Archdiocese Suspends Johnson County Priest Under Investigation
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KMBC) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has suspended a Johnson County priest who is under criminal investigation. Father Richard Storey was the pastor at Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood. In a statement, the Prairie Village Police Department said it is investigating the priest for a crime involving another adult, but gave no further details. The archdiocese says it is cooperating with investigators and has opened a preliminary canonical investigation. KMBC reports Storey has also been suspended from the public exercise of ministry and may not celebrate Mass or perform pastoral duties during the investigation.
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Charlie Kirk Comments Trigger Backlash in Dodge City, Manhattan
UNDATED (KC Star/WIBW-TV) — A Dodge City teacher has been suspended for his comments about Charlie Kirk. Jonny Dunlap is Dodge City High School’s debate coach. On his personal social media account, Dunlap wrote that Kirk was “a fascist” and his death was “not a loss for our country,” but his “children did not deserve to lose their dad.” The Kansas City Star reports the Dodge City district has placed Dunlap on “paid administrative leave,” saying he had “disrupted the educational process and eroded public confidence in the district.”
Meanwhile, the Manhattan, Kansas, school board has asked one of its members to resign over her Charlie Kirk comments. The board member, Katie Allen, has already been fired from her job at the state Department of Education over a comment she made on a Facebook post saying Kirk’s death was “well deserved.” WIBW-TV reports she later deleted the post and apologized. No word yet on whether she intends to resign from the school board.
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KU Won’t Discipline Employee Who Said Charlie Kirk ‘Better in the Ground as Worm Food’
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KC Star) — The University of Kansas says it will not discipline or fire an employee who said in a social media post last Friday that slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk is “better in the ground as worm food than up here preaching that murdered children are a necessary sacrifice for 2A rights.” The Kansas City Star reports that screenshots of the post, made by KU employee Brianna Lichtenauer Wasser, were shared to X by a right-wing influencer known as Libs of TikTok. A KU spokeswoman said the school is aware of the post, which the employee made on a personal social media account using a personal computer and on personal time. Erinn Barcomb-Peterson also said the post was made not in the person's capacity as a KU employee, but rather as a private citizen, meaning there was no violation of university policy.
Wasser did not respond to requests for comment on Monday or Tuesday. Charlie Kirk was gunned down last Wednesday while speaking outdoors on the campus of Utah Valley University. A 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson of Utah, is in custody.
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Kansas Lawmaker Proposes Abolishing Vehicle, Property, Income Taxes
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — A Kansas lawmaker is proposing a constitutional amendment that would eliminate vehicle, property, and income taxes in Kansas. Under the proposal by Republican representative Blake Carpenter, those taxes would be replaced by raising sales taxes and by eliminating some tax exemptions. KSNT reports Carpenter presented his proposal at a legislative committee meeting on taxation on Wednesday. Carpenter says his plan would end vehicle taxes in six years, property taxes in 13 years, and income taxes in about 40 years. Some lawmakers were skeptical of the plan, saying it would take too much power away from the legislature. Others worried sales tax increases would hurt Kansans in the short term.
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KPR Seeks New Kansas Statehouse Bureau Chief
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas Public Radio is seeking a new Statehouse Bureau Chief. This position works primarily at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka and is primarily responsible for reporting on state government. This includes, but is not limited to, covering the Kansas Legislature, the governor, attorney general, supreme court, the state's congressional delegation and statewide elections.
Best radio and multimedia news job in Kansas? Maybe. Must apply online.
(Click here for more details.)
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If Tax Credit Is Not Renewed, Kansans Will See Health Insurance Rates Rise
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansans could see their health insurance costs skyrocket, and some could lose coverage altogether, if Congress does not renew a tax credit that expires at the end of the year. More than 22 million Americans rely on the health care tax credit to afford health insurance. In Kansas, 90% of Affordable Care Act enrollees take advantage of the credit to lower their premiums. Katherine Hempstead of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says monthly out-of-pocket health insurance costs could spike for those using the public marketplace if the credit is not renewed. “Many will decide that they can’t afford to renew their coverage,” she told the Kansas News Service, “and then the market will become sort of increasingly expensive for the people that stay in it.” Hempstead says Congress could still choose to extend the credit. Otherwise, costs will begin to rise in January.
