Kansas to Seek to Provide Extra Benefits to Jobless Workers
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly says Kansas will apply to participate in a federal program that provides additional benefits to workers who’ve lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic. Her announcement Thursday came less than two weeks after she questioned its legality and suggested it could be difficult to administer. Kelly’s office said the state would use a portion of its $1.25 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds to cover part of the additional benefits. President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier this month offering an additional $300 a week in benefits to jobless workers and $400 a week if states chipped in the additional $100.
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UPDATE: Court Panel Allows Federal Execution of Kansas Girl's Killer
WASHINGTON (AP) — A panel of federal appeals court judges is letting the U.S. government proceed with the planned execution of a man who kidnapped, raped and killed a 10-year-old Kansas girl. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit this (THUR) evening acted to let the execution of Keith Dwayne Nelson go forward Friday afternoon as scheduled. The court acted less than 24 hours after a lower court judge had halted his execution, saying the law requires the government to get a prescription for the drug it plans to use.
(–Earlier Reporting–)
Judge Halts Planned Friday Execution of Kansas Girl's Killer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is appealing a judge's opinion that halted its planned Friday execution of a man who kidnapped, raped and killed a 10-year-old Kansas girl. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, D.C., said today (THUR) that the law requires the government to get a prescription for the drug it plans to use to execute Keith Dwayne Nelson in Terre Haute, Indiana. The government argues the drug, pentobarbital, is not subject to the law when used for lethal injections. Nelson pleaded guilty in 2001 and was sentenced to death in the 1999 kidnapping, rape and killing of Pamela Butler, who was rollerblading in front of her home when abducted.
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Lawrence Man Gets 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Young Girl for Years
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW/KPR) - A Lawrence man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a girl he babysat for four years. The abuse started when she was 4 years old. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that 32-year-old Johnie L. Saluto entered a plea in March to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, both level-3 felonies. He had initially faced seven charges, including four felonies that were punishable by life in prison, known as Jessica’s Law crimes. The Journal-World previously reported that Saluto claimed he wasn’t sexually attracted to the girl, but he told police that being naked, masturbating and watching porn in front of her was “exciting” because he knew it’s something he isn’t supposed to do. He admitted to having the girl touch him while he did this. The girl described in detail to Lawrence Police Officer Lindsay Bishop what Saluto had been doing. She also described in detail some scenes from the pornographic videos he showed her, the Journal-World previously reported. Saluto had no criminal history and the sentence he received was the maximum allowable for the crime under Kansas sentencing guidelines. The offenses cannot be expunged.
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Nearly 40,000 COVID-19 Cases, 437 Deaths Reported in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) - Kansas has reported the highest seven-day jump in new COVID-19 cases since the state confirmed its first positive case, but the death rate is decreasing. The state saw another 1,536 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases since Monday, an increase of 4%. But the 437 deaths reported Wednesday represent 1.09% of the reported cases, which is the lowest figure since April. In total, state health officials say 39,937 coronavirus case have been identified in Kansas since the pandemic began. COVID-19 cases have now been reported in all 105 Kansas counties, with the largest number in Johnson, Sedgwick, and Wyandotte counties. An updated list of Kansas coronavirus caseswill be released online Friday.
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9 Greek Houses at University of Kansas Told to Quarantine
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Health officials ordered residents of nine University of Kansas fraternity and sorority chapter houses to quarantine for two weeks following a coronavirus outbreak on campus. The university opened its fall semester Monday with in-person classes and offered free testing for students, faculty and staff. By Tuesday, 222 people had tested positive out of 19,452 test results received, for a positivity rate of 1.1%, according to the university. But the rate among fraternities and sororities was nearly 5.5%, with 133 Greek members testing positive. Updated results will be released Friday.
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Washington University Saliva Test Approved by FDA for Detecting Virus
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Washington University saliva test for the coronavirus has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced FDA approval for the test Wednesday. The St. Louis-area university partnered with biotechnology company Fluidigm to make the test. People can collect their own testing samples by spitting into tubes, sparing health care workers from the need to swab deep in people's noses. Meanwhile, Missouri's state health director says he won't follow new guidance from U.S. health officials against testing people who have been in close contact with infected people.
