UPDATE: I-70 Now Reopened Between Goodland and Colby
GOODLAND, Kan. (KPR) Interstate 70 has now re-opened between Goodland and Colby. High winds and blowing dust created almost zero visibility in northwest Kansas, leading to numerous accidents and forcing the Kansas Department of Transporation to temporarily shut-down the interstate. Motorists traveling in northwest Kansas are asked to use caution - or delay travel altogether - until conditions improve. Get more information at KanDrive.org.
(-Earlier reporting-)
I-70 Shut Down in Northwest Kansas Due to High Winds, Dust
GOODLAND, Kan. (KPR) - It's so windy across parts of Kansas that officials have closed I-70 between Goodland and Colby. The Interstate was shut down before 3 o'clock this (FRI) afternoon due to high winds, blowing dust, low visibility and numerous accidents. The Kansas Department of Transportation says both east and west-bound lanes of I-70 will remain closed between Goodland and Colby until conditions improve. Log-on to KanDrive.org for more updates.
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Kansas Tries to Fill Empty Jobs Reviewing Medicaid Coverage
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas is struggling to fill empty jobs as it prepares to review Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands of Kansans. LaTonya Palmer directs Medicaid eligibility for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “We have been recruiting aggressively over the last several months. And we have started to see the fruits of our labor," she said. In 2020, Congress gave states extra money to make sure no one on Medicaid would lose coverage during the pandemic. But after the federal public health emergency ends, possibly this summer, the state needs to review everyone on Medicaid to see if they still qualify for it. Kansas plans to send out about 20,000 renewals per month. The federal government will give Kansas a year to get the work done.
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Committee in the Kansas Statehouse Rejects Governor's Tax Rebate Idea
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - A committee in the Kansas Statehouse has rejected Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s proposal to give Kansans a one-time income tax rebate. The party-line vote came just hours after Kelly asked lawmakers to include the proposal in the final budget bill of the 2022 session. Kelly first proposed the rebate in January: $250 for individuals and $500 for married couples filing jointly. Republican lawmakers quickly dismissed it as an election-year gimmick. But with inflation on the rise, Kelly decided to try again. The result was the same. Republicans - including Representative Brenda Landwehr - said it would be a mistake to spend down reserves the state will need to get it through the next economic downturn. “It’s coming. And if we spend this and we don’t have the money sitting in reserve we are going to be doing a tax increase," she said. But with billions in reserve, Democrats said the state could afford to spend $460 million on rebates and still have more than enough left for emergencies.
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Legalized Sports Gambling in Kansas Isn't Dead Yet
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Legalized sports gambling in Kansas isn't dead yet. State lawmakers are returning for the final days of the legislative session next week and they’re planning to take one last swing at it. The Kansas News Service reports the bill allows the Kansas Lottery to outsource sports gambling to casinos. It also allows for placing bets in person or online. The Kansas House narrowly approved the bill weeks ago, with some lawmakers expressing concern about the bill’s revenue being used to attract sports teams to move to Kansas. But Republican Senator Rob Olson says revenue could be used for other purposes, if lawmakers choose. He’s confident the Senate will approve the plan and send it to the governor. “Let’s make it legal, let the state have their piece so we can invest to grow our economy," he said. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has signaled she would sign a sports betting bill into law. If approved, the bill would go into effect on July 1.
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Oklahoma Okays Incentives in Business Competition with Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Oklahoma lawmakers have approved incentives to keep it in the running with Kansas for a massive electric-vehicle battery plant. Oklahoma lawmakers approved about $700 million in incentives less than a week after Republican Governor Kevin Stitt urged them to act. According to numerous reports in the U.S. and Japan, the Panasonic electronics company is looking to build a $4 billion manufacturing facility in either Oklahoma or Kansas. The company reportedly plans to manufacture a new type of electric vehicle battery at the plant. Kansas lawmakers approved an incentive package worth up to $1.3 billion in February. And Senate Democratic leader Dinah Sykes says state officials remain hopeful that will be enough to land the plant and its 4,000 jobs. “We put our best offer on the table and we are waiting for an answer," she said. That answer was expected months ago. Officials involved in the negotiations declined comment when asked about the delay.
