KU Men’s Basketball Coach Hospitalized
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — University of Kansas head men’s basketball coach Bill Self has been hospitalized in Lawrence. In a statement, Kansas Athletics says Self was feeling “under the weather” on Monday and was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where he received IV fluids. The statement says Self did not accompany the team to Boulder for tonight’s game against Colorado. Last July, Self had two stents inserted at Lawrence Memorial after experiencing what the university called “concerning symptoms.” Self is 63. He is in his 23rd season as KU’s head coach. He led the Jayhawks to national titles in 2008 and 2022.
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Teen Wounded in Lawrence Shooting Identified
LAWRENCE, Kan. (WDAF-TV) — The family of a 16-year-old wounded in a weekend shooting in Lawrence has identified him as Brady Clark. Clark was one of two people shot early Saturday outside the Hawk, a popular bar on Ohio St. The other, 18-year-old Aidan Knowles, was killed. Two men, both 18, have been arrested in connection with the shooting. WDAF-TV reports both suspects were previously arrested for gun crimes as juveniles.
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Kansas Health Care Fund Under Pressure from High Malpractice Insurance Costs
UNDATED (KNS) — The rising cost of medical malpractice lawsuits in Kansas is putting strain on a state fund designed to steady the health care market. For 22,000 medical professionals across the state, the Kansas Health Care Stabilization Fund is an extra layer of insurance for expensive malpractice claims. The Kansas News Service reports that over the past two years, leaders of the fund say the costs associated with those lawsuits have risen. In a committee meeting Tuesday, Republican state Representative Will Carpenter said it makes sense that the fund would request a budget increase in that environment. “The fact of the matter is that liability is going up as people sue more, and the litigation costs more,” he explained. Fund leaders are asking for an additional $750,000 in next year’s budget.
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KU Cancer Center to Get $36 Million in Federal Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KPR) — The University of Kansas Cancer Care Center is closer to getting $36 million in federal funding to complete construction of a new cancer center. Senator Jerry Moran announced the funding has been approved by Congress and now goes to President Trump for his signature. In a statement, the Kansas Republican said the new center wound bring “us closer to finding a cure for cancer.” The KU Cancer Care Center was founded in 2002 and was designated a "comprehensive cancer center" by the National Cancer Institute in 2022.
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Two Kansas History Museums Among Nation’s Best
UNDATED (USA Today) — Two museums in Kansas have won a spot on USA Today’s annual list of the country’s best history museums. They are the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison and the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia. There are twenty museums on the list. First place will be determined by an online poll. Voting is open at the USAToday website until February 9.
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Bill Would Give Kansas Grade Schoolers More Recess Time
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Kansas kids could get more time on the playground under a bill introduced in the state legislature. The bill would require schools to provide K through fifth grade students at least 30 minutes of recess each school day. Currently many grade schools provide 20 minutes or less. KSNT reports the bill introduced by Republican state senator Doug Shane would consider the extended recess as part of the school day when calculating the minimum required hours for instruction.
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Kansas, Missouri Farmers Warned to Not Burn Plastics
UNDATED (KNS) — Farmers have to dispose of lots of plastic packaging and other plastic in the course of their work, but they may be putting their health at risk by burning it. In a survey of farmers and others working in agriculture along the Kansas-Missouri border, most said they get rid of some of their plastic trash themselves by burning it. That worries Julie Rieland, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, because it can create carcinogens. “That can also be toxic towards the soil,” Rieland tells the Kansas News Service. “So it can be bad for the farmland and bad for the people around it.” She said it might help to locate recycling dropoffs at convenient places, like co-ops.
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Kansas City Man Sentenced for PPP Loan Fraud of More than $500,000
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) — A Kansas City man has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for defrauding the federal government. Prosecutors say 36-year-old Dion Daniel pleaded guilty to bank fraud in a scheme to get federal disaster relief loans during the pandemic. Daniel admitted that he submitted false information to the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), resulting in a loss to the federal government of $522,000. The program was intended to provide financial relief to business owners dealing with economic losses during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of his sentence, Daniel must pay more than $552,000 in restitution and other costs.
In 2020, Daniel lied on multiple PPP loan applications about his Missouri-based business and his number of employees. Prosecutors say he wrote checks to individuals who did not work for him. After they cashed the checks, Daniel gave them part of the money and kept the rest for himself. During the pandemic, the federal government simplified the loan application process to get relief into the hands of desperate small businesses as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, investigators say, fraudsters found ways to exploit the process.
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Kansas Republican Candidates Report Millions of Dollars in Loans to Their Own Campaigns Ahead of Primary
UNDATED (KCUR) — Four Republican candidates for Kansas government have loaned their campaigns millions of dollars ahead of the August primary. KCUR reports that the millionaire candidate club member who lent his campaign the most was Overland Park businessman and first-time candidate Phil Sarnecki. His report shows a two-million dollar loan on New Year’s Eve. Former governor Jeff Colyer and Secretary of State Scott Schwab both funneled almost $1.1 million to their campaigns. They both live in Johnson County. Former Wichita school board member Joy Eakins loaned her campaign an even million dollars just before year’s end. Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and former Johnson County Commission member Charlotte O’Hara made much smaller loans to their campaigns. Senate President Ty Masterson reported no loans.
