Kansas Governor Issues Disaster Declaration for Fire Hazard
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has declared an emergency disaster due to the risk of fire caused by high winds and dry conditions. The governor's office said Monday that "elevated to critical" fire weather conditions are expected for the next four days. Tuesday and Wednesday will be especially dangerous as a storm system with strong winds will make fighting fires more dangerous. The declaration makes state resources more readily available to help fight fires and for recovery operations. Kansans are being urged to avoid activity that could cause fires, such as driving or stopping on dry grass or throwing cigarettes on the ground.
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Kansas Crosses 296,000 COVID-19 Case Mark, Including 4,816 Deaths
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported Monday that there have been 296,451 cases of COVID-19, including 4,816 deaths, since the start of the pandemic. That's an increase of 590 cases and four deaths since Friday. Johnson County has the highest number of recorded cases in the state, with nearly 55,000. KDHE will provide another update Wednesday.
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Kansas Vaccine Numbers Increase While COVID-19 Cases Drop
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas health officials say the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to drop in the state while vaccination efforts are expanding. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 590 newly-identified cases between Friday and Monday, raising the state's total since the pandemic began to 296,451. Four new deaths were recorded, bringing the total to 4,816. About 16% of the state's residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since vaccinations began. More than 698,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered as of Monday. Of those, 232,986 have received second doses.
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GOP Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri Won't Seek Reelection in 2022
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt says he will not seek reelection. He made the surprise announcement in a video Monday, making him the fifth Republican in the Senate to bow out rather than seek another term. Blunt, who turned 71 in January, was widely expected to seek a third term in 2022. Before election to the Senate, he served seven terms in the U.S. House. He also served two terms as Missouri’s secretary of state from 1985 to 1993. He noted in his announcement that through nearly 12,000 votes in Congress he always sought “to do my best.”
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Deep Freeze to Affect Kansas Utility Customers Differently
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Utility customers in different parts of Kansas will likely see higher electric bills as a result of February's extreme cold snap, while residents of the Kansas City area could get refunds. The difference has to do with how two different divisions of utility giant Evergy fared during the brutal cold. The company's Kansas Central division had to spend an additional $100 million to buy power but Evergy's Metro Division, which serves the Kansas City area, was able to generate $60 million in extra revenue because it was able to generate surplus power and sell it to other utilities.
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Governor Kelly Adding Workers to Help Alleviate Workload at Kansas Department of Labor
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Governor Laura Kelly is adding workers to the Kansas Department of Labor this week to help improve services at the overburdened agency. But some state lawmakers are working to take more control of the department because of ongoing problems. Kelly plans to eventually double the staff responsible for answering the overloaded phones. But ongoing problems have led lawmakers to set deadlines for improvements and increase legislative oversight. A House plan would also trim back unemployment benefits when the jobless rate is low to encourage people to look for work. Senators are considering a separate bill that does not include trimming back unemployment benefits.
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Failed Greenhouse Heater Leads to Loss of $30,000 to $40,000 Worth of Plants
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Staff members with a well-known botanical gardens venue in Wichita say last month's arctic cold snap proved costly for the gardens. KAKE TV reports that the failure of a heater in Botanica's largest greenhouse during the coldest day of the season killed a slew of plants, some of which had been with the garden for 20 to nearly 30 years. Kathy Spillman is director of special events for Botanica. She says most of the plants lost were warm-weather succulents and palms. Their estimated value was between $30,000 and $40,000. Botanica staff members have started a crowd-funding effort to replace the plants.
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Investigators: Fire at Kansas Church Ruled an Accident
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Federal investigators say the fire that damaged an annex building of the First Baptist Church in Mission has been ruled an accident. The Kansas City Star reports that a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Friday there will be no criminal investigation. Investigators have released the building back to the church. Firefighters were called to the church around 5:30 pm Thursday after smoke and flames were reported coming from the church’s annex building. By the time firefighters arrived, flames had broken through the building’s roof, which later collapsed.
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Protesters Object to Lack of Charges in Police Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - More than 50 people gathered outside the home of Jackson County, Missouri, prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to protest her decision not to charge a police officer who shot and killed a Black man last year. The protesters called for justice for 47-year-old Donnie Sanders as they marched to Peters Baker’s home Saturday. Peters Baker announced last week that investigators didn't find enough evidence to support charges against the Kansas City police officer involved in the shooting. Sanders' sisters, who participated in the protest, said they want Peters Baker to release a complete copy of the investigation into the shooting and for the officer who shot their brother to be held accountable.
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Attorney Pushes Back After KU Football Coach Put on Leave
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - An attorney for University of Kansas football coach Les Miles is pushing back after Miles was placed on administrative leave. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that attorney Peter Ginsberg released a statement calling KU's actions "deeply disturbing and unfair." Ginsburg also disputed KU's claim that it was unaware of Louisiana State University’s 2013 internal investigation of Miles before the report went last week. Miles was accused of sexual harassment while at LSU. A Title IX review released by LSU alleged that Miles "attempted to sexualize" the program's student staff. KU Athletics Direct Jeff Long says that KU will conduct "a full review to determine the appropriate next steps." Miles was coach at LSU for more than 11 years before being fired four games into the 2016 season.