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LGBTQ Leader Is Key in Blocking Kansas Ban on Trans Athletes
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas appears unlikely to join the growing number of states banning transgender athletes female sports in schools and colleges. A key reason is LGBTQ-rights lobbyist Tom Witt. He is the longtime executive director of Equality Kansas, and he's worked for 18 years to kill conservative proposals, persuading enough lawmakers to vote no when it counts and to head off debates. He plans to retire from lobbying and political consulting by year's end but will first work to prevent an override of Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's veto of a bill on transgender athletes. So far, supporters of the ban don't appear to have the necessary votes.
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University of Kansas Expands Eco-Devo Research Park with $1 Million Grant
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - Nearly $1 million is coming to the University of Kansas to help expand its economic development research park. During a visit to Lawrence Thursday, Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran announced the federal funding investment for KU Innovation Park’s lab for manufacturing. While on the KU campus, Moran said investing in the facility will help Kansas grow its economy by expanding technology and science careers. “Those are ways we can attract and retain young people to our state, highly educated people to our state, but also people who know how to use their hands as well as their brains," he said. KU began building the research park in 2020. It offers lab and office space to researchers and businesses.
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Kansas Expects $760 Million More in Tax Revenue; Fight over Cuts Heats Up
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) - A new Kansas fiscal forecast is predicting that inflation will boost state tax collections more than previously expected. Wednesday's new forecast is intensifying the dispute between Democratic Governor Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature over how to cut taxes. The new revenue forecast says Kansas could have a budget surplus of more than $3 billion by the end of the coming budget year. That forecast is prompting renewed calls for eliminating the state’s sales tax on groceries. The forecast says the state could cover all of its expenses and stash $500 million away in a rainy day fund and still end the 2023 budget year with a massive surplus. That has a group of mostly Democratic lawmakers calling on Republican legislative leaders to scrap their plan to phase out the state’s 6.5 percent sales tax on groceries and instead support the Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s proposal to eliminate it by July 1st. Senate Democratic leader Dinah Sykes says with enough money on hand to cover the cost of the plan, only election year politics stands in the way. “Let’s be honest, this would have happened in January if Governor Kelly hadn’t been the one to call for it," she said. The food sales tax is one of the biggest unresolved issues heading into lawmakers’ one week wrap up session, which starts Monday.
(-Related-)
Kansas Banks $500 Million for Emergencies; Gives Pay Raises to State Employees
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas will set aside $500 million to deal with future financial problems, give state employees a 5% pay raise and increase spending across state government. Governor Laura Kelly signed budget legislation into law today (WED) that contains the bulk of the state's $22 billion-plus budget for the 12 months beginning July 1, aside from money for the state's public K-12 schools.
Kansas State Budget Bill Extends Health Coverage for Low-Income Mothers
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The new state budget includes new funding for dozens of state programs, including one to extend health coverage to low-income mothers. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic the federal government paid to expand Medicaid coverage to new mothers from 60 days to a full year. The emergency money has run out. But Kansas will use a combination of state and federal dollars to keep the extended coverage in place. David Jordan heads a coalition of groups that lobbied for the extension. He says it’s critical to the health of new mothers, who can develop serious complications - including postpartum depression - months after giving birth. “A quarter of deaths postpartum happen in the period after 60 days of coverage. So, extending postpartum coverage can save lives," he said. The extension will increase the state’s annual share of Medicaid costs by about $4 million and provide coverage to an additional 9,000 women living just above the federal poverty level. The new state budget also includes, for the first time, money to extend dental coverage to more than 150,000 Kansas adults receiving Medicaid.
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Lawrence Woman Charged with Sex Crime Against 4-Year-Old
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) - A Lawrence woman is facing charges in Douglas County District Court of lewd fondling of a 4-year-old. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the woman, 29-year-old Ashlyn Marie Sloan, is charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child in connection with two incidents in July and December of 2021, according to a charging document in the case. The victim is listed as being 4 years old at the time, which makes the charge an off-grid person felony, the most severe kind. The document lists over 30 witnesses related to the case, including hospital records. Sloan has a court appearance scheduled for May 10. ( Read more.)
