© 2024 Kansas Public Radio

91.5 FM | KANU | Lawrence, Topeka, Kansas City
96.1 FM | K241AR | Lawrence (KPR2)
89.7 FM | KANH | Emporia
99.5 FM | K258BT | Manhattan
97.9 FM | K250AY | Manhattan (KPR2)
91.3 FM | KANV | Junction City, Olsburg
89.9 FM | K210CR | Atchison
90.3 FM | KANQ | Chanute

See the Coverage Map for more details

FCC On-line Public Inspection Files Sites:
KANU, KANH, KANV, KANQ

Questions about KPR's Public Inspection Files?
Contact General Manager Feloniz Lovato-Winston at fwinston@ku.edu
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Headlines for Monday, February 18, 2019

kpr-news-summary_new_807.jpg
kpr-news-summary_new_807.jpg

 

KBI Arrests Man for Murder in Chautauqua County

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a 43-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder after a shooting death in southeast Kansas.  The KBI and the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office are investigating after a man was found dead Sunday night at a home in Sedan.  The KBI says deputies found 46-year-old Joe Corman, of Peru, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the Sedan City Hospital.  Sheriff's deputies arrested Travis Dickson Sunday evening at his home in Niotaze. Dickson was charged Monday with first-degree murder.  No further information was immediately released.

====================

Separate Shootings Leave 3 Dead in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Separate shootings in Kansas City left three people dead and one injured over a 12-hour period.  The Kansas City Star reports the deaths raised the number of homicides this year in Kansas City to 19.  The first shooting happened Saturday night when police were called to a home and found a man dead. Witnesses say the victim had been arguing with another man. A suspect was arrested early Sunday, a couple blocks away.  Another shooting happened early Sunday at a nightclub, where police found a man and woman with gunshot wounds, inside a vehicle. The man was pronounced dead and the woman was being treated at a hospital.  The third shooting death was reported about 9:15 a.m. Sunday. Police were interviewing people several hours later.

====================

Hutchinson Man Gets 2 Years in Killing of Cyclist

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - A judge has sentenced a Hutchinson man to two years in prison for intentionally crashing into a bicyclist, who later died.  The Hutchinson News reports District Judge Trish Rose on Friday issued the sentence to 19-year-old Taylor Lukone. The sentence was a departure from a minimum eight-year sentence that prosecutors and defense lawyers had recommended.  Lukone ultimately acknowledged intentionally hitting 51-year-old Jose L. Lopez, as he was riding his bicycle on September 21, 2017. Lopez suffered numerous broken bones and a head injury, and he died 11 days later at a Wichita hospital.  A passenger says Lukone made a U-turn and accelerated as he swerved to hit Lopez.  The judge cited Lukone's age, lack of a prior criminal record and that he'd admitted to his actions.
 
====================

Kansas Representative Greg Lewis Resigns to Fight Brain Cancer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - State Representative Greg Lewis says he will resign to concentrate on his battle with a cancerous brain tumor.  Lewis, a Republican from St. John, said on the Kansas House floor Monday that it is becoming apparent to him that he can't represent his district to the level his constituents deserve.  His resignation will be effective Friday.  The fourth-generation cattle rancher was first elected to represent the 113th District in November 2016.  The Wichita Eagle reports Lewis said he learned of his cancer while visiting his son in Kansas City on Christmas Eve. He says he has had three surgeries and is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.  Lewis thanked members of the House and visitors, and for many cards, emails, phone calls and prayers.

====================

Group Rescues 43 Dogs from Hoarding Situation in Southeast Kansas
 
CHETOPA, Kan. (AP) - An animal rescue group says it is housing 43 dogs that were found in three different properties in southeast Kansas.  KAKE-TV reports that Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption says the animals were found Friday near Chetopa in deplorable conditions without drinkable water, medical attention or shelter in freezing temperatures.  Chetopa Police Chief Scott Faegen said the owner surrendered the animals after a new ordinance limited the number of domesticated animals someone can keep to six.  Faegen said the animals weren't malnourished or sick but were being kept in a hoarding situation.  All of the dogs were taken to a shelter.  The rescue group says it needs more foster homes to help care for the animals.

====================

Officials: Student at Mizzou Contracts TB

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - University of Missouri officials say a student on the Columbia campus has active tuberculosis and may have infected other people. The school announced Monday that the Boone County health department is working with university health officials to determine whether other students and staff need testing. Privacy laws prohibit the release of any information about the student. The ill student left campus voluntarily  .

