Kansas Chief Justice Recovering from Apparent Stroke
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — The chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court is recovering from a stroke. In a news release issued by the court Wednesday night, Marla Luckert said she was on her way home from work last week when she had a minor car accident. No one was injured and no other vehicles were involved, but Luckert says doctors believe she had a stroke, which caused the accident. She was hospitalized but Luckert says it does not appear that she will need speech or physical therapy. The state's highest court convenes later this month. While Luckert is recovering, justice Eric Rosen will take over the duties of the chief justice.
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Judge Orders Trial for Ex-Police Chief Who Raided Newspaper
MARION, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — A former Kansas police chief will stand trial next year for his actions connected to a controversial raid on a small town newspaper. A Kansas district judge has found probably cause that former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody committed the crime of interfering with the judicial process. The Kansas Reflector reports that Cody is not being tried for the raids themselves. But his case is connected to raids on the Marion County newspaper - the Record - as well as raids on the publisher's home and on the home of a city councilwoman in August 2023. Cody is accused of telling a witness to delete text messages the two exchanged before, during and after the raids.
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Lawrence Group Helps in Resettling Refugees
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Resettling refugees is hard work. But an organization in Lawrence is doing just that - helping to re-settle refugees and other new arrivals. Asistance for Immigrants and Refugees, or AIR, launched in the summer of 2023 to aid immigrants and other newcomers. AIR president Chuck Olcese says the organization is passionate about helping. "Our goal is that when the family arrives, food is there, the pantry is full and all they have to do is really just settle, and learn how to be here," he said. AIR has already helped resettle two families from Afghanistan and one from Venezuela. AIR is the nonprofit organization featured in this month's KPR Community Spotlight.
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Number of Kansas Kindergarten Students with Vaccine Exemptions Increases
UNDATED (KCUR) — More families of kindergartners in Kansas are opting out of vaccinations for non-medical reasons. According to KCUR, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports the number of kindergartners with vaccine exemptions increased from about 3 percent in the 2023-2024 school year to more than 3.5 percent last year.
The rate of kindergartners who received their required vaccines to attend public schools increased slightly last year to nearly 90 percent. But there are statewide disparities. The Kansas Reflector reports that 22 counties had vaccination rates at less than 75 percent. The percentage of kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella is down by nearly four percent since the 2019-2020 school year.
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Startup Proposes Underground Nuclear Reactor in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) — A startup wants to put a nuclear reactor one mile underground in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that Deep Fission’s idea is to drill a 30-inch borehole one mile deep and put a small nuclear reactor into it. It says this design could fuel energy-hungry AI data centers with what the company calls discreet and bespoke nuclear installations. It has signed a letter of intent with a partner for a site in Kansas. The company isn’t disclosing the partner and site at this time. This is the second nuclear company to reveal plans related to Kansas in the past month. The other, TerraPower, wants to build a utility-scale nuclear plant in Evergy’s service area. (Read more.)
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Experts Not in Agreement over Report That Kansas Is in Economic Recession
UNDATED (KNS) — A recent Moody’s report shows Kansas as one of 22 states in a recession. The Kansas News Service reports that some economists dispute that finding. The financial service’s report considered factors like job growth and farm values, along with continued uncertainty over President Trump’s tariff policies. But Wichita State University economist Bekah Selby-Leach says several aspects of the Kansas economy do not point to recession. She says unemployment in Kansas is ticking up, but not as fast as the national rate...and key economic data is being delayed because of the government shutdown. “I’d hesitate to say that we’re in a recession right now, because the data that we do have doesn’t really support that specifically for Kansas," Selby-Leach added. Another report in August named Kansas as the third most vulnerable state to a recession, behind Alaska and Mississippi.
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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.) Must apply online.
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Mixed Bag of Kansas Educational Data but Nearly 1 in 5 Students Are Chronically Absent
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas high school students are taking more college-level courses than ever before. The Kansas News Service reports that Education Commissioner Randy Watson says more than 40,000 Kansas high school students are taking some type of post-secondary class this year. That's a 25% increase since 2021. A new report from the Kansas Department of Education also shows record-high graduation rates and more students taking AP classes. But Watson says nearly one in five Kansas students is chronically absent. That number peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic but is still well above the rate seven years ago. "While it's coming down, it's not coming down very quickly," Watson said. The percentage of white students in Kansas fell more than 10% since 2012. The number of Hispanic students has risen nearly 28%.
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Offensive Leaked Chat Messages Include Comments from Kansas Young Republicans Leaders
UNDATED (KNS) — Group chat messages leaked to Politico show leaders of the Kansas Young Republicans making racist and anti-semitic comments. The Kansas News Service reports that the group chat included leaders of Young Republicans groups in several states, including Alex Dwyer and William Hendrix from Kansas. Politico says Hendrix repeatedly used slurs for gay and Black people. Dwyer repeated a white supremacist slogan. A spokesperson for Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach told the Kansas News Service that Hendrix has been terminated as a communications assistant for the office, and called his comments “inexcusable.” Dwyer and Hendrix did not respond to requests for comment. Kansas GOP Chair Danedri Herbert says the Kansas Young Republicans organization is inactive as of Tuesday. (Read more.)
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Kansas Board of Education Member Praises, Prays for Charlie Kirk at State Meeting
UNDATED (KNS) — A member of the Kansas State Board of Education took time during Tuesday's board meeting to praise and pray for conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The Kansas News Service reports that Republican Debby Potter of Garden Plain left the board table and addressed members during the citizens' open forum. She called Kirk a Biblical prophet and urged the board and others to pray in his memory, saying “Father, please, please bring our nation together. Please use us for good and not for evil. Please bring us into unity under this Constitution that you blessed us with. Amen.” Congress designated Tuesday as a National Day of Remembrance for Kirk, who was killed during a college event last month. It also would have been Kirk's 32nd birthday. Republican board member Dennis Hershberger of Hutchinson stood beside Potter during her address.
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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).