Kansas City Man Charged with Killing 4-Year-Old LeGend Taliferro, Namesake of "Operation Legend"
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - A 22-year-old man has been charged with killing 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, whose June death in Kansas City, Missouri, sparked local outrage and inspired the creation of the Trump administration’s national law enforcement endeavor, named "Operation Legend." Jean Peters Baker, the prosecutor in Jackson County, Missouri, announced the charges against Ryson Ellis during a news conference Thursday. Ellis was arrested earlier in the day and booked into the county jail. He faces felony charges of second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapons and other charges. Taliferro was fatally shot while asleep in his father’s Kansas City residence on June 29. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. At the time, the metro was already grappling with protests due to the death of George Floyd. The slaying of the 4-year-old boy led to even more unrest. President Trump introduced Operation Legend on July 22, stating hundreds of federal law enforcement agents would be sent to Kansas City and other American cities where violent crime had risen. “Today’s arrest of LeGend Taliferro’s suspected murderer marks a significant step forward in his case and illustrates the potential of Operation Legend more broadly,” Attorney General Bill Barr wrote in a statement, saying the success in Kansas City could be used as a “model” for other locations: “Although LeGend’s suspected murderer has been arrested, Operation Legend will go on,” Barr said. The operation has resulted in more than 150 arrests so far in Kansas City. Federal law enforcement agents have also been sent to assist homicide and violent crime investigations in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Memphis and St. Louis.
(AP version)
Arrest Made in Kansas City Boy's Death that Sparked Creation of Federal Task Force
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Prosecutors say a suspect has been arrested in the shooting death of a 4-year-old Kansas City, Missouri, boy whose killing sparked a federal task force designed to fight violent crime. Jackson County prosecutors said Thursday that 22-year-old Ryson Ellis, of Kansas City, faces second-degree murder and three other charges in the June killing of LeGend Taliferro. The boy was killed while he slept on the floor by a shot that came from outside his father's apartment. Federal authorities named a task force that sent hundreds of federal agents to Kansas City and other cities. The law enforcement effort was named "Operation LeGend" in honor of the 4-year-old.
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Kansas Prison Locked Down Due to 2nd COVID-19 Outbreak
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas prison has been locked down after dozens of inmates and staff were infected with the coronavirus. Kansas Department of Corrections Secretary Jeff Zmuda said Wednesday that 84 inmates and 10 staff members tested positive this week at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility. None of them are showing symptoms. Fifteen inmates and seven staff members previously tested positive at the prison, which houses about 1,880 men. Some inmates will remain locked in their cells because of the outbreak. Others will be relocated to the prison in Lansing, where a medical unit has been set up to handle COVID-19 cases.
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Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility Confirms COVID-19 Outbreak
TOPEKA, Kan,. (KPR) - The Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) has confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility in central Kansas. Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced today (THUR) that 43 residents have tested positive for the virus. The first staff member at the facility tested positive on August 8 and more than 250 residents were tested as a result of contact tracing that followed. The infected residents are all male adults, but no other information will be released due to privacy concerns. A mandatory mask protocol has been in effect at the facility since July 7 for both staff and residents. All 43 men have been moved to the Lansing Correctional Facility's COVID-19 unit. ( Click here for more information on KDOC’s response to COVID-19.)
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Schwan’s Expanding Pizza Plant in Central Kansas; Adding 225 New Jobs by 2023
SALINA, Kan. (KPR) - Schwan’s Company, a leading food producer in the United States, has announced plans to build a new 400,000-square-foot expansion at its pizza-manufacturing facility in Salina. The announcement comes as the company celebrates the 50th year of operating a pizza production facility in Salina. Company leaders joined state and local government and civic officials Thursday at the Tony’s Pizza and Events Center to share details of the expansion. The company says the new facility will add up to 225 new, full-time jobs in Salina by 2023. The company already employs 1,125 people at its current production facility and distribution center in Salina. Schwan’s first began operating a pizza plant in Salina in April 1970, when it acquired the Tony’s pizza brand and plant from a Salina businessman. Employees at the facility continue to produce Tony’s and Red Baron pizza for grocery stores nationwide, as well as pizzas for food-service venues such as schools. “Schwan’s has been an important economic partner for Salina and our state for half a century now,” Governor Laura Kelly said. Based in Minnesota, Schwan’s is a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of foods offered through retail-grocery and other food-service channels.
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Ag Equipment Maker Plans Salina Facility with 120 New Jobs
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — An agricultural equipment manufacturer plans to invest $43 million to put in a facility in Salina that will create 120 new jobs. Governor Laura Kelly's office said in a news release Thursday that Great Plains Manufacturing plans to acquire an existing building in Salina to renovate for the new facility. The Salina-based agricultural equipment manufacturer has been in Kansas since 1976 and has several plants in north-central Kansas. It was acquired by Kubota Corporation of Japan in 2016.
