Federal Immigration Officers Carry Out Detentions in Western Kansas
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Federal immigration officers detained several people in western Kansas Monday. It comes as President Donald Trump's administration has promised to crack down on people in the country without legal status. The Kansas News Service reports that about 20% of residents in towns like Liberal do not have legal status. It’s common in this area to know someone who lives in a mixed-status household. Jose Lara, the mayor of Liberal, says he spoke with the federal agents and confirmed their activity in the area.
“I tried to speak to as many families as we could get, confirmation. But at this time we can confirm at least five persons were arrested or detained from Liberal,” he said. Lara says he hasn’t seen this level of immigration enforcement in the area since 2020. Videos on social media appeared to show federal agents also in Dodge City and Garden City.
==========
Kansas and Missouri Residents Getting Scammed by Fraudsters
UNDATED (KCUR) – The Federal Trade Commission says Americans lost $12 billion last year to fraud, a 25% increase from 2023. That’s not necessarily because there’s more fraud, but because more people are reporting it. KCUR reports that in Kansas and Missouri, residents have received text messages falsely claiming they owe tolls out of state. Kansas City FBI Agent Derek Wingle says that type of scam works because people are basically honest. “Often times people want to take care of that and clear their name of any wrongdoing. That is what allows a bad actor to continue to perpetuate these types of financial scams,” he explained. The FTC says the most prevalent scam in both Kansas and Missouri last year was that type of imposter fraud, followed by online shopping schemes.
==========
Trump Administration Seeks to Rewrite WOTUS Rules
UNDATED (HPM) - The Trump administration wants to rewrite a rule that governs what the Clean Water Act protects. Harvest Public Media reports that the rule has become shorthand for federal government overreach for some Midwestern farmers. What counts as a Water of the U.S. has gone back and forth in decades of court challenges. That has left farmers confused, says Missouri Farm Bureau President Garret Hawkins. “As a farmer, I've always said my fellow farmers have always said, you know, we support clean water, we want clean water, but we also need clear rules," he said. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin is proposing a rewrite of the rule that he hopes will be permanent. But environmental lawyers say the rewrite will lead to less protections preventing pollution in water.
==========
Wichita District Teachers Seek Better Protections for Injuries Caused by Students
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Teachers in the state’s largest school district want better protections if they are injured by students. The Kansas News Service reports that the Wichita school district begins contract talks with its teachers union Wednesday. The union wants to allow teachers time off with pay if they are physically or verbally attacked. Mike Harris is vice president of United Teachers of Wichita, which represents about 4,000 teachers. He says they shouldn’t have to use sick days or vacation if they’re hurt on the job. “We’ve had some issues in the last couple of years with teachers that are injured by students, and then they get charged the leave. Even though they’ve missed work as a result of being injured on the job,” he explained. Recent studies indicate that teachers are suffering more work injuries than before the pandemic as a result of violent outbursts from students.
==========
Leawood Doctor Pleads Guilty to Medicare and Medicaid Fraud
UNDATED (KCUR) – A Leawood doctor has pleaded guilty to a fraud scheme that the government says netted him almost $700,000 over three years. KCUR reports that his trial was set to begin Monday morning. The government charged that 47-year-old anesthesiologist Scott Roethle conspired with several health care companies to proscribe unnecessary medical equipment, pain creams and genetic tests. Roethle did this thousands of times between 2017 and 2020, generally getting a $30 kick back from the companies for each prescription. He also pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare and Medicaid. In court documents, the government said Roethle never attempted to evaluate the patients’ actual medical needs. Roethle was licensed in 22 states, including Missouri and Kansas.
==========
Kansas Board of Ed Rejects Federal Money to Promote Summer Meals Program
UNDATED (KNS) – The Kansas Board of Education on Tuesday rejected federal money to promote an annual summer meals program for children. The Kansas News Service reports that the board voted 5-5 on a plan to air public service announcements about the free-meals program. Without a majority, the proposal failed, so the state will not accept $20,000 in federal funding for the ads. Frank Harwood with the Kansas State Department of Education says radio and television messages help get the word out to needy families across the state. “Anybody 1 to 18 is eligible to participate. They don’t have to be enrolled. So if you have students that just stay for the summer, those kinds of things, (this) might be the only way they would find out about it," he added. The public service announcements have aired for 15 years. Opponents say the federal grant is not needed because schools can put up signs to promote the free meals.
==========
Legislature Could Vote to Override Kelly Veto of Bill Curtailing Public Health Officials' Authority
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers may soon vote to override Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that blocks public health officials from prohibiting public gatherings. The Kansas News Service reports that Kelly had rejected the bill that critics say would prevent county and state health experts from controlling the spread of infectious diseases during a pandemic. Supporters of the bill say public gathering limitations violate the right to assemble. Ann Roberts says local health officials ordered her teenage daughter to quarantine for 21 days because she may have been in contact with chickenpox. Roberts says her daughter was not sick but missed school. “This needs to be addressed so that citizens like my daughter are not irreparably harmed by confusing and conflicting statutes and rules that violate citizens’ rights,” Roberts said.