====================

Thieves Steal Plaque in Topeka Honoring SCOTUS Justice

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A civil rights activist says a plaque honoring Thurgood Marshall has been stolen from a Topeka bridge named for the former U.S. Supreme Court justice. It is the second time in a year that a plaque honoring a civil rights icon was pried loose from a Topeka bridge. In August 2018, a commemorative plaque was stolen from a bridge named for Ken Marshall, the first black person elected to the Kansas Legislature from Topeka.  

====================

Fifth Former Employee Sues Newman University
 
WICHTA, Kan. (AP) - A former Newman University volleyball coach has become the fifth ex-employee to sue the school in recent months.  Destiny Clark claimed in a lawsuit filed Thursday that the private, Catholic college retaliated against her and paid her less than promised when she was hired. She also contends the school routinely made her volleyball team a lower priority than other teams.  The Wichita Eagle reports all five of the former employees allege unfair termination or treatment. Three, including Clark, mention Title IX complaints and claimed the school retaliated during the investigations.  School spokesman Clark Schafer said in a statement that Clark's claims were without merit. He said the school has complied with all applicable state and federal laws.

====================
 
Kansas Taking Further Steps to Start Industrial Hemp Crop

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) - The deadline is approaching for applications to grow the state's new industrial hemp research crop.  The Kansas Department of Agriculture will take applications for growers who want to be part of the state's research program until March 1.  The Hutchinson News reports state lawmakers created the research program last April. The federal government also has declassified industrial hemp as a controlled substance as part of the 2018 Farm Bill.  State agriculture department spokeswoman Heather Lansdowne says Kansas law still allows only research on the crop.  Previous to the federal farm bill, Kansas could only establish a research program for hemp growing in order to comply with federal laws. Now, the state is open to establishing commercial hemp growing if the legislature approves it.
 
====================

Kansas Senators Worry About Precedent in Border Declaration

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' two Republican U.S. senators worry about the precedent set by President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the border with Mexico to secure more money for a wall.  Senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts said Saturday that they are concerned that a future president could use a similar declaration to impose policies that Congress has not authorized. The White House has said $6.1 billion will be redirected to the wall.  But the senators said they are still studying the question of how much authority the president has under the U.S. Constitution to make such a move.  Moran said: "I'm worried that if it gets used this time, what's the next instance in which it becomes used?"  Roberts said he worries about "government by fiat" in the future.

====================

Veterans Addiction Treatment Center Being Built in Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new $4.4 million facility is being built at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita to treat veterans' addictions.  Medical center director Rick Ament said at a groundbreaking Friday that the inpatient center is "a badly needed service for veterans between Kansas City and Oklahoma City." The Wichita Eagle reports that the hospital sends between 15 and 20 veterans every month to Leavenworth or Kansas City for residential treatment for substance abuse.  VA spokesman Akeam Ashford says the new facility will have 12 beds to treat veterans in Wichita. There are currently 183 veterans enrolled in the outpatient substance abuse program in Wichita.  Construction is expected to be completed in October, with patient treatments starting in January.

====================

Lawmakers: U.S. Budget Measure Includes $50 Million for Amtrak Route

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Lawmakers say a federal budget compromise approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump provides $50 million of additional federal funding to maintain Amtrak rail passenger service through New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas.  New Mexico Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and Representative Ben Ray Lujan said Friday the funding for the Southwest Chief route will enable Amtrak to pay matching funding for a grant to pay for maintenance and safety improvements to the Southwest Chief route.  Amtrak officials previously proposed replacing train service with bus service between Dodge City and Albuquerque, New Mexico — about a quarter of the 2,265-mile route providing daily train service between Los Angeles and Chicago.  The New Mexico lawmakers said the funding was also pushed by senators from Colorado and Kansas.

====================

Wichita Police Investigate Shooting of Woman Who Answered Late Night Knock at the Door

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita are investigating the shooting of a woman who told officers she was answering a late-night knock at her door before she was shot in the back.  Television station KSNW reports that the 58-year-old woman told police she heard a knock at her door around 1 am Friday, and when she went to answer it, someone outside shot through the door. Police say several rounds were fired.  The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to her back. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.  Police say they don't believe the shooting was random. No arrests have been announced.  Police say a man and woman in their 20s and an infant were also in the home at the time of the shooting.

====================

For 3rd Time in 8 Years, Animals Rescued from Missouri Site

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Humane Society of Missouri says dogs and cats have been rescued from filthy conditions at the same western Missouri site for the third time in eight years.  The society said in a news release that the owner on Friday voluntarily surrendered 21 dogs and 20 cats from a site in Bates County. The Bates County Sheriff's Office arrested the animals' owner on Thursday on charges stemming from the seizure of more than 100 dogs and cats in December 2017.  The organization says the animals rescued Friday were living in waste-saturated cages in a dilapidated small house. There was no running water on the property and no visible food available to the animals.  The Humane Society also rescued more than 50 dogs from the property in 2011.