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Federal Agents Watched as 5 Pounds of Heroin Exchanged Hands Near Topeka Rest Area
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – A Kansas man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for trafficking heroin. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said 42-year-old Terrance Wills, of Kansas City, Kansas, received the sentence Wednesday. According to a news release from McAllister's office, Wills pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. In his plea, Wills admitted he met two other men, who had transported the heroin from Texas, at a rest area near Topeka. Investigators had been following the load – almost five pounds of heroin -- since the couriers were stopped on Highway 54 near Meade, in western Kansas. McAllister commended the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting for their work on the case.
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Kansas Congressional Candidate Tests Negative for COVID-19
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republican Congressional candidate Amanda Adkins and her family tested negative for COVID-19 but will remain in home quarantine until Tuesday. Adkins, her husband, and their two children were tested after the campaign learned a person at her election night victory party tested positive for the virus. Adkins is facing Democratic Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids in the state's 3rd Congressional District. The Adkins campaign announced in a news release Wednesday that Adkins and her family will follow federal guidelines and remain in quarantine until Tuesday. The campaign also reported that the person who initially tested positive for the virus is showing no signs of the infection.
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Kansas Records More than 32,000 Coronavirus Cases, Nearly 400 Deaths
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State health officials reported Wednesday that more than 32,500 coronavirus cases and nearly 400 COVID-19-related deaths have been identified in Kansas since the pandemic began. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reportd 32,547 coronavirus cases have been documented. KDHE also reports 395 deaths caused by the virus. A new round of data will be released online Friday.
- KPR's Coronavirus Information and Resources Guide
- Updated Regularly: What Kansans Need to Know About the Coronavirus
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Kansas City Extends COVID-19 Restrictions to Mid-January
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City is extending restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus until at least January 16. Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Thursday that he is extending a state of emergency that was scheduled to expire Saturday. The order requires people to wear masks in all indoor public spaces where social distancing is not possible. Restaurants and bars will continue to be limited to 50% capacity. Masks are also required at salons and gyms, where social distancing may not be possible. The order comes as COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the Kansas City region, which has averaged at least 100 confirmed cases every day for weeks.
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Virus Tests Sports Programs as Schools Prepare to Reopen
COLBY, Kan. (AP) — Sports teams are offering an early glimpse of the challenges of protecting students from the coronavirus as schools prepare to open. The Wichita Eagle reports that Colby Public Schools Superintendent Katina Brenn said in a statement that one or more people who attended mandatory meetings last week for fall sports have since tested positive for COVID-19. Classes start next week for Colby students. Masks are not required for students in the district after the Thomas County Commission rejected an executive order by Gov. Laura Kelly last month. An opt-in and opt-out form from the district gives parents the choice of requiring their student to wear a mask or banning their student from wearing a mask.
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Missouri Universities Plan for Students to Return Amid Virus
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — St. Louis officials are tightening restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses that serve liquor as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the city. Mayor Lyda Krewson announced Wednesday capacity limits for those businesses will be reduced from 75% to 50%, beginning Thursday. Bars and restaurants also will have an 11 pm curfew. Krewson said the tougher restrictions come as positive cases increase in people in their 20s and 30s, and with thousands of students returning to college campuses for the fall semester. Health officials said Thursday the state has confirmed 1,595 more cases, bringing the total to 62,530. A total of 1,323 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded since the pandemic began.
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KBI: Person of Interest in Kansas Homicide Case Taken into Custody in Montana
GLENDIVE, Mont. – (KPR) The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says authorities have located and taken into custody a person of interest connected to the murder of Joyce Foulkrod in Medicine Lodge. Officials say 34-year-old Clinton W. Rogers, was located Tuesday night in Glendive, Montana. Rogers was arrested by the Dawson County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant for theft out of Kingman County, Kansas. He is currently being held in the Dawson County jail. KBI agents are traveling to Montana, where they will question Rogers. The KBI, Medicine Lodge Police Department and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office are all involved in the homicide investigation.
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Defense Seeks Leniency for 'Satanist' Soldier in Bomb Plot
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — A former Army infantry soldier described by prosecutors as a Satanist who hoped to overthrow the U.S. government faces sentencing next week. His defense attorney argued in a court filing Thursday for a more lenient punishment of 15 months for Jarrett William Smith. He says Smith endured a lifetime of victimization, isolation and trauma that led him to become involved with online extremist groups. Smith was a private first class stationed at Fort Riley. The 24-year-old soldier was discharged from the military after admitting earlier this year that he provided information about explosives to an FBI undercover agent.
