Governor Seeks Restoration of Federal Funding for Kansas Schools
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly asked the U.S. Secretary of Education Tuesday to reinstate more than $22 million in federal funding for Kansas schools. The Kansas News Service reports that Congress approved the funds in 2020 to help students catch up academically after the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly says Kansas needs the final phase of funding to recruit early childhood educators and train teachers in the science of reading. Scott Gordon is general counsel for the Kansas Department of Education. He says the Trump administration reneged on the funds without warning. “‘We changed our mind, and if you haven’t spent your money by March 28th, then you don’t get to spend it anymore.’ And they sent us that notification on March 28th,” Gordon explained. Some Republicans say the federal pandemic aid was wasteful and unregulated. Kansas has paused some programs as officials try to get the funds back.
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Lawsuits Related to Raid on Small Kansas Newspaper Allowed to Proceed
UNDATED (KCUR) – In 2023, the Marion, Kansas, police department raided its local newspaper, the publisher’s home, and the home of a city council member. The incident drew national attention and led to multiple federal lawsuits. KCUR reports that the newspaper filed four lawsuits against the former mayor of Marion, its police chief, and other officials, alleging that their actions violated the Constitution. One lawsuit has already been settled. Last month, a U.S. district judge in Kansas City allowed the remaining suits to move forward. The newspaper’s editor and publisher, Eric Meyer, says the experience has highlighted the importance of local reporting. “Nobody wants that kind of attention. It did give an opportunity to talk a little bit about what's happened to America's newspapers," Meyer added. At the time of the raid, Meyer’s newsroom had been reporting on local businesses as well as the misconduct and background of police officers.
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Wichita Schools: Jack and Jill Need More Time to Play
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - As full-day kindergarten has become more widely available in Kansas, it has become more rigorous. Kindergarten classes feature bell-to-bell lessons designed to prepare youngsters for the first grade. But some districts are bringing back old-school playtime. The Kansas News Service reports that some schools in Wichita are incorporating self-directed free play — known among educators as purposeful play — into the daily schedule as a way to enhance learning and teach social skills. (Read more.)
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Giant Data Center May Be Coming to North KC; Port Authority Could Issue $10 Billion in Bonds
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - A giant data processing center could be coming to North Kansas City. The Port Authority of Kansas City is set to approve $10 billion in bonds and tax breaks to lure Google to build the massive data center complex in Clay County, Missouri. The Kansas City Star reports that the development committee for Port KC voted this week to recommend a plan to issue the bonds. The 500-acre, 1.5 million square-foot complex will house five "hyperscale" data center buildings. The center will process vast amounts of digital data. The site will be located in far north Kansas City, off the northeast corner of I-435 and Highway 169.
(–Additional reporting–)
KC Agency Set to Approve Data Center Bond Issue
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – A data center in the Kansas City, Missouri, area could break ground as soon as next month. KCUR reports that development agency Port KC is set to approve billions of dollars in bonds at its board meeting at the end of the month (04/28). The Port Authority of Kansas City’s development committee recommended a plan to issue up to 10 billion dollars in bonds for Project Mica, which will reportedly be a Google data center. Meredith Hoenes is the spokesperson for Port KC. She says the project could help bring more development to the area. "I think data centers have proven that they bring an economic benefits to communities, and we want to be able to grow Kansas City's economy," Hoenes explained. The 500-acre complex will hold five data center buildings off the northeast corner of Interstate 435 and 169 Highway in Clay County, Missouri.
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Report Shows Increase in Kansas Abortions from 2023 to 2024
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas health care facilities provided around 23,000 abortions last year, an 18% increase from 2023. That’s according to a new report by researchers at the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. The Kansas News Service reports that out-of-state patients accounted for most of the increase in Kansas. The study finds 71% of patients at Kansas clinics are residents of other states, the largest percentage of any state in the country. Most are from Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Isaac Maddow-Zimet with Guttmacher says expanded capacity at Kansas clinics likely drove the influx. “It's possible that some people, particularly Texas residents, might be now able to access care in Kansas that might have otherwise traveled to New Mexico or Colorado,” he added. Planned Parenthood opened its fourth Kansas clinic in Pittsburg last August. The state health department is not expected to release official abortion data until later this year, a move criticized by anti-abortion groups. (Read more.)
