Plans for Immigrant Detention Center in Leavenworth Move Forward
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCUR) — A private prison company is one step closer to opening an immigration detention center in Leavenworth. The city’s planning commission recommended approval of CoreCivic’s permit application on Monday. The matter now moves to the city commission. CoreCivic wants to open its closed prison in Leavenworth and use it as a detention center for immigrants being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. KCUR reports the planning commission recommended that the permit be good for only three years, not the five the company proposed.
==========
Kansas Attorney General Supports Bill Mandating Release of State Food Assistance Data
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach wants lawmakers to force state agencies to give the federal government personal information about food assistance recipients. The Kansas News Service reports that a Senate committee is considering a bill that mandates sharing the information. Federal officials have requested the personal information of food assistance recipients, including Social Security numbers and birth dates. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s administration is withholding the Kansas data over privacy concerns. Kobach told lawmakers that the request is meant to help weed out fraud in the program. “By doing so, you can determine if somebody's getting it who's not entitled to be getting these benefits. Pretty simple request,” he told a Kansas Senate committee. Critics say the bill will erode trust in the food program and it may scare away eligible Kansans seeking help.
==========
Two Therapy Horses Shot Dead in Wabaunsee County
ESKRIDGE, Kan. (TCJ) — Authorities in Wabaunsee County are investigating after two therapy horses were shot and killed last Friday night. The horses were in a field near Eskridge. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the horses belonged to a local equine therapy operation, and were used to help veterans and first responders with PTSD. Wabaunsee County sheriff Eric Kirsch called the crime “a horrible atrocity” and says his office is investigating it “like a homicide.” A $1,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or persons responsible for shooting the two horses dead.
===========
Bill Would End Mail-in Voting in Kansas if Signature Verification Law Is Struck Down
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would end voting by mail if the state’s signature verification law is struck down. The verification law requires local voting officials to compare the signatures on mail-in ballots with the voter’s signature on file. But that law is being challenged by critics who say the verification process can vary widely from county to county. The bill that has been introduced in the Republican-controlled state Senate would eliminate most mail-in ballots altogether if the signature verification law is abolished. The ACLU calls the bill “a recipe for voter suppression." The Kansas Reflector reports the bill is supported by Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab.
==========
Bill Would Require Kansas Kids to Be Potty-Trained Before Starting Kindergarten
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Kansas kids would need to be potty trained before beginning kindergarten under a bill introduced in the state legislature. School districts now decide whether to enroll children who aren’t fully potty trained on a case by case basis. Supporters of the bill say it would “reduce distractions in classrooms.” But critics say it would unfairly deny some children an education, and the decision should stay in local districts’ hands. The Kansas Reflector reports the bill would require districts to get written assurance from parents that their child is potty trained before starting kindergarten.
==========
January Total Tax Collections Come in Above Estimate; Hit Nearly $1 Billion
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The state of Kansas ended the month of January with total tax collections near $1 billion. State officials say total tax collections came in at $988.2 million. That's about $12 million above estimates. Total tax collections were up 4.8% from January of last year.
==========
Fire Cleanup Forces Closure of Wyandotte High School
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KSHB) — Classes at Wyandotte High School have been canceled for the rest of the week as cleanup continues after a small fire in the school last Friday night. Firefighters say the source of the fire was a plastic cleaning cart in a storage closet under a stairwell. The fire was quickly extinguished, but KSHB reports smoke spread throughout the auditorium, as well as the the second and third floors of the building. Comprehensive air quality testing is required before classes can resume.
==========
England Soccer Team to Stay in Prairie Village for World Cup
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (KC Business Journal) — The English national soccer team will make Kansas their home base for this summer’s World Cup. The Kansas City Business Journal reports the team will stay at The Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village, Kansas. The Business Journal says the boutique hotel’s “English cottage” decor may have played a role in the decision. Situated on a 136-acre property, the hotel will also give the team privacy.
==========
Lobbying Group Pushes to Block All Medicaid Funding at Facilities Providing Abortions
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansans For Life, an anti-abortion lobbying group, is pushing to block Medicaid funding from paying for any services at facilities that provide abortions. The Kansas News Service reports that the move is part of the group's new legislative agenda. Jeanne Gawdun, the organization’s director of government relations, says a recent Supreme Court ruling allows the change, adding that “...the state does have a right to be able to say, you know, ‘This is something that we do not feel is a good use of taxpayer dollars.’”
The state in the past tried to block any Medicaid funding from going to abortion providers, but ultimately lost in court and ended the effort. There’s currently also an effort by the federal government to cut Medicaid eligibility for some reproductive care centers.
Kansans for Life is also pushing legislators to extend taxpayer funding for pregnancy resource centers, which counsel women against abortion and provide items like baby clothes and diapers.
==========
New Federal Dietary Guidelines Rekindle Dairy Fat Consumption Controversy
UNDATED (HPM) — The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans endorse whole-fat dairy products, ending a longstanding recommendation that consumers should opt for low-fat and nonfat alternatives. Harvest Public Media reports that nutrition experts say the science behind which fat option is the healthiest is a little less clear-cut. Saturated fat is known to raise a person's cholesterol level and increase their risk of heart disease. That's why nutritionists have recommended low-fat and nonfat dairy products for decades. But in recent years, a growing number of studies have found people who consume whole milk and full-fat yogurt are not more likely to develop heart disease. Sander Kersten, Director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, says so far researchers can't explain why these products are different than other sources of saturated fat. "This is such a complex subject, and you can weigh the evidence very differently," he explained, saying that's why he thinks sticking mostly to low-fat dairy is still the healthiest choice. He also worries that the change in the Dietary Guidelines has been influenced more by pro-dairy interest groups than scientific evidence. (Read more.)
==========
Location of Chiefs’ Proposed Stadium, Facilities in Kansas Disclosed
OLATHE, Kan. (KNS) — The Kansas City Chiefs want to build their new $3 billion domed stadium near 126th and State Avenue, about a mile west of the Kansas Speedway. Their $300 million practice facility is planned for Ridgeview Road, just south of K-10 in Olathe. The Kansas News Service reports the Olathe City Council and the Unified Government will hold hearings on the projects on Tuesday. Details of the construction plans were released on the meeting agendas. Officials in both the U.G. and Olathe would have to approve the use of sales tax bonds. The STAR bonds, already approved by the state legislature, would fund up to 60% of both projects. The U.G. says the Chiefs would pay $7 million a year in rent for 30 years and the stadium complex would create 4,000 permanent jobs.
==========
Topeka Native Named to Winter Paralympic Team
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Topeka native Dan Cnossen has been named to the U.S. Winter Paralympic team for the fourth time. Dan Cnossen, 45, is already an Olympic medalist. He has two golds, four silvers, and one bronze in the biathlon, which is a combination of skiing in a sitting position and target shooting. This year, he’s on the U.S. Paralympic team once again. But this time, his only event is Nordic skiing. Think cross-country, instead of downhill. Cnossen turned to paralympic competition after losing both legs while on military duty in Afghanistan. The Paralympic Winter Games in Italy run from March 6 through March 15.
==========
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).