KU Places Coach Miles on Leave after LSU Report Released
UNDATED (AP) - University of Kansas football coach Les Miles was placed on administrative leave, hours after a report released by LSU revealed school officials there considered firing him in 2013 because of his behavior with female student workers. KU athletic director Jeff Long says the school did not know of the allegations against Miles at LSU until this week and plans to review the findings from a law firms' investigation of how LSU handled sexual misconduct complaints. Long says that KU will conduct "a full review to determine the appropriate next steps." Miles is entering his third year as Kansas coach, and coming off a winless 2020 season. He was coach at LSU for more than eleven years before being fired four games into the 2016 season.
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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 yesterday (FRI) 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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Remains Identified of Korean War Priest Considered for Sainthood
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — U.S. military officials say they have identified the remains of a Kansas priest who is being considered for sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church. The Reverend Emil J. Kapaun, of Pilsem, died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War. The Defense Department's POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Thursday that Pilsen's remains were officially identified on Tuesday. The agency said Kapaun was captured while tending to soldiers near Unsan, North Korea, and continued to minister to fellow prisoners until he died of pneumonia on May 23rd, 1951. In 1993, Pope John Paul II declared Father Kapaun a Servant of God, which is the first step toward sainthood.
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Fire Destroys Mission Church Building; Sanctuary Saved
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Firefighters in suburban Kansas City are investigating a fire that destroyed part of the First Baptist Church in Mission, but spared the long-standing church's sanctuary. Firefighters were called to the church around 5:30 p.m. Thursday for smoke and flames coming from an annex building of the church. By the time firefighters arrived, flames had broken through the building's roof, which later collapsed. Firefighters managed to keep the fire from breaching the church's sanctuary. Officials say the building was empty when the fire broke out, and no one was injured. The State Fire Marshal is investigating to determine the cause of the fire.
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Report: 15% of Kansans Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Slightly more than 15% of Kansas residents have received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with the state’s white residents getting the shots at higher rates. State health department data released yesterday (FRI) shows nearly 440,000 people have been vaccinated in the state. The agency said nearly 220,000 have received second doses. The data shows about 124 white people per 1,000 have received vaccines compared to about 55 Black people per 1,000. About 127 per 1,000 people who do not identify as Hispanic have received a vaccine, compared to 76 per 1,000 among those who do identify as Hispanic.
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Wichita Motorcyclist Dies in Crash during Police Chase
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Sedgwick County Sheriff's office says a 37-year-old man died when he crashed during a police pursuit. Police identified the man yesterday (FRI) as Timothy A. Tatum of Wichita. Sheriff's department spokesman Lt. Benjamin Blick said the chase began early yesterday (FRI) when a deputy tried to stop Tatum for a registration violation near McConnell Air Force Base. Blick says the driver lost control when the motorcycle hit a median less than a half-mile after the chase began. Tatum was thrown from the cycle and he died at the scene.
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Suspicious Device Removed from Pittsburg State Campus
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Police say a suspicious device found near the Pittsburg State University campus contained a small amount of “incendiary components.” Police were notified Wednesday after the device was found on a block adjacent to the campus. The Kansas State Highway Patrol’s Hazardous Device Unit removed the device from campus Thursday evening. Pieces of it will be taken to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Forensic Laboratories for further examination. Police said no suspects have been developed in the case and the investigation is continuing.
