Kansas Lawmakers Begin Town Hall Meetings on Redistricting
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have begun five days of town hall meetings on redrawing the state's political boundaries. Their first three sessions today (MON) came before the release of the census data they need to do the job and with Republicans facing accusations that they are rushing the hearings. The House and Senate redistricting committees had meetings scheduled today (MON) in Manhattan, Salina and Hays and a total of 14 events across the state scheduled through Friday. Democrats have complained the GOP-controlled Legislature is stifling participation by scheduling the hearings over just five days. Republicans say the meetings are just a first step. Census data for cities and counties is to be released Thursday.
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State Holds Public Meetings Ahead of Redistricting
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansans have a chance to weigh in on how legislative, congressional and state Board of Education districts are redrawn starting today (MON). Redistricting town hall meetings are being held in 14 cities across the state this week in Manhattan, Hays and Salina. The meetings will also take place in Colby, Garden City, Dodge City, Chanute, Pittsburg, Hutchinson, Wichita, Kansas City and Overland Park, with town halls set for Lawrence and Leavenworth on Thursday. Josh Pierson, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and a member of the Kansas Fair Maps Coalition, says the town halls are an important way for citizens to be heard in the redistricting process. “For the most part this is a political process and I think the focus should be on asking the Legislature to draw appropriate and fair maps,” Pierson said . The meetings are an opportunity for people who share things, like geography, cultural interests or school boards, to make the case that they should be kept together when maps are drawn. ( Click here for information about town hall meetings in your area.)
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Outbreak of Illness at Kansas Water Park Not Caused by Zoo Animals
GODDARD, Kan. (AP) — Health officials say an outbreak of illness at a splash park near Wichita was not caused by animals at its interactive zoo. The Wichita Eagle reports that email exchanges it obtained through an open records request show none of the water samples health officials took from the splash park at Tanganyika Wildlife Park had animal-linked contamination. A health department official wrote in one email that results of water samples taken June 19 and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention help rule out the animals at the park. Health officials have said that eight people who visited the park on June 11 contracted Shigella, a bacterium that spreads from person-to-person through exposure to contaminated feces.
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Lawrence, KU, Douglas County Adopt New Indoor Mask Mandates
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The city of Lawrence and Douglas County will require employees and visitors to wear masks inside their buildings. City and county officials are adding to the local mandates aimed at controlling the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant. They announced the mask requirements Friday. The rules take effect today (MON) and apply whether someone has been vaccinated against COVID-19 or not. Their announcements came the same day the University of Kansas imposed an indoor mask mandate at its main campus in Lawrence and a satellite campus in Johnson County. In Manhattan, both the city and Kansas State University are requiring masks inside their buildings.
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Kansas COVID Shots Rise, but So Do Cases, Hospitalizations
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is seeing COVID-19 vaccinations rise while the more contagious delta variant is increasing new cases, hospitalizations and deaths. State data showed that Kansas averaged 1,080 new COVID-19 cases a day for the seven days ending Monday. It was the first time the average topped 1,000 since February 2. Kansas averaged 30 new hospitalizations and eight new deaths a day for the same seven days. Hospitalizations dropped below 10 per day in mid-June. The latest average for deaths was the highest in five months. But federal data showed Kansas averaged 6,330 vaccine shots a day for the seven days ending Monday. The average had dropped below 3,000 in July.
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U.S. Investigates Latest Case of a Rare Tropical Disease
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are investigating the latest fatal case of a rare tropical disease typically found in South Asia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday the unidentified person died last month in Georgia. It was the fourth U.S. case this year of melioidosis caused by bacteria that live in soil and water. None of the cases from Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota or Texas traveled internationally, puzzling experts. The CDC said two died. Federal health officials have sent an alert about the latest case to doctors. Experts say the infection is treatable if caught early and treated correctly.
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Kansas Congressman Sharice Davids Contracts COVID-19 Despite Vaccination
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids has tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated against it and is now in isolation. Davids said Friday in a statement that she has had only mild symptoms from her breakthrough case. She said she was tested after undergoing outpatient surgery involving the parathyroid glands in the neck that regulate calcium levels in the blood. The two-term Democratic congresswoman for the Kansas City area said she's been following precautions recommended by health officials, including wearing masks indoors. She said she's grateful for COVID-19 vaccines and urged people to get inoculated. Her statement did not say how she contracted COVID-19.
