Bitter Cold Invades Kansas, Pushing Wind Chills to 20 Below
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Western Kansas got the worst of Wednesday's winter snow storm and it's now dealing with the coldest temperatures in the state. Parts of western Kansas received more than 7 inches of snow this week and now, the western half of Kansas is facing wind chills of 20 below zero. Even parts of eastern Kansas are feeling the bitter cold. The National Weather Service issued a Cold Weather Advisory for Manhattan, Wamego, Horton, Hiawatha and Salina because wind chills of 20 below were expected. (That advisory has now expired.)
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Kansas Lawmakers Consider Bill to Investigate Anti-Semitism on Campus
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) -Two bills in the Kansas Legislature seek to crack down on antisemitism in schools and on college campuses. The measures would authorize the Kansas Attorney General to investigate complaints and levy fines of up to $10,000 against schools that promote or tolerate anti-Semitic acts. Robert Metz recently graduated from the University of Kansas and supports the measure. He says Jewish students felt threatened during last year's campus protests in support of Palestine. "Students had to endure human walls preventing them from entering classes, hoards of masked protesters entering buildings, classrooms and libraries in order to disrupt, harass and vandalize property."
But opponents say the bill's definition of antisemitism is too broad and would outlaw legitimate political protests. Sam Brian is a Jewish resident of Kansas City. He says the bill could encourage school leaders to ban any speech or material that is critical of Israel. "Because even mild criticism could open them up to legal risk. This is deeply corrosive to academic freedom and the freedom of speech on campuses." Federal civil rights laws prohibit religious discrimination in public schools and universities.
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Kansas Republicans Set to Override Veto of Gender-Affirming Care Ban
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Republicans in the Kansas Legislature say they now have enough votes to override Governor Laura Kelly's veto and force a ban on gender-affirming care for minors into law. GOP lawmakers have failed multiple times in recent years to pass legislation prohibiting surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender teenagers. Republican Senate President Ty Masterson says the bill is designed to protect kids from irreversible surgeries. "We have scores of children basically on the conveyor belt towards permanent injury," Masterson said. " What I expect is for that conveyor belt to stop." But Brandon Woodard, a Democratic House leader, says litigation could delay the implementation of any such law. "I would hope that if there is a lawsuit filed, they can push the pause button on this law going into effect until the courts have had a chance to review the constitutionality of the law," Woodard said. Republicans say the law is constitutional and they do not anticipate a successful legal challenge. The ban could take effect within a few weeks.
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Kansas Legislation Would Require Parental Permission for Kids to Use Different Names at School
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – A Kansas bill would require students under 18 to get their parents’ permission to use a name other than the one on their birth certificate at school. The Kansas News Service reports that under the bill, parents would have to consent to their child using a different name or pronouns at school. Proponents say the bill would protect parents’ right to know about decisions involving the health of their child. But critics say it’s an attempt to politicize the existence of transgender people. Shannon Berquist is the parent of a trans student in Kansas. She spoke against the bill. “She’s 1 in 420 kids and the only trans kid in her school, in her friend group or in her extended families. Her existence should not merit laws,” Berquist said. The bill would allow teachers to use middle names and other names derived from a student’s birth name.
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Proposed Cuts to NIH Could Result in Loss of Funding for Biomedical Research in Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - An order by the Trump administration could result in millions of dollars in lost funding for biomedical research in Kansas. Last year, Kansas institutions received more than $140 million from the National Institutes of Health for cancer research and other health studies. The University of Kansas Medical Center received the majority of that funding. KU Medical did not respond to a request for comment from the Kansas News Service. A significant portion of the money is threatened by a directive last week from the Trump administration that would slash the amount of NIH money that can go toward overhead costs. That could make it more difficult for Kansas research institutions to do things like hire staff, maintain security and keep the lights on. A federal judge temporarily blocked the directive this week, but it’s unclear how the case will progress.
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Kansas AG: Settlement Reached Regarding 2021 Cold Snap
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Attorney General’s Office has announced a settlement out of the extreme cold snap that affected the state in 2021. Several investigations were launched after extreme cold conditions that year resulted in inflated costs for households and governments alike. The Attorney General’s Office says state and federal violations were levied against Texas-based company Macquarie Energy, LLC. The company denies any liability in the situation. WIBW TV reports that Kobach’s team agreed to dismiss litigation against the company in return for a $400,000 donation to the Salvation Army.
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Kansas Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Seal Tenant Eviction Records
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - A Sedgwick County state legislator introduced a bill requiring courts to seal certain tenants' eviction records. Eviction records can include a variety of documents, from the initial petition to evict to the final judgment allowing a tenant's removal. Currently, landlords can use all of these publicly-available records to evaluate a potential tenant. The new bill would require courts to seal records from the public if the case is dismissed or ruled in favor of the tenant. Evictions where the judge rules against the tenant would be automatically expunged from the record after two years, if all debts are paid. State Representative Leah Howell introduced the bill. "Having eviction records that are again permanent, that end up like a criminal record, is not the American way," Howell said. A representative of the Associated Landlords of Kansas says the group opposes automatic sealing and expungement because the eviction records are needed to screen tenants.
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Lenexa Police Identify Women Killed in Double Homicide; Son Taken into Custody
LENEXA, Kan. (KMBC) — Police in Lenexa are investigating the deaths of two women who were found during a welfare check at a home. Investigators believe the son of one of the victims shot and killed both women. Officers were dispatched to the home (in the 15400 block of West 90th Street) early Wednesday morning to check on the welfare of two women after receiving a report about a possible shooting. Police had been to the same home two other times during the week on domestic disturbances calls. When officers arrived, they found the bodies of two women inside the home. KMBC TV reports that the women have been identified as 71-year-old Joyce Austin and 63-year-old Valerie Howard.