====================

Hutchinson Man Gets 2 Years in Killing of Cyclist

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A judge has sentenced a Hutchinson man to two years in prison for intentionally crashing into a bicyclist, who later died.  The Hutchinson News reports District Judge Trish Rose on Friday issued the sentence to 19-year-old Taylor Lukone. The sentence was a departure from a minimum eight-year sentence that prosecutors and defense lawyers had recommended.  Lukone ultimately acknowledged intentionally hitting 51-year-old Jose L. Lopez, as he was riding his bicycle on Sept. 21, 2017. Lopez suffered numerous broken bones and a head injury, and he died 11 days later at a Wichita hospital.  A passenger says Lukone made a U-turn and accelerated as he swerved to hit Lopez.  The judge cited Lukone's age, lack of a prior criminal record and that he'd admitted to his actions.

====================

Cardinal Calls Theodore McCarrick's Punishment "Important"

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The archbishop of Boston says the Vatican's decision to defrock former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is an important step for "administering justice" for McCarrick's crimes.  Cardinal Sean O'Malley issued a statement Saturday after the announcement that McCarrick had been found guilty by the Vatican of sex abuse, including while hearing confession.  O'Malley says church leaders "must enforce accountability for cardinals and bishops."  O'Malley says his archdiocese is committed to taking reports of abuse seriously, saying it has a "moral responsibility" to be always vigilant.  A Kansas diocese says disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick will continue to live at a local friary "until a decision of permanent residence is finalized."  McCarrick had moved to the St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, Kansas, in September after Pope Francis ordered him to live in penance and prayer while the investigation into his actions continued.  McCarrick was defrocked after being found guilty by the Vatican of sex abuse, including while hearing confession.  In a statement Saturday, Bishop Gerald L. Vincke of the Salina Diocese said he hopes the Vatican's decision will "help bring healing to all affected by sexual abuse and those hurt by this scandal."

The cardinal of Newark, New Jersey, is thanking Pope Francis for his leadership on the church investigation of ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick.  McCarrick was Newark archbishop for 14 years. He was defrocked after being found guilty by the Vatican of sex abuse, including while hearing confession.  Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin said Saturday it's "profoundly disheartening and disturbing" to know that McCarrick acted "contrary to the Christian way of life as well as his vocation as a priest."  Tobin, who was named a cardinal by Francis, expressed gratitude to the pontiff "for his leadership throughout this difficult investigation and decision."  Last year, Tobin said the archdiocese never received an accusation that McCarrick abused a minor, but that it and another New Jersey diocese received three allegations of sexual misconduct with adults decades ago. Two of those resulted in settlement.

A U.S. lay Catholic group wants those who "looked the other way" as Theodore McCarrick rose to cardinal's rank even despite abusing others be held accountable.  The Catholic Association, a conservative group, in a statement Saturday, called McCarrick's defrocking "only a first step" in ridding sexual abuse from all levels of the church.

====================

Board of Embattled Kansas Military School Looks to Future

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The board of an embattled Kansas military school is exploring what to do with the property as the private boarding school prepares to close after facing years of litigation.  St. John's Military School announced this month that the Salina all-boys school will close after this school year. The school said it was unfairly targeted by lawsuits and negative media portrayals, including accusations that administrators failed to supervise cadets.  The Salina Journal reports that the school's board is considering fundraising options to transform the school grounds.  The school's president, Colonel William Clark, says the board is committed to keeping the property as an educational institution. He says it's too early to determine whether it'll stay a military school or become another kind of facility, though all options are being considered.

====================

Payless ShoeSource to Shutter All Remaining U.S. Stores

NEW YORK (AP) — Payless ShoeSource is shuttering all of its 2,100 remaining stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, joining a list of iconic names like Toys R Us and Bon-Ton that have closed down in the last year.  The Topeka, Kansas-based chain said Friday it will hold liquidation sales starting Sunday and wind down its e-commerce operations. All of the stores will remain open until at least the end of March and the majority will remain open until May.  The debt-burdened chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2017, closing hundreds of stores as part of its reorganization.  At the time, it had over 4,400 stores in more than 30 countries. It remerged from restructuring four months later with about 3,500 stores and eliminated more than $435 million in debt.

The company said in an email that the liquidation doesn't affect its franchise operations or its Latin American stores, which remain open for business as usual. It lists 18,000 employees worldwide.  Shoppers are increasingly shifting their buying online or heading to discount stores like T.J. Maxx to grab deals on name-brand shoes. That shift has hurt traditional retailers, even low-price outlets like Payless. Heavy debt loads have also handcuffed retailers, leaving them less flexible to invest in their businesses.  But bankruptcies and store closures will continue through 2019 so there's "no light at the end of the tunnel," according to a report by Coresight Research.  