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Louisiana Man Sentenced for Enticing 12-Year-Old Kansas Girl to Engage in Sex Activity
SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — A Louisiana man must serve nearly 16 years in federal prison for trying to entice a 12-year-old Kansas girl to exchange sexually explicit video clips and engage in sexually explicit video chats. KSLA TV reports that Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. has also ordered 45-year-old Johnny Lee Henderson to be placed on five years of federal supervised release once he completes his term. Federal prosecutors announced the sentence Wednesday. Henderson pleaded guilty December 13 to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The charge arises from communications between him and a girl in northeast Kansas from January through March, 2020. At that time, Henderson was a registered sex offender in Louisiana as a result of a conviction in 2006 for sexual molestation of a juvenile, federal prosecutors said.
It was March 2020 when the 12-year-old girl’s mother complained to police in Baldwin City, Kansas, that the child had been communicating with a man from Shreveport on social media and via cellphone. The mother claimed that the two had exchanged sexually explicit video clips of each other and had engaged in sexually explicit video chats. Searches of the phone records, logs and social media accounts for the girl and “Chuck” revealed evidence of numerous sexually explicit video clips that were sent to “Chuck” as well as messages from him encouraging and enticing the child to produce and send them to him, authorities said. ( Read more.)
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Kansas Man Sentenced in Shooting Death of McConnell Airman
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A 28-year-old Wichita man has been sentenced to 27.5 years in prison for shooting into a crowd of people at a party, killing a man from South Carolina and injuring three others. Markeithen "Red'' McClaine was sentenced Thursday for the July 2019 shooting that killed 20-year-old Airman 1st Class Chancelor Williams, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, who was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base. McClaine pleaded guilty in February to second-degree murder and three counts of attempted second-degree murder . Prosecutors said McClaine fired at least six shots into a crowd who had gathered to celebrate an upcoming Air Force deployment.
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Kansas City Police Department Welcomes Interim Chief
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The Kansas City police department has a new interim chief, as embattled Chief Rick Smith officially retired. Deputy Chief Joe Mabin, a 22-year veteran of the department, was sworn in today (FRI). Mabin, who leads the department's investigations bureau, has said he will not apply for the permanent position. Former Chief Rick Smith served 34 years in the department. Civil rights activists had called for years to have Smith retire or be fired, citing his handling of excessive force cases involving officers. The department announced in November that Smith planned to retire this spring.
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Black Kansas City Sergeant Sues Police After Traffic Stop
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A Black Kansas City sergeant is suing the police department after he was stopped by two colleagues, who he says later conspired to accuse him of misconduct. Herb Robinson says in a lawsuit the two officers racially profiled him when they stopped him in 2021. The Kansas City Star reports Robinson, a 30-year veteran of the police department, was driving an unmarked car but wearing his police uniform when he was stopped. He alleges the officers yelled at him as they approached the car but eventually let him go. The police department does not comment on pending litigation.
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Committee Criticizes Wichita Police Misconduct, Racism
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita city report says the police department needs to reform by clamping down on biased police officers and improving its leadership. A committee appointed by the Wichita city manager issued its report Thursday. The committee was formed after an investigation by The Wichita Eagle found some members of the department's SWAT team joked about using force and exchanged racist, sexist and homophobic texts. The committee's report says the officers involved were not adequately disciplined and recommends an independent review be conducted by a third-party group to determine the extent of bias within the police department.
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One Person Dies After Car Strikes Home in Miami County
BUCYRUS, Kan. (AP) - The driver of a car has died after the vehicle went airborne, struck the roof of an eastern Kansas home and landed on its side. The Miami County Sheriff's Office says the accident happened Wednesday afternoon in the town of Bucyrus. Deputies responding to a 911 call found a 2018 Dodge Charger flipped on its passenger side in the backyard of the home. Authorities say the driver went over a set of railroad tracks and lost control. The vehicle struck a ditch before going airborne. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Two people were inside the home, but were uninjured. Authorities believe the driver may have been speeding.
