Wacky Weather Coming Our Way
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — A Winter Storm Watch takes effect Tuesday evening for Manhattan, Wamego, Holton and Hiawatha. It will last through late Tuesday night. The National Weather Service says blizzard conditions are possible.
A High Wind Watch takes effect Tuesday afternoon and will last through Wednesday morning for all of eastern Kansas. Forecasters say strong northwest winds of 30-40 miles per hour can be expected. Damaging winds could blow down trees & power lines, leading to widespread power outages. Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.
Get the latest weather from the National Weather Service in Topeka. We do.
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Western Kansas Police Arrest Juvenile Suspected in Wisconsin Double Homicide
WAKEENEY, Kan. (CBS) — A police officer in western Kansas pulled over a vehicle suspected of running a stop sign and ended up arresting a juvenile believed to be connected to a double homicide in Wisconsin. CBS News reports that the juvenile was taken into custody Saturday in WaKeeney, in Trego County, because his vehicle was reportedly stolen. That juvenile is now awaiting extradition to Wisconsin.
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Rowdy Crowd Erupts at Kansas Senator's Town Hall Meeting
OAKLEY, Kan. (KNS) — People upset with the Trump administration shouted at and interrupted Republican Senator Roger Marshall at a town hall meeting in western Kansas over the weekend. He ended the meeting in Oakley early and left as the crowd booed. The topics ranged from the war in Ukraine to budget cuts and layoffs at federal agencies. Kansans came from as far away as Overland Park. But there were also locals. Chuck Nunn, a local resident who attended the meeting, said he appreciated the Senator coming, but feared some of the budget cuts are hurting veterans. “I think that the way that we are going about it is so wrong because there are unintended consequences," he said. Marshall voiced his support for funding pauses and said most Americans supported Trump.
Kansans from different parts of the state gathered at the meeting to express their discontent. The number of people from eastern Kansas outnumbered the locals, leaving not enough room for what was planned to be a small meeting. Marshall ultimately walked out, but before leaving, he defended the Trump administration's funding cuts and firings, saying people want to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.
Videos of Marshall leaving the meeting were widely shared on social media. Marshall's chief of staff later released a statement saying, "Real Kansans overwhelmingly support President Trump's DOGE initiative" and claimed that most of the attendees were from out of the area and came to sabotage the event.
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Senator Jerry Moran Continues to Support Ukraine
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Kansas Republican U.S. Senator Jerry Moran remains steadfast in his support of Ukraine despite an explosive meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday that reshuffled Congressional support for the country. KMUW reports that Senator Moran said in a visit to Wichita that difficult times demand strength from the United States. He says his view of Ukraine remains unchanged despite a fiery head to head between Trump and Zelenskyy. “In my view, the world is a safer place, and most particularly, the United States is safer whenever we are aligned with our allies and we're in a continued effort to push the Russians and Putin out of Ukraine,” Moran said. Moran says the current moment requires the U.S. to be sure of its ability to defend itself and its allies. His statement comes in contrast to fellow Kansas Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, who said the U.S. should end financial support to the nation.
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Kansas Lawmakers Consider Blocking Benefits for Non-Citizens
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — State lawmakers are considering a bill that would block non-citizens in Kansas from accessing certain benefits, like in-state tuition. Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach spoke in favor of the bill at a hearing last week. He says if Kansas gives immigrants without legal status in-state tuition, federal law could require the state to do the same for citizens from anywhere in the U.S. “Congress anticipated that no state would want to do that. Kansas is not doing that. We charge many, many students out-of-state tuition," he said. Two dozen critics attended the hearing. They called the bill a racist attack on immigrants. Tensions flared after critics said they were not given enough time to speak. The Republican chair then abruptly closed the hearing and ordered people to leave the room.
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KU Study Shows Wide Variation in Cancer Screening Costs Across Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) – A University of Kansas study found costs for cancer screenings in Kansas vary based on where you live. Nicole Freund, a professor at the KU School of Medicine in Wichita, co-authored the study. She told the Kansas News Service that researchers analyzed costs at 124 hospitals across the state. They found urban Kansans pay more for lung cancer screenings, whereas rural Kansans pay more for mammograms and colonoscopies. But Freund says costs also vary from hospital to hospital in the same region. “So wide swings in cost can really deter people from doing that preventative care. Which ultimately ends up costing more down the road,” she explained. Freund says lawmakers should consider policy changes so all Kansans can access preventive care regardless of their insurance status or where they live.
