Bob Dole Remembered as 'Giant of Our Time and of All Time'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bob Dole has been honored at a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral as top leaders from both parties gathered to display the kind of bipartisanship now rare in modern government. Dole’s flag-draped casket was carried in by a military honor guard as the congregation stood and Dole’s wife, former North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, and daughter, Robin, looked on. President Joe Biden remembered Dole a “giant of our time and of all time.” In his eulogy, Biden spoke about Dole volunteering for military service and being gravely wounded, and how he came back to “painful” years recovering from those wounds. "God, what courage Bob Dole had,” Biden said. Dole died Sunday at the age of 98.
(Additional reporting...)
Dole Celebrated at National Cathedral, World War II Memorial
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bob Dole was being honored with a private service at Washington National Cathedral and a public one at the World War II Memorial on Friday after lying in state at the U.S. Capitol. President Joe Biden and top leaders from both parties on Thursday saluted Dole as a "giant in our history." Biden is also planning to speak at Friday's invitation-only cathedral ceremony, along with Dole's family and close friends. Dole's casket is then set to travel to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall for a public service featuring General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and actor Tom Hanks.
President Biden Pays Tribute to "American Giant" Bob Dole at U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole is lying in state at the U.S. Capitol. President Joe Biden and others gathered Thursday to pay tribute the man Biden called an "American giant." The service is one of several over two days in Washington for the former Republican presidential candidate. Dole is known as one who served the country in war and in politics with pragmatism, self-deprecating wit and a bygone era's sense of common civility. Dole died Sunday at the age of 98 after announcing in February he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He was born in Russell, Kansas.
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Kansas Highway Patrol: 2 Adults Killed, 2 Children Injured in Crash Near Atchison
ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says two people were killed and two children injured in a head-on crash near Atchison. Television station KAKE reports that the crash happened around 9:20 pm Wednesday on U.S. Highway 73, just west of Atchison, when a southbound car crossed the center line and hit a northbound car head on. The crash killed the driver of the northbound car, identified as 26-year-old Felicia Paxton of Atchison, as well as a passenger, 33-year-old Jovonnie Franklin, also of Atchison. Two boys in that car, ages 6 and 7, were injured and taken to a hospital. The driver of the other car, a 37-year-old Tonganoxie man, was also hospitalized.
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Penn State Hires First Woman, Person of Color, Former KU Administrator to Lead School
UNDATED (AP) - The Penn State trustees on Thursday named the University of Louisville’s president Neeli Bendapudi to succeed Eric Barron as the school’s top administrator. That makes her the first woman and first person of color to serve as president of Penn State. The 58-year-old Bendapudi is a marketing professor whose research involves consumer behavior. She became Louisville’s president three years ago. Barron came to head up Penn State from Florida State University in 2014 while fallout from the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal was still a major problem for campus leaders in State College. He is retiring in June. Previously, Bendapudi held senior leadership positions at the University of Kansas.
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Pilot Walks Away from Crash of Ultralight Plane in Kansas
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in south-central Kansas say the pilot of an ultralight plane that crashed near Hutchinson walked away from the wreckage with no serious injuries. Officials say the crash happened late Thursday afternoon southwest of Hutchinson in Reno County along West Morgan Avenue. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a 40-year-old man flying the aircraft was trying to land on the road when he hit power lines. The crash cut power lines, but officials say the pilot suffered only minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene.
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Kansas Reports More than 3,800 New COVID-19 Cases, 62 More Deaths, Since Wednesday
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas health officials have recorded 3,877 new COVID-19 cases and 62 new, virus-related deaths since Wednesday. In all, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has recorded 486,109 cases of COVID-19 and 6,830 deaths from the virus since the start of the pandemic. Another update is expected Monday.
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Kansas Universities to Pause COVID-19 Vaccination Plans
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials with Kansas' three largest universities say they will pause efforts to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Wichita State cited a federal judge's ruling on Tuesday that blocked implementation of a directive from President Joe Biden requiring federal contractors to be immunized. The universities announced in October that they would comply with the president's mandate because the schools receive millions of dollars in federal research grants. University officials said Tuesday they would halt their vaccination efforts while awaiting further guidance.
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Denver Sees First Snowfall After Breaking 87-Year-Old Record
DENVER, Colo. (AP) - Denver finally saw its first snowfall of the season on Friday, shattering an 87-year-old record for the latest first snow. It wasn't much: The official measurement at Denver International Airport was just three-tenths of an inch. Jim Kalina is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder. He says the Denver metro region is experiencing an extended La Nina weather pattern, which tends to produce drier weather conditions. Those conditions also come as much of Western U.S. is experiencing a megadrought that studies link to human-caused climate change. Before Friday, the Mile High City's latest measurable snowfall was on November 21, 1934.
