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Headlines for Monday, June 28, 2021

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Flooding Continues Across Kansas, Missouri

TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over the weekend knocked out power for thousands, damaged trees, and caued flooding throughout Kansas and  Missouri.  The National Weather Service reports that between four and ten inches of rain fell between Friday afternoon and Sunday night over portions of northeast Kansas, flooding numerous roads in Anderson, Franklin, Lyon, and Osage counties.  A flood warning remains in effect until Tuesday for the Marais Des Cygnes River near La Cygne.  Heavy rainfall over the weekend caused flooding from western Oklahoma to Missouri, Illinois, and extending up through Michigan.  More rain is in today's forecast for much of Kansas; although today's storms are not expected to be as strong, damaging winds and hail are still possible.  The National Weather Service predicts more rain in the forecast for the next several days.

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One Dies, Two Rescued from Flood Waters North of KC

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - One person has died after a vehicle was swept into flood waters about 40 miles north of Kansas City. The Clinton County, Missouri, Sheriff's Office reports that emergency responders were called to the area Saturday morning, where two people were rescued from the vehicle and the body of a third was retrieved.  The identity of the victim has not yet been released.  The Gower Fire's Water Rescue Team, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, and Missouri State Highway Patrol assisted with the rescue.  The Missouri Department of Transportation reported at least a dozen motorists stranded by floods during the weekend.

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Topeka Frito Lay Union Votes to Strike

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Workers at Frito Lay in Topeka have voted to go on strike. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the union voted  Saturday night to go on strike; the final vote was 353 to 30.  Members of Local 218 of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers Union are calling for improved working conditions, benefits, and wages. The company said last month that it remained committed to reaching an agreement with the union. Union members plans to go on strike on Monday, July 5th.

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Man Dies after Shootout with KCK Police

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man was fatally shot during a shootout with police in Kansas City, Kansas after he allegedly tried to break into a home.  KCK police spokeswoman Nancy Chartrand told The Kansas City Star that the man had been shot by the homeowner when police arrived at the house Friday afternoon. Police say the man turned a gun on them. Then they shot at him. He died at the scene. It’s unclear if the man shot at police. Three officers involved in the shootout are on paid administrative leave per the agency’s standard procedures.

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Man Dies in ATV Accident in Northern Kansas

PHILLIPSBURG, Kan. (AP) — A man is dead after an ATV accident in northern Kansas. The accident happened Saturday night. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 64-year-old Terry Gitchel of Phillipsburg was driving the all-terrain vehicle in a pasture in Phillips County when he tried to go up a steep incline. The ATV flipped over backwards. Phillips County is about 60 miles north of Hays.

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Officer Shoots and Kills Woman with Gun in Small Northwest Kansas Town

PLAINVILLE, Kan. (AP) - State authorities are investigating after a police officer shot and killed a woman with a gun in a small Kansas town. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said the shooting happened around 1 a.m. Sunday at a convenience store in Plainville, which is a town of about 2,000 people about 25 miles north of Hays. The shooting happened after an officer tried to arrest 29-year-old Nicole Dechant of Hays on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. The KBI said Dechant pulled a gun out of her bag when the officer tried to arrest her. After Dechant ignored commands to drop the gun the officer fired several times and fatally wounded her. The officer wasn't hurt. 

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Aid May Not Be Enough to Prevent Kansas Evictions

MISSION, Kansas (AP) — The end of tenant protections at the end of July has raised concerns that thousands of Kansas residents will be unable to afford their monthly rent and face eviction. The state has set aside $220 million to help with outstanding rents, utility payments and other expenses, but extensive federal rules have slowed the flow of money to those in need. Kansas has one of the shortest timeframes in the country for evicting a tenant who falls behind on rent. In Wichita, the Salvation Army already is seeing an increase in calls from people asking for shelter.

