Topeka, State Capitols Beef Up Security
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) - Security has been beefed up in Topeka and at other state capitol buildings across the country in anticipation of protests today (SUN) and in the week ahead. That Kansas Statehouse is already closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic, but access to the parking garage closed Friday and will remain closed through January 22nd. In related news, Governor Laura Kelly has sent about 300 Kansas National Guard members to Washington DC for the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, following the January 6th violent protests in the nation's capitol.
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More Fallout for Missouri Senator Hawley
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Loews Hotels says it has backed out of an upcoming fundraiser for U.S. Senator Josh Hawley. It's the latest fallout for the Missouri Republican who helped state an Electoral College challenge the day President Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. The hotel chain said yesterday (SAT) that it was horrified by the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and by all who supported and incited it. Hawley's fundraiser was scheduled for February at a hotel at Universal Orlando.
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21,000 Sign Petitions Calling for Senator Marshall's Removal
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - More than 21, thousand people are calling for U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's removal from office after his vote to overturn the presidential election results in certain states. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that on-line petitions at MoveOn.org and Change.org have collected about 13,000 and 8,000 signatures, respectively. But Washburn University political science professor Bob Beatty says on-line petitions hae not generally been an effective political tool.
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Kansas Officer Accused of Injuring Skateboarder Resigns
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — An Lawrence police officer who has been accused of fracturing a skateboarder’s elbow during an arrest has resigned. The Lawrence Journal World reports that Brad Williams’ resignation took effect January 6th. Police spokesperson Patrick Compton did not indicate a reason for the resignation. Williams arrested 45-year-old Duc Tran, of Lawrence, after encountering him skateboarding in the street in June 2019. The case against Tran’ later was thrown out, and his attorney alleges excessive force. A notice of claim sent to the city in September alleges that Tran suffered a fractured elbow, dislocated right shoulder, a chipped tooth, bruising and lacerations, emotional distress and more. It sought monetary damages of $3 million.
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KC Suing Feds for Granting License to Bankrupt Arms Manufacturer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Kansas City and the state of Illinois are suing the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for granting a license to an arms manufacturer that had gone bankrupt. The advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit filed Friday. The license was granted to JA Industries, a new name for the bankrupt Jimenez Arms. Kansas City and the gun advocacy group sued Jiminez Arms and others a year ago, alleging that they sold guns illegally in the Kansas City area.
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Parolee Accused of Fatally Shooting Wichita Restaurant Owner
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a parolee rummaging through trash fatally shot the owner of a south Wichita restaurant. Police Capt. Jason Stephens identified 42-year-old Oscar Acosta of Wichita as the person shot Thursday outside of Birrieria Tito restaurant. The Wichita Eagle reports that police arrested 26-year-old Adrian Nicholas Zongker a couple of blocks west of the restaurant. He was booked into Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon as well as on a state warrant in a separate case. Kansas Department of Corrections records show that Zongker has five prior convictions, all in Sedgwick County, for charges that include criminal possession of a firearm, battery and aggravated assault.
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New Lawsuit Brought in Missouri River Flooding
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The federal government faces a second lawsuit over flooding along the Missouri River after it was ordered last month to pay some landowners for damages. R. Dan Boulware, of the Polsinelli law firm, filed the new class-action lawsuit on behalf of 60 plaintiffs who experienced damages during flooding in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014. The St. Joseph News-Press reports that Boulware successfully argued in the earlier case that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers knowingly flooded some farmland when it made changes to protect endangered species. Boulware currently is waiting for the class-action lawsuit to be certified. If that occurs there could be additional plaintiffs added to the case. He estimates that the current claim of damages exceeds $50 million.