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Kansas State to Install Devices in Dorms to Lower COVID-19 Risk
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University plans to install in dorm rooms a device that emits dry hydrogen peroxide to lower the risk of students being infected with COVID-19. The university had installed units in some of its facilities including the student health center and recreation center, Dr. Kyle Goerl, medical director at Kansas State, said on Wednesday. The university plans to also place devices in residence halls next week, he said. The state Department of Health and Environment said Wednesday that Kansas saw another 1,536 confirmed and probable cases since Monday, an increase of 4%. The total since the pandemic began is 39,937.
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Washburn University Removed Jefferson, Franklin Statues
LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — Washburn University officials have removed statues of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin from the school's campus in Topeka. School spokesman Patrick Early said Thursday that university officials were concerned the statues would be vandalized or become an embarrassment for their donors. He says the family of the statues' donor asked for their return. Statues of Jefferson and other historical figures have been targeted this year because they honor slaveholders. Early says students had questioned the propriety of the statues in the past but that their removal wasn't in response to a protest or student request.
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Judge to Decide if Records in Kansas Girl's Death Are Public
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Wyandotte County judge is considering whether state records involving the death of a 3-year-old girl should be released to the public. Several media outlets have sought the records in the death of Olivia Jansen, whose body was found in a shallow grave in July. They are seeking information on how much contact the state's family and children's agency had with Olivia's family before she died. In a hearing on Wednesday, Wyandotte County officials argued the investigation into the girl's death would be hindered if the records are released. Judge Michael Russell took the case under advisement and said he hoped to rule within two weeks.
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Security Guard Convicted in Fatal Shooting Near Missouri Bar
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A second security guard has been convicted in the June 2018 fatal shooting a man who was sitting in a car near a Kansas City bar. The Kansas City Star reports that 24-year-old Markell Pinkins was found guilty Wednesday of second-degree murder in the killing of 45-year-old Kevin Thomas outside the Yum Yum Bar & Grill. Prosecutors say Jones and another security guard, Christopher Jones, shot Thomas, who was sitting in a car across the street from the bar. Court records say the guards repeatedly asked Thomas to get out of the car and shot at him when he moved the car "not even a foot."
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Two Adults, One Teenager Arrested in Greenwood County Man's Death
EUREKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says two adults and a juvenile are charged in the death of a 78-year-old Eureka resident. The KBI announced Wednesday that 30-year-old Noah Farr of Dighton; 25-year-old Joseph Warden; and a 17-year-old male, both of El Dorado, were suspects in the killing of Danny Shue at his Eureka home on August 18. All three are charged with felony murder, aggravated burglary, felony theft and conspiracy to commit felony theft. The KBI has not released details about the circumstances of Shue's death. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office and the El Dorado Police Department assisted with the arrests.
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Ex-Girlfriend: Kansas House Candidate Was Abusive Last Year
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former girlfriend says she was slapped and choked in late December by a 19-year-old Kansas House candidate who has admitted to abusive online behavior toward girls when he was younger. Taylor Passow told The Kansas City Star and The Topeka Capital-Journal that she stopped seeing Aaron Coleman in January, before he launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination in a Kansas City, Kansas, district. Coleman narrowly won the Aug. 4 primary. Coleman has admitted on Facebook that allegations of revenge porn and online harassment targeting several middle-school girls were true but said his actions were that of a troubled 14-year-old. Passow said Coleman was abusive to her last year.
(–Related–)
Party Disavows Kansas Candidate Who Admitted to Spreading Revenge Porn
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Democratic Party has declared that the 19-year-old nominee for a state House seat is “unfit” for office because of “alarming behavior” that includes admitting to circulating revenge porn. Candidate Aaron Coleman says his online fundraising account has been disabled. State party spokeswoman Reeves Oyster said it is working with Kansas House Democratic Leader Tom Sawyer to find an alternative to nominee Coleman in a normally safe Democratic district in Kansas City, Kansas. Coleman defeated seven-term state Rep. Stan Frownfelter in the August 4 primary by 14 votes. Frownfelter has launched a write-in campaign and Sawyer said Democratic lawmakers are backing it.
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Agency Head Says Foster Care System in Kansas Is Improving
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas officials says the state has improved the foster care system in response to a scathing federal report and the settlement of class-action lawsuits. Laura Howard, secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, testified this week in the first of a series of hearings state lawmakers are holding to discuss the foster care system. A federal report last month found, among other things, that the DCF didn’t comply with safety standards in 24 of the state’s 31 group homes. The state also settled a lawsuit from three nonprofits to end a 2018 federal suit that demanded better care of foster kids.
