All Kansas Voters Can Cast Ballots in August Primary
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – The top Kansas election official says all voters will be eligible to cast a ballot in the primary election this year, even if they aren’t a registered Republican or Democrat. That’s because the primary includes a constitutional amendment question on abortion rights. Primary elections in Kansas are normally used by Republican and Democratic voters to nominate candidates for office. But Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab says that was changed when lawmakers set the abortion rights amendment vote for the August 2nd primary. "The constitutional amendment will be on all ballots, regardless of one’s party affiliation," he said. Nearly 30% of the state’s voters are unaffiliated. They’ll receive a primary ballot with the constitutional amendment and any other local non-partisan issues. The amendment would change the state constitution to say it does not protect abortion rights. That’s in response to a 2019 court ruling that said the document protects the right to abortion. Voters who want to switch political parties must do so by today (Friday, June 10th). The final day for new voters to register for the primary is July 12.
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Kansas's First Transgender Lawmaker Won't Seek Re-Election
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The first transgender state legislator elected in Kansas is not seeking reelection. Democratic state Representative Stephanie Byers, of Wichita, said Friday that she is moving to Texas so that she and her wife can take care of her wife’s aging parents. Byers was elected in 2020 and quickly became a leading legislative opponent of unsuccessful Republican proposals to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s school and college sports. Byers also found herself in a media spotlight in April when a Republican Wichita-area lawmaker complained in an email about the “transgender female who is now in our restrooms in the Capitol.” Byers said those comments did not influence her decision.
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Wheat Supplies Tight as Crops in KS, OK and Nebraska Wither
UNDATED (HPM) - Wheat supplies are being hit with a double whammy, overseas and here in the U.S. Harvest Public Media reports that challenges with the wheat harvest could affect stores prices. Russia’s invasion cut off Ukrainian grain exports. And now a drought is choking out wheat harvests in Kansas and parts of Oklahoma and Nebraska. The supply crunch means shoppers may see slight price increases for things like bread and pasta, according to Joseph Glauber, with the International Food Policy Research Institute. "As far as I know, people have been able to find grain," he said. "The question is, how much are you willing to pay for it? And I think that for poorer countries, that may be an issue." The strain will be felt even more acutely in places like Egypt and Yemen, which rely on wheat imports from other countries.
(Additional reporting...)
Drought Affecting Projected Wheat Yields in the Midwest, High Plains
UNDATED (HPM) - The top wheat producer in the U.S. is Kansas. But this year, a drought is scorching the crop in Kansas and parts of western Oklahoma and Nebraska… lowering harvest expectations. That’s something Dale Nellor is watching closely. He’s a representative for the North American Millers Association, which advocates for food companies. Nellor says he doesn’t expect to see shortages or empty shelves, not here, anyway. "But I think the reality of it is that we’re dealing with inflation, we’re dealing with increased costs across the board, everything from commodities to transportation to labor. The likelihood that there’s an impact from all those combinations is realistic," he said. Wheat prices have already skyrocketed because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a big exporter of the grain. And according to Nellor, if less wheat comes out of the Great Plains… higher costs could trickle down to the grocery store.
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NWS: 4 Tornadoes Touched Down in Kansas City Area During This Week's Storms
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - For anyone keeping track and awaiting final reports from the National Weather Service, KCTV reports that four tornadoes actually touched down in the Kansas City area during this week's storms. There was an EF2, an EF1, and two EF0 tornadoes. The NWS posted the data on their website Thursday afternoon. They include graphics showing the path the tornadoes took, as well as some images of damage from each area.
Click here for more information from the NWS in Kansas City.
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Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Resigns
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – The Kansas City Public Schools superintendent credited with transforming the struggling district is leaving his post. KCUR reports that the school district announced Thursday that Superintendent Mark Bedell is resigning, effective August 5. Bedell is the school district's longest-serving superintendent in more than 50 years. The district, which has struggled with funding, school closures, and lagging academic performance, regained full accreditation under Bedell's leadership. Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland announced that it had selected Bedell as its next superintendent of schools. In a news release, the district said Bedell was a former resident in the county. A KCPS spokesperson said the KCPS board of directors unanimously approved Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier as interim superintendent for the 2022-23 school year. Collier has served as an educator in Kansas City Public Schools for 22 years. When Bedell took over as superintendent in 2016, the district had been provisionally accredited since 2014. KCPS lost its accreditation in 2012 after high superintendent turnover and the closure of half the district's schools. Under Bedell’s leadership, test scores and graduation rates improved enough for the state board to fully restore the district’s accreditation earlier this year. The board also cited the district’s consistent leadership in its decision to restore accreditation.