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Report: Kansas Wheat Harvest Going More Slowly than Usual So Far

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The government’s latest crop snapshot shows the Kansas winter wheat harvest is running a bit slower than usual for this time of year. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that about 41% of the state’s wheat has been cut. That is behind both the 44% at this time last year and the 48% five-year average for this date. The report reflects crop conditions as of Sunday and comes amid recent rains that have kept many combines out of fields. The agency also reported that 83% of the wheat had already matured.

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Settlement Approved with Family of Wrongfully Convicted Kansas Man

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state panel has approved a settlement with the family of a man who died shortly after being released from prison for a crime he didn't commit. The State Finance Council agreed to an $826,301 payment to the family of Olin “Pete” Coones. Coones was charged in the 2008 Kansas City, Kansas, deaths of Kathleen Schroll and her husband, Carl, but he was convicted of killing Schroll. He was exonerated in November 2020 after prosecutors said the deaths were a murder-suicide planned by Schroll. Coones died in February of cancer, 108 days after he was released from prison.

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Bill to Renew Key Missouri Medicaid Funding Tax Advances

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri senators have advanced a bill to renew a key Medicaid funding tax. Senators  gave the bill initial approval in a voice vote.  It advanced after hours of debate over a proposed amendment to block government funding for Planned Parenthood. Some Republicans joined with Democrats to defeat the proposal 21-12. The main bill is needed to renew a tax on hospitals and other medical providers. Money from the tax is used to bring down a significant chunk of federal Medicaid funding. The measure also would ban Medicaid funding for any medications used to induce abortions. 

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Residents Seek New JoCo Town to Protect Rural Lifestyle

EDGERTON, Kan. (AP) — Residents living on the outskirts of a sprawling industrial park in Johnson County hope that creating their own town will protect their rural lifestyle from encroaching development. The Kansas City Star reports opposition to the massive Logistics Park Kansas City intermodal facility has been brewing for months. It boiled over after the Edgerton City Council earlier this year agreed to rezone 700 acres to make way for more industrial properties. That's brought the development closer to the homes residents say they bought to be surrounded by fields and pastures. They hope that incorporating their own town will give them more say over their own fates.

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UPDATE: Police Identify Victims in Weekend Homicides in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police have identified the victims in two weekend homicides. Police said in a news release Monday that officers found 49-year-old Erron I. Holley inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds around 2:30 a.m. Sunday after a shooting was reported near Independence and Lawn avenues. Holley was taken to a hospital where he died. Police said the investigation is continuing. In a separate incident about two hours earlier, police were called to an apartment complex near East 80th and Campbell streets after a disturbance was reported. Officers found 27-year-old Ronnell Buchanan, who was wounded and later died at a hospital. Police said Monday a person of interest has been identified but no one has been charged at this time.

(–Earlier reporting–)

Kansas City Police Investigating Two Sunday Morning Homicides 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kansas City police are investigating two homicides that happened early Sunday morning. Police spokesman Sergeant Jake Becchina said officers found a man inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds around 2:30 a.m. Sunday after a shooting was reported near Independence and Lawn avenues. The victim of that shooting was taken to a hospital where he died. In a separate incident about two hours earlier, police were called to an apartment complex near East 80th and Campbell streets after a disturbance was reported. Officers found a wounded man who later died at a hospital. Police did not immediately identify either victim or announce any arrests in the two homicides. 

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KU Med Using Multi-Lingual Messages to Reach Vaccine Hesitant

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) -The University of Kansas Medical Center is teaming up with bilingual health workers to reach more people with information about the COVID vaccine.  The campaign includes the Kansas City and Wichita areas, along with rural counties, like Seward in southwestern Kansas. Local health workers laid out the facts in videos about the COVID vaccines in Swahili, Spanish, Portuguese, and five other languages. Fewer than 40 percent of Kansans are fully vaccinated. Some are telling health workers that they remain worried about the safety of the vaccine, or don’t know the vaccine is free. Others think COVID isn’t dangerous even though the virus has killed 5 thousand people in Kansas.

