Fire Danger Remains High Across Eastern Kansas
Topeka, Kan. (KPR) -
A High Wind Warning, mainly for the Manhattan and Emporia areas, remains in effect until 7 pm Wednesday.
A Red Flag Warning, primarily for the Lawrence, Topeka and Kansas City areas, remains in effect until 10 pm Tuesday.
A Winter Weather Advisory, mainly for the Manhattan area, takes effect Wednesday morning.
Visit the National Weather Service online for more information on the latest weather.
==========
Kansas House to Vote on State Constitutional Amendment Affecting Selection of Supreme Court Justices
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KCUR) – Kansas House members will vote soon on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would change how Kansas Supreme Court justices are chosen. The Kansas News Service reports that current law lets the governor nominate each justice based on suggestions from an independent commission. Some Republicans want Kansas to instead elect justices by popular vote. Republican House Majority Leader Chris Croft told KCUR that would give the public more input on the court and its rulings. “I believe in the power of the people and what they're doing, and the people will – and they've done this in many cases – elect the right people to the right positions,” he explained. But critics say the change would welcome outside political money into the state’s court system. They say justices should make decisions based on the law, not politics. The Senate has already passed the amendment, which would ultimately have to be approved by voters.
==========
Lawmakers Consider Bill on Amendment Campaign Donations
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban all non-Kansas residents from contributing to campaigns regarding proposed state constitutional amendments. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill originally only banned contributions from foreign nationals, but was amended to also ban money from residents of other states. It comes after a 2022 effort failed to amend the Kansas constitution to allow lawmakers to ban abortion. Political spending for and against that amendment totaled more than $22 million. Wichita State University political scientist Alexandra Middlewood says supporters of the bill may be considering a repeat effort in the future, adding that “...it’s not surprising that they may try to pass a bill that would prevent this influx of money, should they try to put abortion on the ballot again.” Some analysts warn the bill could violate free speech protections.
==========
Shawnee Mission Historical Site to Stay Under State Control
UNDATED (KCUR) – The Shawnee Indian Mission historical site will remain under the care of the state of Kansas, after a committee in the Kansas House of Representatives voted down a bill that would have transferred ownership to the Shawnee Tribe. KCUR reports that the 12-acre site in Fairway was once a boarding school where Native American children were forced to perform manual labor and assimilate into white Christian culture. The Shawnee Tribe has tried several times to take ownership of the land, arguing the state has allowed buildings there to deteriorate. Some Kansas lawmakers said they voted against the bill because of concerns that the tribe would open a casino. The Shawnee Tribe has said that if it owned the land, the site would remain open to the public and free from gambling.
==========
Louisiana Woman Charged in Death of KC Telemundo Reporter
UNDATED (KCUR) – A Louisiana woman was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a Telemundo reporter from Kansas City, Missouri. KCUR reports that police in Kenner, Louisiana, say 48-year-old Danette Colbert is accused of playing a part in the death of Adan Manzano in February. He was in New Orleans to cover the Super Bowl for the Spanish TV network. Officials said Manzano’s death is still officially undetermined, but he had alcohol and Xanax in his system. Colbert was already facing charges of fraud and theft for allegedly using his credit card after his death.
==========
Feed the Future Program and Innovation Labs to Be Terminated
UNDATED (HPM) – One of the foreign aid programs canceled by the Trump administration was devoted to helping developing countries expand their ability to produce and process food. Its supporters say the program’s elimination is a loss for the U.S. as well. Harvest Public Media reports that The Feed the Future program was made up of 17 Innovation Labs based at 13 college campuses, including Kansas State University. It focused on helping mostly African and Asian countries expand their ability to produce their own food. Dave Tschirley led an Innovation Lab at Michigan State University and chaired a council of Innovation Lab directors. He says helping other countries produce more food creates new markets for the U.S., adding that “...in fact, it’s developing countries that have driven about three-quarters – over the last thirty years – about three-quarters of all the increase in U.S. ag exports.” And Tschirley says Feed the Future’s advances in areas like crop varieties and pest control also helped U.S. farmers.
==========
Douglas County Brush Fire Caused by Ember from Campfire
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Investigators in Douglas County now know what caused a 200-acre brush fire that forced evacuations near Clinton Lake. Fire officials say an ember from an old, unattended campfire accidentally sparked the blaze near Stull on Saturday. No one was injured and no structures were lost. Since Friday morning, the Douglas County Emergency Communications Center has received 43 grass fire-related calls. High Wind and Red Flag Warnings are posted Tuesday and Wednesday for eastern Kansas.
