NTSB Holds Hearings into Deadly Crash of Commercial Airline Flight from Wichita
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KMUW) — Federal safety officials will hold hearings this week in Washington concerning the deadly crash involving a commercial airline flight from Wichita. The National Transportation Safety Board will hear from its investigative staff and witnesses beginning Wednesday. They'll discuss details of the midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Eagle flight on January 29th that killed 67 people. The three-day hearing will include discussions about the crowded airspace around Reagan National Airport and procedures in the airport’s air traffic control tower. People can watch a live-stream of the hearings on the NTSB’s website, NTSB.gov.
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State of Kansas Reaches Settlement in Prison Death Lawsuit
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – The State of Kansas will pay out $275,000 in a settlement after a prisoner was allegedly killed by his cellmate. The Kansas News Service reports that Gary Raburn died in 2023 at Lansing Correctional Facility after his cellmate allegedly attacked him. In a lawsuit, Raburn’s family says the state knew the cellmate had an extensive history of violence. They say the state failed to protect Raburn while he was in custody. The suit also says Raburn was physically infirm and about 37 years older than his cellmate. The cellmate was later charged with capital murder. State lawmakers opted to settle the case outside of court, at the request of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.
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Lawrence School Board Approves Raises for Teachers
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LT) — The Lawrence school board voted Monday to give each teacher an $800 raise. The board also gave elementary and high school teachers a second planning period each week, which middle school teachers already have. Assistant superintendent Kristen Ryan told the Lawrence Times the extra planning period will help the district retain teachers. Elementary and high school teachers will now have two 45-minute planning periods during the school week.
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Kansas Governor Leaves National Governors Association
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is leaving the National Governors Association. She joins fellow Democrat and Minnesota governor Tim Walz in leaving the group. Governor Kelly told KSNT she’s leaving the group because it hasn’t pushed back against the Trump administration, which has withheld funding for many state programs. Kelly said Kansas is not benefiting enough from the National Governors Association for her to remain a member. But she says she’s open to rejoining the group if it changes its stance toward Trump.
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Kansas Representative Sharice Davids Seeks to Aid Thousands Losing Federal Food Assistance
UNDATED (KCUR) – Democratic U.S. Representative Sharice Davids says she wants to help thousands of Kansans who are losing federal food assistance. But she says that will be hard in the Republican-controlled Congress. The Trump administration’s recently approved tax and spending bill cut funding and changed eligibility requirements for food stamps. Davids told KCUR that she wants Congress to enact new policies to make sure Kansans don’t go hungry. But that would require bipartisan support in the U.S. House, and she says Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is not up to the task. “There’s some failures on his part in protecting people that need it the most,” she asserted. Davids says the new law also cuts funding to Medicaid and could lead to rural hospital closures.
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Kansas Man Charged with Killing Wyandotte County Sheriff's Deputy
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) – A 38-year-old Kansas man accused of killing a Wyandotte County Sheriff’s deputy was charged with capital murder Tuesday. Shawn Harris faces life in prison or the death penalty if convicted in the fatal shooting of Deputy Elijah Ming. Kansas City, Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman says Harris shot at the deputy during a domestic violence call last Saturday. “This is another example of the far-reaching effects of domestic violence. Unfortunately, in this situation, Deputy Ming was in the middle of that,” Oakman said. KCUR reports that Harris was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. The case is still under investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
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Salina Votes to Remove Log Jam from Smoky Hill River
SALINA, Kan. (KSN) — The Salina City Commission has voted to move ahead with a plan to remove that massive log jam on the Smoky Hill River. The jam has become something of a tourist attraction, raising fears that people could be injured if it collapses. The commission voted Monday to pay more than $450,000 to remove the debris from the river. KSN reports it’s expected to take about two weeks to remove the jam. The commission rejected a cheaper plan to simply set the log jam on fire, as that would only burn to the waterline, leaving hazards below the surface.
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Kansas Congresswoman Calls for Feds to Release Firefighting Funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KNS) — U.S. Representative Sharice Davids, the lone Democratic member of Kansas’s congressional delegation, is calling on the Trump administration to send money meant for forestry and firefighting to Kansas. The funding has not been released, and with just two months left in the federal fiscal year, Davids fears the administration has dragged its feet so long that the funding could expire.
“When we've got the Kansas firefighters still waiting for funding that Congress has already approved to keep them safe, these delays threaten lives,” she told the Kansas News Service. “These delays threaten homes and farms and our local economies.” Kansas expected to receive more than $2 million this year. That money is used to help rural fire departments pay for trucks, protective gear, and training.
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Medicaid to Cover More Dental Care for Low-Income Kansans
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Some low-income Kansans may have better access to dental care thanks to an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for dentists. State lawmakers recently provided funding to increase rates for certain dental services. Kevin Robertson is executive director for the Kansas Dental Association, a group that advocated for the rate increase. He says the increased funding helps, "but at the end of the day, our hope is that those increases will create more providers in the dental network for Medicaid in Kansas.” Robertson says the rate increases also covers sedation dentistry, which helps people relax during dental work and is often used for patients with special needs.
The recently approved funding will increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for exams, x-rays and fillings. Tayna Dorf-Brunner works for Oral Health Kansas, a group that advocated for the rate increase. She says only about 30% of Kansas dentists currently take Medicaid patients. She says it’s especially hard for rural residents. “There are 41 counties that have no Medicaid dental provider at all," she said. "And they are all in rural counties - mostly western Kansas - but definitely some in the east and southeast Kansas.” Dorf-Brunner says the increased rates for dental work may enable more providers to accept Medicaid and help improve dental health among low-income Kansans.
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Royals Sign Top Pitcher to Contract Extension
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — With the Major League Baseball trading deadline fast approaching, there had been talk about the Royals trading away one of the team's star pitchers, Seth Lugo. But that talk ended, now that the team has signed him to a contract extension, which guarantees the pitcher $20 million for 2026 and 2027. Lugo is 35 years old, but has been a starting pitcher only for the last three years.
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