Kansas Senate Candidates Clash on Supreme Court, Climate
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican nominee for Kansas’ open Senate seat has called for quick action to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Rep. Roger Marshall also dismissed his Democratic opponent’s disavowal of Green New Deal environmental proposals so often during a Saturday debate that she admonished him to “stop deceiving voters.” Marshall repeatedly attacked Democratic nominee and state Sen. Barbara Bollier for switching parties in late 2018, suggesting she had embraced liberal values. She said several times that she opposed the Green New Deal as unrealistic and told Marshall he was “running over the truth.” The debate was the first for the candidates.
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Lawrence Ordinance: Easier to Crack Down on Partiers
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lawrence officials are giving police more power to enforce crowd size limits and other health orders designed to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The moves come after neighbors raised concerns about large house parties near the University of Kansas campus. The university reported 882 positive cases as of Friday. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that commissioners voted Thursday to approve an ordinance that gives police the authority to issue up to a $500 ticket to violators. And on Friday, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health announced it would be conducting checks to make sure bars and restaurants are complying with orders to stop serving alcohol at 9 pm.
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Performer Shot during Wichita History Museum Reenactment
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A performer has been wounded during a reenactment at a Kansas history museum in a shooting Friday night that police say appears to be accidental. The Wichita Eagle reports that the shooting was reported at 9:05 pm at an event near the Old Cowtown Museum, where re-enactors were supposed to use blank rounds. Police Officer Kevin Wheeler said in a news release that the 24-year-old victim was shot in the upper body and taken to a hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
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Johnson County Rebukes Commissioner over Anarchy Post
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The Johnson County Commission has agreed to rebuke one of its members for a Facebook post where he warned of impending anarchy and a “coming war.” The Kansas City Star reports that the 4-3 vote to rebuke Commissioner Mike Brown was approved Thursday. Brown, a Republican, wrote the post last weekend after two sheriff’s deputies were shot in California. He warned of a violent uprising and conflict with the left, then urged constituents to “buy a firearm and ammunition” and “learn how to safely use it to defend yourself and your property.”
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Effort Would Create More Historic Sites Honoring Historic Brown v. Board Decision
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill introduced in Congress would create additional historic sites to honor the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education case that banned racial segregation in schools. The National Park Service maintains just one historic site linked to the 1954 ruling, in Topeka. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, on Thursday announced their effort seeking historic site designations in four other places. While the Brown case was out of Topeka, it was actually combined with four similar cases for the Supreme Court, cases out of South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C.
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Feds: Inadequately Treated Sewage Released into Kansas River
WAMEGO, Kan. (AP) — A federal indictment alleges that a wastewater operator discharged inadequately treated sewage into the Kansas River and falsified discharge reports in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. According to the indictment, 47-year-old David Schleif, of Belvue, was charged with 20 counts this week. One count stems from the releases of untreated or inadequately treated sewage from the Wamego Wastewater Treatment Facility from May 2017 through August 2019. The other 19 counts allege that he falsified data in discharge monitoring reports, including by showing lower E. coli amounts than indicated by actual tests results.
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Baseball Field Named After Olathe Coach who Died of COVID-19
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A baseball field in suburban Kansas City is being named after a longtime coach who recently died after battling the coronavirus. WDAF-TV reports that Derek Leppert was an assistant baseball coach and a front office staff member at Olathe West High School in Olathe. He died September 10 from complications related to COVID-19. On Thursday, the high school announced it was naming its baseball field Derek Leppert Memorial Field. The Kansas Baseball Coaches Association also plans to present the Derek Leppert Assistant Coach of the Year Award every year in his honor.
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Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids to Reimburse Campaign for Clothing Purchases
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Democratic Congresswoman Sharice Davids will reimburse her campaign for two clothing purchases after Republican challenger Amanda Adkins’ campaign questioned the expenditures. At issue is a $412 payment to Banana Republic and $376 to White House Black Market that are listed in Davids’ 2018 campaign finance records as “Personal Items for Candidate Debate.” The Kansas City Star reports that campaign staff for Adkins argued Thursday that the expenditures potentially violated a federal law that prohibits the use of campaign funds for such expenses.
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