Severe Storms Possible as Cold Front Moves into Eastern Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - A cold front is moving through Kansas, which will push out much of the heat and humidity Kansas has been experiencing. The cold front is also expected to ignite showers and thunderstorms across portions of Kansas. Some of the storms will be severe, producing high winds, large hail and heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued an advisory, saying a few strong to severe storms may develop across eastern Kansas this (MON) afternoon and evening.
Damaging straight line winds will be the primary threat, with large hail a secondary threat. Heavy rainfall is also possible across east central Kansas which may cause localized flooding. Get the latest weather information here.
=====================
Police Search for Suspects in Shooting Death of Topeka Woman
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Topeka continue to search for suspects in the death of a woman who was killed by a stray bullet as she stood in her front yard. The shooting happened late Wednesday night as 62-year-old Jerrie Lyn Ross was in her yard. Police say she was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of two parties shooting at each other. Police have said they are searching for a person of interest based on video images of someone shooting, but have not announced any arrests. Ross's family says she was a real estate and property manager who owned and operated Homes By Ross in Topeka.
====================
Kansas Sues to Block Wyandotte Nation's Plans for Casino
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has filed a lawsuit against top officials at the U.S. Department of the Interior seeking to block the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma from building a casino on land it owns in Park City. It is the latest legal twist in a decades-long dispute over the tribe’s legal authority on the 10-acre parcel. The federal lawsuit filed Monday is an effort to set aside a decision issued in May by the Interior Department that cleared the way for the project. That reversed an earlier decision from 2014 that had the tribe’s request to build the casino on the parcel it purchased on 1992.
====================
Kansas City Police Respond to 6 Homicides over Weekend
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police in Kansas City responded to shootings that left six people dead in the city Saturday and Sunday. Officers found a man with gunshot wounds in the parking lot of Tony Aguirre Community Center Sunday evening, and he died at a hospital. Earlier Sunday, officers found a woman dead in a home near Ward Parkway and a man in his 20s shot to death in another home. And on Saturday, two men were found dead from gunshot wounds in the backyard of a home. Police said Monday that a fatal shooting Sunday in a parking lot of the Kansas City Zoo appeared to be accidental.
====================
Reno County Sheriff's Office: 1 Dead After Fiery Crash in Hutchinson
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in south-central Kansas say one person has died in a fiery crash near Hutchinson. KAKE TV reports the crash happened around 7 pm Sunday northwest of Hutchinson, along or near Kansas Highway 96. Reno County Sheriff's Captain Steve Lutz says a pickup truck caught fire after crashing, trapping a person inside the vehicle. Lutz says that person died at the scene. Officials have not released the victim's name or given other details of the crash, but say investigators believe excessive speed contributed to the fatality.
====================
Latest Figures Show Kansas with 387 COVID-19 Deaths and Nearly 32,000 Coronavirus Cases
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Since the coronavirus pandemic began, nearly 32,000 Kansans have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Kansas health officials reported today (MON) that 387 people had died and 31,730 people had tested positive. A new round of data will be released online Wednesday.
- KPR's Coronavirus Information and Resources Guide
- Updated Regularly: What Kansans Need to Know About the Coronavirus
(–Related–)
Kansas Has Nearly 1,100 New Coronavirus Cases, 7 More Deaths
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is reporting that nearly 1,100 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases and another seven COVID-19-related deaths over the previous three days. The state Department of Health and Environment said Monday that Kansas has had 31,730 coronavirus virus cases since the pandemic reached the state in early March. That’s up 3.6% or 1,092 cases since Friday. The state health department said there have been 387 COVID-19-related deaths reported for Kansas during the panic, an increase of 1.8% since Friday. However, confirmed or probable cases leading to deaths was 1.22% as of Monday. That was a low for the pandemic.
====================
GOP Leader Says Kansas Health Chief Misled Public on Masks
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Republican leader in the Kansas Legislature is accusing Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s top public health administrator of using a misleading presentation to bolster their argument for requiring people to wear masks in public. House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins's criticism Monday came as a debate raged over imposing mandates to get the coronavirus under control. Hawkins’s criticism of Dr. Lee Norman came after the CEO of a small-government, free-market think tank suggested that Norman had "doctored” a chart used in a news conference last week. Norman acknowledged that the chart might have caused confusion but said its central point that masks work remains valid.
====================
Central Kansas Plant Will Produce Covid-19 Drug That Is in Short Supply
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas City Business Journal reports that a central Kansas manufacturing facility will help fill demand for a key drug used to treat Covid-19 patients. Remdesivir is an antiviral medication developed by the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer says it has an agreement with Gilead Sciences to produce the drug at a plant in McPherson. Pfizer’s McPherson plant specializes in producing injectable medications. Remdesivir is an investigational drug that received emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with Covid-19. The drug has shown promise, but a shortage of remdesivir has caused authorities to ration its distribution to hospitals, and forced hospitals to ration its use to only the most serious patients. Pfizer will provide contract manufacturing of the drug as part of a multi-year agreement. According to the San Francisco Business Times, the deal between Gilead and Pfizer comes as Gilead is under pressure from state attorneys general to ramp up production of remdesivir. On August 4, 34 attorneys general, including Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, signed a letter asking federal officials to exercise “march-in” rights to help alleviate shortages of the drug and address the drug’s high price. March-in rights allow the government to take steps including requiring a patent holder to license a patent to a third party if it can’t hit a “reasonable price” or cannot meet health needs. Gilead said the attorneys general letter contains inaccuracies and misunderstandings about how the drug is used. ( Read more in the Kansas City Business Journal.)
