KBI: Wabaunsee County Jailer Stole Money from Inmate
ALMA, Kan. (KPR) — A former guard at the Wabaunsee County Jail has been arrested for allegedly stealing money from an inmate. Jeffery Patrick, 48, was arrested Sunday on one count of mistreatment of a confined person. In May, the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Kansas Bureau of Investigation after it was reported that Patrick was taking money from an inmate for personal use. The alleged incidents occurred between March and May at the Wabaunsee County Jail, where Patrick served as a correctional officer until he was terminated in June. Following his arrest, Patrick was booked into the Pottawatomie County Jail.
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‘Freedom’ Shirts Raise Free Speech, Safety Issues at Olathe School
OLATHE, Kan. (KMBC) — Security has been increased at an Olathe elementary school where the principal asked some staff members to stop wearing T-shirts similar to one that was popularized by the assassinated right-wing icon Charlie Kirk. The shirts bear the word “Freedom.” The Arbor Creek Elementary School principal said the shirts were a political statement and asked staff not to wear them. After his request was made public, the principal’s personal information, including his home address, was posted online, triggering fears he might be the target of retaliation by supporters of Kirk. In a statement, the Olathe superintendent said classrooms should remain politically neutral. KMBC reports the district has not clarified whether teachers are formally banned from wearing the T-shirts.
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Forum on Civil Discourse Slated for Lawrence
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) — A forum on bringing civility back to public discourse will be held in Lawrence on Monday night. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County, the event will bring together local elected officials and other civic leaders to discuss how to better engage with public issues. The forum begins at 6 p.m. at the Lawrence Public Library. It’s free to attend and no registration is required.
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Man Arrested for Assaulting Lawrence City Bus Driver
LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — A man was arrested Saturday after allegedly assaulting a Lawrence city bus driver. Richard W. Page, 49, is also accused of punching one of the bus’s windows out. Police say the bus driver asked Page to roll up his window. Page reportedly refused and began “disrupting other passengers,” so the driver pulled over and asked him to get off. That’s when Page allegedly shoved the driver and punched the window. WIBW-TV reports the driver did not require medical treatment. Page faces one count of battery and one count of criminal damage to property.
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Earthquake Detected in Rooks County
STOCKTON, Kan. (KSN) — A small earthquake was recorded in north central Kansas on Sunday. The 2.8 magnitude quake was centered near Stockton in Rooks County. KSN reports the quake occurred at 2:58 p.m. at a depth of about 7.6 miles. If you felt the quake, the U.S. Geological Survey asks you to report it on their website.
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Wildfire Smoke Contributing to Premature Deaths in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) — A new report says wildfire smoke is contributing to premature deaths in the Midwest. The nonprofit organization Climate Central estimates the smoke caused up to 2,500 people to die prematurely in Kansas from 2006 to 2020. The smoke contains fine particles that can trigger asthma attacks or exacerbate conditions such as heart disease. The Kansas News Service reports Kansas and Missouri residents tend to experience 40 to 80 days per year of wildfire smoke pollution.
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Advocates Help Rural Workers Cope with New Tax Regulations
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas advocates are helping rural workers navigate the fine print of new federal tax deductions for tips and overtime—but workers . might not see as much relief as they hoped. The Kansas News Service reports one in six southwest Kansans work at the meatpacking plants and regularly work overtime. That means they could benefit from tax relief outlined in the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill. But Adrienne Olejnik of Kansas Action for Children says the provision that eliminates taxes on tips and overtime can only be claimed when filing taxes in the spring. And the deductions only apply to some of the extra income earned during overtime hours. She says rural families should be aware of that before planning their finances. “So,” Olejnix says, “making sure that they don't assume one thing and another thing happens, we would hate for that to happen.” Olejnik also points out that the law also removed immigrants and their children from eligibility for some welfare programs.
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Extended Federal Shutdown Could Spark Uncertainty in Agricultural Industry
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas farmers are facing uncertainties if the federal government shutdown drags on. The Kansas News Service reports that many farmers are focused on harvesting, but the agencies that support them are closed. Nearly half of all U.S. Department of Agriculture employees will be furloughed. During the last two shutdowns, the agency didn't publish a monthly crop report. Jennifer Ifft, an agricultural economist for Kansas State University, said that the situation "...could really sort of snowball. Maybe your local Farm Services Agency is closed. Maybe they need to be processing payments, different types of reporting need to happen. There’s the loan office at the Farm Services Agencies.” Ifft said farmers won’t be able to keep waiting for those services if the shutdown lasts beyond a week or two. (More about the federal government shutdown from NPR.)
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USDA Expects Strong Corn and Soybean Harvest for 2025
UNDATED (HPM) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expecting a strong corn and soybean harvest this year. Harvest Public Media reports that despite the forecast, the prices farmers are seeing aren't keeping up with costs. Corn production nationally is expected to be 13% higher than last year, with 10 states expected to see record yields. That's according to the USDA's September crop forecast. But experts say high nationwide yields tend to lead to lower crop prices. Brenda Gudex of the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board told Harvest Public Media that “...this is going to be the third year in a row that our farmers are going to be selling corn at below cost — yields look great but prices do not.” A recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis found farm incomes fell in the second quarter of the year. The report says low crop prices and high input costs drove the decrease.
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Group Tours Rural Parts of Kansas to Explain Changes to SNAP
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas welfare advocates told Garden City residents facing food insecurity that it may become harder to buy groceries because of the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas Appleseed is traveling to rural parts of the state to explain how the federal law will affect local families. Along with tax cuts, the bill also cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Haley Kottler of Kansas Appleseed says lawmakers will need to increase state funding by $60 million a year to provide the same level of support. She says if that does not come, local welfare efforts like food banks may struggle to pick up the slack, adding that “...we know that our food banks, food pantries will be providing more service, but they are going to struggle too, because if they're putting out more food, they're gonna need more money coming in too.” Food assistance deliveries in western Kansas were delayed this summer because of federal budget cuts.
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First Fall Supermoon Fills the Sky Monday Night
UNDATED (KPR) — If you can see it between the clouds, the moon will look bigger and brighter than usual Monday night. The Fall Harvest Supermoon is the first of three supermoons this year, but Monday's promises to be the biggest and brightest of the year. A supermoon takes place when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. According to NASA, the moon will look up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year. The best time to see the Harvest Supermoon from Kansas will be at 10:47 p.m.—if the weather cooperates.
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Historic Kansas Drive-In Closes Due to Broken Projector
KANOPLOLIS, Kan. (KWCH) — A popular source of entertainment in western Kansas will have to close down for the rest of the year. KWCH reports the drive-in movie theater in Kanopolis is now closed due to a broken projector. The owners say the future is uncertain because the broken part is no longer made and a new projector would cost $100,000. The outdoor theater in Ellsworth County first opened in 1952. It’s one of about 280 drive-ins left in the U.S. and one of just three that survive in Kansas. At the height of their popularity, there were more than 5,000 drive-in theaters nationwide. The drive-in has started an online fundraiser online to help pay for repairing or replacing the projector.
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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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