Kansas Settles Foster Children Civil Rights Lawsuit
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The state of Kansas settled a class-action lawsuit filed by advocates who accused the state of not providing foster children with adequate mental health care and moving them too frequently between homes. The settlement, filed this week, mandates the state stop moving foster children often and track them more carefully. The agreement won’t take effect until a judge approves and all children are notified. The settlement requires the state to stop sheltering foster children in hotels, motels, cars, stores, offices, unlicensed homes or any other non-child-welfare housing. The state must also provide timely mental health treatment when needed. ( Read more.)
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Kansas State Fair Board Will Reconsider Holding Event
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The chances of the Kansas State Fair being held this year are looking less likely after a large number of vendors backed out or expressed trepidation. The Hutchinson News reports that the fair’s board will meet Monday to reconsider its decision to hold the event in September. Kansas State Fair general manager Robin Jennison said it was beginning to appear that the fair would be financially worse off going forward than not having it at all. The organization cannot operate in the red.
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COVID-19 Case Count in Kansas Exceeds 18,500, Including 284 Fatalities
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas has recorded 18,611 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. That number includes 284 deaths. Cases have now been confirmed in 100 of the 105 Kansas counties. Wyandotte and Johnson Counties have the most cases, with 2,930 and 2,804, respectively. State health officials released the figures today (FRI). The next update is expected Monday.
(–Related–)
COVID-19 Spike in Kansas Casts Doubt on Allowing Local Rules
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas hasn't contained a resurgence in coronavirus cases and that is raising questions about whether the state made a mistake in allowing local officials to set rules for businesses and public gatherings. State health department figures show Kansas experienced its worst spike in confirmed new cases since the pandemic began in the two weeks ending Friday. Counties have had the power to set the rules since May 26. Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley says Kansas was doing better when Governor Laura Kelly was in control. Republican Senate President Susan Wagle disagrees, suggesting the virus is less deadly than it was.
4 in 10 Kansans Don't Have to Wear Masks Despite Mandate
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Four in 10 Kansans live in counties that have overruled Governor Laura Kelly’s statewide mask order, even as coronavirus cases in the state soar. More than 90 of the state’s 105 counties have opted out of the mandate issued last week under a new state law that allows local leaders to follow or discard Kelly’s pandemic-related executive orders. The Kansas City Star and The Wichita Eagle's analysis of public health data shows that six of the 10 counties with the most cases have decided against mandatory mask wearing. Nine of the 10 counties with the lowest rates of testing have also opted out.
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Hutchinson Prison Reports Staffer as 1st Coronavirus Case
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A staffer at a south-central Kansas prison has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That's prompted the prison to place an entire housing unit under quarantine. The case announced Friday by the state Department of Corrections involved a male employee over 20. It made the Hutchinson Correctional Facility the seventh of 10 corrections institutions to have a reported case among staff or inmates. Meanwhile, Kansas State University announced plans to furlough nearly 1,900 employees because of budget problems tied to the economic slowdown in the pandemic's wake. The university expects the furloughs to save nearly $8.7 million in its current budget.
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Kansas City Mayor Extends Face Mask Mandate
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas says he will extend the city’s mandate requiring face masks indefinitely. The Kansas City Star reports that the mayor’s original order went into effect June 29 to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The order was set to expire was on Sunday. At a news conference at city hall this (FRI) morning, Mayor Lucas announced that the order will be extended as COVID-19 cases in the Kansas City area continue to rise. The order requires people in indoor public spaces to wear a face covering where 6 feet of social distancing is not possible.
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Missouri Reports Nearly 800 More Coronavirus Cases, Pushing Statewide Total to 26,000
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is once again reporting its highest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases. State health department data show another 795 cases were reported Thursday. That brings the total confirmed cases of the virus in the state to 25,999. The record for new cases reported in a single day was last broken Tuesday, when 773 cases of coronavirus were reported. Another five deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related fatalities in the state to 1,051.
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Lawrence Hospital Reports Death of Patient Diagnosed with COVID-19
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) – LMH Health is reporting the death of a patient previously diagnosed with COVID-19. However, hospital officials say the inpatient death Wednesday morning is not believed to be a direct result of the virus. LMH Health spokeswoman Amy Northrop says the hospital is committed to transparency, especially during the pandemic, but privacy laws prevent the release of further information. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the patient’s family as they navigate this difficult time." Northrop said.