Before this announcement, there have been 2,187 U.S. store closing announcements this year, with Gymboree and Ascena Retail, the parent of Lane Bryant and other brands, accounting for more than half the total, according to the research firm. This year's total is up 23 percent from the 1,776 announcements a year ago. Year-to-date, retailers have announced 1,411 store openings, offsetting 65 percent of store closures, it said.  Payless was founded in 1956 by two cousins, Louis and Shaol Lee Pozez, to offer self-service stores selling affordable footwear.

====================

Negro Leagues Museum to Celebrate League's 100th Anniversary

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is celebrating the 100th anniversary of a Kansas City meeting that sparked the league with a yearlong celebration.  The Kansas City Star reports that the museum in the 18th and Vine District has announced the festivities will begin February 13, 2020. That's the anniversary of a meeting of interested owners that was led by Andrew "Rube" Foster at the Paseo YMCA.  Museum president Bob Kendrick says that starting the league "against the backdrop of American segregation is monumental and richly deserves to be more than just a footnote in baseball history."  Events will include a centennial art exhibition, a visual history of the Negro Leagues.

====================

Kansas City Star Calls Senate Leader's Lawsuit "Meritless"

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City Star asked a Kansas judge Friday to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against the newspaper by state Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, calling it a "meritless hand grenade" lobbed for political purposes.  Denning in turn called the allegations made in the newspaper's filing in Johnson County District Court "absurd."  Denning's lawsuit alleges that the newspaper and freelance columnist Steve Rose defamed him by falsely attributing multiple statements to him in a column last month about expansion of the state's Medicaid health coverage for the needy. The column criticized Denning, an Overland Park Republican, for opposing Medicaid expansion.  In its court filing, The Star said Rose told an editor that Denning made the statements to him last year, but Rose did not disclose the timing of Denning's comments until after the column was published. Denning said in his lawsuit that he and Rose had not spoken since August 2016.  The filing Friday was The Star's first legal response. It noted that Denning's attorney, Michael Kuckelman, is seeking to become the Kansas Republican Party's next chairman in a vote of GOP activists this weekend. The Star contends that Denning and Kuckelman wanted to "beat the drum of 'Fake News'" to bolster Kuckelman's candidacy. "Senator Denning and his grandstanding attorney have abused the judicial system for their political goals in filling a lawsuit bereft of any facts," wrote Bernard Rhodes, The Star's attorney. The newspaper asked District Judge Paul Gurney to order Denning and Kuckelman to pay its legal costs.

The Star contends it handled Rose's column reasonably, requiring him to name the source of the statements, which were unattributed in the draft he initially turned in.  After Denning's office complained and Rose told his editor that Denning's comments had been made last year, the editor acknowledged in writing to Denning's office that the column had not met the paper's standards and the column was removed from the newspaper's website.  Rose resigned as a columnist but said in response to the lawsuit, "I don't make things up."  Kuckelman said The Star is responsible for the material it publishes and "isn't off the hook" because it has distanced itself from Rose's column. Denning said the lawsuit isn't about "some sort of political revenge."  "It's about journalistic integrity and telling the truth," he said in a statement.

====================

Judge Keeps Most Keystone XL Pipeline Work on Hold

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A federal judge in Montana has largely kept in place an injunction that blocks a Canadian company from performing preliminary work on the stalled Keystone XL oil pipeline.  U.S. District Judge Brian Morris on Friday denied a request by Calgary-based TransCanada to begin constructing worker camps for the 1,184-mile pipeline that would ship crude from Alberta to the Gulf Coast.  However, Morris said TransCanada could perform some limited activities outside the pipeline's right-of-way. Those include the construction and use of pipe storage and container yards.  TransCanada attorneys had argued the injunction issued by Morris in November could cause it to miss the 2019 construction season and further delay the project.  An appeal of November's ruling is pending before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

====================

Kansas GOP Picks Kansas City-Area Attorney as New Chairman

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican activists in Kansas have named a Kansas City-area attorney as the party's new state chairman.  Michael Kuckelman of Overland Park faced no opposition and was elected to a two-year term by the GOP State Committee in a meeting Saturday.  Kuckelman replaces Kelly Arnold, who had decided to retire as chairman after six years.  During Arnold's first two terms, Republicans swept all statewide and congressional races, but in last year's elections, Democrats Laura Kelly and Sharice Davids won the governor's race and the 3rd Congressional District seat in the Kansas City area.  Kuckelman promised GOP activists to build party unity and improve GOP voter turnout.  Kuckelman also has made headlines in recent weeks by representing Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning in a defamation lawsuit against The Kansas City Star.

====================

The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.