But Randy Bowman with the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments says limiting a health department's authority to order sick kids to stay home from school would put everyone at risk. “That if my child was in the classroom next to another child who might’ve been in these circumstances, what’s my redress, in that circumstance?” Bowman asked. Lawmakers originally passed the bill with a veto-proof majority.
(–Related–)
Kansas Lawmakers Return to Topeka this Week for Veto Override Session
TOPEKA, Kan. (KAKE) - Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka on Thursday. KAKE TV reports that Republicans may be looking to override several of Governor Laura Kelly's vetoes. Before ending the regular legislative session for the year, lawmakers set a date to come back to Topeka on April 10 for a veto session, the day they look at any vetoes the governor has sent to them and decide whether to try to override her. This year, the governor has vetoed at least eight bills during the adjournment, which Republican leadership says it will be looking to override. For each bill, Republicans will need a two-thirds majority vote to successfully override her.
Among the bills GOP lawmakers will be looking at include House Bill 2033, which would add programs and services to approved at-risk educational programs. The governor called the bill overreaching, citing it took over the state Board of Education's job. There's also Senate Bill 29, which would ban local health authorities from prohibiting public gatherings to control infectious diseases. In addition, House Bill 2217 would expand the Kansas inspector general's investigatory powers into all state cash, food and health assistance programs, which the governor called redundant and a waste of money. These bills and three others originally passed with a veto-proof majority, meaning Republican leadership just has to hold on to those votes in both the House and Senate.
For two other bills, though, Republican leadership will have to find more votes in the House to achieve an override. Senate Bill 79 seeks to bar SNAP, or food stamp, users from buying candy and soft drinks with state assistance money. Also, Senate Bill 14 would automatically renew budget items unless lawmakers vote on a change, which the governor called another overreach, this time into the executive branch.
==========
Department of Commerce Offering Grants to Fund Murals in Rural Towns
UNDATED (KNS) – The Kansas Department of Commerce is offering $125,000 in grants this year to help fund murals for small, rural towns. Cities with 15,000 people or less in low-population Kansas counties can qualify for up to $7,500 in grant funds. Trisha Purdon, the director of the Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity, told the Kansas News Service that public art enriches life for people in small towns – and not just because it looks good. She says it also invites further investments in the community. “Art creates conversation. It gets people gathering in places they never would have maybe gathered before. It gets people investing in their community,” she added. Since founding the program in 2021, the department of commerce has given out more than $320,000. That amounts to 97 new murals across Kansas.
==========
Enjoying this commercial-free summary of KPR news? How 'bout making a pledge? Thanks!
==========
New Archbishop Named for KCK
UNDATED (KCUR) – The Catholic Archdiocese in Kansas City, Kansas, will soon have a new leader. Pope Francis announced Tuesday that Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Missouri, will take over as Archbishop. McKnight succeeds Archbishop Joseph Naumann, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 last year. Chris White, of the National Catholic Reporter, said that Naumann spent his 20-year tenure speaking out against abortion. "Archbishop Naumann is more of a culture warrior-type figure, and he’s been replaced by Bishop McKnight who is much more of a pastoral-type leader," White explained. McKnight will be installed as the new Archbishop on May 27.
==========
Solar Energy Now Producing 40% of Fort Riley's Power Supply
UNDATED (KNS) – Solar panels now produce enough power to meet 40% of the energy needs at Fort Riley’s family housing. The Kansas News Service reports that more than 1,600 family homes at Fort Riley have rooftop solar panels. Those generate more than 12 megawatts of electricity. Another 4 megawatts comes from ground-mounted solar installations. The company that manages the family housing – Corvias – says it’s looking into adding more solar power, as well as energy efficiency options like geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling.
Incidentally, Fort Riley is home to the Big Red One, the First Infantry Division, the finest fighting force in America. Thanks to all the men and women serving with the Big Red 1 patch on their uniforms.
==========
Kansas Prisons Collaborate to Open Child-Friendly Visitation Areas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Prison officials in Kansas are working with the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center to open child-friendly visitation areas for incarcerated parents. The Kansas News Service (KNS) reports it’s an effort to strengthen family bonds. The initiative brings crafts, interactive toys and colorful murals to once plain, cinder-block visitation rooms. Dene Mosier is President of the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Topeka. She says the separation that comes with parental incarceration has long-term consequences for kids. “The only mitigating factor that we know for children who are impacted by parental incarceration is to strengthen those family bonds, and that comes through high contact, quality visits with their parent who’s incarcerated," she said.
The spaces include interactive toys, crafts and a puppet theater. It’s an effort to get parents and kids playing together. Mosier says making visits with incarcerated parents positive for kids helps keep families together. “We know that many of these parents will be released, they will reintegrate with their family, and the most important thing we can do is to try to keep those family bonds," she said.
The new visitation spaces opened at state prisons in El Dorado and Ellsworth, and another is coming to Lansing this spring.
==========
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).