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Missouri Lawmakers Work on Deal for Tax Incentives to Keep Chiefs, Royals In-State
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — Missouri lawmakers are working out a deal to provide tax incentives to keep the Chiefs and Royals on the Missouri side of Kansas City. KCUR reports that a new Missouri Senate bill would set terms for the state to chip in for new sports stadiums, like the one demanded by the Royals and suggested by the Chiefs. It would free up state tax incentives totaling up to 100 million dollars. Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith says stadium funding currently leans heavily on Jackson County taxpayers. "This is, this is really flipping that on its head and aligning bearing the cost with which entities also generating the most tax revenue," he said. Smith says the total package would outshine Kansas's incentives to lure the Royals or the Chiefs across the state line.
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KBI Investigates Death of Hutchinson Inmate
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KPR) — Officials are investigating the death of an inmate at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility. Corrections officials say 57-year-old Lamoine Wiebe was found unresponsive in his cell Saturday. He was serving a sentence of more than 19 years for voluntary manslaughter in the 2011 shooting death of his father in Harvey County.
Wiebe had over two dozen previous convictions that included theft, burglary, robbery, obstruction, DUI and drug crimes. An independent autopsy will be performed to determine his exact cause of death.
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K-State Leads Effort to Help Rural Kansas Grocery Stores Provide Fresh Food and Survive
LIBERAL, Kan. (KBS) — Rural Kansas grocers need help to continue providing fresh food to small towns. Kansas State University is leading an initiative to ensure nutrition access in rural Kansas can sustain itself. Rural Kansans providing groceries say they sometimes feel they are on an island within a food desert. One in four Kansas grocers expects to retire within five years without a plan to continue operating. Clara Misenhelter, with K-State’s Rural Grocery Initiative, says they provide education and offer support groups to help rural grocers feel less alone. “That brings rural grocers together and helps them feel less isolated, they can talk about the challenges they're facing," she said. Misenhelter says to combat the growing food deserts in rural Kansas, the K-State program offers economic development expertise to help communities keep their grocery stores.
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KCMO Planned Parenthood Clinic Now Accepting Appointments for Surgical Procedures
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – The Kansas City, Missouri, Planned Parenthood clinic is now accepting appointments for surgical abortions. KCUR reports that medication abortions are still on hold there, but they are available in Kansas. Clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are offering surgical abortions for the first time since the procedure was banned in 2022. That’s after a judge temporarily blocked a final regulation abortion providers say was preventing the procedure. But even though Missouri voters enshrined the right to an abortion in the state constitution last November medication abortions are still on hold. That’s because the state has not yet approved Planned Parenthood’s medication abortion complication plan. There’s no indication of how long the state may take to review the plan. Until then, people in the western part of the state can continue to access medication abortions in Kansas.
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Springtime Temps Getting Warmer in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) — Springtime has gotten warmer in Kansas and Missouri since the 1970s. Topeka and Wichita spring days are - on average - about 3 degrees warmer than 50 years ago. Kansas City is about 1 degree warmer. That’s according to Climate Central, a nonprofit group that studies weather data. Climate Central analyzed 240 cities across the U.S. It says most of them now get an extra week each spring of unusually warm days. The group says the consequences are wide ranging. Snow melts earlier, which is bad for water supplies in some regions. Wildfire risks can go up and people’s allergies can get worse.
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Former Leaders of Kansas Foster Care Provider Negotiating Plea Deal in Federal Fraud Case
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Two former leaders of a Kansas foster care provider have entered plea negotiations to avoid trial for allegedly bilking the organization out of millions of dollars. A grand jury indicted the former CEO of Saint Francis Ministries, Robert “Father Bobby” Smith and William Whymark, the organization’s former IT director, in November 2022. They were charged with wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering with damages totaling at least $4.7 million. The Kansas Reflector reports that a court filing in the federal case this month shows that the parties are now involved in plea negotiations. Under the charges included in the indictment, they could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, plus fines and restitution.
