Kansas Supreme Court Justice Beier Announces Retirement
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier says she will retire effective September 18th. Beier announced her retirement Friday. Her decision will give Democratic Governor Laura Kelly the opportunity to appoint a third justice to the state Supreme Court. Beier was served on the court since September of 2003, after being appointed by former Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Voters retained her in four elections since then. The Supreme Court Nominating Commission will choose three finalists to replace Beier, and Kelly will make the final selection. State law does not require the Legislature to approve Supreme Court appointments.
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Former Wichita Mayor Brewer Dies
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Carl Brewer, Wichita’s first elected African American mayor and a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, died Friday after a long illness. He was 63 years old. His family confirmed his death in a statement in which they requested privacy. Memorial service details were pending. The Wichita Eagle reports Brewer served on the City Council or as mayor from 2001 to 2015, the maximum terms that Wichita law allows its city officials. He ran unsuccessfully for Kansas governor in 2018. He got has start in politics after working in the aircraft industry for more than 30 years.
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Body Found in River Identified as Wichita Homicide Victim
MULVANE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a badly decomposed body that was pulled from the Ninnescah River in southern Kansas over the weekend is believed to be a homicide victim who was reported missing two months ago. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said Friday that pending DNA confirmation, authorities have identified the victim as 27-year-old Shalan Niccole Gannon, of Wichita. She was reported missing to the Wichita police on April 11th. A fisherman spotted her body Sunday afternoon in northeastern Sumner County, west of the Kansas Turnpike. No other information was released, including how she died. The KBI said the investigation was ongoing and urged anyone with information to come forward.
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Topeka Protestor Tests Positive for COVID
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Health officials say a protester who attended a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in downtown Topeka last week has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the person attended June 1st protests at the city’s Law Enforcement Center. The City-Cowley County Health Department also says a 14-year-old likely exposed people to the virus in Cowley and Sedgwick counties this week. Kansas on Friday reported 11,047 cases of coronavirus, up 2% or 235 from Wednesday. The state health department says the number of statewide COVID-19 deaths rose by three to 243.
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Kansas Supreme Court Upholds Identity Theft Convictions
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has upheld two state identity theft convictions following a decision by the nation’s highest court that makes it easier for states to prosecute immigrants who use fake Social Security numbers to secure employment. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in March that nothing in federal immigration law prevents states from going after immigrants who use phony documents and numbers. On Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court affirmed the convictions of Donaldo Morales and Ramiro Garcia. It backed off its earlier decision that the federal government has exclusive authority to determine whether an immigrant can work in the country.
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PGA Tour Resumes with Former KU Golfer Woodland
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - After two rounds, former Kansas Jayhawk golfer Gary Woodland is three shots behind the leader, Harold Varner III, at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. It's the PGA Tour's first event since the coronavirus pandemic put everything on hold in mid-March. Woodland is the defending champion in the U.S. Open. He's at eight-under-par for the tournament which continues through Sunday.
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Officials Seek to Catch Kansas Alligator
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Kansas have closed a trail around a creek as they try to catch an alligator spotted there. The Manhattan Mercury reports that the alligator is believed to be one of two stolen from a pet store last weekend. On Wednesday, a man called 911 to report seeing an alligator while he was walking along Linear Park Trail. Animal control officers who responded saw the animal lounging on a log in Wildcat Creek. The trail was closed, and officials set traps. Authorities say they don't know the whereabouts of the other alligator stolen on June 5th from Manhattan Reptile World.
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Wichita Man Charged in Crash that Killed Longtime Radio DJ
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man has been charged in a crash that killed a longtime radio DJ. The Wichita Eagle reports that 43-year-old Ray Anthony Watkins faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence in the April 29 death of 70-year-old Don Hall. District Attorney Marc Bennett said in an email that the felony carries a sentence of 3 to 14 years. Police said they believe Watkins ran a red light before the crash. He had minor injuries, but Hall died at the scene. Watkins was originally arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder.
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Federal Judge Denies Bid to Halt COVID Funding to Kansas Tribe
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A federal judge in the nation's capital has denied a request from a Native American tribe in Kansas to halt further distribution of coronavirus relief funding for tribal nations. The Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation recently sued the U.S. Treasury Department, alleging it was shortchanged in an initial distribution of $4.8 billion. The tribe argued during a hearing Thursday that the Treasury Department should have relied on tribal enrollment data, not federal data. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta says he lacks jurisdiction because Congress gave the Treasury Department discretion in how to dole out the funding. A hearing in a related case is scheduled Friday.
