Private Prison Company Gives up Fight with Leavenworth
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KNS) — The private prison company CoreCivic is applying for a permit from the city of Leavenworth so it can detain immigrants at its now-closed facility in the city. This comes after the company claimed for months that it didn’t need the permit. Now CoreCivic says it will apply for the permit, but continues to insist it’s not legally necessary. The Kansas News Service reports the Leavenworth City Commission has set tentative dates in February and March to consider the application in public meetings. If approved, Leavenworth could become a regional hub for President Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
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Coldwater Mayor Joe Ceballos Resigns
COLDWATER, Kan. (KSN) — Joe Ceballos, the mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, has resigned. The city announced his resignation Monday night. Days after Ceballos was re-elected last month, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach charged him with three counts of voting illegally. Ceballos was born in Mexico. Kobach said that, while Ceballos is a legal resident, he is not a citizen and therefore cannot vote. Ceballos says he simply made an honest mistake believing he was eligible to vote as a permanent resident. KSN reports his first court appearance is scheduled for December 19.
(–Additional Reporting–)
Coldwater, Kansas Mayor Resigns
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) — The embattled mayor of a southwest Kansas town has resigned. KMUW reports that the Coldwater City Council said in a statement Monday night that it had accepted the resignation of Mayor Joe Ceballos. He was elected to a second term on November 4th. The next day, Attorney General Kris Kobach charged Ceballos with several counts of voting illegally. Ceballos is a legal permanent resident but not a citizen. He has said in media interviews that he thought having a green card allowed him to vote. If found guilty, Ceballos could face more than 5 years in prison.
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Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Announces Property Tax Reduction Proposal
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — A Republican candidate for governor announced details Tuesday of his proposal to reduce property taxes for business and homeowners. The Kansas News Service reports that Secretary of State Scott Schwab calls the proposal “Better Affordable Living by Decreasing Property Taxes” — or “BALD” for short. The plan’s name pokes a bit of fun at the fact that Schwab himself has no hair. “It’s BALD. It’s bold. And it basically forces big government to take a haircut,” Schwab said at an event in Wichita. The plan would require the public to vote when local governments propose a mill levy increase. It also would make changes to the tax appeals process. If a property owner wins an appeal, their property’s assessed value growth would be kept flat or at a constant rate for three to six years. Many other Republicans in the race are also calling for property tax reform, including former Governor Jeff Colyer and Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson.
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Kansas Teen Arrested After Accidentally Shooting Himself
SALINA, Kan. (Junction City Post) — A teenager has been arrested after accidentally shooting himself in Salina early Saturday. Police were called after the 16-year-old male was taken to a hospital for treatment. The wound was superficial. Investigators say the teen was in a vehicle and was carrying a handgun under his left arm. When he reached for it, a shot was fired, injuring him in the left armpit. The Junction City Post reports the teen faces charges including unlawful discharge of a firearm and underage alcohol consumption.
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Kansas, Missouri Given Failing Grades for Gun Safety
UNDATED (KPR) — A new report gives Kansas and Missouri failing grades for gun safety. The Giffords Law Center, a national gun safety organization, graded all 50 states on the strength of their gun laws and firearm death rates. Kansas and Missouri both received an F. The group ranked Kansas 42nd out of 50 states for gun law strength, unchanged from its previous ranking. It was noted that the state’s firearm death rate fell slightly over the past year. But it remains 19% higher than the national average.
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KCK Police Investigate Church Vandalism as Possible Hate Crime
UNDATED (KCUR) — Kansas City, Kansas, police are investigating a possible hate crime at a church where Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree is pastor. KCUR reports that police say officers responded to the Grace Tabernacle Family Outreach Center on Sunday after a report of a racial epithet spray-painted across a sign. Dupree is lead pastor at the predominately Black church. He told KMBC-TV that in addition to the racist graffiti, the church has received death threats. Dupree says that while he is angry, he will forgive whoever defaced the sign – but will also hold that person accountable.
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Groundbreaking Held for Kansas Nuclear Reactor Project Despite Regulatory Questions
UNDATED (KNS) — Nuclear company Deep Fission broke ground on a nuclear reactor project Tuesday in Parsons, Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that the project includes placing small reactors one mile underground to provide power at an industrial park. The first-of-its-kind reactor is part of a U.S. Department of Energy program to accelerate nuclear development. The project has bipartisan support from Kansas officials but questions remain about how this new type of reactor would be regulated.