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Kansas Lawmaker: Man Pretending to Be on Campaign Team Visiting Homes
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A Kansas House member says someone has pretended to campaign for him door-to-door in his Kansas City district. Democratic state Rep. Aaron Coleman filed a police report Monday. Coleman said he believes the "imposter'' wants to force his way into homes or burglarize them later. Coleman said he saw comments Saturday about the man on a private Facebook group for local residents and said people have told him of incidents over the past two weeks. Coleman said the man even has had stolen campaign literature. Coleman said he would be nearby on any street supporters visit and they all wear blue campaign shirts. The alleged impersonator did not.
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Some in U.S. Getting COVID-19 Boosters Without FDA Approval
DENVER (AP) — An untold number of Americans have managed to get COVID-19 booster shots even though the U.S. government hasn't approved them. They're doing so by taking advantage of the nation’s vaccine surplus and loose tracking of those who have been fully vaccinated. Gina Welch says she got a booster by telling a clinic it was her first shot. The 26-year-old graduate student from Maine has asthma and a liver condition. An Associated Press review of a database run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found health care providers have reported more than 900 instances of people getting a third dose. However, reporting is voluntary.
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Deadline Approaching to Subsidized Health Plan on Federal Exchange
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Due to the pandemic, many more people qualify for free health insurance and August 15th is the deadline to pick a subsidized health plan on the federal healthcare exchange. Subsidies to buy a health plan on healthcare.gov have increased under the American Rescue Plan but in Kansas, thousands of people can get a health insurance plan for free or nearly free. Many who already bought exchange plans can go back to the marketplace to get a bigger discount. In Kansas, the average monthly premium for returning customers fell 40% to just under $100. ( Get more information.)
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RSV Vaccine Research Clinical Trials Seeking Kansas Volunteers
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas researchers are helping test a vaccine against a virus that kills about 14,000 older Americans each year and puts almost 200,000 in the hospital. Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, is a virus that we pick up repeatedly in life. Younger patients with RSV usually say it feels like a cold or the flu and most recover quickly. But as people age, the virus becomes more dangerous and can cause pneumonia. Terry Poling is medical director of the Wichita clinical site helping with the trials. “When you get above 65, it starts getting much more severe. When people die from ‘viral pneumonia,’ it’s usually RSV” Poling said. Now the Alliance for Multispecialty Research is seeking thousands of participants over the age of 60, for trials in Wichita, El Dorado, Newton, and Kansas City. This is the third and final trial before review by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration.
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To Shake Hands or Not? An Age-Old Human Gesture Now in Limbo
UNDATED (AP) - As workers return to the office, friends reunite and more church services shift from Zoom to in person, the question of whether to shake hands is befuddling growing numbers of people. The handshake has been around for centuries. A widely held belief is that it originated to prove to someone that a person was offering peace and not holding a hidden weapon. These days, a handshake can symbolize connection, particularly after a long period of no touching. But hands can be germy. And that's where the conflict lies. Is the handshake ever coming back? The answer depends on who you ask.
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Kansas City Zoo to Vaccinate Some Animals Against COVID-19
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Officials with the Kansas City Zoo say they plan to begin vaccinating some animals housed at the attraction against COVID-19. Among those slated to be vaccinated are the zoo's great apes, including chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas, and its big cats, including lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards. Zoo officials say those species are the most susceptible to the virus. The animals will receive the Zoetis vaccine, which was developed specifically for animals and won't affect the supply of vaccines for humans. More than 11,000 doses of that vaccine have been distributed across 70 zoos in 27 states.
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Kansas Teenager Hit by Car While Bicycling Dies
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Police say a Kansas teenager hit by a vehicle while riding her bicycle has died. The Kansas City Star reports that on Saturday, the 16-year-old Leavenworth girl was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. She later died. Police have not yet identified the teenager. Investigators believe the girl was riding her bike when she was hit from behind. Police arrested a 27-year-old woman Sunday in connection to the hit-and-run. Charges have not yet been filed.
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Guilty Plea in Police Pursuit Crash That Killed Illinois Man
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A 31-year-old Kansas City man has pleaded guilty in a crash in Kansas that killed an Illinois man. Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said Anthony Dorsey pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Nathan Pena, of Brookfield, Illinois. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash occurred on Interstate 70 in Leavenworth County in September 2019 when Dorsey was fleeing troopers over an alleged vehicle registration violation. The patrol says Pena was driving another vehicle and both men swerved to avoid a collision but their vehicles crashed. Dorsey faces up to 49 years in prison when he is sentenced September 17.
