Snow’s Gone but Cold Lingers in Kansas
UNDATED (KPR) — The storm that hit eastern Kansas over the weekend dropped about four to eight inches of snow on the region. The snow’s stopped but the bitter cold lingers, with wind chills predicted to range from -16 to -6 on Monday. A Cold Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service was to remain in place until noon Monday. The cold weather forced several school districts to cancel classes. The Weather Service says relief from the bitter cold should arrive on Tuesday. Stay tuned to KPR for the latest updates. Click here for the latest forecast.
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Police: Body of Missing Emporia Teacher Found
EMPORIA, Kan. (KVOE) — The body of an Emporia elementary school teacher who went missing Friday night was discovered in a wooded area on Sunday afternoon. Police say it appears 28-year-old Rebecca Rauber succumbed to hypothermia. She was last seen leaving the Town Royal bar in the 400 block of Commercial Street on foot and without her purse, phone, or jacket around 11:30 Friday night. Her body was discovered about 300 yards away from the bar by a K9 unit from Search & Rescue Kansas. KVOE reports the investigation is continuing.
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Another KU Alum Blasts Off into Space
UNDATED (KPR) — Another alum from the University of Kansas has flown into space. Last week, Dr. Laura Stiles launched into space on Blue Origin's suborbital NS-38 mission. She is the fifth KU alum to travel to space. Stiles has worked at Blue Origin for the past 13 years in a variety of roles. She graduated from KU in 2008 with a degree in engineering physics. While in school, Stiles participated in internships at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the Air Force Research Lab, Raytheon Aircraft, and CERN. (Read more.)
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Fire Devastates Main Street in Small Kansas Town
JETMORE, Kan. (KSN) — A small town in southwest Kansas is surveying the damage after a devastating weekend fire destroyed much of its Main Street. The fire was reported early Saturday morning in the Hodgeman County town of Jetmore, population 770. The fire destroyed several businesses, including a pharmacy. Freezing temperatures hampered firefighters. KSN reports it took 231,000 gallons of water to fight the fire, depleting about 60% of the town water tower’s capacity.
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Kansas Hospital Staffing Shortages Particularly Affecting Rural Areas
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas hospitals are short on nursing staff. The Kansas News Service reports that the shortages disproportionately impact rural areas. Data from the Kansas Hospital Association shows hospital staffing levels haven’t recovered from the pandemic. Many hospitals, especially in rural areas like southwest Kansas, struggle to employ and keep registered nurses and nursing assistants. Rosemarie Aznavorian of MedPro Healthcare Staffing says it can be harder to access care in rural communities, which, in turn, makes the need for nursing staff greater. “Because the sicker you are, the more nursing care that you need. And the hospitals in general tend to struggle to provide the significant amount of nursing staffing that they need,” she explained. Aznavorian says the Rural Health Transformation Fund from the Trump administration might help short-staffed hospitals in Kansas.
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Lawrence Reconsidering Ambitious Renewable Energy Goals
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — The city of Lawrence is reconsidering its ambitious renewable energy goals. In 2020, the city set a goal of having municipal operations fully powered by renewables by 2025. That goal has been missed. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the amount of clean energy powering the city’s facilities currently amounts to about 3%. Some city officials say the 2020 goals were unrealistic and they want the city to rescind or revise them.
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Kansas K-12 School Cell Phone Ban Stalls in Committee
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — A bill to ban students in K through 12 from using cell phones in school is hitting a roadblock in the Kansas legislature. Some Republican lawmakers want the bill to apply to public schools only—not private schools. They say statewide mandates should not apply to private entities. Democratic House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard told KSNT it’s “ironic” that Republicans want to “hyper regulate” public schools, but not private schools. The bill is currently stuck in committee.
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Oxford Residents Advised to Boil Water after Main Bursts
OXFORD, Kan. (KWCH) — Residents of Oxford, Kansas, are being advised to boil their water after a power outage caused a water main to burst on Friday. City officials delivered bottled water to residents over the weekend. KWCH reports a large excavator was required to assist with digging. Repair efforts were completed on Saturday, but residents are asked to keep boiling water until further testing is conducted Monday.
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Court-Martial: Kansas Airman Charged with Child Sex Crimes
WICHITA, Kan. (Hays Post) — A General Court-Martial is underway at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, where an airman is accused of child sex crimes. The Hays Post reports that Senior Airman Randall Moore (22nd Maintenance Squadron) is charged with the sexual abuse of a child, producing child pornography and obstructing justice. If convicted of all charges, Moore faces multiple years in prison, loss of rank and a dishonorable discharge.
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Former ESU Prof Wins $5.7 Million in Discrimination Suit
EMPORIA, Kan. (KSNT) — A jury has awarded a former Emporia State University professor who sued the school for religious discrimination $5.7 million. Dusti Howell claimed school officials conspired to prevent him from taking part in certain holy day observances that were “part of his Christian walk.” KSNT reports Howell also claimed ESU created a hostile work environment by withholding key communications and changing his course assignments without notice. Howell taught at the school for 24 years. The case was tried in Lyon County, where a jury found in Howell’s favor on Wednesday.
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Kansas Senate Committee Advances Amendment to Cap Property Taxes
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — A state senate committee has approved an amendment to the Kansas constitution that would put a cap on annual property tax increases. The amendment would also roll back property taxes to their 2022 levels before they can be increased. Republicans who support the measure say it would ease the tax burden on homeowners. Critics say it would just force local governments to raise other taxes. The Kansas Reflector reports the proposed amendment still needs to be approved by supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature—and voters.
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Kansas Legislature Closely Examining Chiefs Stadium Deal
UNDATED (KNS) — The Kansas City Chiefs are coming under increased scrutiny from Kansas lawmakers over their multi-billion dollar stadium deal. The Kansas News Service reports that in a tense committee meeting, Chiefs attorney Korb Maxwell defended the use of Kansas STAR Bonds, which will allow future sales tax revenue from the development to pay for its construction. But he acknowledged there is still a lot to iron out. Democrat Lynn Melton is a state representative in Wyandotte County, where the stadium will be built. She said the bond-funded Legends shopping district has not created the tax relief she had hoped. “We were told, ‘Oh, when the STAR bonds pay off, it's going to be wonderful. You guys are going to have so much property tax relief. The schools aren't going to be hitting you with bonds all the time.’ Well, none of that has been true,” Melton added. Maxwell responded that similar projects like the Legends and the Kansas Speedway have created jobs and boosted the economy in Wyandotte County.
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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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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).