Kansas Governor Declares Emergency in Advance of Major Winter Snow Storm
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has declared a state of disaster emergency in advance of winter storms headed for the state. The declaration allows state resources to be deployed in advance of anticipated heavy snowfall, which is expected to hit the eastern half of Kansas on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy snowfall and has issued Winter Storm Warnings and Watches which will be in effect Tuesday evening through Wednesday afternoon. Storms could dump as much as 6-9 inches across portions of eastern Kansas.
The only parts of Kansas not expecting snowfall are the southern-most counties and a handful of counties in extreme southeast Kansas.
Get the latest weather from the National Weather Service in Topeka.
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KC Chiefs Stomped by Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59 Blowout
NEW ORLEANS (KPR) - The Kansas City Chiefs fell short of of their goal of winning back-to-back-to-back Super Bowls. Way short. The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 Sunday night, 40-22. The Eagles led 24-0 at halftime and extended their lead in the second half 34-0 before the Chiefs got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter. Chiefs coach Andy Reid says very little went according to plan and saluted the Eagles. "They did a nice job," he said. "I’m proud of our guys though for the battle, the fight that they put in throughout the year and all of the games that they played here in the last few years." Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdown passes on the night, but his two first-half interceptions led to a pair of Eagles touchdowns and put the Chiefs in a hole they couldn’t dig themselves out of. (Read more.)
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KCUR) - Chiefs fans tried to do their part to secure the team a three-peat victory - by claiming their “lucky table” or lighting their Patrick Mahomes prayer candles. But none of that was enough. Fans got to the Peanut in Mission, Kansas, as early as 10 am Sunday to snag the booth they sat in last year. But the crowd began thinning out before the fourth quarter. Sandra Carrera, from Kansas City, Kansas, watches Chief games at the bar every Sunday with her two sisters. “What other team has gone through it, trying for a three beat? So, I mean, it was a tough game," she said. The fans who stayed to the end were disappointed - but proud the team got this far.
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Police Considering More Charges in Connection with KC Sports Reporter's Death
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Police in Kenner, Louisiana, announced Monday that they are considering more charges in connection with the death of a Spanish language television sports reporter from Kansas City who was there to cover the Super Bowl. KCUR reports that Adan Manzano was on assignment for KGKC Telemundo Kansas City and Tico Sports last week when he was found dead in his hotel room. Police in Louisiana arrested 48-year-old Danette Colbert with fraud and theft. She was seen leaving Manzano's room and later used his credit cards. Investigators are now looking into whether Manzano may have been drugged before his death. Colbert’s arrest record includes allegations of drugging men and theft. Police expect toxicology reports won’t be available for several weeks.
(–Earlier reporting–)
Woman Arrested in Connection with Death of KC Sports Reporter
UNDATED (KMBC) – A New Orleans-area woman has been arrested in connection with the death of Kansas City sports reporter Adan Manzano. KMBC TV reports that Danette Colbert of Slidell, Louisiana, has been charged with property crimes, including fraud, after she was reportedly caught using Manzano's credit card at several stores. In a news release, police said hotel security video shows Colbert with Manzano on Wednesday morning, February 5. Police said her arrest record includes allegations of drugging men, theft of currency, fraudulent use of a credit card, and other financial crimes.
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Shortage of Kansas Lawyers Raising Concerns
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) - Kansas does not have enough attorneys practicing law, especially in rural areas. Some experts worry the situation could grow worse in the coming years. The shortage of lawyers is what a recent study by the state's supreme court calls a “crisis.” Rural areas are particularly vulnerable to shortages, and the situation has far-reaching impacts. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett says the issue directly affects his office. "If you're the county commission in McPherson, or Harvey, or Riley, or some of these other counties … you're going to have to pay a lot more," he said. "And that's what they're doing. And so I am losing attorneys to those smaller counties because they're paying so much more because they need to get them there." Bennett has facilitated discussions aimed at alleviating the problem. One idea is to work with one of state's law schools to open a satellite location in the Wichita area, similar to the University of Kansas School of Medicine.
Several factors are hindering the state's ability to alleviate the shortage, including rising education costs, lawyer attrition rates, and the location of the state's only two law schools, which are just 30 minutes apart. Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty says he and District Attorney Bennett have discussed ways to make legal education more accessible. "One of the ideas that we're kicking around is, 'Hey, what if we could get KU or Washburn to do a satellite location here?' Not open up a full law school in Wichita, but to do a satellite location to where there was more options and flexibility," he said. Baty says the satellite location could be modeled after the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita. The idea is far from actually happening, but proponents promise to continue the discussion. (Read more.)
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Immigrant Advocates Help Those in the U.S. Illegally Know Their Constitutional Rights
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) - Advocates hope a pocket-sized red card will help people who are in the country illegally understand their legal rights. One woman in Wichita is trying to help immigrants in Kansas as immigration enforcement ramps up. The "Know Your Rights" cards tell you what to do if an ICE agent shows up at your door. They list constitutional rights granted to all people in this country: to remain silent and refuse search and seizure without a warrant. Maria Retana is a Wichitan working to get the cards to more people. She and friends started printing them after the Trump administration began increasing immigration enforcement. “It doesn’t matter if they're an immigrant here in the United States, there are rights that protect them from not having to feel all that fear of ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to be deported.’” So far, she’s printed and distributed more than 35,000 cards throughout Wichita and Haysville, cities in western Kansas and the Kansas City area. She has plans to print more.
