protests at state capitol buildings across the United States.
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School Lunch Subsidy Measure Advances in Kansas Legislature
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers have advanced a measure that could help more low-income families pay for school meals. The Kansas News Service reports that Democratic Governor Laura Kelly wants the state to subsidize the family co-pay on reduced-price meals at school. A House committee voted to add $2 million to the education budget to finance the measure. That’s less than the $5 million the governor had recommended. Republican Rep. Scott Hill opposed the budget item. He says he struggled to pay lunch bills for his children, but it’s a parent’s responsibility. “And there’s no way I was not going to provide food for my kids, and allow the state to feed my kids,” he said. About 36,000 Kansas children are eligible for reduced-price meals. The cost to the family is about $400 per child each year.
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Johnson County Sheriff Voter Fraud Investigation Sent Only One Case to Prosecutors
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KCUR) – Former Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden spent almost $140,000 on a three-year voter fraud investigation that resulted in just one case being sent to prosecutors. KCUR reports that a summary of the investigation was released this week by new Sheriff Byron Roberson. The one-page summary says Hayden’s deputies spent 880 hours on the investigation. Leading up to the July 2021 primary, several detectives spent three weeks surveilling ballot boxes 24 hours a day. $88,000 was spent on salaries and another $50,000 was spent on software to aid in the investigation. The summary also says Hayden was personally in charge. Roberson also wrote that the sheriff’s office received 100 election fraud complaints, all from just three people. In the end, only one case was sent to prosecutors, who declined to charge.
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Kansas Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Vaccine Refusal Bill
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are considering legislation that would make it easier for people to refuse vaccines. The measure reflects growing backlash against public health directives. Senate Bill 19 would protect people from discrimination at school, work and other public places if they refuse to get vaccinated due to conscientious objection.
Many schools and employers already grant exemptions for religious reasons. But supporters of the proposal have argued that, even so, vaccine requirements infringe on individual liberties. The bill would also revoke the authority of state health officials to order people to isolate or quarantine. Public health advocates say it could undo decades of progress that has largely eliminated infectious diseases like polio and measles. They say it would also hamper health officials’ ability to stop dangerous disease outbreaks.
"It’s the first step to unravel the work that has been done that has nearly eradicated diseases like polio, measles, whooping cough, hepatitis, mumps, rubella," said Carrie Riordan, interim executive director of the Immunize Kansas Coalition. "It would just really turn back the clock by several decades.” Riordan says employer vaccine requirements are especially important for health care providers who care for immunocompromised patients.
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Bill to Change Deadline Date for Mail-In Ballots Advances in Kansas Senate
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas voters would have to return mail-in ballots by the end of Election Day under a bill advanced Tuesday by Republicans in the state Senate. Kansas law gives mail-in ballots three days to arrive and be counted, as long as they’re postmarked by Election Day. Some Republicans say they want to end that practice so it doesn’t look like results are changing after the day of an election. Senator Mike Thompson, a Republican from Johnson County, said “...certainly want everyone to be able to vote, but we also want a uniform end date.”
Critics argue the change could lead to ballots being thrown out. They say results aren’t finalized on Election Day anyway. Democratic Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau says the change could make it harder for people with disabilities to cast a ballot. “They need help getting where they go. They need a little grace," she said.
Democratic Governor Laura Kelly vetoed similar legislation in 2023. The bill awaits a final vote in the Senate before going to the House.
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Independent Pharmacies Plan Temporary Closures for Wednesday
UNDATED (KNS) – Some Kansans might not be able to access their pharmacy Wednesday. The Kansas News Service reports that some independent pharmacies are temporarily closing to raise awareness of industry struggles. Sloane Freeman is with the Kansas Pharmacists Association, the group leading the closures. She says about 300 pharmacists will meet at the state Capitol to speak with lawmakers. Freeman says pharmacy benefit managers, which help determine the cost of prescription drugs and what insurance pays, are pushing pharmacies out of business.
Without change, she says many in Kansas will close permanently. “And then, our patients may have to travel, 30, 45 even 60 miles to another pharmacy,” she warned. Freeman says they’re asking lawmakers for more restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers. “If something doesn’t change with legislation towards the PBMs, this could be a permanent reality of a permanent closure of these pharmacies," Freeman said.
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Kansas Lawmakers Consider Property Tax Relief
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - This year, Kansas homeowners might see reductions in one of their least favorite expenses: property taxes. But can schools and local services stay funded at the same time? That's the question lawmakers are grappling with this session. Republicans and Democrats both want to cut property taxes, but can't decide on the best way to do it. And some worry that core local services like public schools, roads and law enforcement could suffer as a result. (Learn how the debate over property tax cuts is taking shape in Topeka.)
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KSU Scientists Warn of Potential for Crop Declines in Kansas River Basin
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas State University scientists say farmers could face hard times in the Kansas River basin because of climate change. The Kansas News Service reports that K-State modeled how climate change will affect non-irrigated crops in the Kansas River basin between Junction City and Kansas City. By the end of the century, corn yields could shrink up to 57%, and soybean yields - up to 36%. This information could help farmers and policymakers prepare, according to associate professor of agricultural engineering Vaishali Sharda. “Do we look at more drought-resistant varieties? Do we look at retiring a piece of farmland and maybe turning it into a pasture?” she asks, pointing out possibilities for helping stave off damage to the land and to farmers' livelihoods. Climate change is bringing hotter temperatures and making rainfall less reliable.
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Chiefs Receiver Hollywood Brown Ready for Super Bowl LIX
NEW ORLEANS (KPR) - Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown is healthy for Sunday ‘s Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a flashy off-season signing, but didn’t make his Chiefs debut until December. Brown signed just a one-year deal for around 7 million dollars and brushed away any questions about his plans beyond this season. It was thought at first that he would miss the entire season because of a shoulder injury, but when healed up Brown returned for the Dec. 21st game against the Houston Texans. "I realized there was a chance to come back and then I’d seen how excited it got the guys and my coaches," he said. "I think that pushed me even harder to come back as quick as possible." Brown played in both playoff games and is still looking for his first touchdown as a member of the Chiefs.
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Chiefs Lineman Joe Thuney Makes Shift to Left Tackle for Super Bowl
NEW ORLEANS (KPR) – Kansas City starting offensive lineman Joe Thuney missed last year's Super Bowl because of a chest muscle injury, but has been the starting left tackle for the Chiefs in the playoffs. Normally he starts at left guard. Thuney says it's been an adjustment, explaining that "...it's a different position, dealing with a lot more space, dealing with different player types. But the guys on the O-line have been great. The coaches have been great trying to ease it in and ease the process." This will Thuney's fifth Super Bowl. He started in three for the New England Patriots, then for the Chiefs two years ago against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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