(-Related-)
K-State, Kansas Forest Service Building $5 Million Facility
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) - Officials at Kansas State University and the Kansas Forest Service say they are constructing a new facility to support the state's rural fire and ag education programs. The $5 million shared facility will boost current efforts to provide training and equipment for firefighters as well as state-of-the-art educational space. K-State officials say construction will begin soon in Manhattan on the Kansas Rural Fire and Workforce Development Center.
==========
Two Cybertrucks Damaged by Fire at Kansas City Tesla Dealership - Was It Arson?
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Two Tesla Cybertrucks have been damaged in a fire at a Tesla dealership in Kansas City. WDAF TV reports that firefighters found two Cybertrucks on fire in a dealership car lot late Monday night (at 10111 State Line Road). Kansas City fire officials called in an additional company to provide more water to extinguish the blaze. The vehicles were also covered with a fire blanket to prevent re-ignition. Although the circumstances are still being investigated, the fire is being looked into for possible arson.
==========
Saline County Man Accused of Vandalizing Catholic Church in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - A Saline County man is accused of burglarizing and vandalizing a church in north Wichita. KWCH TV reports that Michael Angel Gonzalez was arrested in connection to Saturday morning's vandalism at St. Patrick Catholic Church (in the 2000 block of N. Arkansas). The 23-year-old was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on various charges including criminal damage to property, the burning of an American flag and violating parole. According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, Gonzalez has previous convictions in Saline County for criminal threat, criminal damage to property and burglary.
==========
KHP Investigating Multi-Vehicle Traffic Incident in Western Kansas
UNDATED (KPR/KCUR) – Kansas Highway Patrol investigators are looking into last Friday's multi-vehicle pileup in northwest Kansas that left eight people dead. The Kansas Highway Patrol’s report on multiple crashes along Interstate 70 in Western Kansas is expected by the end of the week. Extreme winds, dust, and near-zero visibility caused more than 70 vehicles to crash between Goodland and Colby. Trooper Tod Hileman says heavy spring break traffic may have also been a factor. “In my 33 years of law enforcement, that's probably the worst one I've seen. We've worked things like this in dust storms before, but nothing of that magnitude,” he added. More than 30 patients were hospitalized after the crash, and traffic in both directions on I-70 was closed for more than 24 hours.
==========
Kansas Bill Would Reclassify Maternity Centers for Insurance Reasons
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would deem maternity centers as health care providers. The Kansas News Service reports that this would help the centers access state liability insurance. Maternity centers, also known as birth centers, provide low-intervention prenatal and birth care to people with uncomplicated pregnancies. Kendra Wyatt was the CEO for New Birth Company, which closed last year. She says the closure was partly because of insurance issues. “I’ve been asked three times, ‘When are you going to reopen a facility in Kansas.’ And I would love to do that, and this is a necessity," she explained. Wyatt says access to the state’s liability insurance fund would help other accredited birth centers open.
==========
Washburn Men Advance in NCAA Division II Tourney
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The 5th-ranked Washburn Ichabods have advanced to the NCAA Division II Central Regional Championship for the first time since 2001. On Sunday, Washburn defeated Concordia-St. Paul 94-78 to advance. The Bods will now play MSU-Moorehead Tuesday at 7 pm.
==========
NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tournament Brackets Set
UNDATED (KPR) - The Division I NCAA men’s basketball tournament will have first and second round games in Wichita this week, but the Kansas Jayhawks won’t be playing there. Instead, KU will travel to Providence, Rhode Island, as a No. 7 seed and will open against Arkansas at 6:10 pm Thursday.
In the women’s tournament, the Kansas State Wildcats will not host first and second rounds as they had hoped. But with senior center Ayoka Lee expected to be back on the court after being sidelined with an injury, the Wildcats will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to face Fairfield University on Friday. Tipoff is set for 1:30 pm Central time.
(–Related–)
Wichita Ready to Host NCAA Tournament
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Wichita is gearing up to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament this weekend. KMUW reports that games being played in Wichita feature teams from the Midwest and West regional brackets, including Mizzou, Houston and Drake. Host media coordinator Mike Ross says there are a lot of exciting things happening that people can look forward to, adding that he thinks "...it's an opportunity to get out and support basketball and support these types of events, which Wichita has always done before. But there's gonna be some really good games." The last time Wichita hosted the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament was in 2018. Visit Wichita estimates that the economic impact on the city was about $5.5 million.
Tickets to the tournament are expected to sell out.
==========
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).