The little red cards list constitutional rights that people can refer to if they are stopped by immigration agents. Sarah Balderas is a Wichita immigration attorney and founding member of the Kansas Immigration Coalition. She calls the cards a guide.“When you're in the moment, you go blank, you forget. So, that's kind of what the cards are for - a guide for you in a time of crisis, when you’re not thinking clearly," she said. Advocates have distributed Spanish versions of the cards throughout Wichita, western Kansas and the Kansas City metro area. On top of knowing their rights, Balderas says she also tells clients to have a plan for what happens with their family and affairs if they are arrested.
(-Related-)
Kansas Legislation Would Require Local Law Enforcement to Assist in Federal Immigration Crackdowns
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Your local sheriff or police department in Kansas could lose state funding if it doesn't assist federal immigration crackdowns. Some local authorities already share information and conduct operations with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The Kansas News service reports that this bill would deny state funding from law enforcement agencies who don’t assist deportation efforts. Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, says the bill would pull local law enforcement agencies from their core responsibilities. “They're not stopping traffic deaths. They’re not investigating burglaries and shoplifting...instead, they have their time, energy, effort and resource diverted into creating an environment of fear,” he warned. Republican state Senator Mike Thompson, who introduced the bill, could not be reached for comment.
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Study: Black Kansans Dying from Some Major Diseases at Higher Rates than Other Kansans
UNDATED (KNS) – New research shows that Black Kansans are dying from most major diseases at higher rates than other Kansans. The Kansas News Service reports that the study examined nine common causes of death, such as Alzheimer’s disease and kidney disease. It found that Black Kansans die of seven of them at higher rates than all Kansans. Carla Gibson is with the REACH Healthcare Foundation, which funded the study. She says for the most part, she was not surprised by the study’s findings. “Overall, I think it was just very validating. And it’s good to have data,” she added. Gibson says the study helps fill information gaps and will help groups like her own know what issues to address.
The study was conducted by the Urban Institute.
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Kansas Farmers Worry About Fallout from Potential Tariffs
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas farmers might be the first to feel the effects of tariffs if they are imposed at the federal level on big agricultural trading partners Canada and Mexico. The Kansas News Service reports that trade discussions this week have made some farmers nervous. Farming in Kansas is not cheap, and officials say there’s a chance it’s about to become more expensive. The Trump administration announced, and then paused, tariffs on Canada and Mexico. This could increase the price of things that Kansas farmers import, like fertilizer and farming equipment. Nick Levendofsky, director of the Kansas Farmers Union, says farmers take the hardest hit in the crossfire of trade discussions. “The cost of our chemicals, seed, fertilizer, fuel, equipment, all of those things, repairs, are at all time highs. So farmers are struggling and they need certainty,” he explained. Levendofsky says farmers are also still operating under an outdated farm bill from 2018.
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Biofuel Industry Expects Trump Administration to Increase Ethanol Blend Requirements
UNDATED (HPM) – Oil refiners and fuel importers are required by federal law to blend a certain volume of biofuels, like ethanol, or buy credits from companies that do their own blending. Harvest Public Media reports that biofuel industry leaders expect the new administration to increase that volume. The Environmental Protection Agency sets Renewable Volume Obligations - or RVOs - for the fuel industry. Biofuel advocates say the requirements have not kept pace with recent growth in ethanol and biodiesel. The EPA’s new head Lee Zeldin said during his confirmation hearing that he’s committed to setting appropriate and timely RVOs. Kevin Studer is the VP of government relations at the Iowa Corn Growers Association. “I think it's our job at Corn Growers to hold his feet to the fire on those words, as we did with President Trump many years ago, on a lot of ethanol policy,” he explained. Studer spoke at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. Nearly half of the corn grown in the U.S. goes to ethanol.
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Drop in Heavy Metal Pollution Leads to Recovery of Spring River in Cherokee County
UNDATED (KNS) – Scientists at Pittsburg State University say some animals are bouncing back as heavy metal pollution decreases in a southeast Kansas river. Congress passed two laws in the 1970s that reduced water pollution and helped fund cleanups of mining waste. That’s critical to understanding what Pitt State scientists are seeing now. They say that in historically polluted parts of the Spring River, sensitive fish and insects are recovering. Biologist James Whitney told the Kansas News Service that “...I feel like what we saw wouldn't have happened without this legislation. This legislation legally required these water bodies to be cleaned up.” Less heavy metal means Neosho madtoms now live in parts of the river that were once too polluted. These small catfish are a threatened species.
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Great Backyard Bird Count Happening This Weekend
UNDATED (HPM) – Bird watching is a fast-growing hobby around the United States and the world. But you don’t need to be an expert to participate. Harvest Public Media reports that you can help researchers learn more about the birds in your backyard during a global bird counting event this weekend. Each year, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and other bird organizations coordinate the “Great Backyard Bird Count.” The event encourages people to go outside and report what birds they’re seeing. Becca Rodomsky-Bish, the project leader, says it's meant to help scientists gather data… all while exposing newcomers to the songs and colors of bird species like northern cardinals, bluejays, and chickadees. “Birds? I mean, they’re fun… And so I find that birds are this really wonderful entry point for a lot of people to sort of become awoken to the mysteries and wonders of the natural world,” she explains. People who are interested can visit birdcount.org.
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School Lunch Subsidy Advances in Kansas Legislature
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers have advanced a measure that could help more low-income families pay for school meals. 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.
Supporters say appropriation should pay for the first year of the program. Democratic Representative Valdenia Winn says the proposal is similar to the state buying fuel for school buses. “Gasoline takes the kid to school," she said. "Food provides the nourishment for this child to think and to learn.”
Conservative Republicans who voted against the measure say the co-pay amount families pay for school meals is already reasonable. They also say parents - not the government - should be responsible for feeding children.
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