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Douglas County Gives Preliminary Approval to Solar Farm Standards
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) - After hearing more than an hour and a half of public comments Wednesday evening, Douglas County commissioners gave preliminary approval to a set of rules for future solar farms in the county. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the rules outline a number of limits for solar farms in the county, from how large they can be — up to 1,000 acres — to how far they must be set back from roads, homes and other structures. Commissioners voted Wednesday night to approve those standards, pending a minor technical change about grading at solar farm sites. The commission will still need to officially adopt the regulations via a resolution at a future meeting. About 20 people showed up to speak in person about the solar standards, and there were also five online commenters. Many of them said they were against approving any regulations allowing for commercial or utility-scale solar farms, but most made it clear that they were specifically opposing larger-scale developments, not solar energy in general. Some of those commenting were against one potential development in particular: NextEra, a Florida-based energy firm, has expressed interest in developing a 3,000-acre solar farm partially located in southeast Douglas County. Most of Wednesday night’s speakers said they live either in that area of the county or just over the county border in Johnson County, in Gardner or Edgerton. That’s the other side of the proposed NextEra project, referred to on the firm’s website as the West Gardner Solar Project. ( Read more.)
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Mistrial in Ex-Kansas Officer's Trial for Fatal Shooting
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) - The trial for a former Kansas police officer charged with shooting a man to death in 2017 has ended in a mistrial. The mistrial was declared Wednesday after a jury in Leavenworth couldn't reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of Matthew Harrington. Harrington was charged with involuntary manslaughter after shooting 47-year-old Antonio Garcia Jr. in July 2017 while he was sitting inside a vehicle in Leavenworth. Prosecutors say Garcia had a knife but didn't threaten Harrington. He was fired from the Leavenworth force after a department investigation found he had violated policies on use of deadly force. A hearing is scheduled for May 4 to determine if a second trial will be held.
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Man Whose Rape Case Was Dismissed is Suing Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - A Wichita man who served time in prison before a rape charge against him was dismissed is suing the state of Kansas for wrongful conviction and imprisonment. Albert Wilson was convicted in 2019 of committing a rape in Lawrence. He was later granted a new trial because of ineffective counsel, but the case was dismissed in 2021. He spent two years in prison before the case was dismissed. Wilson, who always maintained his innocence, filed a lawsuit earlier this month in Douglas County District Court. He claims in the lawsuit the conviction and incarceration caused him both economic and non-economic damages.
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Recreational Marijuana Use Coming to Missouri?
ST. LOUIS (AP) - The recreational use of marijuana could soon be coming to Missouri. A group pushing for a constitutional amendment legalizing adult recreational use says it has now collected more than enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot in November. If approved by voters, the ballot initiative would allow Missourians over the age of 21 to possess, consume, and cultivate marijuana. It also would expunge criminal records for most prior, non-violent marijuana offenses.
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Wichita Teachers Approve Tentative Contract
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - The state’s largest school district has announced a tentative contract agreement with its teachers union. The deal reached with United Teachers of Wichita would raise teacher pay by one-point-seven-five percent. Most teachers would also get a two-point-seven-five percent bonus in December and another two-and-a-half percent in May. The tentative agreement comes after less than a month of negotiations. The Wichita district faces declining enrollment and less state funding, and officials are looking to cut about 20 million dollars from next year’s budget. The tentative contract would expand a peer consultant program for teachers. It also would create a task force to review and study student behavior in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. If it’s approved, the new contract will begin August 1st. It covers about 4,000 Wichita teachers, counselors, school nurses and other staff.
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Kansas Families Will Have to Start Paying for School Meals Again
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - Thousands of Kansas families will have to pay for school lunches again next school year, after Congress failed to extend federal waivers for free meals. COVID-19 pandemic legislation has been paying for free meals for all students the past two school years. Haley Kottler is with Kansas Appleseed, an anti-poverty nonprofit. She says school districts may have to raise prices for meals, and some kids could go hungry. “You know, schools are trying to figure it out and make it work. But with rising food costs and everything else, it’s a challenge," she said. Some advocates are pushing Congress to extend the waivers. Opponents say they were meant to be temporary.