====================
2 Men Die After Being Found Shot in Kansas City Backyard
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two men found with gunshot wounds in a backyard in southeast Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said the shooting was reported around 6 pm Saturday. When officers arrived, they were directed to a backyard where the two men with gunshot wounds were found. The two men were given aid, but Becchina said they died at the scene of the shooting. Detectives are trying to locate any witnesses and determine whether the men lived at the home where they were found.
====================
Body Found Sunday in Missouri River
SUGAR CREEK, Mo. (AP) — A body was found Sunday in the Missouri River in a small western Missouri city. The Sugar Creek Police Department was called to La Benite Park around 8:30 am Sunday after someone reported finding a corpse in the river. Sugar Creek is about 15 miles northeast of Kansas City, Missouri. Police helped recover the body from the river. The victim’s identity and cause of death were not immediately released Sunday afternoon.
====================
Sedgwick County Deputy Arrested on Suspicion of Domestic Battery
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Sedgwick County Sheriff's deputy has been arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's office said 27-year-old Kellie Geiger was arrested Saturday after a disturbance with "an intimate partner who she shares a residence with" was reported. No other details were provided. Sgt. Lanon Thompson said Geiger has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated. She has worked with the sheriff's office for six years.
====================
Kansas Congressional Candidate Will Take COVID-19 Test After Supporter Tests Positive
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Amanda Adkins, the new Republican nominee in Kansas 3rd District, will be tested for the coronavirus after the campaign was told a supporter at her primary night election party tested positive for COVID-19. Adkins campaign manager Matt Patterson said Friday Adkins would take the test within five days. She also will self-quarantine for 14 days and take another test at the end of her quarantine. Adkins, of Overland Park, won last week's primary in a field of five candidates and will face Democratic Congresswoman Sharice Davids in the November general election.
====================
Kansas Man Gets Life Sentence for 2018 Night Club Shooting
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 38-year-old man convicted of a 2018 fatal shooting outside a Wichita night club has been sentenced to life in prison. The Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office said Monday in a news release that Brandon Evans shot and killed 37-year-old Isaac Lewis of Wichita outside Daiquiri’s Club. A 28-year-old woman was shot in the arm. Evans was convicted last year of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Evans claimed at his sentencing Friday that he suffered from a mental disease. District Judge Eric Williams sentenced him to life with no parole eligibility until he serves more than 65 years.
====================
Colorado Trucker Sentenced in Kansas Crash that Killed 5
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A truck driver from Colorado who caused a fiery crash that killed five people in Kansas has been sentenced to five years in jail. Fifty-nine-year-old Kenny Ford, of Greeley, Colorado, was sentenced Friday in the July 2017 wreck on Interstate 70 near Bonner Springs. Investigators said Ford did not heed signs warning of possible traffic backups before his semi-trailer truck hit three vehicles in stalled traffic. Ford pleaded no contest in January to five counts of vehicular homicide, a misdemeanor. Each count carried a maximum one-year prison sentence. Two of the victims were from Illinois and three were from Kansas.
====================
Missouri Town Divided by Move to Change High School Mascot
SAVANNAH, Mo. (AP) — A northwest Missouri town is debating whether to change its high school's “Savages” mascot name. The debate has split Savannah. The nearly all-white town has about 5,000 residents and is an hour north of Kansas City. “Savages” has been the mascot since at least 1926 and is emblazoned across the town. Racial inequality protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis prompted people to start a petition to change the mascot. That's led to a counter-petition to keep it. A large crowd nearly evenly split on the issue attended a Savannah school board meeting in July. It's unclear if the board will take action.
(-Related-)
Native Mascots Still a Sticking Point in High School Sports
BOUNTIFUL, Utah (AP) — Advocates have made strides in getting controversial Native American symbols and names changed in sports, but they say more work needs to be done mainly, at the high school level. Momentum is building after a nationwide push for racial justice following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the NFL team in Washington dropping its Redskins name. At Bountiful High School, there’s deep nostalgia for the “Braves” name that’s been used for nearly 70 years. Fans say it’s an honor, but it’s not considered an honor by many Native Americans who see the same portrayals throughout high school, collegiate and professional sports.
====================
Two Men Charged in Fatal Shooting at Warrensburg Party
WARRENSBURG, Mo (AP) — Two Warrensburg men have been charged in a shooting at a large birthday party that left one woman dead and two other people injured. Twenty-five-year-old Evan Lanigan and 28-year-old Christian Harrison have each been charged with second-degree murder and several other counts in the August 1 shooting in Warrensburg that killed 18-year-old Maliyah Lakey. Witnesses told police Lanigan pulled a gun during an argument with Harrison, leading to a large fight. Lakey's body was found in an alley near the house. A 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old female who were also shot were treated at were treated at area hospitals.
====================
Kansas Poised to Elect Its First Openly Transgender Lawmaker
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A retired music teacher would become the first openly transgender member of the deeply conservative Kansas Legislature if she's elected from a Democratic-leaning district she's expected to win in November. Stephanie Byers, of Wichita, would join the ranks of other transgender people who have served in legislatures in other states, including four who currently hold such office in New Hampshire, Colorado and Virginia. Byers advanced to the general election after running unopposed in Tuesday's Democratic primary. The 57-year-old faces Republican Cyndi Howerton for the seat being vacated by Democratic state Rep. Jim Ward, who is running for state Senate. The district previously backed President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Democratic Governor Laura Kelly.
====================
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.