Driver Who Allegedly Killed Lawrence Actor Charged with Second Degree Murder
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — The man charged in connection with a crash that killed a popular Lawrence actor last fall has been charged with second-degree murder. Eliseo J. Munoz, 24, made his first court appearance on Thursday, remotely from the Douglas County Jail. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Munoz is accused in the death of Louise ImMasche, 41, whose car was hit head-on last October on Kansas Highway 10. Munoz allegedly drove the car that hit ImMasche. At the time of the accident, ImMasche was heading home after appearing in a performance of The Rocky Horror Show at Theatre Lawrence. The judge set bond for Munoz at $750,000.
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Four Arrested for Drug Dealing in Dickinson County
ENTERPRISE, Kan. (JC Post) — Four people have been arrested in a drug bust in Dickinson County. The four suspects are accused of dealing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other drugs in the town of Enterprise. The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office says the arrests were the culmination of a month-long investigation into drug-dealing in the county. The Junction City Post reports the four people arrested face a laundry list of charges including possession with the intent to distribute.
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Man ‘Acting Strangely’ Causes Four Lawrence Schools to Lock Down
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Four Lawrence schools were put in lockdown mode Thursday after reports of a man in the neighborhood who “was acting strangely and might have a gun” Lawrence High School, Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, Cordley Elementary School, and Schwegler Elementary School were all put on lockdown around 1 pm while police searched for the man. Lawrence police say the man was found in the 900 block of Vermont Street and was arrested. The lockdown was lifted in time for dismissal. The man arrested did not have a gun but faces several charges, including possession of drug paraphernalia.
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Lawmakers Consider Making Kratom a Schedule 1 Drug in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KWCH) — Kansas lawmakers are considering making a popular substance sold in gas stations and smoke shops a Schedule 1 drug. The bill would put kratom in the same category as hard drugs like heroin. Kratom is technically legal. It gives users an opioid-like high. Most doctors say it has no acceptable medical use. KWCH reports the bill would also ban a similar drug known as 7-OH.
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Unified Government Sues Fire Truck Makers for Alleged Price Fixing
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) — The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is suing the nation’s leading fire truck manufacturers, alleging the companies have conspired to fix prices. The suit alleges the conspiracy has caused the price of fire trucks to double from about $500,000 each to a million dollars. The U.G. is suing six companies and subsidiaries in all. The suit claims the delivery time for new trucks has also increased, from seven to twelve months to more than four years. KCTV reports the companies have not yet responded to the suit. The U.G. is seeking damages under federal antitrust laws.
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Kansas Farmers Union Wants Country-of-Origin Labeling for Beef
UNDATED (KSN) — Kansas farmers are calling on the Trump administration to mandate country-of-origin labeling for beef. That call comes after the administration recently increased beef imports from Argentina. The Kansas Farmers Union says consumers have a right to know where their beef is coming from. KSN reports the union says country-of-origin labeling would support U.S. farmers and ranchers. Trump has said increasing imports from Argentina will bring down the price of beef. But U.S. cattle producers say Trump is manipulating the market for political purposes.
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Kansas Senate Advances Bill to Verify At-Risk Student Family Incomes
UNDATED (KNS) — The Kansas Senate has advanced a bill that critics say could strain school resources for students who are at risk of struggling academically. The amount schools receive in at-risk funding is based on the number of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. The Kansas News Service reports that the proposed law would force schools to gather income information from more families in order to receive at-risk funding.
Supporters say the bill will not lower access to free or reduced lunch. Republican Senator Doug Shane said many students are receiving free meals in error, causing the state to improperly pay schools millions of extra dollars. “A little bit of effort, I think, to make sure that...we are allocating our funds and distributing funds appropriately, I think, is certainly worth it,” Shane said.
Some critics say the policy will take a lot of staff time to verify each family’s income. Democratic Senator Marci Francisco also worries that the extra requirements will burden families and school districts. “Even though they may qualify, if a family doesn't return that information, the school district will stand to lose at risk funding,” she cautioned.
About 200,000 students in Kansas qualified for free lunch in the 2023-24 school year
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Kansas Education Commissioner Calls Special Education Underfunding a "Crisis"
UNDATED (KMUW) — Education Commissioner Randy Watson says Kansas schools are in a crisis due to the state’s consistent underfunding of special education. KMUW reports that Watson says special education funding has been far below what’s needed for several years. Estimates indicate a shortfall of about $226 million dollars this fiscal year. That leaves local school districts using general education dollars to cover excess costs for special education. Watson says some districts are closing schools, even in urban areas like Leavenworth, Olathe and Wichita. “It is at a stage right now, that – I don’t use this word lightly – it’s a crisis. It’s a crisis in every one of the schools,” he emphasized. The Kansas Board of Education asked lawmakers to allocate about $145 million in budget savings toward the shortfall. Watson says lawmakers are considering allocating a small fraction of that...between zero and $10 million.
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Kansas Lawmakers Considering Bill to Honor Linda Brown
UNDATED (KMUW) — Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would honor Linda Brown, the central figure in the landmark Brown versus Board of Education Supreme Court case. Linda Brown’s parents, Oliver and Leola Brown, sued the Topeka Board of Education in 1951 after Linda was denied access to an all-white school. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the Brown family, finding school segregation unconstitutional.
KMUW reports that a bill in Kansas would encourage school districts to adopt a “Linda Brown and Family Walk-to-School Day” in August or September. Linda Brown died in 2018. The bill is awaiting a hearing in Topeka.
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Kansas High School Cancels Baseball, Not Enough Players
HORTON, Kan. (KPR) — A northeast Kansas high school has announced it won’t field a varsity baseball team this spring. Horton High School in Brown County says it just doesn’t have enough players. The high school only has about 150 students. In a statement posted on social media, the school says it still hopes to field a junior varsity team.
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Man Facing Charges for Threatening Chiefs Players
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — Prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, say it was no joke when a man made online threats against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce at a 2024 concert at Arrowhead Stadium. KCUR reports that the attorneys want the prosecution to continue despite the accused man saying he did not intend to carry out the threats.
Aaron Brown from Illinois went by the handle "Gooey Bag" on the social media platform X. Police say he threatened to shoot Mahomes or Kelce if he saw them at a Morgan Wallen concert. Court documents say police saw a tweet from Brown saying if he saw either Chiefs star player he would, quote, “take the F-ing shot.” Brown asked the court to dismiss the charges, saying it wasn’t a true threat and came from an account where he admitted saying stupid things. Prosecutors oppose dismissal, and in a filing said Brown recklessly communicated a threat—which delayed the concert 40 minutes while police searched the stands for Brown. If the case is not dismissed, a jury trial is set for April.
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