The women are former sisters-in-law and lived together. Police say 34-year-old Luke Howard was taken into custody after the shooting. The suspect is the son of Valerie Howard. He's now been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
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UMKC Receives Top Research Designation
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KNS) -The University of Missouri-Kansas City announced Thursday that it has received a top research designation. UMKC was awarded a Carnegie Research 1 designation. University officials say it's the top designation a college can earn in that category. A school must spend at least $50 million on research and development and award at least 70 research doctorates in a single year to qualify. The university surpassed both last year. UMKC trustee Dick Flanigan says the title enhances the university's place as an economic driver in the region. "Winners want to be associated with winners," Flanigan said. "This is a university on the rise, and it's a university that has found its place as a top-tier research university." UMKC now joins four other schools in Missouri and two in Kansas that have achieved Carnegie Research 1 status. University administrators say they hope the designation will help attract more students and faculty, make it more competitive for funding and boost its national reputation.
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Some Kansas School Board Members Say Pre-School Programs Are Harming Children
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas preschool programs are under fire from some state school board members who say they could be harming children. Republican Debby Potter tried to postpone a vote on more than $8 million in pre-K funding to school districts, after raising questions about the quality of state-run preschools. “Almost eight and a half million dollars to pay for programs that I would argue, and my constituents are concerned, are harming the children,” Potter said. Last month, Potter referenced a Tennessee study that found negative outcomes for students in a state-run pre-K program. Preschool advocates say the programs improve children’s academic and social development and help prepare them for kindergarten. The board narrowly approved the funding with a 7-3 vote.
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Motorcyclist Gets $1,000 Ticket for Driving 145 MPH in Jefferson County
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Kan. (KSNT) – A motorcyclist received a hefty speeding ticket in Jefferson County earlier this month after being caught driving more than 145 miles-per-hour, which is double the posted speed limit. KSNT reports that the Kansas Highway Patrol issued the driver a speeding ticket for nearly $1,000. A state trooper says the motorcyclist was detected on radar on February 3 while traveling on Highway 24, about two miles east of Grantville.
The trooper issued the motorcyclist a ticket for the speeding violation, which came out to a fine of $870 and a docket fee of $108. The total came out to $978. The KHP regularly issues fines for individuals caught speeding, including those found going more than 100 mph. Last year, the biggest speeding violation in Kansas recorded by the highway patrol was a driver caught going 165 mph in Coffey County.
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Measure Would Eliminate Many Tenure Protections for College Faculty in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would eliminate many of the protections of tenure for college faculty. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill was written by attorney Steven Lovett, who is representing Emporia State University in a legal battle over the firing of tenured faculty members in 2022. The bill would remove the understanding that tenured faculty hold a property interest tied to their employment. Lovett says tenure costs Kansas millions of dollars by making it nearly impossible for colleges to fire faculty. “The long-term unfunded liability created by declaring tenure to be a property right is a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar receipt that our taxpayers shouldn’t have to bear,” Lovett says. The presidents of KU, K-State and the Kansas Board of Regents oppose the bill. They say tenure is crucial for recruiting and keeping talented professors and researchers.
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Johnson County Voter Fraud Investigation Targeted County’s Top Election Official
OLATHE, Kan. (KNS / KCUR) - The three-year investigation into voter fraud by former Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden targeted only one person for prosecution: the county’s top election official. Investigative documents obtained by KCUR radio under the Kansas Open Records Act show Hayden wanted to charge Election Commissioner Fred Sherman with voter intimidation and violating Kansas labor law. The former sheriff’s attempt to prosecute Sherman stemmed from a complaint by a woman who said Sherman was rude to her during poll worker training. Office policy is for poll workers to vote by mail or in advance, but the woman said that would be a violation of her civil rights. Sherman was interrogated for two hours by the sheriff’s detective. District Attorney Steve Howe declined to prosecute, saying in a statement there was no evidence of a crime. Sherman says this is all water under the bridge and didn’t want to comment further. Hayden did not return a call seeking comment.
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Director of Wyandotte County Health Department Leaves Office in Wake of TB Outbreak
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - Following a large tuberculosis outbreak, Wyandotte County has parted ways with the director of its health department. Emails obtained by the Kansas News Service show behind-the-scenes conflict as the TB outbreak was growing. A spokesperson for Wyandotte County says the Public Health Department director, Elisha Caldwell is no longer working for the department. The health department was under Caldwell’s leadership when the tuberculosis outbreak started. Officials from the state and federal government later stepped in to help. Emails show turmoil, as Caldwell and state health officials clashed over things including office space and how to best respond to the outbreak. Ultimately, it resulted in the state taking over the TB response. (Read more.)
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Kansas Congressman Hopes to Move "Food for Peace" Program to USDA
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KPR) – Republican members of Congress from Kansas are hoping to move a food assistance program from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The 70-year-old U.S. program, called "Food for Peace" sends surplus agriculture commodities around the world, for free, to feed malnourished and starving populations. Kansas Republican Representative Tracey Mann and Kansas Senator Jerry Moran have signed on to legislation that would move the program to USDA, which already runs two international food assistance programs that deal with in-kind food donations (Food for Progress and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program). Officials credit Food for Peace with feeding more than 4 billion people in more than 150 countries.
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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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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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