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KC Youth Soccer Club Founder Pleads Guilty to Sex Crime
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The founder of a Kansas City-area youth soccer club has pleaded guilty to a sex crime involving a teen player and will be sentenced next month. The Kansas City Star reports that 37-year-old Jason Cummins pleaded guilty last month to attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child between the ages of 14 and 16. He has also registered as a sex offender. Investigators say Cummins targeted a girl he had coached since she was 9. Police say he inappropriately touched her, forced her to sit on his lap and sent her inappropriate texts. Cummins founded the soccer club Arson FC in 2014. Since his guilty plea, he's turned operation of the club over to his wife.
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Man, Daughter Seen in Protest Video File Suit Against Kansas City Police Officers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man and his 15-year-old daughter whose violent handling at the hands of Kansas City police has been widely viewed online are now suing several of the officers. Tarence Maddox and his daughter were at a May 30 protest at the Country Club Plaza to protest police brutality when they say officers descended on them, dousing them with pepper spray and pulling Tarence Maddox off a sidewalk and into the street before arresting him. The lawsuit says Maddox and his daughter were deliberately harmed by the officers despite posing no threat to the officers. Maddox’s attorney, Tom Porto, says Maddox also suffered permanent injury to his knee during the arrest that required surgery.
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Big 12 Moves Ahead with Fall Sports Beginning in September
The Big 12 Conference is moving ahead with plans to play college football and other fall sports. They will join the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences in taking the field amid the coronavirus pandemic. The move came one day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they would not play this fall. In the Big 12, fall sports will begin after September 1 with the football schedule beginning league play September 26. Schools also can play one non-conference opponent.
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Sports on Hold in Some Kansas Communities Amid Pandemic
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Youth sports are on hold in some Kansas communities because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Kansas State High School Athletic Association has decided not to cancel fall activities. But the Kansas City, Kansas, school board voted this week to opt out. Fall sports in Kansas include football, volleyball, cross country, girls tennis and boys soccer. The decision will let the district evaluate the status of winter sports at a later date as it continues to monitor cases of COVID-19. Meanwhile, The City of Wichita decided this week to postpone its youth football season to the spring.
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Interest in Homeschooling "Explodes" Amid Pandemic
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — As parents nationwide prepare to help their children with more distance learning, a small but quickly growing number are deciding to take matters entirely into their own hands and begin homeschooling. Some are worried their districts are unable to offer a strong virtual learning program. For others who may have been considering homeschooling, concerns for their family’s health amid the coronavirus and the on-again, off-again planning for in-person instruction are leading them to part ways with school systems. Homeschooling applications are surging in states including Nebraska, where they are up 21%, and Vermont, where they are up 75%. In North Carolina, a rush of parents filing notices that they planned to homeschool overwhelmed a government website last month, leaving it temporarily unable to accept applications. ( Read more about this story.)
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Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame Inducts 3 New Members
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two newspaper publishers and an Associated Press political reporter are being inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame. This year's inductees are Linda Denning, editor and publisher of the Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter; John Hanna of the AP; and Gary Mehl, retired editor and publisher of the McPherson Sentinel. Denning worked many years at The Salina Journal before becoming editor and publisher of the Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter in 2001. Hanna has worked in the AP's Topeka bureau for 33 years. Mehl worked at the McPherson Sentinel for 45 years, the last 13 as editor and publisher, before retiring in 2010.
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Kansas Geological Survey Helps Lead Research into Underground Storage of Carbon Dioxide
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) has spent two decades investigating the state's subsurface geology and industrial infrastructure to determine the safety and viability of injecting carbon dioxide (CO2) into underground rock formations for long-term storage and to recover hard-to-reach oil. In an effort to share data and research into the process, KGS is now partnering with 15 other state and federal entities from throughout the central and western United States. The Carbon Utilization and Storage Partnership, or CUSP, is led by the Petroleum Recovery Research Center (PRRC) at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, which was awarded $6.24 million by the U.S. Department of Energy for the project. KGS will receive about $310,000 of that amount and could get additional funding for database development and other purposes as the project moves forward through 2024.
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a process being developed to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. CO2 is a natural and essential component of the atmosphere, but it is also a greenhouse gas – a byproduct of fossil fuel emissions from vehicles and industrial plants – that is considered a cause of climate change. During the CCUS process, CO2 emitted by an industrial source is captured and transported through pipelines to a location where it can be used to squeeze out trapped oil unreachable by traditional recovery methods or stored long-term in deep and confined underground rock formations. Over the past 10 years, the KGS has led or played a key role in five large-scale CCUS projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. More information about the project can be found on the KGS’s CUSP page.
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AP Source: Chiefs, Travis Kelce Agree to 4-Year, $57.25 Million Extension
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and star tight end Travis Kelce have agreed to a four-year, $57.25 million contract extension that will keep him with the Super Bowl champions through 2025, a person familiar with the contract tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal has not been announced. The move to secure the two-time All-Pro tight end is the latest in a string of big-money deals negotiated by general manager Brett Veach to keep the core of the Chiefs intact this offseason. Among them were a 10-year extension for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a four-year deal for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones.
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