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New Wichita Sales Tax One Step Closer to Implementation
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) — Wichita is one step closer to implementing a sales tax after a City Council vote Tuesday. KMUW reports that the council approved a request to place a sales tax question on a March special election ballot. The plan for a seven-year, 1 percent sales tax was pitched by Wichita Forward, a new nonprofit. The group's proposal would direct up to $850 million dollars toward public safety, housing and cultural projects. Council member Dalton Glasscock called the plan a watershed moment. "Wichita is at one of the rare moments where we get to choose the future instead of just settling in one by default. And I support today's ask because I believe investing ourselves in safer neighborhoods, stronger infrastructure and the kind of spaces and opportunities that make Wichita home," he added. The council will take a final vote on the special election next week.
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Trump Administration Promises $12 Billion to Farmers
UNDATED (HPM) — The Trump Administration will be sending farmers $12 billion to help them stay in business and compensate for their trade war losses. Harvest Public Media reports that many Midwestern farmers lost money this year. President Trump’s trade wars didn’t help. Tariffs boosted the already high cost of fertilizer and farm machinery. Retaliatory tariffs temporarily hobbled export markets for American farm commodities. The administration will use a U.S. Department of Agriculture fund to cover the funding package. Missouri corn and soybean farmer Richard Oswald says most of the bailout money will go straight to banks and suppliers. "There's money to pay the bill now. Liquidity is another word for it. A lot of farmers right now, I'm hearing from people have liquidity problems," he explained. Oswald says the bailout will let some farmers pay off last year’s operating loans, so they can borrow more to cover planting this spring. (Read more.)
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Topeka to Borrow $11 Million to Replace Lead Pipes
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — The city of Topeka is taking out an $11 million loan to replace lead pipes. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the money will pay for replacing lead pipes that connect from the distribution system to customers’ homes. The city will borrow the money from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment State Revolving Fund at an annual interest rate of 2.53%. The city is required to pay off the loan in 21 years. Lead is a toxic metal that can leach into drinking water as the pipes corrode. Exposure to lead can cause serious health problems, especially in children and pregnant women.
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Fatal Fire Claims a Life in Nemaha County
WETMORE, Kan. (KPR) – One person is dead following a fatal fire at a home in northeast Kansas. The State Fire Marshal says a blaze broke out last Friday inside a trailer home in Nemaha County. The fire, at a residence in Wetmore (300 block of 1st Street), claimed the life of 65-year-old Randall Nott. Investigators say Nott was homebound, a known smoker and a user of Home Oxygen Therapy. So far, the fire has been classified as undetermined.
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Report: Kansas Maternal and Infant Health Improves, but Racial Disparities Remain Concerning
UNDATED (KNS) — Maternal and infant health in Kansas is improving, but a report from the non-profit organization March of Dimes says there are still racial disparities. The Kansas News Service reports that things like preterm births, infant mortality, and adequate prenatal care improved in Kansas. The state scored a C- for preterm births, which is higher than the national grade, a D+. But the report found higher preterm births and inadequate prenatal care for people of color. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said they’re encouraged by the improvements, but they know there is still work to do. The agency says there are several initiatives aimed at communities disproportionately impacted by maternal health issues.
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KU, K-State Both Decline Invitations to Play in Bowl Games
MANHATTAN, Kan. (ESPN/KC Star) — The Kansas State University football team will not play in a bowl game this year. The Wildcats finished the season with six wins and six losses, good enough to earn an invitation to a bowl game. But the school recently changed head coaches, and athletics director Gene Taylor announced Sunday the team would decline a bowl invitation. Taylor says the decision was made because the school’s coaching staff is in transition. It’s a costly decision: ESPN reports the Big 12 Conference will fine K-State $500,000 for failing to fulfill its contractual obligations to its bowl partners.
The Kansas City Star reports the University of Kansas also declined to accept an invitation to a bowl game. KU finished the season with a win-loss record of 5-7 and was in line for an invitation after several schools with six wins, including K-State, opted out of bowl games.
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Small Earthquake Felt in Saline County
SALINA, Kan. (KPR) — If you felt a little rumbling in Saline County Monday night, don’t worry: It was just a small earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 3.7 quake hit about 12 miles southeast of Salina at 9:39. Based on the preliminary seismic data, geologists say the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
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