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KS Governor Still Open to Discussions with Royals
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says the state is willing to reopen stadium negotiations with the Kansas City Royals in the future. The Kansas News Service reports that the Major League Baseball team owns land in Johnson County and is considering making a move across the state line, like the Kansas City Chiefs. State lawmakers offered both teams a massive tax incentive package that uses future sales tax revenue to pay for up to 70% of construction costs. The baseball team missed a deadline to accept a deal. But Kelly said she’s willing to reopen negotiations.
“Should the Royals want to continue discussions and have some of their ducks in a row? I think we can gin up that enthusiasm again,” she said.
Team owners are also considering sites in Missouri, including downtown Kansas City. The Royals have a lease at Kauffman Stadium until 2031.
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State of Kansas Launching New Safety Campaign for Driving in Dust and High Winds
UNDATED (KNS) — The state of Kansas is launching a new safety campaign for western Kansas drivers traveling through areas with blowing dust and high winds. In 2025, a dust storm in northwest Kansas caused a 70 car pileup killing eight people and injuring more than 50 others. The Kansas News Service reports that dust storms often occur from December to April. The region’s flat plains, open agricultural fields, and ongoing drought conditions create an environment where hazardous dust storms can develop rapidly. In a video, Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Tod Hileman says dust storms can turn dangerous fast by obscuring visibility.
“One minute you're driving the next you can't see a thing. If you see dust ahead, don't drive into it,” he urged.
The campaign reminds drivers to turn on low beam headlights if you must drive through dust, and look for a safe place to pull completely off the roadway.
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Marion County Record Documentary to Compete for Award at Sundance Film Festival
UNDATED (KCUR) — When the Sundance Film Festival opens Thursday in Utah, a documentary about the police raid on the small-town newspaper in Marion County, Kansas, will be up for an award. When police confiscated computers and phones from reporters in the rural newspaper’s headquarters in August 2023, reactions from residents were mixed. Not everyone liked the way the paper covered local news and had issues with the editor. KCUR reports that the film’s director, Sharon Leis, says she and her team saw the incident as a cautionary tale. “When I went there, I thought ‘oh boy, this is what is starting to happen in America. We’re starting to see this.’ I had no idea that 2 ½ years later it was going to be even more important,” Leis explained. The police chief who ordered the raid was to go on trial next month, but a judge postponed the trial because of the documentary’s release.
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Kansas High School Basketball Ref Goes Viral for Alleged “Flop”
UNDATED (KCTV) — A Kansas high school basketball referee has gone viral for his behavior in a game last Friday. The referee, Jeff Freeman, was working a girls’ game between Bonner Springs and Eudora when he ejected a player from Bonner Springs. When the player’s arm brushed against Freeman, he fell backwards to the floor in what many considered an exaggerated fashion. The viral clip led many to conclude Freeman had “flopped,” pretending the player had struck him with enough force to knock him over. But Freeman told KCTV on Monday he suffers from a “medical condition” and it was not the player’s fault he fell. The Kansas State High School Activities Association says Freeman will take a break from officiating.
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News About World Cup Base Camps Could Come Sooner than Expected
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — Soccer fans are still wondering which teams will come to Kansas City for the World Cup this summer. Organizers planned on making an announcement this spring, but that news could come sooner than expected. The Kansas City World Cup organizing committee said that FIFA would make an announcement in April about which teams will utilize area sites as base camps. One of those sites will likely be Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence.
Pam Kramer, with the local organizing committee, still won't confirm which teams are interested in training in the area, but says a FIFA announcement could be made as early as this month. "I’ve learned in this process that anything is possible and I’m not the one making that decision, so it’s hard for me to say. But what they have told me is that as soon as they get them all confirmed that they will announce," she explained.
Team England is reportedly interested in a Kansas City area base camp, even though it’s not one of the teams scheduled to play at Arrowhead Stadium. Kramer would not disclose which teams are actively pursuing Kansas City as a base camp, but that news could now come well before April.
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Kansas City International Airport Adding Flights to Accommodate World Cup Fans
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — Kansas City’s airport is adding flights to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of fans expected to visit during this summer’s World Cup. KCUR reports that tens of thousands of fans are expected to come from Argentina – the reigning World Cup champion. Two new nonstop flights will travel between Kansas City and Buenos Aires to accommodate them. Pam Kramer, CEO of Kansas City’s World Cup organizing committee, said “...certainly having the first match here in Kansas City, we know we will be the starting place for defense of the cup. The fans are passionate and follow the team, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.” Other new flights link Kansas City to fellow host cities, and KCI says it expects a flight from the island nation of Curacao to Kansas City, as well.
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