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Woman Dies in House Explosion in Southwest Kansas
JOHNSON CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine what caused a house explosion in southwest Kansas that killed a woman and left a man injured. Stanton County Sheriff Jason Stewart said the explosion and fire were reported Saturday morning in Johnson City. First responders found the woman dead at the scene. A man at the home was taken to a Wichita hospital and was in stable condition on Monday. Stewart said fire investigators had not determined the cause of the explosion as of Monday. No names have been released.
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Southeast Kansas Man’s Body Found a Day After He Went Under Water at Elk City Lake
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (KSNF/KODE) – The body of a southeast Kansas man who jumped off a boat and never resurfaced has been found. Authorities say Thomas Crittenden, of Independence, went underwater at the Elk City Lake State Park swimming area in Montgomery County Friday night. Several surrounding fire departments, Kansas Wildlife and Parks Game Warden division, as well as several citizens and their boats, assisted in the recovery effort. Crittenden’s body was found Saturday evening. This is the second drowning at Elk City Lake this year. ( Read more.)
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Arrest Made in Fatal Kansas City Hotel Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A suspect in a fatal shooting in a Kansas City, Missouri hotel has been arrested. The Kansas City Star reports police on Sunday found one person shot inside a hotel room. The victim died at the scene. A police spokeswoman says an arrest has been made in the case. Details on the victim and suspect were not provided Sunday.
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1 Dead, 1 Injured in Kansas City Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police say one person was killed and another injured in a Kansas City, Missouri shooting. The Kansas City Star reports police found two victims shot inside a vehicle early Sunday. One was declared dead at the scene. The other was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Police have not yet released the names of the victims or details on the shooting suspect.
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KBI: Record Number of People Murdered in Kansas Last Year
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says more people were murdered in Kansas last year than any year since the inception of national crime statistics. The bureau says the number of murders committed in Kansas last year hit a record at 193. That surpasses any year since 1959, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation first began publishing national crime statistics. On Friday, the KBI released its annual Kansas Crime Index Report, which compiles crime statistics reported to the bureau by state and local law enforcement agencies across the state. The report shows that violent crime in Kansas increased by 9.5% from 2019.
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Kansas City Police Investigating 2 Separate Fatal Shootings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police in Kansas City are investigating two shootings in different parts of the city that each left a man dead. Both shootings occurred Friday night, and in both cases the victims were died after being taken to a hospital. The victims have not been identified. The Kansas City Star reports that in one case police were called to an area near U.S. 71 in the central part of the city by reports of gunshots found a wounded man in his car. The Star said that in the other case, police responded to a report of gunshots in the eastern part of the city.
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Man Detained for Fatal Shooting at Missouri Gas Station
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — One man has been detained for a fatal shooting at a Kansas City, Missouri gas station. The Kansas City Star reports officers dispatched to a QuickTrip on Southwest Boulevard Saturday night found a man in the parking lot who was shot. A Kansas City police spokeswoman says he was declared dead at the scene. Police have not yet identified the man who was killed. The police spokeswoman says police believe there was an argument leading up to the shooting.
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Man Who Attacked WIBW Employees Convicted in Jail Assault
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 57-year-old Topeka man who was in jail for attacking WIBW-TV employees in 2012 has been convicted of assaulting a corrections officer. Ray Miles was convicted Friday of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery and battery against a corrections officer. Prosecutors said Miles tried to stab Shawnee County corrections officer Kourtney Flynn several times in July 2019 before other workers restrained him. Miles was in the jail to serve the remaining year of his sentences for attacking several WIBW-TV employees in 2012, stabbing two of them.
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Man Killed in Utility Vehicle Crash in Northeast Kansas ID'd
DENISON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have identified a man killed in a utility vehicle crash in rural northeastern Kansas. Television station KSNT reports that the crash happened late Friday night on a county road north of Denison. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office says 34-year-old Jack Minde, of Holton, was driving the UTV went it briefly went off the road, overcorrected and then overturned, pinning Minde underneath it. Paramedics pronounced Minde dead at the scene.
