KCK Police Seek Suspect in Double Homicide
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KC Star) — Police are searching for a suspect in a weekend shooting in Kansas City, Kansas, that left two people dead and a third person injured. The shooting occurred in the 1600 block of Washington Boulevard around seven p.m. on Saturday. Police found one man dead at the scene and a man and a woman injured. The injured man later died. The woman’s injuries are not life-threatening. The Kansas City Star reports the suspect fled the scene before police arrived.
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Kansas Farmers Say Corn Crop Could Be Best Ever
UNDATED (KWCH) — This year’s corn crop in Kansas could be a record breaker. The USDA predicts the nationwide average corn yield at a record high 188 bushels per acre. That’s 9.5 bushels more than last year’s harvest. With the corn harvest beginning in early September, farmers in Kansas are very hopeful. One farmer told KWCH his crop yield is going to be the best ever. Farmers are crediting heavy spring and summer rains for the high yields in Kansas. While the rain hurt other crops, like wheat, for corn, it was perfect.
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KCK Priest Suspended Following Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior
UNDATED (KCUR) — Another priest in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has been suspended following allegations of inappropriate behavior. KCUR reports that this is the fourth priest to be suspended under the new archbishop. The archdiocese said in a statement that it has suspended Father Jerry Arano-Ponce, pastor of the Queen of the Holy Rosary-Wea in Bucyrus, in Miami County. The statement said Arano-Ponce is under investigation by the Miami County Sheriff’s office and the archdiocese is cooperating fully. According to the archdiocesan newspaper, Arano-Ponce is a Mexican native and once worked at St. Agnes Parish in Roeland Park, as well as Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Topeka.
Archbishop Shawn McKnight was appointed in April. Since then, four priests have been suspended or have had additional allegations made against them.
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Venomous Snakes Hatch at Sedgwick County Zoo
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) — The Sedgwick County Zoo says it has successfully hatched six cape twig snakes, the zoo’s first successful hatching of the species. Cape twig snakes are only about as big as a thin straw, but they are venomous. The snakes resemble tree branches. KWCH reports the hatchlings won’t be put on display until they grow more. Cape twig snakes are native to southern Africa and can live as long as twelve years.
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Report on Publicly-Funded Anti-abortion Program Issued
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — A taxpayer-funded anti-abortion program served nearly 4,000 clients in the last fiscal year. That’s according to a new report by one of the program’s contractors. The Kansas Pregnancy Compassion Awareness Program received $2 million in public funding in that same period. The legislature approved the funding to “promote childbirth instead of abortion to women facing unplanned pregnancies.” The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the money is overseen by the Kansas State Treasurer's Office. The Kansas Pregnancy Compassion Awareness Program was created by lawmakers in 2023. It was originally known as the Alternatives to Abortion Program.
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K-State Scientists Turn to AI for Prairie Preservation Solutions
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KNS) — Artificial intelligence is helping Kansas State University scientists study the health of prairies. K-State scientists are using aerial imagery that the USDA and the National Science Foundation collect by plane. They feed the data into a computer model and train it to identify problematic plants, like eastern red cedars and shrubs. The Kansas News Service reports the model can now correctly identify this vegetation 97% of the time. The team hopes to map the spread of shrubs and trees across the Flint Hills, where woody plants hurt the wildlife and make ranching harder. The tool could help guide efforts to control trees and shrubs.
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Kansas GOP Officials Say "Apparent Incendiary Device" Set Off at Party Headquarters
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas Republican officials are calling a fire ignited at the party headquarters in Johnson County an attempted arson. The Kansas News Service reports that nobody at the Overland Park office was harmed in the incident, which took place early Friday morning. A local party official says an apparent incendiary device destroyed a welcome mat and left scorch marks on the ground. Police have not yet confirmed a suspect or motive. Danedri Herbert, chair of the state GOP, says she believes it was a targeted political attack because the office is in a secluded business park. “You don’t stumble upon this place. So I don't think that it was just somebody throwing a cigarette out of their window or something,” she explained. Herbert says the party has received threatening letters in the past.
(–Additional Reporting–)
Investigators: Possible Arson Outside Johnson County GOP Headquarters
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) — An investigation is underway after someone tried to start a fire near the Johnson County Republican Party Headquarters in Overland Park. Firefighters responded to the fire at the building (near W. 105th and Mastin Street) around 12:45 Friday morning. Authorities say the fire was started on the doorstep of the building. Investigators suspect arson. KCTV reports that there was no significant damage and no one was injured.
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Federal Judge Rules "Threatened Species" Designation for Lesser Prairie-Chicken Unlawful
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) — A federal judge says a decision to list the lesser prairie-chicken as a threatened or endangered species is unlawful. The listing was made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during the Biden Administration. KMUW reports that Kansas joined Oklahoma and Texas in filing a lawsuit that opposed the move. The states say listing the bird hurts the agriculture and energy industries. They say current conservation efforts are helping lesser prairie-chicken populations rebound. The lesser prairie-chicken has lost much of its habitat in the last decade, including in southwest Kansas.
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Report: Nearly One in Five Kansans Has Substance Use Disorder
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — A new report says nearly one in five Kansans meets the clinical criteria for a substance use disorder. The report comes from KU's Center for Public Partnerships and Research. The report found higher than expected rates of substance abuse disorder across all age groups. It was most prevalent in young adults, with nearly 29 percent meeting the clinical definition. The report was commissioned in response to the state's opioid epidemic. One troubling finding: 95% of those meeting the definition said they do not feel they need treatment or support.
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GCCC to Collaborate with NASA for Course Using Satellite Data in Agriculture
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Garden City Community College is collaborating with NASA to offer a new course on using satellites in agriculture. The Kansas News Service reports that it’s the first Kansas community college to join the program. With this collaboration, NASA technology can meet agriculture students where they are in rural Kansas. The course will bring satellite technology to the classroom and the field. That will give students hands-on experience with the tech and more career opportunities in agriculture, like agriscience. Elisa Mai, the assistant professor of crop technology, says she is excited to see her students' reactions to the new tools. She says the class will focus on real-world applications. “We'll be using like heat signals, so you can kind of see the health of the crop, if it's stressed. We also can look at how much water those crops are losing,” she explained. Mai says these resources can be taken back to the family farm and maybe encourage more water conservation and efficiency in the places that need it most.
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What's Going on with HeadQuarters? KPR Checks in on the 988 Lifeline System in Lawrence
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Since 1969, HeadQuarters Kansas has provided counseling and suicide prevention services. The nonprofit agency operates the 988 lifeline system for most of the state. But last year, HeadQuarters ran into trouble. Most of the staff members demanded the resignation of the entire board and the interim executive director over concerns about the potential misuse of grant funds. Not long after, the board and leadership resigned. In July 2024, a judge appointed Lawrence attorney Dan Watkins to run the outfit. KPR's J. Schafer recently spoke to Watkins to find out how things are going one year later.
HeadQuarters is hosting a free community breakfast event next month to bring the Lawrence community up to speed on what's been happening with the organization. The Breakfast of Hope will be held on September 8th at 8 am. (The date and time is a nod to the "9-8-8" system. It's being held in the 9th month, on the 8th day at 8 in the morning.)
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Saving Kansas History Museum's Civil War Flags Is Costly
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Dozens of rare and historic Civil War battle flags stored at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka are falling apart and in desperate need of restoration. But as KPR’s Matthew Algeo reports, repairing just a single flag can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
(The Kansas Museum of History is accepting donations to help pay for preserving the flags. To donate, click here.)
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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).