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Blue Cross of Kansas Changes Policy on Transgender Surgery
UNDATED (AP) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas says it is changing a policy that denied sex reassignment surgery to customers who did not legally change their names. The change announced Thursday comes after advocacy from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. They said Charley Osman, a transgender man, sought pre-authorization for two surgeries in June but was denied because he had not changed his name from the one he was given at birth. The advocacy groups argued the name change policy was discriminatory and had nothing to do with medical necessity.
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Suit: Kansas Deputies Used Rubber Bullets on Woman in Cell
UNDATED (AP) — A former inmate at a Kansas jail alleges in a federal lawsuit that deputies fired a flash grenade and nonlethal bullets at her while she was having a panic attack inside an isolation cell in 2019. The lawsuit was filed last month by an attorney for 25-year-old Realiti Courson. It also alleges that deputies targeted her because she is Black. And it alleges that the Reno County sheriff’s department persuaded the local prosecutor to charge Courson with three felonies after her attorney contacted the department about the incident. The defendants are former Sheriff Randy Henderson; Shawn McClay, a captain at the jail; jail deputies Jake Harrison, Cody Blake and Kaitlynn Hazell; and the Reno County Commission.
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Parsons Police Officer's Puppy Beheaded in 'Targeted' Attack
PARSONS, Kan. (AP) — Parsons police say someone beheaded a puppy belonging to one of their officers in what they termed a “targeted attack.” Police said the officer found the 3-month-old puppy, named Ranger, dead in her yard last Friday. Investigators determined the dog had been taken to another location, killed, and then returned to the officer's home. Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks said investigators believe the puppy's death was a targeted attack against the officer. The police department is offering a $1,000 reward for information in the case. The suspect or suspects could face felony animal cruelty and trespassing charges.
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Suspected Serial Killer Pleads Not Guilty in St. Louis Deaths
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A 26-year-old man charged in six deaths in Missouri and Kansas pleaded not guilty to two of the homicides. Perez Reed appeared via video Wednesday to face charges that he killed 49-year-old Pamela Abercrombie on September 16 and 24-year-old Carey Ross on September 19 in St. Louis. He is also charged with killing two people in St. Louis County and two others in Kansas City, Kansas. Reed’s public defender, Brian Horneyer, entered the not guilty pleas for Reed. He said Reed, of of Bellefontaine Neighbors, has an extensive mental health history. Reed was arrested in November while he was traveling from Kansas City to St. Louis.
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Man Shot to Death in Kansas City; Police Seek Suspect
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man has been shot to death on a Kansas City street, and police there are now searching for a suspect in the killing. Police say in a news release that the shooting happened Wednesday night in an alley on the city's east side. Officers who responded to the shooting found a man, later identified as 54-year-old Edmon Alexander, on the ground near the alley with gunshot wounds. Police say medics declared Alexander dead at the scene. Homicide detectives canvassed the area for witnesses and collected evidence from the scene.
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Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake Rattles Central Kansas
GYPSUM, Kan. (AP) — Officials say a moderate earthquake shook parts of central Kansas Wednesday as residents were starting their day. The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 4.3 earthquake was recorded around 7:45 am Wednesday, with the epicenter just southwest of Gypsum in Saline County. The survey says the quake hit at a depth of 1.86 miles. Residents in Salina and as far away as Arkansas City in southeastern Kansas reported feeling the quake. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
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Private Prison in Leavenworth About to Become Empty
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Midwest Newsroom) - A private prison in Leavenworth is about to empty out as its contract with the government to hold federal prisoners who await trial ends this month. But questions still swirl about what will happen to the private prison in the future. CoreCivic has operated the facility in Leavenworth under a government contract to lock up federal defendants awaiting trial or sentencing. But that contract expires this month after President Biden issued an executive order telling the Justice Department to stop doing business with private prisons. The Leavenworth facility has a reputation for poor and unsafe conditions. Prisoners there will now move to the government-run prison in Leavenworth. Federal immigration officials declined to say whether the emptied prison will be used to house immigration detainees, a rumor that cropped up earlier this year. But two lawyers familiar with the situation say it appears unlikely the Leavenworth prison will end up holding immigration detainees. ( Read more.)
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Decision on Trial in Duck Boat Tragedy Delayed Until 2022
GALENA, Mo. (AP) — A judge says he will decide next year whether three men charged after a tourist boat sank in Missouri in 2018 will go to trial. The three men, Kenneth McKee, Curtis Lanham and Charles Baltzell, were charged after a vessel known as a duck boat sank on Table Rock Lake near Branson on July 19, 2018, killing 17 people. After a two-day preliminary hearing, Associate Circuit Judge Alan Mark Blankenship on Thursday gave prosecutors until the end of the year to respond to defense attorneys' request that the case be dismissed. The judge said he will set a court date next year to announce his decision.