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Train Derails in North-Central Kansas After Collision with Commercial Vehicle
REPUBLIC COUNTY, Kan. (KSNT) – Multiple train cars have derailed and are upright blocking Highway 36 in Republic County, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. KSNT TV reports that Trooper Ben Gardner tweeted about an injury crash just west of Courtland involving a commercial motor vehicle and a train at 9:02 am. The Belleville Telescope reported US. Highway 36 has been closed. Fog may have been a contributing factor in the collision. A Belleville telescope reporter on the scene reported the driver of the semi had only minor injuries. ( Read more.)
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KC Man Dies After Detention Officers Find Him Unresponsive in Lyon County Jail Cell
LYON COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) - A Kansas City man has died after Lyon County detention officers found him unresponsive in his cell Tuesday night. WIBW TV reports that detention officers were on their regularly night cell check when they found inmate Marcus Heard, of Kansas City, Kansas, unconscious in his cell. Detention officers say the 30-year-old man was the only person in the cell. They called for an ambulance and started CPR. However, officials say those efforts were ineffective and Heard was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene. Officers say it appeared the incident was self-inflicted by the victim. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation will investigate the death, as required by state statute. Lyon County officials say there were no indications from Heard that he may have considered self-harm. An autopsy will be performed as part of the KBI's investigation. ( Read more.)
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Kansas Deputy Sentenced for Stealing Cash, Drugs, Weapons from Evidence Locker
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - One of two former Sedgwick County sheriff's employees accused of stealing cash, drugs and weapons from the department's evidence unit has been sentenced to a suspended jail term and one year of probation. The Wichita Eagle reports that 47-year-old Marc Gordon was sentenced after pleading guilty earlier this month to one count of official misconduct and three counts of theft, all misdemeanors. Prosecutors say Gordon was a property and evidence technician with the agency when he and a supervisor stole more than $7,700 in cash, several pounds of cocaine, meth and other drugs and several Samurai-style swords. The missing evidence led the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office to dismiss or review dozens of drug cases.
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City of Lawrence Will Return Sacred Boulder to the Kaw Nation
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - A $5 million grant will help the Kaw Nation and University of Kansas move a sacred boulder from a city park in Lawrence to Kaw tribal land near Council Grove. White settlers forced the Kaw Indians from the area in the 1800s. And then turned the 20-ton quartzite boulder into a monument to their own arrival. James Pepper Henry is vice chairman of the Kaw Nation. "We're virtually invisible to the people of Kansas right now," he said. "I would say, if I were to survey 10 people in the streets of Lawrence and ask them where the name of their state comes from, 9 out of 10 people could not tell you that the state of Kansas is named after the Kaw people or the Konza people.” A plan is now being crafted for the Lawrence park to recognize the Kaw and other Indigenous peoples who were forcibly removed from the region. Funding for the project comes from the Mellon Foundation. ( Read more.)
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Kansas Governor Announces Food Company’s $110 Million Investment in Olathe
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly touted Tuesday a food company’s $110 million investment for an automated distribution center in Olathe that could create more than 125 new jobs. The Kansas Reflector reports the distribution complex for Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, will span nearly 20 million cubic feet. Company officials say the facility modification will decrease costs and increase reliability for the company to handle and transport goods. Kelly says the project represents a win for the whole state. “Lineage Logistics’ decision to build the Smithfield Foods distribution center in Kansas is confirmation that our central location, strong infrastructure and world-class workforce are exactly what companies need to expand business operations,” Kelly said. Lineage designed the warehouse to be state-of-the art. “This advanced, fully-automated new facility speaks volumes to the innovation we are excited to have in Kansas," said Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland. ( Read more.)
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Feds Award $420 Million for Dam Repairs and Flood-Control Projects
UNDATED (AP) - Federal officials are spending $420 million to repair hazardous dams and fund flood control projects in numerous states. The projects announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are funded through an infrastructure law signed last year by President Joe Biden. The largest allotment of nearly $96 million will go to Arkansas for 19 flood-control projects, including several in impoverished areas. Georgia will get about $69 million. Some of that will go to repair three high-hazard dams in poor condition that could result in deaths were they to fail. The funding is in addition to $166 million for nationwide projects announced last month by the Agriculture Department.
