Another Kansas Police Officer Is Killed in the Line of Duty
HAYS, Kan. (KPR) — A Kansas police officer was shot and killed after responding to a domestic violence call in Ellis County early Sunday. He is the fourth Kansas officer to be killed in the line of duty this year. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says the officer was with the Hays Police Department. The identity of the fallen officer has not been released.
The KBI says police were setting up a perimeter around the suspect’s home when a single shot was fired from inside, striking the officer. The officer was transported via air to a regional hospital, where he died just after 4 a.m. The suspected shooter, 34-year-old Zane Wickham, was subsequently found dead inside the home, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot.
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Salina Middle School Teacher Provided Alcohol to Former Student
SALINA, Kan. (KWCH) — A Salina middle school teacher has admitted to providing alcohol to a 16-year-old former student. KWCH reports the relationship between Salina South Middle School teacher Amanda Freeman and the former student came to light after the student’s mother discovered text messages between the two on the student’s phone. According to an affidavit obtained by KWCH, the mother believed Freeman and the student were having sexual contact, but Freeman is not charged with any sex crimes. Freeman was arrested earlier this month for contributing to a child’s misconduct, aggravated endangerment of a child, furnishing alcohol to a minor, and other charges.
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Company Looks for Kansas Site to Build Nuclear Reactor
UNDATED (KNS) — A company co-founded by Bill Gates wants to build an advanced nuclear reactor in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports the company, TerraPower, is collaborating with Evergy and Kansas officials. Its power plant design is part of a national push to roll out faster-to-build, modular reactors. Paul Hughes of the Kansas Department of Commerce says regional electricity demand is expected to more than double over the next decade. So, he says, Kansas needs to explore options to increase generation: “We do need to act in ensuring that Kansas isn’t effectively blocked out of future opportunities because of the availability or unavailability of power in the state.” But environmental groups worry that a nuclear facility could cost billions and push up electricity prices.
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Kansas Supreme Court Upholds Religious Exemptions for Vaccines
UNDATED (KNS) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday upheld the state’s broad protections for workers who claim religious exemptions to vaccines. The Kansas News Service reports that the ruling makes it easier for Kansas job applicants to refuse workplace vaccine requirements. The case started in 2022, when a Leawood woman was denied an occupational therapy job. The employer said she did not qualify for a religious exemption to its COVID-19 vaccination requirement. A Johnson County district court judge agreed with the employer. But the Kansas Supreme Court overturned that decision, ruling that employers may not ask follow-up questions when applicants say they religiously oppose vaccination. Justices Melissa Standridge and Eric Rosen dissented.
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USDA Cancels Food Access Survey
UNDATED (HPM) — The Trump administration is ending a survey that tracks food access across the country. Harvest Public Media reports that anti-hunger advocates say less information means it will be difficult to know what is working to address food insecurity. Federal officials are scrapping the Household Food Security Reports, saying they are "redundant, costly, politicized and extraneous studies.” Gina Plata-Nino with the national advocacy group Food Research and Action Center says the survey is the main source for understanding how people are experiencing food insecurity across the country. “It's difficult for advocates, for policymakers to understand or to be able to say what is working. If you don't have the data to support whatever point or analysis you wanted to make,” she added. She says the cancellation is even more concerning on top of the administration’s recent cuts to federal food benefits.
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Kansas Farm Bureau Addresses Rural Attorney Shortage
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — The Kansas Farm Bureau wants to address the rural attorney shortage directly — by providing grants to recent law school graduates if they come to rural counties. The Kansas News Service reports that farmers living in rural communities can lack some major resources like legal advice and representation. Farmer advocacy groups like the Kansas Farm Bureau are using grants to attract new attorneys and help them get a practice up and running. The attorneys will receive more than $16,000 over three years to nudge them toward a rural practice. Greg Doering with the Kansas Farm Bureau says this program has already made an impact. “We've got 11 attorneys now in rural areas, in 10 counties that may not have otherwise been there, except without these grants,” he explained. The Bureau awards grants to three recipients each year.
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Kansas Health Officials Warn of Dangers of Synthetic Drug 7-OH
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is alerting Kansans to the dangers of a product known as 7-OH that is widely sold in smoke shops, gas stations, and convenience stores. 7-OH is an unregulated synthetic drug, a highly potent opioid-like compound. The Health Department says the product is highly addictive, and using it “in combination with alcohol or other sedatives can cause severe respiratory depression, and in some cases, even death.” Health officials say the product can be “extremely harmful, even in small doses,” and urge consumers to avoid all products containing 7-OH.
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Soybean Farmers Scramble to Find Customers for Crop
UNDATED (HPM) — Soybean producers across the country are getting ready to export their crop. But China, their biggest customer, hasn't placed a single order for the upcoming market year. Where does that put America's farmers? Harvest Public Media reports that China buys over half of all exported American soybeans. Its absence has sent soybean farmers scrambling for options for the beans they just can’t sell. One option is storing the beans until spring. Farmers like Caylor Rosenau from North Dakota say that tactic carries its own set of issues. "I've talked to many neighbors now, and they've said, you know, if we get filled up, our bins get filled up with beans and corn, we can't store both of them," Rosenau said. Producers could choose to sell to local crushers, which process the beans into oil and meal to then sell to other countries directly. But Rosenau says it’s a band-aid to a problem where the only cure might be a deal with China. (Read more.)
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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. (Click here for more details.)
Best radio and multimedia news job in Kansas? Maybe. Must apply online.
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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).