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Company Fined After Exposing Montana Workers to Arsenic; Kansas Plant to Receive More Oversight
BUTTE, Mont. (AP) — A company that turned mining waste into roofing materials in Montana was fined and ordered to conduct medical monitoring after pleading guilty to exposing its employees to arsenic. Tinley Park, Illinois-based U.S. Minerals was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay a $393,200 fine during a Friday hearing before U.S. Judge Dana Christensen in Butte. The company pleaded guilty to negligent endangerment, a misdemeanor violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Prosecutors say U.S. Minerals poisoned its workers by exposing them to arsenic despite repeated warnings from regulators. Plants in Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Texas and Louisiana will be under increased federal oversight under a plea deal.
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Town Drops Charges Against Man Who Displayed Profane Flag
BLUE RAPIDS, Kan. (AP) — A civil rights group says a Kansas town has dropped all charges against a man prosecuted for flying a flag outside his home with a profanity against President Joe Biden. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas says it got involved after the city of Blue Rapids charged David Sain in August with promoting obscenity. The ACLU says in a news release that Sain has a constitutionally protected right to free speech. Blue Rapids officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sain says he is grateful that he can express himself without fear of prosecution.
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Salvation Army Hopes to Generate Donations from KU, Mizzou Rivalry
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) - As the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri prepare to meet Saturday on the court for the first regular-season matchup between the two schools in nearly a decade, The Salvation Army locations in Lawrence and Columbia, Missouri, are set to face off too. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the generosity of the two fan bases will be put to the test Friday through Sunday as part of The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle holiday campaign. Fans will be able to donate at any Red Kettle in Lawrence or online in the corps’ Virtual Red Kettle. “We know Kansas fans want nothing more than to beat Missouri at every opportunity,” said Captain Curtis Lunnam, corps officer of the Douglas County Salvation Army. “We’re rooting for a victory at Allen Field House and a victory at the kettles this weekend, because every dollar donated keeps hope marching on for families in need in our community.” The KU athletic department will join the competition with the return of Rock Chalk Ring Day with student athletes manning kettles across Lawrence the entire day on Friday. The Salvation Army will accept donations at 10 Red Kettle sites and at The Salvation Army location (946 New Hampshire St.) in downtown Lawrence.
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Washburn Volleyball Advances to NCAA Division 2 Tournament Championship
TAMPA, Fla. (WIBW) - The Washburn volleyball team will play for the NCAA Division II national championship on Saturday. The Ichabods defeated Western Washington in four sets in Friday’s semifinal match: 25-23, 25-21, 27-29, 25-11. The title match will take place at 4 pm tomorrow (SAT), pitting Washburn against the winner of tonight’s (FRI) match between Tampa and Gannon.
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KU Volleyball Run Ends at Sweet Sixteen in NCAA Division 1 Tournament
UNDATED (KCUR/Greg Echlin) – The University of Kansas volleyball team's run in the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament came to an end Thursday afternoon, as the Pittsburgh Panthers, on their home floor, beat KU, 3-0. KU coach Ray Bechard says it’s disappointing to see the season end, but that the team has a lot to build on in the future. After going winless against ranked teams during the regular season, KU beat two ranked teams last weekend to reach the Sweet 16.
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Chiefs Aim for Sixth Straight Win as Raiders Come Calling
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs probably look back wistfully these days to their last game against the Raiders. It was the only time in about two months their offense looked like normal. Andy Reid's high-powered, thrill-a-minute cast of characters that carried the Chiefs to consecutive Super Bowls has been uncharacteristically stuck in neutral this season. The Chiefs have topped 22 points just once since mid-October, and that was in a 41-14 rout of their longtime AFC West rival in Las Vegas last month. "Every day is different in this league. That's why you have to prep and focus so much this week," said Reid, who needs one win to reach 100 in Kansas City. "You have to remember, the other team is playing. You're not doing it against air. You have to go out and execute and do it every day."
The Chiefs (8-4) have won five straight to take a one-game lead on the Chargers and a two-game lead on the Broncos and Raiders (6-6) as they seek a sixth straight AFC West crown. But their winning streak has been fueled by their suddenly stingy defense, which has held three of its last four opponents to fewer than 10 points.
That includes the Packers — albeit without Aaron Rodgers — along with the Cowboys and the Broncos.
What began as such a promising season for the Raiders is starting to spiral into another forgettable one. Their loss to the Chiefs last month came during a three-game skid, and last week's loss to Washington made it four in their last five. Much like the Chiefs, the culprit for the Raiders has been an inconsistent offense. Unlike the Chiefs, their defense hasn't been able to bail them out.