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Kansas Red Cross Volunteers Deployed to Help Victims of Hurricane Laura
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The American Red Cross in Kansas and Oklahoma deployed nearly 30 volunteers ahead of Hurricane Laura. KSNW reports some volunteers will have boots on the ground and others will be providing virtual relief. It's anticipated that more than 700 Red Cross volunteers and staff from across the nation have been or will be sent to the Gulf Coast to assist in disaster recovery. Contributions can be made to the American Red Cross by visiting Redcross.org.
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ATF Offers $5,000 Reward for Information on Kansas City Church Fire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — The Kansas City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect accused of setting a church on fire. According to FOX4 news, officials say around 3 am Wednesday, a man set a fire to the Beyond Thee Four Walls Outreach Ministry Church located at 5910 E. US 40 Highway. Police have released a short video of the suspect starting the fire. As seen in a video, the suspect appears to have long dreadlocks. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS. All calls can remain anonymous. Those with information can also anonymously contact the ATF’s KC field division at 1-888-ATF-TIPS.
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Former Kansas Insurance Department Building Goes on Auction Block
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — An historic building in downtown Topeka is going up for auction next week. The state is selling the former Kansas Insurance Department building. It was constructed in 1924 as the Topeka Woman’s Club. It later housed the Insurance Department until that agency moved to a different location last year. The old building includes many stained glass windows, chandeliers, and lots of office space. Auctioneers say the building would be a perfect spot for a law firm, or any business with employees who need to interact with lawmakers. Marty Higgenbotham, Auctioneer, said, “There’s no buildings being built like it today, period. They just don’t come like this, you just don’t see the character being built today that this building exudes. Fabulous oak floors throughout the building as an example. I went all the way to the top, it’s concrete and steel, I mean this building is built to take on the weather.” The property has an appraised value of $1,464,900, according to the Shawnee County Appraiser’s Office. Higginbotham Auctioneers announced on its website that the auction will take place both live and online at 11 am Wednesday, September 2.
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Wichita Dad Walking to D.C. to Raise Awareness for Son
CUMBERLAND, Md. (KPR) — A man from Wichita, who set out on foot in June to meet with Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, then headed to Milwaukee, passed through Western Maryland this week on his way to this weekend’s Commitment March in the nation’s capital. The Cumberland Times-News reports that Michael Swapsy Sr. is walking to raise awareness of the guidelines that allowed for the abuse he said his then 8-year-old son suffered after an incident at his elementary school in February. Swapsy’s son, Micheal Swapsy Jr., who has a disability, was handcuffed for 13 minutes before then having his hands tied and a spit mask put over his head, Michael Swapsy Sr. said. The discipline stemmed from an incident where the boy was triggered during an assignment. “What you’ve got is restraint and seclusion, which I didn’t know anything about,” said Swapsy Sr., an Illinois native who recently moved to Kansas from Florida and was unaware of such policies until it happened to his child. “They did more than just handcuff him, they brutalized him, an 8-year-old with a disability. If I tie my kid’s hands up, I’m going to jail. So I don’t understand how the school system has the ability to do that to children.” Restraint and seclusion guidelines, which are supposed to be used to allow schools to restrain and separate students that pose a threat to other students and educators as a last resort, are often controversial, as there are no federal laws governing how they can be used.
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Former Emporia State Employee Wins Back Pay for Retaliation
EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has awarded a former Emporia State employee about $64,000 in a lawsuit that contended her contract was not renewed when she complained about racial discrimination. Angelica Hale and her husband, Melvin Hale, who are Black, filed separate lawsuits in 2016 alleging the school retaliated against them for complaining after a note with a racial slur was found in their department. A judge ruled in Angelica Hale's favor in July 2019 but awarded her only $1 in damages. After further motions were filed, the judge on Thursday awarded Angelica Hale $64,303 in back pay and interest. Her husband's lawsuit against the school was dismissed in July 2019.
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Kansas Man Sentenced for Yelling Slurs, Kicking Black Child
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who kicked a Black child and yelled racial slurs in a Wichita grocery store will be sent to prison after failing at rehabilitation efforts. Trace Riff was sentenced Thursday to two years and four months in prison. Prosecutors say he kicked the 1-year-old boy in December 2018 while the child was in a store with his pregnant mother and an older sibling. He pleaded no contest in May 2019 to attempted aggravated battery, disorderly conduct and drug charges. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said rehabilitation efforts for Riff had failed. Riff's family and attorney say he suffers from mental health issues and a drug addiction.
