More Details of Fatal Weekend Shooting in Lawrence Revealed
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LT) — Lawrence Shooting Police have identified the young man killed in a shooting outside a Lawrence bar early Saturday morning. Aidan Knowles, 18, was one of two people shot outside the Hawk on Ohio St. A 16-year-old male who was also shot was hospitalized in critical condition. Two people have been arrested in connection with the shooting, Caiden Clem of Atchison and Daitron Daniels of Shawnee, both 18. The Lawrence Times reports both face charges of first degree murder. Police used canine units and a drone to track the suspects, who fled the scene. They were captured without incident. Details of what led up to the shooting have not been released.
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Police in Junction City Investigate Possible Homicide
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — Police in Junction City are investigating a possible homicide. John Day, 66, of Junction City, was found suffering from an apparent gunshot wound Saturday afternoon. The shooting occurred in the 300 block of West 4th St. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. WIBW-TV reports no arrests have been made. Officials say there is no threat to the public related to this incident.
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Kansas Supreme Court Upholds Reno County Murder Conviction
UNDATED (Salina Post) — The Kansas Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the conviction of a man found guilty of murdering two people in Reno County. Kyle Hardwick was sentenced in April 2023 to two consecutive life sentences for the murders of Ed Bates, 56, and Phil Anstine, 58, on Anstine’s property near Hutchinson. His attorneys argued he should get a new trial on several grounds, including erroneous jury instructions. But the Salina Post reports the high court denied the appeal, saying the errors were “harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence presented at trial.”
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Manhattan to Feds: We’re Not a Sanctuary City
MANHATTAN, Kan. (Manhattan Mercury) — Manhattan’s city manager has written a letter to federal officials stating the city is not a so-called sanctuary city. The letter follows a December incident in which a Manhattan municipal court judge told ICE agents she didn’t think they should be in her courtroom. The agents were there to arrest a woman appearing before the court on charges stemming from a DUI arrest. The judge’s comment provoked the U.S. attorney for the District of Kansas to write the city insisting it provide proof that federal agents working in Manhattan weren’t being obstructed.
In her letter, city manager Danielle Dulin said, “The City does not have any laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other formalized practices related to sanctuary jurisdictions or immigration enforcement.” The letter was made public following a request by the Manhattan Mercury.
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Emporia State Sued for Alleged Religious Discrimination
EMPORIA, Kan. (KVOE) — A lawsuit accusing Emporia State University of religious discrimination is expected to go to a jury this week. The suit was filed by a former ESU professor, Dusti Howell, who claims school officials conspired to prevent him from taking part in certain holy day observances that were “part of his Christian walk.” Howell claims he was punished after taking time off without permission to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in 2020. The Feast is a Jewish holiday. KVOE reports testimony in the case was heard last week. A 2023 Supreme Court decision says businesses can only deny religion-related absences if they would cause an undue burden.
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Kansas Governor and Attorney General Battle at the Kansas Supreme Court
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — The Kansas Supreme Court will decide whether Attorney General Kris Kobach can block Governor Laura Kelly’s attempts to take legal action against the federal government. Late last year, the two exchanged lawsuits. Most recently, Kelly sued Kobach after he refused to sue the Trump administration over the distribution of food benefits. Stephen McAllister, representing Kelly, told the court Friday that she should be able to take action because of Kobach’s hesitancy to challenge the federal government. “If he declines, which he often does, then she has the power to hire her own counsel and proceed with litigation," McAllister said. Kobach said the governor was wrong and said she can only sue on behalf of her office, not the people of Kansas.
The case surrounds the power of both offices and how far each can go when representing Kansas. Late last year, Kelly joined a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over the coming loss of food assistance. Kobach had declined to take legal action. But Kobach pushed back against that in court Friday, saying the governor claims she can sue the federal government on behalf of her "executive interests," which is not clearly defined. “The phrase that opposing counsel used was, no she can sue. Still Sue on behalf of her executive interests. What are executive interests? That's the whole waterfront," Kobach said. Kobach said Kelly can sue on behalf of her office but not the people of Kansas.
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Kansas Governor Pushes for Free School Lunches
TOPEKA, Kan. (KCUR) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly wants to make school meals free for more than 34,000 students in the state. KCUR reports the governor’s proposed budget includes $2.5 million to eliminate co-pays for students who qualify for reduced-price meals. Student lunch debt skyrocketed in many school districts after pandemic-era free meals ended. Kelly says the reduced lunch price is still a strain for many families who already are grappling with higher grocery costs. “We need to make it clear, she says, “no child in Kansas should ever have to worry about having enough to eat.” This is the second year in a row that Kelly has proposed the school meal funding. Republicans didn’t include the proposal in last year’s budget because of concerns about cost.
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Study: Kansans Who Smoke Lose Out on Millions
UNDATED (KPR) — Kansans who smoke will lose out on $3.8 million each over the course of a lifetime. That’s according to the personal finance website WalletHub, which crunched the numbers for each state using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. WalletHub calculated the number based on direct costs, lost financial opportunity, health care costs, income loss, and other factors. While smoking rates continue to decline, cigarette smoking remains the largest cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. Kansas ranked 31st on WalletHub’s list of the Real Cost of Smoking by State. No. 1 was the District of Columbia.
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Markers Would Honor Lawrence Teens Killed by Police in 1970
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LT) — A Lawrence advisory board has approved the installation of historic markers paying tribute to two teenagers who were shot and killed by Lawrence police officers in 1970. The markers would honor Rick “Tiger” Dowdell and Nick Rice, who were killed in separate incidents. Dowdell was killed on July 16, 1970. Rice was killed four days later. Dowdell was 19, Rice 18. The shootings took place at a time of civil unrest in the city. The Lawrence Times reports the markers still need to be approved by the city commission.
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Kansas Regents Approve Tougher Tenure Policy
TOPEKA, Kan. (LJW) — The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday unanimously approved a new policy that makes it easier for the state’s public universities to fire tenured professors. The Regents hope the move will satisfy state lawmakers who have indicated they wanted the policy to change. Under the new policy, a tenured professor must undergo an annual review to determine if they are still qualified for the rank. The Lawrence Journal-World reports a professor who receives two consecutive unsatisfactory reviews may be dismissed. An earlier version of the policy that made dismissal mandatory after two negative reviews was scrapped by the Regents.
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Experts Urge Awareness of Possible Radon Exposure in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) — Recent data shows one in three Kansas homes has radon exposure. The Kansas News Service reports that radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that naturally forms in the soil and is linked to lung cancer. It’s more prevalent in certain parts of the country. Average Kansas radon levels are higher than the recommended safe levels. Brian Hanson with the Kansas State University Radon Program recommends testing homes in the winter. "The mechanism by which radon leaves the soil and comes into homes in particular is maximized when we are running our furnaces. So winter is the ideal time to screen the home for radon," he explained. Most K-State extension offices offer radon kits starting at ten dollars. January is National Radon Action Month.
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