Toddler Killed Sunday in Driveway in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) - Police in Kansas City say a toddler was killed in a driveway Sunday afternoon when the child was run over by an SUV. First responders were called to the scene (in the 8100 block of East 96th Terrace) early Sunday afternoon. KSHB TV reports that the child was taken to the hospital but did not survive.
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Proposal to Recycle Industrial Waste in KCK Faces Opposition
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - A proposal to process and recycle industrial waste in Kansas City, Kansas, (Armourdale) is meeting with opposition from neighbors. The company Reworld has leased a spot in the Armourdale neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, but is still going through the permit process. Residents hope to stop it. Betty Paz has lived in Armourdale for 50 years. "Air quality, the odor, the noise, the traffic for the kids. You know on 14th Street - to the kids, that’s just another street in our neighborhood." she said. Trucks would come and go hundreds of times daily. The site is less than half a mile from an elementary school.
Planning commissioners at the United Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City Kansas could vote on a permit application Monday from the waste processing company Reworld.
The company says it would bring 25 jobs to the area, but that doesn’t impress locals like Katie Rico. “So, we don’t believe that that’s really economic development for Wyandotte County. They’re bringing in 20 jobs? None of those jobs has Reworld made a commitment that any Wyandotte County resident would be hired," she said. Residents worry about pollution from the plant and its fleet of trucks. Commissioners told the company to hold more local meetings about the project but residents say Reworld never did.
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Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area Receives Delayed Federal Funding
UNDATED (KNS) — Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area finally received $500,000 of federal funding that had been withheld for six months. The Kansas News Service reports that the organization preserves Kansas and Missouri history by supporting rural museums and Civil War sites. Funding to the organization was already allocated. But the Trump administration set it aside for review. It was finally released this month, just weeks before the end of the fiscal year when the funding would have expired. Johnny Szlauderbach of Freedom’s Frontier says the wait hurt planning efforts for the 2026 World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding next year. “We had hoped to spend these last six months… to prepare and host that influx of people,” Szlauderbach explained. He says federal lawmakers from Missouri and Kansas helped secure the funding and are trying to ensure it is not withheld in the future.
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Pair Accused in Scheme to Steal $900,000 from Kansas District Court
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) - A federal grand jury has indicted two former Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers in connection with an alleged scheme to steal nearly a million dollars from the court. Two Kansas women are facing charges: 65-year-old Julia Roberts, of Kansas City, Kansas and 63-year-old Vicki Robinson, of Bonner Springs. The women have been charged with wire fraud. ID theft and other crimes. Investigators say the women generated more than 400 fraudulent checks totaling more than $900,000. Prosecutors say the pair operated the scheme between 2018 and 2023.
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Gas Leak Causes Temporary Evacuation at Kansas State Fair
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KPR) - A gas leak forced the evacuation of a building at the Kansas State Fair. Officials say people were ushered out of the Cottonwood Building Saturday after a gas leak. The Kansas Fire Marshal's office says there was a dangerous buildup of gas in the building, which contains a food court. The Hutchinson Fire Department forced fresh air into the building to dissipate the gas. No one ws hurt. The state fair opened on Friday. It runs through Sunday, September 14th.
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World Cup Tickets Go on Sale This Week
UNDATED (KCUR) — The first World Cup ticket sales will begin this week (Sept. 10) for soccer fans in Kansas City and worldwide. KCUR reports that between September 10th and 19th, Visa cardholders can enter a lottery for the chance to buy tickets starting October first. That will include tickets for all 104 World Cup matches and includes the six at Arrowhead Stadium. Team match-ups will be announced in December. Prices will start at 60 dollars for group stage games and rise for later matches. And, many outlets, including ESPN, report that FIFA will use dynamic pricing, meaning ticket costs could fluctuate over time. Additional lotteries are also planned, and exclusive “hospitality packages” are already available.
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Teacher Morale Lagging in Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — Teacher morale in Kansas is lagging behind most other states, according to a new report. The Kansas News Service reports that data from Education Week’s annual Teacher Morale Index shows that overall job satisfaction among U.S. teachers is on the rise. But Kansas educators scored well below the national average, and a majority have a negative view of their jobs. For the 2024-25 school year, the national Teacher Morale Index was 18 on a scale of negative-100 to 100. The morale for Kansas teachers was negative-three. Researchers say key challenges facing Kansas educators include increased workload and difficulties with student behavior.
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Wyandotte County Inmate's Death Ruled a Homicide
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) - The death of an inmate at the Wyandotte County jail this summer has now been ruled a homicide. The KBI says 50-year-old Charles Adair died of complications from mechanical asphyxia, with contributing factors of heart disease and cirrhosis. The KBI says they've concluded their investigation and has presented their findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney.
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NYT Reporter Suing FBI for Information on Tracking Device Incident in Lawrence
UNDATED (KNS) — While in Kansas, a reporter found a tracking device on his car. Now, he’s suing the Federal Bureau of Investigation for more information. The Kansas News Service reports that New York Times reporter Kevin Draper was in Lawrence, Kansas, when he discovered the tracking device in October of 2021. The FBI opened an investigation, but the case was closed years later. A legal complaint alleges that the FBI has failed to respond to public records requests about the investigation. At the time of the incident, Draper was a sports business reporter for the Times. It’s unclear what he was reporting on in Lawrence. The FBI and a lawyer for the New York Times both declined comment. (Read more.)
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KBI to Open New Facility at PSU in 2027
PITTSBURG, Kan. (KRPS) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is opening a new facility at Pittsburg State University. KRPS reports that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s new Regional Crime Center will include investigative and laboratory operations. It will also help train students in PSU’s Criminal Justice Education program. At an outdoor groundbreaking ceremony in Pittsburg, Kansas U.S Senator Jerry Moran said the new facility is important for law enforcement, adding that "...it's nice to see Southeast Kansas having the latest technologies to combat crime in this region and across our state." Construction on the $42 million project is expected to be completed by spring 2027.
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