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Geico Facing Big Payout to Woman Who Got STD After Sex in Car
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Geico may have to pay $5.2 million to a woman who says she contracted a disease during sex in a car with a man insured by the insurance company. This week, a Missouri Court of Appeals panel upheld the award to a woman identified in court records as M.O. She alleged a man she was in a relationship with did not tell her before they had sex in his car that he had HPV, the human papilloma virus. The Maryland-based insurance company argued in its appeal that it had not been given due process and the arbitration agreement was unenforceable. Geico has filed a separate federal lawsuit contending the man's insurance policy doesn't cover the woman's claim.
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Parsons Man Wore Ankle Monitor During Bank Robbery
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Kan. (Montgomery County Chronicle) - A Parsons man who held up a southeast Kansas bank in May 2021 is probably wishing he never wore a security device during that robbery. Last week, Paul Duane Gordon, of Parsons, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery for the holdup of the Equity Bank in Independence. The Montgomery County Chronicle reports that Gordon took $460 from the bank during the robbery but could now be sentenced to up to years in prison because of his guilty plea. When Gordon robbed the Independence bank, law enforcement had a good idea of his location, because he was wearing an ankle monitor due to a previous crime in Missouri. That ankle monitor allowed law enforcement to track Gordon to his exact location, where he was subsequently arrested following a high-speed chase and a pursuit on foot. Sentencing is scheduled on August 19 in federal court in Wichita.
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Ex-Officer in Leavenworth Found Not Guilty in 2017 Fatal Shooting
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) - A second jury has found a former Kansas police officer not guilty in the 2017 shooting death of a man inside his vehicle while the officer was responding to a report of a domestic dispute at a home. Matthew Harrington was acquitted Wednesday of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 47-year-old Antonio Garcia Jr. The decision came after a mistrial was declared in Harrington's first trial. Harrington shot Garcia in July 2017 while Garcia was sitting inside a vehicle in Leavenworth. Prosecutors said Garcia had a knife but didn’t threaten the officer. Harrington was fired after a department investigation found he had violated policies on the use of deadly force. A lawyer for Harrington says the second jury made the correct decision.
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Man Accused of Shooting Kansas City Barber After Being Upset with Haircut
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Draque's Barbershop is a staple in Midtown Kansas City. They're known for giving back to community, in fact, they were grilling food to give away when a disgruntled customer started shooting last week. Now, WDAF TV reports that 33-year-old Vernie Dickens Jr. is charged with first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Barber Draque Murff and witnesses say the gunman wanted to kill him because he was upset over a haircut. Court documents said Dickens received a haircut at the barber shop from another barber, listed as KW, on June 1. After Dickens became upset with the haircut he received, KW did not charge him. Dickens later returned to the shop the next day and sat in KW's chair, stating he was waiting for him. Soon after, the shooting began. (Read more.)
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Odd Kansas Connection to the Reign of Queen Elizabeth II
UNDATED (KPR) - People in Great Britain and around the world are celebrating the Queen of England's Platinum Jubilee, her seven decades on the British throne. While few Kansans are aware, there's there's an odd but important Kansas connection to the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Find out what it is here.
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Kansas Girl Earns Every Boy Scout Merit Badge, a Rare Feat
SPRING HILL, Kan. (WDAF) — A Kansas girl is taking the Boy Scouts by storm, earning a record number of merit badges. She’s working on earning the highest honor in Girl Scouts, too. Fewer than half of 1% of scouts throughout the U.S. have earned all merit badges. Rebecca McCreight is one of them. “I have 138 of them, which is all of them," she said. In 2019, the Boy Scouts of America allowed girls to join the program. With Rebecca’s older brother’s record of 88 merit badges, she had some ground to cover before turning 18. Rebecca’s dad, Scout Master David McCreight, says he's proud of his daughter. “What a normal scout might take up to eight years to do, took her about 23 months," he said. He’s also proud of his daughter for being part of the first class of female Eagle Scouts. Rebecca plans to attend Washburn University in the fall to study forensic chemistry. (Read more.)
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Ohio Trucker Gets 45 Years for Crash That Killed 4 Siblings, Injured Kansas City Man
RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) _ A truck driver whose semitrailer crashed into a car in an eastern Indiana road construction zone, killing four siblings, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison. Thirty-three-year-old Corey Robert Withrow of Camden, Ohio, pleaded guilty Wednesday to nine charges related to the July 9, 2020, crash on Interstate 70. A Wayne County judge sentenced Withrow to nine years for each of the five felonies that Withrow will serve one after another. The fiery crash killed 15-year-old Anesa Noel Acosta, 13-year-old Quintin Michael McGowan, 8-year-old Brekkin Riley Bruce and 6-year-old Trentin Beau Bruce. Their father, Aaron Bruce of Kansas City, Missouri, suffered severe injuries.
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Royals Win Streak Hits Two as Kansas City Beats Baltimore 7-5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Kansas City Royals are a roll. Sort of. Kansas City beat the Baltimore Orioles, 7-5. That's a two game winning streak! This is the first time the Royals have won consecutive games since the middle of May (May 17 and 18).
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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.