Flood Watch Issued for Eastern Kansas
UNDATED (KPR) — Stormy weather is expected across the KPR listening area Tuesday. Forecasters predict showers and thunderstorms, with wind gusts up to 30 miles an hour. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for eastern Kansas through Wednesday morning. The watch covers most of eastern Kansas east of Junction City and includes Topeka, Lawrence and the Kansas City metro area. The Weather Service says rainfall at a rate of more than an inch an hour is possible.
A Flood Warning has been issued for Stranger Creek at Easton, affecting Leavenworth and Atchison counties. The warning takes effect late Tuesday night and lasts until late Thursday morning. For the latest forecast, visit the National Weather Service website.
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Heavy Rain and Flooding a Risk for Much of Kansas for the Rest of the Week
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Heavy rain and flooding remain the biggest potential weather risks for much of Kansas for the rest of the week. The National Weather Service says eastern parts of the state had received about two-to-five inches of rain by Tuesday afternoon. Some parts of the Wichita area had received more than six inches. Chad Omitt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Topeka, says much of eastern Kansas should get a short break from the rain Tuesday evening and Wednesday. “The bad news is that it’s not going to last long. We’re going to get more showers and storms that’ll move into the area, most likely on Thursday night into Friday,” he cautioned. Omitt says the risk for tornadoes appears relatively low the rest of the week, but there is a good chance for heavy rain and a risk of flooding.
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Nearly 12,000 Evergy Customers Without Power After Storms Roll Through Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) - Nearly 12,000 customers of Evergy in Kansas and Missouri have lost power as a result of severe storms that rolled through the area Tuesday. Most of the outages are in the Kansas City metro, but WDAF TV reports outages are also affecting Evergy customers in Douglas, Leavenworth, Franklin and Miami counties.
Visit the Evergy outage map for the latest updates.
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Suspect in Police Shooting Apprehended in Kansas
ELLIS, Kan. (KMBC) — The man wanted in connection with the shooting of a police officer in Lee's Summit, Mo., was captured early Tuesday at a hotel in Ellis, Kansas. Authorities had issued a "blue alert" for 27-year-old Thomas Eugene Tolbert after he allegedly shot and wounded the officer on Sunday. The officer, who had been called to the scene of a domestic disturbance, is expected to recover. KMBC reports charging documents in the case state a woman called 911 because Tolbert got into her apartment with keys she believed he had stolen from her.
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Police ID Suspect Wounded by KCK Officers During Police Standoff
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has identified the man shot and wounded by police officers in Kansas City, Kansas. The KBI says 41-year-old Timothy Cella, of Kansas City, Kansas, was shot multiple times during a standoff with police. Officers were reponding to a domestic disturbance call early Monday morning when they were directed to a storage unit (at 235 N. 78th Street).
During negotiations, officers gave commands for the man to come out and surrender, but Cella did not comply and made verbal threats. Officers say they believed he was holding a gun that he pointed at officers. Six officers fired, striking Cella multiple times. The object Cella was holding turned out to be a butane torch. Cella is currently in critical, but stable condition.
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Kansas Tax Revenue Beats Projections by 31.7%
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The state of Kansas took in more than $657 million in total tax revenue for May, surpassing estimates by 31.7%. In announcing the figures, Governor Laura Kelly called them “a strong sign of stability.”
Total tax collections last month were down slightly from May 2024. By about just 0.2%.
Individual income tax collections led the way at $314.7 million, up 85.1% from projections and 3.1% year-over-year. Corporate income tax revenue totaled $29.2 million, falling short of estimates by 2.8% and decreasing 26.8% compared to May of last year. Sales tax and compensating use tax receipts were $282.1 million, 4.1% above expectations, with no change from last May.
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Trump Administration Move to Pause Chinese Student Visas Could Have Major Effect on Kansas Universities
UNDATED (KNS) – A move by the Trump administration to pause Chinese student visas could significantly impact Kansas universities. The Kansas News Service reports that more than 8,000 international students attend college in Kansas, and a large portion of those are from China. University leaders worry that visa suspensions will lead to enrollment declines and more budget challenges. Gamal Weheba, president of the Kansas chapter of the American Association of University Professors, says students all over the world are deciding where to attend school this fall, and some will likely avoid the U.S. “Canada, Europe, China… They’re all celebrating the fact that international students now are looking for alternatives,” he added. Nationwide, more than half of international students are from India and China. They contributed more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023.
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4 Sets of Defendants File Lawsuit over Alleged "Systemic Failures" Leading to Shooting During Super Bowl Rally
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Three mothers who were shot...along with their children...during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally have filed suit alleging systemic failures that led to the mass shooting. KCUR reports that the suit names four sets of defendants, including the three adults and three minors who shot into the crowd. The other defendants are two gun stores, the city and Union Station and the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission. The suit says all of them were responsible for a “preventable calamity, borne of systemic failures and negligence from the top down.” One woman was killed and another 22 were injured during the February 2024 shootings. In addition to compensation, the lawsuit asks for a court to set safety requirements at future rallies. (Read more.)