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UPDATE: KBI Cancels AMBER Alert After Recovering Body Believed to Be Missing Child
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LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) -- The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has announced through an email to the press that the search for a 3-year-old girl has been discontinued. The body of a deceased female child was found, and is believed to be that of Olivia Jansen. The KBI thanked the public for its assistance in searching for the girl, and cancelled the AMBER Alert that was issued earlier today (FRI). An investigation is expected.
(–earlier report–)
Search Underway for Missing 3-Year-Old Kansas Girl
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are looking for a 3-year-old girl who was reported missing Friday morning from her Kansas City, Kansas, home. Police Officer Dustin Dierenfeldt said the father of Olivia Jansen told investigators he saw her around 11 p.m. Thursday when he went to sleep. He said noticed she was gone and a door was open when he awoke. Dierenfeldt said investigators are looking in the area where she went missing and a wooded area where the debris is complicating the efforts.
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Haskell Fees Hold Steady, Despite Switch to Virtual Classes
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Haskell Indian Nations University students are complaining after learning they will still pay the same amount for a fee that typically covers housing, food and activities, even through classes will be taught fully online because of the coronavirus. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the university’s website shows that Haskell students will be charged $715 for the online fall 2020 semester, the same price on-campus students were previously charged. Off-campus students, meanwhile, previously paid $240 per semester.
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Police Say Man Injured in Wichita Shooting Has Died
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say one of two men injured in an east Wichita shooting earlier this week has died. 20-year-old Broderick Lloyd died Wednesday at a Wichita hospital. Police say Lloyd and another man were shot around 12:30 a.m. Monday. Officers called to the scene of the shooting found Lloyd in a wrecked vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Police say the other man, who had been taken to a hospital by private vehicle, also suffered several gunshots. He is expected to recover. Police have not made any arrests and say they have no suspects.
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Kansas City Strips Marijuana Possession From its City Code
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City, Missouri will no longer punish people for marijuana possession, effectively decriminalizing it throughout much of the city. The Kansas City Star reports that city council members voted Thursday to strip the crime from the city code. Users can still be charged for possession by county prosecutors who still pursue those cases. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker has already pledged to stop charging most people for possession after local voters decided overwhelmingly in 2017 to eliminate jail time for possession.
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Kansas City Official Calls to Remove More Racist Monuments
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City councilwoman is calling for a plan to remove monuments and rename streets that honor figures who were slaveholders or racists. The Kansas City Star reported that councilwoman Melissa Robinson of the 3rd District introduced legislation that would establish a 12-member commission to research and make recommendations to the City Council for removal of monuments of those “that held slaves, promoted racism or participated in the oppression and dehumanization of others.” Robinson said she did not have specific streets or monuments she wanted to see changed but many of Kansas City’s major streets, including Wornall Road, McGee Street and Troost Avenue, were named after slaveholders. The legislation was referred to committee and is expected to be heard next week.
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Federal Government Aims to Combat Violent Crime in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The federal government is stepping up to stop violent crime in Kansas City, Missouri, with a program named after a 4-year-old boy who was killed when someone shot into his home. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday that the new program, “Operation Legend,” is named after 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was fatally shot in his bed last month. As of Wednesday, Kansas City was reporting 99 homicides for the year. With nearly half a year left, that puts the city on track to far exceed last year’s total of 150.
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Police Arrest Father in Drowning Death of 2-Year-Old
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police have arrested a father in the drowning death of his 2-year-old son in a neighborhood swimming pool in Wichita. Police Officer Charley Davidson said Friday that 44-year-old William Kabutu of Wichita has been arrested on suspicion of felony murder and two counts of aggravated child endangerment, stemming from the boy’s death Tuesday. It wasn’t known whether he has an attorney. He said the father took the 2-year-old and his 4-year-old brother to the pool, where they slipped through the bars of a fence that surrounded the pool. The younger child then went into the water but the toddler’s father was to large to get through the bars and the gate was locked.
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Missouri Man Charged in Death of Woman in Olathe Burglary
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A 42-year-old Missouri man has been charged in the death of a woman whose body was found by police responding to a burglary call in Olathe. The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office said in a Twitter post that Clyde J. Barnes Jr., of Kansas City, Missouri, has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, unlawful tampering with electronic monitoring, criminal threat and violation of a protection order. The burglary was reported around 3 am Sunday.
The victim was identified as 42-year-old Jessica L. Smith.