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Larned Man Charged with Arson After American Flag Burned

LARNED, Kan. (AP) — A 37-year-old man is charged with felony arson after a large American flag was burned outside a Larned business. The Pawnee County Attorney says Jason Wayne Cauble, of Larned, was arrested last week. Investigators allege Cauble burned a 30-by-20 foot flag outside of Carr Auction and Realty in Larned in April. Cauble remains jailed in lieu of a $15,000. Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett explained that people who burn their own flags are protected by their right to free speech but arson can be charged when the flag belongs to someone else. He said he did not have information about Cauble's possible motive.

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Man Charged After Woman Who Was Dropped off at Hospital Dies

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 37-year-old Independence, Missouri man has been charged in the death of a woman whose body was left at a hospital. The Jackson County prosecutor's office said Ryan Gillispie was charged Friday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Prosecutors allege Gillispie shot 30-year-old Ales Carr, of Kansas City.  She was dropped off early Monday near the ambulance entrance of Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, where she was pronounced dead. Court records say surveillance video showed a man drive up to the hospital, place Carr on the ground, and drive away.

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Topeka Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal Shooting

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Topeka police have arrested a suspect in last week's shooting death. Police say that 38-year-old Marshall Stewart IV has been arrested on charges of second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a gun in connection with Thursday's shooting. Officers found Bradley Bellinder, 51, of Topeka with a gunshot wound after a shooting was reported Thursday night on Northwest Polk Street. 

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Dodge City Officer Indicted After Fatal Traffic Crash

DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) - A Dodge City police corporal has been indicted after a woman died in a traffic crash while he was responding to a call.  A Ford County grand jury this week indicted Corporal Shane Wade Harris on an involuntary manslaughter charge, or an alternative vehicular homicide charge. Investigators said Harris was responding to reports of a break-in on January 25, 2020, when his car collided with a vehicle driven by Vanessa Guzman, of Dodge City. Guzman was thrown from the car and died at the scene. Dodge City Police Chief Drew Francis declined to comment because the police department's investigation is not complete. 
 
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Kansas City Police Say Shooting Deaths of Man, Woman are Linked

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Police are investigating the shooting deaths of a man and woman in Kansas City believed to be linked. Police say the pair were found in separate locations Sunday night, but believe they were shot in the same home. Officers were first called to the scene of a crash near East 9th Street and Prospect Avenue, where they found a woman inside the vehicle who had been shot. She later died at a hospital. Around the same time, officers were sent to a home on East 9th Street and found a man dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police later determined that the woman had also been shot at the home where the man was found before she fled. 

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Wichita Man Sentenced to 46 Years for 2018 Homicide at Hotel

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to more than 46 years in prison for a 2018 homicide at a west Wichita motel. Prosecutors said in a news release that District Judge Bruce Brown handed down the punishment Monday to 25-year-old Cory Bentley of Wichita. Bentley pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in May for the shooting death of 43-year-old Jackie Jerome of Wichita. He was shot on Oct. 18, 2018, in the parking lot of the Delux Inn in Wichita. The judge also ordered Bentley to pay $760 for Jerome’s funeral as well as $500 in expenses to the victim’s son who traveled from Iowa after learning of his father’s murder.

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Reimagined Harry Truman Presidential Library Set to Reopen

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — After nearly two years of renovations, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri, is ready to welcome visitors again. The museum looks similar from the outside, but the inside has been completely reimagined in how it presents Truman's story and his legacy for the modern world. The nearly $30 million project is the most extensive since the museum opened in 1957. Work was slowed by the coronavirus pandemic. The new museum presents Truman's story from his Missouri childhood until his death. It has interactive exhibits and videos combined with hundreds of artifacts. Museum director Kurt Graham said a primary focus was explaining how decisions Truman made still affect today's world.

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