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Sunflower Summer Program to Continue Despite Budget Cuts
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas leaders have announced the state will continue to offer a summer program despite recent budget cuts. The Kansas News Service reports that the program lets kids visit zoos and other attractions for free. The popular Sunflower Summer program will be shorter this year, running from July 12th to August 3rd. Decreased funding from Kansas lawmakers also means free tickets will be limited to one adult per student, rather than two adults as in past years. The program runs through a smartphone app and was previously funded with federal COVID-relief money. Kids from preschool through 12th grade can get free admission to various attractions across the state. Kansas Tourism is urging eligible attractions to apply to be part of this year’s program. The deadline is April 30th. Participating attractions will be announced in early June.
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Lenexa Man Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KMBC) - A Lenexa man has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder as well as animal cruelty in connection to the deaths of his wife and son. Investigators say 54-year-old Todd Donovan fatally shot his wife, Sheila, and their 22-year-old son, Tyler, at their home last November. KMBC TV reports that Donovan is also accused of killing his neighbor's dog. He is scheduled to be sentenced in July.
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Kansas City Area Man Sentenced for $1.4 Million COVID-19 Scheme
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - A Missouri man has been sentenced to a year in prison for trying to scam the federal government out of nearly $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Prosecutors say 51-year-old Richard Dean Schiele, Jr. was sentenced Tuesday in federal court. The judge also ordered him to pay more than $130,000 in restitution to the IRS. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, helped companies keep employees on the payroll during the pandemic. In his guilty plea, Schiele admitted he didn't have any employees and submitted false forms to take advantage of the program.
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Kansas City Woman Guilty of Embezzling from Employer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - A Kansas City woman has admitted in federal court that she embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer. Federal prosecutors say Jennifer Cabral pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors say she stole more than $306,000 from her employer and used the money for personal expenses. She faces up to 30 years in prison.
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LIHEAP Funding in Doubt Following Program Layoffs
UNDATED (HPM) – This month, the Trump administration fired the staff of a federal program that helps struggling customers pay utility bills. In Kansas, over 40,000 households received financial assistance to pay for heating and cooling in fiscal year 2024. Harvest Public Media reports it's still unclear how remaining funds will be released. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, disburses billions of dollars each year to U.S. states, territories, and tribes.
Most of that money has already been distributed this heating season, but Mark Wolfe of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association says he worries the remaining funds won't be disbursed, which could put many in the Midwest and Great Plains at risk. “Low-income families will have more problems paying their energy bills without federal assistance. We've done surveys. We know what happens. People go without. They don't buy medicine. They cut back on food. They cut back on clothing and other essentials in order to pay that bill,” he explained. A Senate committee called on Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to testify this week about the mass layoffs at LIHEAP and elsewhere. That testimony has since been delayed. (Read more.)
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KCK Art Project To Commemorate Sisters Who Saved Native Cemetery
UNDATED (KCUR) – A new Kansas City, Kansas, art project will commemorate the Conley sisters, who saved a Native American burial ground in the early 1900s. It’s called “Trespassers Beware,” and will help tell the story of three sisters who lived in a makeshift fort at the cemetery to protect the land from development. Chief of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas, Judith Manthe, co-directs the project. She says the reimagined “Fort Conley” installation will show the women were a formidable force, adding that “...if I believe in something, I'm going to fight for it, and that's exactly what Lyda, Ida, and Helena did, was stick up for their rights.” The project is set to be unveiled August 30th at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum. (Read more.)
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Grant Funding Uncertain for Lawrence’s Watkins History Museum
LAWRENCE, Kan. A $250,000 grant for the Watkins Museum to expand exhibits on local Indigenous history is in limbo and a Lawrence event honoring veterans will be canceled amid federal cuts to humanities programs. The Lawrence Times reports that humanities councils in all 50 states received a letter on April 1 from the Department of Government Efficiency terminating their share of $75 million previously allocated by Congress to these councils by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The NEH grants were terminated due to DOGE “repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of President Trump’s agenda.” The Watkins Museum has a project to explore indigenous heritage in Douglas County and the history of Haskell Indian Nations University that is directly affected by the suspension of the NEH. The museum submitted a $250,000 grant application to fund the project in January.
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