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Forecast: Kansas Farmers Harvesting Fewer Bushels of Wheat
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A new government report shows Kansas farmers are harvesting fewer bushels of winter wheat this year. The forecast released Friday is based on crop conditions July 1. The Agriculture Department’s National Agricultural Statistics Service revised the government’s earlier estimate downward to 307 million bushels in Kansas. That is 9% fewer bushels than were cut last year in the state. The latest forecast is based on an average yield of 48 bushels per acre, down 4 bushels from 2019. It also estimates growers in Kansas will cut 6.4 million acres of wheat, down 2% from last year.
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KC Police: More Human Remains Discovered near Creek Likely from Same Body
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say additional human remains found along a Kansas City creek are likely from the same body of remains discovered earlier in the week by a 10-year-old boy. The Kansas City Star reports that search crews found the additional human remains Tuesday along Shoal Creek north of Pleasant Valley Road. That followed the initial discovery Sunday of remains by the boy in a nearby area of the creek. The remains have not been identified. Officer Doaa El-Ashkar, a police spokeswoman, said investigators believe the additional remains are from the same person, due to the “proximity and makeup of the remains.”
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4 Ex-Guards Sentenced in Beating of Cuffed Missouri Inmate
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Four former guards at a Kansas City jail have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from two years to nearly four years for beating a handcuffed inmate as a punishment. The U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release that 30-year-old Travis Hewitt and 34-year-old Jen-I Pulos were sentenced Thursday, while 39-year-old Terrance Dooley and 27-year-old Dakota Pearce were sentenced last month. The indictment alleges the four carried out a planned attack on an inmate in retaliation for his altercation with another officer.
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Sheriff: K9 to Be Euthanized After Vicious Attack on Handler
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas sheriff said he has decided to euthanize one of the department’s police dogs after an “unprovoked vicious attack” on its handler. Geary County Sheriff Daniel Jackson posted on Facebook the attack Tuesday involving K9 Krew lasted 90 seconds. The deputy had reached into the kennel in his patrol car to put a collar on the dog. He suffered a torn bicep and multiple puncture wounds requiring 17 stitches. The sheriff wrote that since 2018 the dog has also attacked two other K9 officers on three different occasions requiring a total of 54 stitches and the reattachment of a toe.
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Feds Move Forward with Execution Plan; Former Lansing Man Set to Die Wednesday
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is moving ahead with its plan to resume federal executions for the first time in more than 15 years. The executions are set to take place next week. That's despite the coronavirus pandemic raging both inside and outside prisons and despite stagnating national support for the death penalty. Beginning Monday, three inmates are scheduled to die by lethal injection at an Indiana prison. One of the inmates is convicted murderer Wesley Ira Purkey. In 1998, the Lansing man raped and killed a 16-year-old girl and murdered an 80-year-old woman. The decision to move forward with the executions has been criticized by some as a dangerous and political move by the Trump administration, at a time when there is great scrutiny of racial disparities in the death penalty and in the larger criminal justice system. Purkey is scheduled for execution on Wednesday, July 15.
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UnitedHealthcare Donates $1 Million to Help Kansas Nonprofits During Pandemic
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) — A major health insurance company has donated a million dollars in grants to help non-profit organizations in Kansas expand healthcare access during the coronavirus pandemic. UnitedHealthcare's Empowering Health grants have been awarded to seven community-based organizations in the state. In part, the grants are aimed at helping uninsured Kansans and those residents living in under-served communities. The company says the grants will help organizations increase their capacity to fight COVID-19 and assist individuals and families experiencing challenges from the pandemic.
Grant recipients include: Just Food in Douglas County, Valeo Behavioral Health Care in Topeka, Harvesters Community Food Network in Northeast Kansas, the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City, the Johnson County Mental Health Center, the Kansas Food Bank in Wichita and the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. ( Read more.)
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Kansas Speedway Announces No Fans for July NASCAR Weekend
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – The Kansas Speedway has announced that no fans will be able to attend races in July. “After careful and extensive consideration for the health and safety of our fans and the local community, we determined that the most prudent course of action would be to host the races without fans. We appreciate the patience and support from our fans, and look forward to our Fall NASCAR weekend, October 16-18,” Kansas Speedway President Pat Warren said.
Kansas Speedway’s July NASCAR weekend schedule:
Thursday, July 23: NASCAR Cup Series Kansas 400
Friday, July 24 : NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Kansas 200
Friday, July 24 : ARCA Menards Series Kansas 150
Saturday, July 25: NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Kansas 200
Saturday, July 25: NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas 250
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KPR's daily headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. KPR's weekend summary is usually published by 1 pm Saturdays and Sundays.