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Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall Lays Blame for Vaccine Mistrust at Feet of CDC
UNDATED (KMUW) — Kansas Senator Roger Marshall says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to blame for some people's distrust in vaccines. KMUW reports that Marshall made his comments Wednesday during a hearing of the Senate health committee. Members were questioning former CDC director Susan Monarez.
“I think the CDC is the cause of vaccine hesitancy, that you are the problem. As of COVID, and you’re forcing these vaccines on people that were never really proven or justified, that the benefits didn’t outweigh the risk, and you all sat there with your hands in your pockets and let that happen,” Marshall said during the hearing.
Monarez was fired less than a month into her tenure by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She says Kennedy wanted to change the CDC’s vaccine policy despite scientific data showing the policy worked. Marshall also questioned Monarez about allowing employees to work from home, contrary to an executive order from the president.
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New Kansas Supreme Court Justice Sworn into Service
UNDATED (KNS) — The Kansas Supreme Court swore in its newest justice Wednesday. The Kansas News Service reports that means the court is once again fully staffed. Larkin Walsh was sworn in during an informal ceremony in Topeka. The Kansas Supreme Court will hold a formal ceremony in November. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly appointed Walsh to the court last month. She is the fourth justice Kelly has seated. Walsh replaced Justice Evelyn Wilson, who retired early this year after she was diagnosed with ALS. Walsh will face a retention vote in 2026 and every six years after that.
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Kansas Board of Regents Approves KSU Mission Statement Change
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas State University is removing the word “diversity” from its mission statement, and replacing it with the word “all.” The Kansas News Service reports that the Kansas Board of Regents approved the change during its meeting Wednesday. K-State leaders say it was prompted by a new state law that requires universities to eliminate policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The previous mission statement said the university “embraces diversity, encourages engagement and is committed to the discovery of knowledge.” K-State President Richard Linton explained the change by saying that “...we are asking for the change, ‘The university embraces all’ rather than ‘diversity.’ And this is to comply with Senate Bill 125.”
The Kansas Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve the change. Public universities across the country are scaling back diversity programs as states threaten to withhold funding from schools that support DEI efforts. (Read more.)
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Wyandotte County DA to Seek Death Penalty for Man Accused of Killing KCK Police Officer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday it intends to seek the death penalty against the man accused of killing Kansas City, Kansas Police Officer Hunter Simoncic last month.
WDAF TV reports that Dennis Edward Mitchell III is charged with capital murder, one count of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, two counts of theft and one count of criminal possession of a weapon. He is accused of killing Officer Simoncic on August 26th of this year after a chase, in which Mitchell allegedly abandoned one vehicle and then entered another before continuing to drive away from police. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation later discovered both vehicles were reported stolen. As the chase progressed, Simoncic was attempting to deploy stop sticks a few blocks away. Mitchell is accused of driving toward the officer and over the median, hitting Simoncic before leaving the scene. Simoncic, who was 26 years old and had joined KCKPD in November 2023, was taken to KU Medical Center for treatment, but died of his injuries.
Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree is also seeking the death penalty in the case of Shawn Harris, the man accused of killing Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Deputy Elijah Ming. Mitchell is next scheduled to appear in court on October 21.
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Olathe Students Participate in Constitution Day Event
UNDATED (KCUR) — Third-graders in Olathe served on the jury for a mock trial Wednesday to learn about civics. KCUR reports that Olathe Public Schools and the Kansas 10th Judicial District Court have hosted the Constitution Day event for a decade. This year’s student defendant was accused of running in school hallways. Trey Spillman, a third-grader at Green Springs Elementary School, says kids his age should learn about the Constitution, adding that “...I think it's important for us to learn about it, because if you need to do court when you're older, then you know what to expect.”
This year’s mock trial marked the first time the event was streamed nationwide to thousands of students.
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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).