Two People Killed in DUI-Related Crash over Labor Day Holiday Weekend
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — State troopers in Kansas say they worked one DUI related fatality crash that claimed two lives over the long holiday weekend. Statewide, a total of 22 DUI arrests were made. The Kansas Highway Patrol released its Labor Day Holiday Activity report Wednesday. According to the report, nearly 600 speeding tickets were issued and troopers assisted nearly 650 motorists. The holiday reporting period ran from 6 pm Friday, August 29, until midnight Monday morning.
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Federal Appeals Court Overturns Ruling in Kansas Gun Case
UNDATED (TCJ/KPR) — A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court’s ruling in a Kansas case with Second Amendment implications. The lower court had dismissed the case against a Kansas man accused of illegally possessing a machine gun. But the appeals court has now reversed the dismissal and returned the case to the lower court for further proceedings. The defendant, Tamori Morgan, was indicted in April 2023 by a federal grand jury in Wichita on two counts of unlawful possession of a machine gun. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports his attorney argued a federal law banning possession of machine guns was unconstitutional. The lower court agreed, but the appeals court did not.
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Kansas Police Dog Injured in Line of Duty Returns to Service
SHAWNEE, Kan. (KC Star) — A police dog stabbed while on duty in Kansas City, Kansas, last month has recovered and is back on duty. Dagger is a K9 with the Shawnee Police Department. He was stabbed August 5 while responding to a robbery call. Police arrested a 26-year-old man at the scene. The Kansas City Star reports the man has been charged with aggravated battery, interference with law enforcement, and harming a police dog.
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Kansas Education Department Unveils New Anti-Bullying Effort
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — The Kansas Department of Education is implementing new guidelines to combat bullying in schools. The focus is on mental health. WIBW-TV reports the new guidelines put an emphasis on counseling both bullies and their victims, rather than disciplinary action. School counselors play a key role in the new effort. The education department says the guidelines have already been implemented in some schools.
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Emporia Home Explosion Ruled Accidental
EMPORIA, Kan. (KSNT) — The Emporia house explosion that killed two people in June has been ruled an “accidental natural gas explosion.” The house on East Sixth Avenue blew up on the afternoon of June 18th. KSNT reports two people, both in their seventies, were killed. The incident was investigated by the Emporia Fire Department, the Emporia Police Department, and the Kansas State Fire Marshal. Investigators say the gas leak was inside the home.
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Legal Protections Proposed for Douglas County Renters Facing Eviction
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Housing advocates are calling on the Douglas County Commission to pass a measure that would guarantee legal representation for all renters facing eviction, regardless of income. The Lawrence Journal World reports the measure is supported by the advocacy group Lawrence Tenants, as well as Kansas Holistic Defenders and the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel. It would require the county to provide tenants counsel for legal proceedings in which they could lose their housing or housing subsidy. If enacted, it could take effect before the end of next year.
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Officials Seek Source of Social Media Post Urging ICE to Attend High School Soccer Game
UNDATED (KCUR) — Officials at Shawnee Mission East High School in Johnson County are asking for help identifying the person who made a social media post asking immigration enforcement to come to a soccer game. Principal Jason Peres says administration learned of an Instagram post on Friday targeting the Shawnee Mission West boys soccer team. KCUR reports that the post suggested that immigration enforcement authorities come to the game because there would be undocumented immigrants in attendance. Peres says the post was “racist, cruel, and in no way represents our community.” The anonymous account was deactivated, but Peres says the school is investigating who owned it. He says they’ll “pursue disciplinary action to the fullest extent allowed by law and Board of Education policy.”
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Small Kansas High Schools Embracing Six-Man Football
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Small western Kansas high schools are switching to six-man football to keep their teams alive, while their towns' populations shrink. The Kansas News Service reports that it’s a trend likely to grow, as low-enrollment schools are switching to a smaller teamed version of football in order to keep the Friday night lights on. It’s where there are only six players on both sides of the ball, as opposed to 11. The high-flying and high-scoring game was sanctioned by the Kansas State High School Activities Association in 2021. Its popularity has grown since. Mark Lentz with the association says even with fewer players on the field, the fundamentals are the same. “It's just an opportunity for smaller schools who don't have the enrollment, or may not have a lot of boys in their school to play the game of football,” he said. Twenty-three teams played last season. Lentz projects more small-town schools will field six-man teams in the future.
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Financial Services Executive Announces Run for Governor
UNDATED (KNS) — Financial services executive Philip Sarnecki has joined the list of Republicans running for Kansas governor. The Kansas News Service reports that Sarnecki, from Bucyrus, is one of nine Republicans seeking to replace Democratic Governor Laura Kelly in 2027. Sarnecki had a career as a wealth management executive and business owner. In a campaign video, he promised he will prioritize cutting taxes and the cost of living, saying “...too many of our young people can't afford to buy homes and too many of our kids have to leave Kansas to find opportunities.” The GOP primary crowd includes former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, and Senate President Ty Masterson. (Read more about the candidates for the 2026 Governor's Race.)
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Cross-Country Runner Remains in Serious Condition, Weeks After Heat Stroke Collapse
UNDATED (KCUR) — A Kansas college cross-country runner remains in serious condition in the hospital after collapsing three weeks ago from heat stroke. KCUR reports that there were warnings that conditions were dangerous. 19-year-old Delia Montes, a freshman cross-country runner at Dodge City Community College was passed out in a field in 101 degree heat. Documents obtained by KCUR and The Midwest Newsroom show that her coaches, campus security and the Ford County sheriff searched at least two hours before she was discovered in a milo field. College documents also reveal that the day before Montes collapsed, a soccer player was rushed to the hospital at 2:00 pm after collapsing in 100 degree heat. She was treated and released. Dodge City Community College insists the practices were held within heat guidelines set by the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. (Read more.)
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Generous Rainfall Gives Some Parts of Kansas Drought Relief
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas is getting some rare relief from drought after some places in the state experienced their wettest summer in decades. The Kansas News Service reports that at this time last year, only 8% of the state was facing no dry conditions. But right now, 80% of Kansas is without any dry conditions, which the state hasn’t experienced since September 2016. The tenfold change in dry conditions is because of high amounts of rain this year. The National Weather Service reports some southern Kansas towns like Wichita and Sedan had their top ten wettest summers. Soil moisture is mostly in good condition, along with crop conditions for most of the state.
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Weed Control Field Day Highlights Non-Chemical Methods for Weed Management
UNDATED (HPM) — Farmers spend a lot of time trying to control weeds, and many of those who don’t use chemicals - or are trying to use less - see potential with new tools. Harvest Public Media reports that the Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day is an event designed to raise awareness about some of these new approaches to the problem of weed control. Sam Oschwald Tilton is the founder and lead organizer of the annual event, which was in-person in Iowa for the first time. He estimates half of the nearly 200 attendees use organic methods, whether they are certified or not. “But there's plenty of farmers that have issues with herbicide resistance. And so one thing I love about this event, it brings together all type of farmers, different scales, different crops and different growing philosophies,” he explained. Throughout the event, farmers gathered in demonstration fields to see different types of equipment in action, including simple tools on two wheels, a propane-powdered flame weeder, and multi-row tractor attachments. The Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day rotates to a new state each year. (Read more.)
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