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USDA Relocations to KC Curtail Ag Research
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — More than a year after two U.S. Department of Agriculture research agencies were moved from the nation’s capital to Kansas City, Missouri, they remain critically understaffed and some farmers are less confident in the work they produce. The relocation of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in September 2019 led to a mass exodus of employees who couldn’t or didn’t want to move halfway across the country. The agencies are producing research that is smaller in scope and less frequent, and some farmers say they now have to corroborate USDA research by comparing it to private market analysis. A USDA spokesman says the agency is focused on rebuilding employee confidence and morale.
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Ex-Kansas Governor Colyer Signals 2022 Bid
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer is signaling that he’ll make a comeback bid in 2022 by bringing a granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower to his team. Colyer stopped short of formally announcing his candidacy but described philanthropist Mary Eisenhower as joining “our campaign” as its treasurer. The announcement came on “Jeff Colyer Governor” letterhead. Colyer’s path to the GOP nomination and the right to challenge Democratic Governor Laura Kelly is far from open. Many Republicans expect state Attorney General Derek Schmidt to run. Colyer's last race was his narrow loss in the 2018 primary to conservative firebrand Kris Kobach, who lost to Kelly in November 2018.
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Washburn University Plans Fall Return to In-Person Classes
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Washburn University plans to start its fall semester with in-person classes after the Shawnee County Health Department updated its vaccine plan to include university faculty and staff. Washburn President Jerry Farley says this additional level of protection should allow them to return fully to a traditional campus model. University officials said that Washburn students can expect a more normal fall 2021 semester with university faculty and staff now prioritized for vaccine distribution. It was not immediately clear what prompted the change in vaccination policy. Vaccine distribution has ramped up in recent weeks and COVID-19 transmission rates and hospitalizations have fallen
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COVID Helpline Launched for Douglas County Residents
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - A new COVID helpline is now available for Douglas County residents. The phone number - (785) 864-9000 - will be answered by trained staff who can help answer questions about vaccinations, testing, symptoms, local public health orders and other questions related to the coronavirus. The helpline will be available from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, and from 8 am to noon on Saturday. The University of Kansas has been using this phone number to help answer COVID-related questions since before the fall 2020 semester. Now, it has expanded the number of phone lines and employees available to answer calls with the help of various Douglas County agencies. Those agencies include: Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, LMH Health and Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.
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Analysis: Some Kansans Hesitant to Get Vaccination
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — A new analysis, by the Kansas Health Institute of U.S. Census Bureau survey data, indicates that most Kansans want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine but many remain undecided. As of mid-January, a bit more than half of Kansans had either gotten their shot or said they definitely would get it. Another quarter said they would “probably” agree to be vaccinated. But nearly 10% say they definitely do not want the vaccine. Kansans undecided about getting the vaccine cite a variety of reasons for their reluctance. Some worry about side effects while others say they distrust the government.
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Man Accused of Threatening Missouri Congressman Will Remain Behind Bars
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge says that a southwest Missouri man who threatened Missouri Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver will remain in prison. Kenneth Hubert, of Marionville, appeared at a detention hearing Monday in Springfield. He is charged with threatening to harm or kill Cleaver on January 7. He pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say he called Cleaver's office in Independence, used a racial slur and mentioned putting a noose around Cleaver's neck. Cleaver is Black. Prosecutors say Hubert has a history of making threatening calls to other lawmakers or to political organizations. Hubert's public defender said his client had no criminal history and was willing to be put under house arrest.
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Mother Arrested After Rollover Crash that Killed 5-Year-Old Daughter
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A 26-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after a rollover crash that killed her 5-year-old daughter. The crash happened around 3:15 am Sunday in a rural area southeast of Wichita. According to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office, deputies found the woman's 2014 Ford Escape off the road and overturned. The 5-year-old girl in the vehicle, Aleah Reyes, died at the scene while the mother had only minor injuries. Officials said Nory Lam was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol and transporting an open container of alcohol.
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Police: Wichita Man Dies from Injuries in 2-Vehicle Crash
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a man has died from injuries he received in a head-on crash in south Wichita. Television station KAKE reports that the crash happed just before 8 pm Sunday, when a southbound truck crossed the center line on Hydraulic Street and hit a northbound vehicle. Police say a 65-year-old man driving the truck was taken taken to a hospital with critical injuries and later died. Police say the woman driving the other vehicle was not seriously injured. The names of those involved were not immediately released.
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Suspect Arrested After Child Killed in Wichita Hit-and-Run
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old man is in custody after a child died in a hit-and-run collision in Wichita. Police arrested Marcus Downey on Monday on potential charges of felony hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license. The 4-year-old boy was struck by a pickup truck when he and his mother were crossing a street in downtown Wichita Monday morning. The boy died at a Wichita hospital. Captain Wendell Nicholson said the truck fled the scene but was found about 100 yards away. The boy's mother was not injured.
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Police Investigating Man's Shooting Death in Garden City
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) _ Garden City police are investigating the shooting death of a 32-year-old man. Police were called to an apartment Sunday evening. Sgt. Lana Urteaga says officers found Victor Cabrera suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He died later at a Wichita hospital. No suspect information has been released.
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Big 12 Commissioner Bullish About Future as Tournaments Near
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby says it could be years before its schools recover from the financial blow they took when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports. Bowlsby believes there is reason to feel good about the future. That includes the return of the men's and women's conference tournaments this week in Kansas City, Missouri.
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