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USDA Projects in Kansas Will Help Emergency Protection, Renewable Energy and More
In honor of Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Acting State Director for Rural Development in Kansas, Dan Fischer, announced investments of $3.34 million in eight Kansas communities. The details of the eight Kansas projects are:
- A $113,700 grant will be used toward the purchase of a fire engine for the Anderson County Fire Department. Once this engine is in service the county will be one step closer to having all its stations equipped with Class A fire engines. This will provide the county with new and improved firefighting equipment.
- A $2,917,200 grant will be used toward the construction of levee improvements for flood protection for the communities of Elwood, Wathena and rural areas of Doniphan County. Planning and construction will address the following issues: raising the levee, installing relief wells, making drainage structure improvements and replacing conduits. Once the project is completed, it will provide improved flood protection and increased safety.
- A $88,600 grant will be used toward the purchase and renovation of a building into a multi-purpose facility for the community of Bushton. The project will include the purchase of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, ceiling fans, a boiler and associated equipment. The project will provide this rural community access to new and improved public services.
- A $100,000 grant will be used by the Wichita State University Rural Energy Assessment Center toward providing energy audits and renewable energy development assistance to farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses. Dr. Bayram Yildirim and Dr. Deepak Gupta, professors at the Department of Industrial Systems and Manufacturing Engineering, will deliver energy efficiency audits for approximately 12 agricultural producers and rural small businesses throughout the state.
- A $20,000 grant will be used toward purchasing and installing a 60 kW rooftop mounted solar array at Clock Real Estate LLC, a Winfield based company with one employee. The project is estimated to generate 81,668 kWh per year, enough energy to power seven homes.
- A $20,000 grant will be used toward purchasing and installing a 15 kW wind turbine for BS Trailer Sales, Inc., a business in Dodge City. This project will realize $4,583 savings per year and will produce 58,764 kWh per year, enough electricity to power five homes.
- A $20,000 grant will be used toward purchasing and installing LED lighting for Gerken Rent-All Inc. at locations in Emporia. The project is estimated to save 339,417 kWh per year. This equates to 60.56 percent of their energy usage and is enough energy to power 31 homes.
- A $10,360 grant will be used toward purchasing and installing irrigation equipment for Boyd B. and Dedra K. Brant in Pratt County. The project is estimated to save 42,887 kWh per year. This equates to 60.56 percent of their energy usage and is enough energy to power four homes.
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Under Missouri Bill, Workers Could Sue over Vaccine Mandates
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Under a Missouri bill, workers required to get vaccinated by their employers could sue if they have negative reactions to the vaccine. The GOP-led House gave the vaccine liability bill initial approval Wednesday. The measure was introduced in response to COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Under the measure, employers who make their workers get a vaccine could be held liable if workers experience negative side effects. Proponents argued that bosses should be held accountable for medical complications if they make employees get vaccinated. Critics argued that private business owners should be allowed to decide whether to mandate vaccinations without the threat of lawsuits.
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Missouri House Passes Bill on Race, Parents' Roles in Public School
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri bill would put restrictions on how race is talked about in K-12 public schools. This week, the GOP-led House voted 85-59 in favor of the bill, with some Republicans opposing the measure. Students, parents and teachers could file complaints for alleged violations of the bill with Missouri's attorney general or the state education department. Critics say it could scare educators from having difficult conversations about history and race. But supporters say it's meant to prevent students from being indoctrinated in school.
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Callery / Bradford Pear Trees : An Invader "Worse than Murder Hornets!"
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A stinky but handsome and widely popular landscape tree has become an aggressive invader. Callery pears create dense thickets that overwhelm native plants and bear four-inch spikes that can flatten tractor tires. Bradford pears and other ornamental Callery (Calorie) pears were cultivated from an import that saved pear orchards from a deadly fungus. And for decades, the decorative trees seemed near perfect, aside from a tendency to fall apart after about 15 years - and their stench. But they cross pollinated with other ornamental varieties. Invasive strands now have been reported in more than 30 states. Fourteen states have formally listed the trees as invasive.
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These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!