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Invenergy to Expand Available Wind Power in Kansas, Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A company planning a high-voltage power line carrying wind energy across the Midwest says it plans to distribute more electricity in Kansas and Missouri. Invenergy Transmission had previously announced that 500 of its planned 4,000 megawatts of power would go to Missouri. The rest was expected to be carried to a power grid connection in Indiana that serves eastern states. On Tuesday, Invenergy said it will instead set aside up to 2,500 megawatts of wind power for Missouri and Kansas. That comes as the company still is awaiting regulatory approval for the portion of its power line that would pass through Illinois.
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Arrest Announced in 2003 Homicide in Kansas City Suburb
WESTWOOD, Kan. (AP) — Law enforcement authorities say a Kansas prison inmate is charged with killing a man in 2003 in a suburban Kansas City grocery store. Forty-year-old Eugene Clayton Keltner faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of David “Ray” Ninemire in Westwood. Ninemire was shot when he went to help a co-worker during a robbery at the grocery store. Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe on Thursday declined to say what evidence led to Keltner's arrest. Keltner is imprisoned in Lansing after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a 2004 shooting death in Kansas City, Kansas.
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Police Investigating Shooting of 10-Year-Old Wichita Girl
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police are investigating what they say appears to have been the accidental shooting of a 10-year-old girl in a Wichita home. Police say the shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, when officers were called to a Wichita home for a report of a shooting. Arriving officers found the girl with a gunshot wound to her upper body. She was taken to a local hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. Police say an initial investigation showed that a 38-year-old male was handling a gun in a bedroom when the gun went off, hitting the girl, who was in an adjoining bathroom.
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6-Year-Old Kansas Boy Dies After Being Hit by Pickup Truck
JOHNSON CITY, Kan. (KAKE) - Authorities say a 6-year-old boy has died after he was hit by a pickup truck while riding his bike in southwest Kansas. KAKE TV reportsthe accident happened around 7:15 pm Tuesday in the small town of Johnson City. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports the driver of a Ford F-150 pulled to the left side of the road to talk to homeowners on a street. When the driver left, she did not see the boy, identified as Matthew Pantoja, on his bike in front of the truck. The driver pulled out and struck Pantoja with the driver's side front tire. Pantoja was taken to Stanton County Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 28-year-old woman driving the pickup was not hurt.
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Police Launch Investigation After Body Found in Kansas Donation Bin
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KC Star) — Police are investigating the death of a man found inside a Kansas City, Kansas, donation bin Tuesday morning. Tom Tomasic, a spokesman for the KCK Police Department, said in an email that officers were called just after 10:35 am to West 47th Avenue after someone was found dead in the area. Police found the body of a man in his 60s inside a public donation receptacle. Police believe the man may have been sleeping in the bin from time to time, Tomasic said. There were no immediate signs of foul play at the scene, he added. A death investigation is underway. Anyone with information about the death is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.
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Kansas City to Get $50 Million to Extend Streetcar
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Federal officials say Kansas City will receive nearly $51 million to extend its streetcar from downtown to the Country Club Plaza. The Federal Transit Administration said Wednesday the $50.8 million in grants will allow the project to enter its final planning stage. City officials have been planning for years to extend the line from Union Station in central Kansas City to the Plaza, adding about 3.5 miles of track. The project is expected to cost $351 million. Work on water and sewer lines is projected to begin this fall, with the opening of the streetcar expansion expected in 2025.
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Amtrak Cuts Back Service in Kansas, Other States, Due to Pandemic
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Amtrak riders in Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and other states will encounter reduced service starting in October. The change is part of the rail passenger service’s nationwide cutback in routes because of the coronavirus pandemic. According to Amtrak's website, the Southwest Chief, which runs from Chicago, through Kansas, and on to Los Angeles, will reduce its service beginning October 12. Nearly every Amtrak route across the country has been or will be reduced because of a “dramatic drop” in passengers during the pandemic, the company said. Currently, the Southwest Chief operates seven days a week. After October 12, the Southwest Chief will leave Chicago on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. The train will leave Los Angeles on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ( Read more.)
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New Effort Begins to Name Kansas City Street After King
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A new effort has begun to rename a street in Kansas City after Martin Luther King Jr. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City on Tuesday proposed to the city parks board that it rename three major streets that connect with each other. The streets are Swope Parkway, Volker Drive and part of Blue Parkway. The proposal comes after voters last year reversed the city's decision to name The Paseo Boulevard after King. The park board will gather input from residents and hold two public hearings before making a decision.
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