Two 18-Year-Olds Formally Charged in Deadly Lawrence Shooting
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KSHB) — Two 18-year-old men have formally been charged in connection with last weekend’s fatal shooting outside a popular Lawrence bar. Caiden Clem of Atchison faces one count of first-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Aidan Knowles early Saturday outside the Hawk. Daitron Daniels Strickland of Shawnee is charged with second-degree murder in Knowles' death. Clem and Daniels Strickland also face charges related to the shooting of 16-year-old Brady Clark, who survived. Clem and Daniels Strickland made their first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.
KSHB reports both suspects have criminal records. In February 2024, Daniels Strickland was arrested after bringing a loaded gun to Olathe Northwest High School. Clem has previously been charged with burglary. The prosecution has asked that bond for both be set at $1 million.
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Kansas AG Sanctioned for Court Filing
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — A Shawnee County District Court judge has sanctioned Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach for a filing he made in the ongoing legal battle over gender markers on state drivers licenses. The judge fined the attorney general a symbolic $1. Solicitor general Anthony Powell was also fined $1. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the judge found the pair knowingly filed a motion that the district court lacked jurisdiction to consider. The judge did not order Kobach and Powell to attend remedial legal training.
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Former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius Endorses Senator Ethan Corson in Democratic Race for Governor
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has endorsed state Senator Ethan Corson in the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor. The Kansas Reflector reports that Sebelius made the endorsement Wednesday, praising Corson's record and leadership. The August primary has evolved into a contest between Corson, of Fairway, and state Sen. Cindy Holscher, of Overland Park.
Sebelius was the state’s Democratic governor from 2003 to 2009, when she stepped down to accept a cabinet position in the Obama administration as secretary of Health and Human Services. Corson is an attorney. He was first elected to the state Senate in 2020. In November, Governor Laura Kelly endorsed Corson.
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Kansas Health Officials Report Rise in Respiratory Illnesses
PITTSBURG, Kan. (KNS) — State health officials say respiratory illnesses are on the rise in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that last month, almost one in five emergency room visits were for illnesses like influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Kansas has a moderate level of illness rates as of last week, but it’s hitting some local communities even harder, like in southeast Kansas.
Dr. Domonique Cunningham, with Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas says misinformation is making the situation worse. "All of the stuff about vaccines and the news and the government and everything, there are a lot fewer people getting immunized against the flu and COVID. And so those numbers, I feel like, are higher than we've seen in previous years," she said.
Cunningham recommends frequent hand washing, staying home if you’re sick and getting vaccines to help prevent illness.
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Kansas DOC Ends Wild Horse Program for Inmates
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KWCH) — The Kansas Department of Corrections is canceling a program that taught inmates how to train wild horses. The Wild Horse Program at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility will end next month. Now a rescue organization is scrambling to find homes for the horses that will be displaced. KWCH reports an estimated 750 inmates have trained wild horses through the program over the past 25 years. The prison says it was forced to end the program due to federal funding cuts.
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Satanic Group Plans to Protest at Anti-Abortion Rally Next Week
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — A self-described satanic group is protesting the state’s decision to allow a Christian anti-abortion group to hold a demonstration inside the Statehouse next week. The Satanic Grotto was denied a permit to hold a demonstration in the Statehouse last summer. But the state is allowing next week’s demonstration by a group that calls itself Abortion Is Murder to proceed. The anti-abortion group is known for holding signs with graphic images. A Satanic Grotto spokesperson told the Kansas Reflector his group plans to hold a counter-demonstration when the anti-abortion rally is held. The group says it will hand out free kazoos to anyone who joins their counter-demonstration.
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Kansas City Restaurants and Bars Named as Semifinalists for Prestigious Culinary Awards
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — Five Kansas City area restaurants and bars are semifinalists for one of the culinary world’s most prestigious awards. KCUR reports that an outstanding cocktail service, a Japanese-inspired pub, and a speakeasy in Shawnee are among the latest nominees for what’s often called the Oscars of the culinary world: the James Beard Foundation Awards. For the second year in a row, The Town Company received two separate nods - for Outstanding Pastry Chef Helen Jo Leach, and for Executive Chef Johnny Leach. “We're just very proud to be amongst such a great community of culinarians here in KC," Johnny Leach said. The James Beard Foundation will announce winners in June in Chicago. (Read more.)
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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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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 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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In a Military First, Fort Riley Soldiers Getting Free Wi-Fi
FORT RILEY, Kan. (KPR) — You might think soldiers stationed at U.S. army bases already get free Wi-Fi. But they don't. Except at Fort Riley, where a pilot project to provide the service has just begun. Colonel Jerry Nunziato, garrison commander, told KPR: “It’s a quality of life thing that they have access to family that may be out of the area [and] it is a great benefit to our soldiers.” Free Wi-Fi was activated in most of the barracks at Fort Riley last Friday. All of the barracks should have it in the next two weeks.
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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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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.
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).