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Fireworks, Not Gas Leak, Likely Caused Fatal Explosion in KC Area
GLADSTONE, Mo. (KC Star) — Just days after a home in Gladstone exploded, killing a man and two dogs, officials have ruled out a natural gas leak as the cause. Instead, investigators say the weekend blast was likely caused by fireworks. According to the Kansas City Star, preliminary findings suggest the explosion may have involved combustible materials stored at the home. Firefighters responded to the residence late Saturday morning after multiple calls from residents about the explosion.
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Missouri Lawmakers Talk Chiefs and Royals in Special Session
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCUR) - Missouri lawmakers began a special session Monday that could decide whether the state will provide funding for stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals. The plan, which would counter an offer from Kansas, could determine whether the Kansas City teams stay on the Missouri side of the state line. Eric Woods is a Democratic representative from Kansas City. He hopes the Missouri Legislature passes the stadium funding bill. "We're all just kind of watching and waiting to see what the Senate does. Ultimately, we are kind of in wait and see mode until something comes to us, which I expect will not be until at earliest the 2nd week of the, the special session," he said. Missouri lawmakers have 60 days to complete their work during the special session. Bipartisan opposition to the plan has already formed.
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Kansas Mayor Arrested, Charged with Felony Stalking
ROSE HILL, Kan. (Wichita Eagle) — The mayor of Rose Hill has been arrested and charged with felony stalking. The Wichita Eagle reports that Gary Weaver made his first appearance in court Monday. He's charged with one count of felony stalking after being served with an order prohibiting him from making contact with the woman who sought the order.
Rose Hill City Council President Jeanine Schantz will run council meetings and take care of some other responsibilities in Weaver’s absence. Weaver was elected mayor in November 2021. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 30. Rose Hill is a city of 4,300 people southeast of Wichita in Butler County.
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KCC Holds Public Hearings on Evergy's Rate Hike Request
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Utility giant Evergy is asking state regulators to let it increase rates by more than 8.5% for some customers in eastern and central Kansas. More than 700,000 customers would see their rates increase by an average of $13 a month. If approved, Evergy would raise the rates by September. The plan would affect customers in Wichita, Topeka and Pittsburg, among others. Evergy says the increases will help fund improvements to infrastructure. The Kansas Corporation Commission will hold public hearings on the proposed increases in Wichita and Topeka. Customers can also attend the hearings virtually and submit written testimony online. For more information, visit kcc.ks.gov.
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KU Professor Joins Lawsuit to Pressure New Jersey to Allow DNA Testing in Lindbergh Baby Murder Case
UNDATED (The Reflector) — An assistant professor at the University of Kansas has joined a lawsuit asking the state of New Jersey to conduct DNA testing on evidence connected to the kidnap and murder of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh’s infant son.
Twenty-month-old Charles Lindbergh Jr. was abducted from the family estate near Hopewell, New Jersey, in March 1932. The child’s remains were subsequently discovered adjacent to a roadside several miles from the Lindbergh home. A German immigrant named Bruno Richard Hauptmann was convicted of the crime and executed, but questions about his guilt linger.
KU assistant professor of history Jonathan Hagel is a New Jersey native who has studied the case. The Reflector reports Hagel and two other plaintiffs are asking New Jersey to conduct DNA tests on the ransom letters to Lindbergh that Hauptmann allegedly sent. The New Jersey State Police have repeatedly blocked access to the case archive.
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Kansas Supreme Court Rules Police Can Search Vehicle if Driver Has No Legal License
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – The Kansas Supreme Court narrowly ruled police can search a vehicle when the driver does not have a legal license. Wichita police arrested Gina Wilson after a drug dog alerted them to oxycodone in her vehicle. Wilson argued in court that the K-9 sniff was unconstitutional. She said she did not consent to a search and was not allowed to leave after being issued a traffic citation. The court ruled that a K-9 sniffing the outside of a car in public does not amount to a search. Wilson also had a suspended license, which the majority argued nullified her rights against unreasonable search and seizure. Three justices argued that the search was illegal.
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Proposed Cuts Would Eliminate Most Federal Funds for Kansas Forest Service Budget
UNDATED (KNS) - A proposal from the Trump administration would eliminate most of the federal money going to the Kansas Forest Service’s budget next fiscal year. That’s if Congress agrees to sweeping cuts to U.S. Forest Service programs that support states. Jason Hartman is the state forester for Kansas.“Even if you are not on a volunteer fire department, even if you aren’t a forest landowner - all the technical advice and support that’s by provided by the Forest Service does improve everybody’s life by providing wildfire protection, providing a healthier ecosystem," he said. The proposal could affect efforts to help landowners curb the risk of wildfire on their properties. The state agency would also have less money for deploying airplanes to wildfires. And fire departments would lose federal money for buying equipment.
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Kansas Rancher to Receive Prestigious National Award
UNDATED (KPR) — An eastern Kansas farmer has been named this year's winner of the National Golden Spur Award, the livestock and ranching industries’ most prestigious honor. Jan Lyons is a lifelong rancher and co-owner of Lyons Angus Ranch in Manhattan, Kansas. She is being recognized for her contributions to the ranching and livestock industries. Lyons will receive the award at the annual National Golden Spur Award Honors this October in Lubbock, Texas.
The annual award is sponsored by six livestock and ranching organizations, including the American Quarter Horse Association and the National Cattleman’s Foundation. The award committee cited Lyons for dedicating decades to advancing the beef industry with integrity, vision, and resilience.
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