Kansas Reflector first reported on allegations of misconduct by Smith, an Episcopal priest, and Whymark shortly after they left Saint Francis Ministries in November 2020. An internal investigation revealed excessive billing for IT services and charges by Smith for lavish personal expenses. At the time, Saint Francis Ministries was the largest foster care provider in Kansas, serving more than 3,000 foster kids.
By January 2020, Saint Francis was in financial peril. The organization survived in part by receiving a $10 million Payment Protection Program loan, which it wasn’t eligible for and never repaid, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, the Kansas Department for Children and Families awarded new foster care contracts and replaced Saint Francis as the provider for the Wichita region. Saint Francis continues to provide foster care services for much of central and western Kansas.
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Kansas Cheer Teams Safe After Evacuation Scare
DALLAS (KWCH) — Members of several Kansas cheer teams are safe after chaos broke out at a national cheer competition in Dallas. KWCH TV reports that Dallas police say they initially received a call about an active shooter Saturday afternoon, where thousands of people were evacuated from a convention center, including cheerleaders from Wichita (ICT Cheer Legacy). The team was preparing to perform onstage when the chaos erupted. Police later confirmed no shots were fired. Multiple people were injured in the incident, but not any members of the Wichita team. Competitions were suspended for the rest of the day.
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Jackson County Legislator Optimistic About Chiefs and Royals Staying in Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Jackson County, Missouri, Legislator Sean Smith feels optimistic the Royals and Chiefs will stay in his state, rather than move to Kansas. KCUR reports that Smith met with Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe last week about the issue. Smith believes part of the reason voters rejected the 3⁄8th-cent sales tax extension that would have helped the Royals and Chiefs pay for their stadiums was because residents couldn’t trust the county after botched property tax increases. He says if the state legislature makes the county assessor an elected position and protects taxpayers from large increases, then voters may support giving money to the teams. He framed the issues as a question for the voters, which is essentially "...we've now given you permanent protection from that ever happening again. Will you now offer us your trust in whatever contribution we need to make, in order to make sure that we preserve our teams at the Jackson County Sports Complex?" Smith says the governor seems on board with the property tax changes.
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Haskell Supporters Raising Money to Fill Eliminated Positions
UNDATED (KCUR) – The Haskell Indian Nations University women’s basketball team is headed to the NAIA national tournament. That's even after their coach was fired in the recent purge of federal employees and he decided to work for free. KCUR reports that supporters of the school in Lawrence are raising to money to try and refill some positions. The Haskell Foundation wants to raise $350,000 to hire about 25 people, including some part-time coaches, on temporary contracts. So far, the online campaign is about a third of the way there. Haskell lost about 40 people and the remaining staff, are “overwhelmed and reeling,” according to the fundraising page. Haskell says Senator Jerry Moran is working to help. In a statement, Moran said he’s asked the Interior Department for more information and says he will file legislation that would provide Haskell with a federal charter that would separate it from the federal government.
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Haskell Women's Basketball to Play in NAIA National Tournament
UNDATED (KPR) – The women’s basketball team at Haskell Indian Nations University is bound for the NAIA national tournament, under a coach who was fired as part of cutbacks at the federally-funded institution. Adam Strom, who was informed on Valentine’s Day that his services were no longer needed, decided to continue coaching the women’s team at Haskell without pay. Now Haskell, with a 13-13 record, has qualified for the NAIA national tournament and will learn its opponent on Thursday. Haskell, which was seeded at No. 2 in its conference tournament, defeated top-seeded Northern New Mexico on Sunday, 57-52, to win the automatic bid that comes with winning the tournament. The 48-year old Strom is in his fourth season coaching at Haskell. He’s among the approximately one-quarter of the total work force at Haskell that was informed they were fired as part of the Trump administration plan to reduce the federal work force.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers. Our headlines are generally published by 10 am weekdays and are updated through 7 pm. This ad-free news summary is made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on X (formerly Twitter).