Lawrence Protestor, Hospital Worker Test Positive for COVID-19
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR/LJW) A man who attended Lawrence's protests last weekend has tested positive for COVID-19. The Douglas County Health Department announced in a news release yesterday (FRI) that the man was not wearing a mask during Sunday's event, which drew a crowd of about 1,000. Health officials ask that anyone who attended the protest Sunday to self-monitor for coronavirus symptoms. The Lawrence Journal-World also reports that a contracted hospital associate at LMH Health has tested positive for COVID-19. A spokesman for the hospital says the person did not have direct contact with patients, and a small number of staff members who may have been exposed have been place in two-week quarantine.
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KU, Ex-Football Coach Reach Settlement
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) The University of Kansas has announced it has reached a settlement with former football coach David Beaty. The settlement ends a 15-month legal battle between Beaty and the University of Kansas, after Beaty accused KU of improperly firing him and "contacting" alleged NCAA violations in order to circumvent terms of his contract. The school agreed to pay $2.55 million to end all litigation and disputes.
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KC Civil Rights Leaders Call on Police Chief to Resign
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Three civil right organizations in Kansas City are continuing to call for police chief Rick Smith to resign over how police have handled this week's protests. That's despite procedural changed announced this week by Kansas City mayor Quintin Lucas. Lucas said the city will ask an outside agency to investigate all officer-involved shootings, will create whistleblower protections for officers and review the use of tear gas and projectiles. The NAACP-Kansas City, the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, and More2 say they appreciate the city's actions but they still believe Smith must go. Protestors met yesterday (FRI) afternoon in front of City Hall, and then again last night around the Country Club Plaza.
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Congressman Marshall Can't Use Nickname 'Doc' on Kansas Primary Ballot
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. Representative Roger Marshall will not be able to use the nickname “Doc” on the August Republican primary ballot as he runs in a crowded field for the U.S. Senate. The Kansas State Objections Board yesterday (FRI) rejected Marshall’s request. It says the nickname referred to Marshall’s medical career, and that professional accomplishments or titles aren’t allowed on ballots. Marshall is a Great Bend obstetrician who is competing against ten other Republican candidates, including former Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
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Wichita State Cancels Ivanka Trump's Speech to Tech School
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas technical school has canceled plans for Ivanka Trump to give a virtual commencement speech to graduates because of criticism of President Donald Trump’s response to protests over the the death of George Floyd. Administrators at Wichita State University and WSU Tech announced the decision late Thursday, just hours after they had announced the president’s daughter would be speaking to WSU Tech graduates. The two universities are affiliated. Administrators said Saturday’s WSU Tech graduation would be “refocused” on students, with a nursing graduate as the only speaker. Ivanka Trump responded in a tweet that said, “Our nation’s campuses should be bastions of free speech."
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Governor Kelly Considering Relief for Renters, Home Owners
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Governor Laura Kelly says her administration will consider using part of Kansas’ share of federal coronavirus relief funds to help people struggling to pay their rent or mortgage because of economic problems tied to the pandemic. Kelly on Friday defended a May 26th decision to rescind an executive order that had banned landlords from pursuing new evictions or lenders from starting to foreclose on home mortgages. She said she had to lift the order because keeping it in place would have stressed lenders and businesses that rent homes and apartments. But she said creating a new relief program would be a top priority.
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Junction City Man Pleads Guilty in 2018 Killing of Pregnant Woman
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors say a Junction City man has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the 2018 Christmas killing of a pregnant mother. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says in a news release Friday that 34-year-old Dion Jamel Green pleaded guilty in Geary County District Court for the December 2018 deaths of 31-year-old Jenna Schafer, of Junction City, and her unborn child. Green's sentencing has been set for October 28th. Early in the case, prosecutors had said Green was hired to kill Schafer, who was found dead in a Junction City apartment on Christmas Day 2018. But a second man arrested in the case and accused of hiring Green later had charges against him dropped.
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One Killed, 4 Injured in KC Jazz District Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say one person was killed and four were injured in a shooting in a historic jazz district in Kansas City. Police responded around 2:30 a.m. Saturday to the shooting in the 18th and Vine district, near the American Jazz Museum, which draws thousands of visitors every year. Kansas City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jacob Becchina said officers also went to a nearby hospital, where several shooting victims had arrived. Police didn’t immediately release the name of the man who was killed. The other four victims, three men and one woman, were in stable condition.
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KCK Police Find Body of Man Shot to Death
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police in Kansas City, Kansas, say officers found a man shot to death in a residential neighborhood on the city's west side. Police were called just before 8 p.m. Thursday to the Kensington neighborhood for reports of gunfire and found man dead who had suffered a gunshot wound. Police had not released the man's name by early Friday morning, and no arrests had been reported. Police asked anyone with information on the shooting to call the CrimeStoppers tips hotline.
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Motorcyclist Killed after Crashing into KCK Building
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police in Kansas City, Kansas, say a man has died after crashing his motorcycle into a building. Police say in a news release that the crash happened around 7:30 p.m. Thursday night. Police say an initial investigation showed the man was eastbound on a city street when he left the roadway and crashed into the building. Police have not released the name of the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
