KC See First "Probable" Monkeypox Case
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas City Health Department has announced their first "probable" case of monkeypox in the Kansas City area. In a press release, department officials and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services say a Kansas City, Missouri, resident who had recently traveled out of state initially tested positive for the virus Saturday. Final confirmation of the monkeypox virus is pending from the Centers for Disease Control.
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KBI Searches Junction City Police Department
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation executed search warrants at the Junction City Police Department and other Geary County law enforcement agencies this week. The Junction City Union reports that the KBI says the warrants are related to an ongoing investigation against Junction City police personnel. No arrests have been made. The involved staff have been placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues.
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Teen Gets Life Sentence in Shooting Death of 12-year-old Boy
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas City, Kansas, teenager has been sentenced to life in prison in the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy during a botched gun deal. WDAF-TV reports that a jury convicted 18-year-old Jaylen LaRon Johnson of first-degree murder last month. Sentencing was Friday. Prosecutors say Johnson and two other men drove to Leavenworth to purchase a gun on April 14, 2021. The sellers allegedly sold a BB gun to one of Johnson’s friends. Authorities say Johnson began shooting when he realized it wasn’t the gun they wanted. Eleven bullets struck the seller’s car. Twelve-year-old Brian Henderson Jr. was in the backseat and died in the shooting.
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Heat Blamed for Thousands of Cattle Deaths in Kansas
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Industry officials say thousands of cattle in feedlots in southwestern Kansas have died of heat stress due to soaring temperatures, high humidity and little wind in recent days. The final toll remains unclear, but as of Thursday at least 2,000 heat-related deaths had been reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the state agency that assists in disposing of carcasses. That number could rise as more losses from this week's heat wave are reported. The cattle deaths have sparked unsubstantiated rumors on social media that something besides the weather was at play, but Kansas agriculture officials have said no other cause is evident.
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Cowley County Deputies Cleared in Fatal Shooting
WINFIELD, Kan. (AP) — The Cowley County Attorney says three sheriff's deputies who fatally shot a woman near Winfield in April were justified in their actions. KAKE-TV reports County Attorney Larry Schwartz says in a report that the shooting of Andrea Barrow was “lawful and justified." Schwartz's report says the deputies were responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle when they encountered Barrow, of Arkansas City, who was acting erratically. He says the woman refused repeated orders to get out of her vehicle and eventually pulled a handgun and fired at the deputies. All three deputies were injured. Two deputies returned fire, killing Barrow.
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Kansas Mom, Daughter Found Dead
SPEARVILLE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a western Kansas mother and her 4-year-old daughter have been found dead, and the woman's boyfriend is in custody. The man reported 31-year-old Kayla Vasquez and 4-year-old Aalilyah Vasquez, of Spearville, missing on Wednesday. The KBI says Ford County Sheriff's deputies and Spearville police saw evidence that a crime had been committed and detained the man for questioning. Kayla Vasquez's body was found early Thursday in rural Ford County. About 90 minutes later, her daughter's body was found in Kinsley, about 20 miles northeast of Spearville in Edwards County. Autopsies are scheduled. The boyfriend was arrested on suspicion of capital murder.