The Chiefs' defense could be even stingier this week with the return of Rashad Fenton, who is rated among the league's top cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus. The versatile Fenton missed last week's game with a knee injury.
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Border War Renewed: No. 8 Kansas Welcomes Return of Missouri to Allen Fieldhouse
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP/KPR) — One of the most heated rivalries in college basketball will be renewed on Saturday when Missouri visits No. 8 Kansas in a matchup of old Big Eight foes. Jayhawks coach Bill Self vowed never to play the Tigers again when the school bolted for the SEC. Now Kansas can make them pay on the hardwood for putting the Big 12 on the ropes a decade ago. It's a series that trace its roots to the days before the Civil War, when armed conflict took place over the issue of slavery. The simmering hatred between fanbases has persisted all these years.
Christian Braun waded through hundreds of camping students in the foyer of Allen Fieldhouse, trying to navigate his way from the locker room to the court for a final shootaround before Kansas took on UTEP down the road in Kansas City. It was Monday afternoon.
All those students, each representing groups of up to 20 kids, huddled in corners, tucked themselves behind doorways and sprawled on the tile floor for six more days. They would trade off with others when they needed to head to class, or get a bite to eat, but otherwise they would continue their vigil until Saturday afternoon. All to ensure they got the best seats for the return of the Border War.
For the first time since Missouri jilted the Big 12 for the riches of the SEC, the Tigers are coming across the state line to play their once-bitter rival in basketball. The Tigers and Jayhawks have met 268 times on the hardwood — games punctuated by heroics and heartbreak, ferocity and fistfights — but not since their last regular-season matchup in 2012.
There are few rivalries in college sports that can match the shared hatred of Kansas and Missouri.
The animosity dates to pre-Civil War days, when anti-slavery "Jayhawkers" ransacked pro-slavery communities in Missouri, which in part led to the formation of the "Tigers," a unit tasked with protecting Columbia from guerillas. Perhaps the most infamous event occurred in August 1863, when William Quantrill's band of vigilantes raided Lawrence, burned the town to the ground and killed most every male aged 15 and older. For decades afterwards, Lawrence was known as the "City of Sorrow."
In their last meeting at Allen Fieldhouse, with both teams ranked in the top 10, Kansas rallied from 19 down in the second half to beat the Tigers in a nail-biter. The Jayhawks would go on to reach the national title game. "It was probably the most emotional home game that I've ever been a part of," Self recalled. "There was pressure on us to win that game and we didn't handle it very well. And when the lid came off, we played well down the stretch. "That," Self said, "was college basketball at its best."
Fortunately for college basketball, time heals most wounds. Self's stance softened over the years, and Kansas and Missouri even played an exhibition game in 2017 to raise money for victims of hurricanes Harvey and Maria. Then the schools announced what fans had long awaited: They would begin a six-game series with four games on campus and two at a neutral site, with a four-game football series coming down the road. The first basketball game was supposed to be last season, but it was pushed back one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It just wouldn't be the same with only a fraction of fans allowed in the building.
The eighth-ranked Jayhawks are a big favorite on Saturday, when all those students camping out will finally be allowed to take their seats. They have one of their best teams in years while the Tigers, who went to the NCAA Tournament just last year, are going through a series of growing pains under Martin.
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Toys for Tots in Need of 20,000 More Toys this Holiday Season
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KPR) - Toy drive organizers in Overland Park are in need of 20,000 more toys this holiday season. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and Overland Park Convention Center are requesting community assistance to address the local toy shortage. Organizers say they are trying to provide toys to more than 56,000 area children who are in need this holiday season. To donate, guests are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy for donation and drop it off at the Overland Park Convention Center through December 16. “Based off our numbers, it looks like we’ll be falling short by about 20,000 toys this year — that’s 20,000 kids who won’t get a Christmas if we’re not able to produce,” said SSgt. Warren Ory, Marine and local Toys for Tots campaign coordinator. “We are looking to the community for help. If you could find it in your hearts to donate, we are really in need for ages 0-2 and 11 plus.” Last year, the local Toys for Tots served more than 34,000 children in the greater Kansas City area. The Overland Park Convention Center will once again serve as the largest donation site for the area Toys for Tots drive.
Toys for Tots assists children up to age 16. Items to consider for pre-teens and teens include, but are not limited to, sporting equipment, bags, balls, books, backpacks, cosmetics, purses, watch/wallet gift sets, bath gift sets, board games, radio control cars and trucks, hand-held electronics, skateboards/helmets, curling irons, hair straighteners, and hair dryers.
The Overland Park Convention Center will be open for public donations Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Due to COVID-19, guests are asked to drop items off at the security entrance located on the east side of the convention center off Woodson Rd. (Directional signage is provided.)
Learn more at opconventioncenter.com/toys-for-tots or by calling 913.339.3000.
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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. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!