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Kansas Man Admits Role in Unemployment Fraud Case
WICHITA, Kan. (JC Post) – Federal prosecutors say a Kansas man pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud and one count of Aiding and Abetting Wire Fraud. The U.S. Attorney's Office says in June 2020, 65-year-old Donald Cook, of Fort Scott, took part in a scheme to defraud the state governments of Arizona, Texas, and Ohio. Cook admitted he knew that an individual, identified in court documents only as “A.T.”, was falsely using other people’s identities to apply for state unemployment benefits. Cook allowed “A.T.” to deposit the fraudulently obtained funds totaling approximately $25,500 in his bank account. Cook then transferred money to “A.T.” Cook faces up to 20 years in prison for Wire Fraud and up to 20 years in prison for Aiding and Abetting Wire Fraud. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ( Read more.)
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Kansas Court Rejects Woman's Appeal in Ex-Boyfriend's Murder
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state Supreme Court has upheld the convictions of a northeast Kansas woman serving a "Hard 50" prison sentence for shooting the father of her child six times and setting his body on fire in his mother's home. The court on Friday unanimously rejected arguments from Tria Evans' attorney that a Douglas County judge shouldn't have allowed testimony that 34-year-old victim Joel Wales told others he feared Evans would kill him. The now 42-year-old Evans was convicted of first-degree murder and arson over Wales' death in November 2017. She was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years.
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Police: Man Sought for Nebraska Homicide in Custody in Kansas
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 46-year-old man is in custody in Kansas in connection with the death of a 23-year-old woman in Omaha, Nebraska, after her body was found in a park in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. Omaha police said Friday that Ralph H. Bullard already was in the Leavenworth County jail when they obtained an arrest warrant for him on possible charges that include second-degree murder and auto theft. The Leavenworth County jail said Saturday that officials in both Nebraska and California are seeking to return Bullard to their states but had no further details. Omaha police identified the victim of the homicide as Leah N. Verratti.
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Kansas GOP Official Says Chair Blocked Her from House Vote
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Republican Party official in Wichita is accusing her county's GOP chairman of breaking state law by preventing her from voting on filling a Kansas House vacancy. The Wichita Eagle reports that Precinct Committeewoman Cindy Miles said Segwick County Chairman David Thorne blocked her from voting in the party convention Thursday night to replace the late Republican Rep. Ron Howard. Thorne said he told Miles at Thursday night's convention that her online comment congratulating a Democrat running for City Council was inappropriate and she left. Miles said she plans to file complaints with state officials. Howard's seat went to tax preparation company manager Cyndi Howerton.
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Farm to School Fresh Produce Programs Struggle During Pandemic
HAYS, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Farm to School program pairs family farms with school districts who want to buy fresh products for student meals. The statewide program has helped dozens of Kansas schools contract with local farmers to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to cafeterias. But pandemic-related uncertainty about the coming school year is disrupting the system and making it harder to form those connections. Carol Buck grows hydroponic lettuce at her family’s farm in Grinnell, in northwest Kansas. She sold to dozens of schools prior to the pandemic but has seen a drastic decline in orders this year. She says even if more schools decide to come on board, it won’t solve the problem overnight, because the crop takes at least three months to grow. “We can't just say, ‘Well, Dodge City wants to come on so next week, we've got the lettuce.’ It doesn’t work that way,” Buck said. Prior to the pandemic, Buck delivered lettuce and other leafy greens to the Garden City and Dodge City school districts. But so far this year, only one school in Dodge City has placed an order. The school districts say that even when classes met in-person last year, many parents chose to keep their kids at home, so it’s hard to know how many students will show up this year and difficult to plan meal programs.
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New Data Shed Light on Why People Are Leaving Rural Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Population growth in Kansas isn’t keeping up with the rest of the country, according to a map from the U.S. Census Bureau, and one reason is people are leaving rural parts of the state. Television station KNST reports that the Kansas Sampler Foundation and the Kansas Office of Prosperity recently released the results of their own survey after getting input from hundreds of young people in rural areas. Childcare, internet access, and housing are some of the biggest motivations for people deciding not to stay in Kansas. Some issues like broadband may be a bigger concern in small towns, but not all are specific to rural areas. “Issues like childcare and childcare services - that’s not just a rural issue, that’s across the state,” said Trisha Purdon, director for the Office of Rural Prosperity. Bigger cities are also having to find new ways to attract young people to stay. The survey results stressed the importance of attracting young families. Purdon said a big part of getting people to live in a rural town is enticing students already there to live there in the future.
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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 and by 1 pm on weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!