National Guard Member Accused of Spying for Russia in Kansas
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) — A member of the National Guard is accused of agreeing to work with the Russian government to spy on Fort Riley in Manhattan. The U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday that 28-year-old Canyon Anthony Amarys of Alamogordo, New Mexico, has been arrested and charged with violating the Export Control Reform Act. According to the indictment, in February 2025 Amarys met with someone he believed was a Russian agent and agreed to take photographs of Fort Riley. He also allegedly agreed to provide the Russians with a helicopter radio. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
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Topeka Police Investigate Rash of Burglaries
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — Topeka police are investigating a string of burglaries in the city early Thursday morning. Police say at least three businesses near the Washburn University campus were broken into. WIBW-TV reports the thieves gained access to one of the businesses by using a sledge hammer to break through a cinder block wall. No arrests have been made.
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KCMO Roller Coaster Temporarily Shut Down by State Inspectors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSNT) — An amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, was forced to shut down its roller coaster Thursday morning after it failed a state inspection. The Mamba roller coaster at Worlds of Fun was inspected after it was reported a child’s lap belt failed to properly lock on the ride. The child was not injured. KSNT reports state inspectors found more than 20 lap belts on the ride were not functioning properly. The amusement park says the coaster has been repaired and is expected to be running Friday.
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Game Wardens Locate Lost Osage County Hunter
MELVERN, Kan. (KPR) — A missing hunter was recently located after an intensive search in Osage County. In a social media post this week, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks says the hunter went missing in the Melvern Wildlife Area on October 12. The hunter’s family contacted law enforcement when he did not return as scheduled. Search parties spent hours using K9 units and a drone to locate the missing hunter. He was located before nightfall on a large log jam in the Marias des Cygnes River. The hunter had reportedly become disoriented.
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K-State Program Addresses Shortage of Special Education Teachers
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KSNT) — Kansas State University is starting a new online program to help the state meet the need for more special education teachers. The new Special Education Master of Arts and Teaching program can be completed online in sixteen months. KSNT reports graduates will earn a master’s degree, as well as a Kansas teaching license for both elementary and special education. The program begins in January and is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree. Program director Lotta Larson says it’s a great option for Kansans looking for a career change.
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Shawnee County Court Officials Warn of Jury Duty Scam
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — The Shawnee County District Court is warning residents of a scam that fools people into believing there’s a warrant out for their arrest for missing jury duty. The caller pretends to be a sheriff’s deputy and says a fee must be paid to settle the warrant. People who receive the call are told they will be arrested if they hang up. The Shawnee County District Court told KSNT it will never call people to announce a warrant or ask for payments. People who receive such a call are asked to report it to the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office.
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ACLU Challenges Kansas Law Concerning Probation Sentencing
UNDATED (KNS) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas is challenging a state law that allows judges to extend probation sentences for people who can’t pay fines. The Kansas News Service reports that the organization says it unfairly punishes low-income offenders. In a federal lawsuit, four plaintiffs say Johnson County District Court judges extended their probation sentences because they could not afford to pay restitution in their cases. That’s a court-ordered fine that must be paid to the victims of a crime. People on probation must report their movements to the court and are barred from voting. ACLU of Kansas Legal Director Monica Bennett says the practice punishes poor offenders for many years after the initial probation period. “They don’t have the means to pay off restitution. They are treated differently than a person who does have the means to pay off restitution,” Bennett said. The lawsuit argues extending probation for unpaid restitution violates constitutional equal protection rights.
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New Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against KCK and Former Police Detective
UNDATED (KCUR) — Two Kansas City, Kansas, men who were wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 16 years filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Thursday, saying former Police Detective Roger Golubski framed them. KCUR reports that Cedric Warren and Domonique Moore were released last year after their murder convictions were tossed because of prosecutorial misconduct. Their federal civil rights lawsuit named Golubski, the Unified Government, and five KCK police officers. Warren and Moore say they were railroaded by Golubski because the mother of one of them refused his sexual advances. That’s much like the case of Lamonte McIntyre, a KCK man who eventually won more than $12 million for his wrongful conviction involving Golubski. (Read more.)
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Pittsburg State University Studying Endangered Kansas Bat
PITTSBURG, Kan. (KRPS) — Pittsburg State University is studying a bat found only in one part of Kansas. KRPS reports that the federally endangered gray bat is inhabiting local storm tunnels in southeast Kansas. This is unusual, and creates a risk for bats because they’re not protected from people by cave gates. Bat researcher Braidy Hunt says their normal habitats are in trees and caves. "We're just lucky enough that a colony has just kind of scooted over a little bit somewhere along their timeline and just decided to take up residence in Kansas," Hunt explained. Kansas law prohibits moving an endangered species from its habitat.
Hunt is presenting her research about the gray bat Thursday night at the Sperry-Galligar Audubon research center at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public.
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