Kansas Lands $4 Billion Panasonic Factory That Will Make Batteries for Tesla
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KPR) — A subsidiary of Japanese industrial giant Panasonic Corporation will build a $4 billion plant in De Soto, in western Johnson County, to make batteries for Tesla electric vehicles. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas beat out Oklahoma for the Panasonic Holdings plant, which plans to supply batteries to a large electric vehicle plant in Texas. Panasonic is a partner with electric vehicle maker Tesla. That could mean some 4,000 jobs at the battery-making facility and more jobs for businesses supplying what officials described as the largest electric vehicle battery plant in the world. Officials promised a payroll that will eventually cover some 4,000 jobs and predicted that thousands of other jobs in the region will spring from the factory in De Soto. State subsidies topping $829 million for the project are tied to employment levels. The deal comes after Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat running for reelection, enlisted the help of the Republicans who control the Legislature to promise up to $1.3 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to land the massive economic development project. Once completed, it's expected to be the world's largest electric battery plant.( Read more.)
(AP version)
Panasonic Selects Kansas for Vehicle Battery Mega-Factory
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Japan's Panasonic Corporation and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly say the company selected the state of Kansas as the location for a multibillion-dollar mega-factory to produce electric vehicle batteries for Tesla and other carmakers. The company was lured to Kansas by taxpayer-funded incentives worth $829 million over 10 years. That's the largest package of incentives that the state has offered a private business and it was made possible by a law enacted only five months earlier. The company says it will invest about $4 billion, and state officials expect the new plant to have about 4,000 workers. Officials believe suppliers and other local businesses will create up to new 4,000 jobs as well.
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Kansas Receives $83.5 Million to Expand High-Speed Internet Service
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) — Federal officials say Kansas has received $83.5 million in federal coronavirus relief funds for projects that are expected to connect more than 21,000 homes and businesses to high-speed internet service. The U.S. Treasury Department says the money for Kansas is part of $10 billion in funds for capital improvement projects for states, territories and Native American tribal governments. According Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids, some 173,000 Kansas residents lack home broadband service and 307,000 don't have access to reliable internet service. The money will be distributed through a competitive grant program overseen by the Kansas Department of Commerce.
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Federal Appeals Court Finds Immigration-Related Statute Unconstitutional
UNDATED (KCUR) - On Wednesday, a federal appeals court ruled that a statute making it a crime to encourage noncitizens to reside in the United States is unconstitutional. KCUR Radio reports that the decision came in a case involving two Kansas workers. In a 2-1 decision, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling finding the statute to be over broad under the First Amendment. The court found that the statute "criminalizes a substantial amount of constitutionally protected speech, creating a real danger that the statute will chill First Amendment expression." The case sprang from the indictment of a Lawrence drywall contractor and others in March 2015. The government claimed they were part of a scheme to convert more than $13 million in payroll checks into cash to pay crews of undocumented workers in the Kansas City area. ( Read more.)
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Two People Shot to Death in Separate KCK Shootings Wednesday Morning
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Two people are dead following separate fatal shootings in Kansas City, Kansas. According to KCTV, the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department says officers were called to the 1700 block of Stewart Avenue just after 2:40 am Wednesday and found a man had been shot inside a home. He was transported to a hospital but died from his injuries. About two hours earlier, police took someone into custody after a man was found shot to death in a home off North 58th Street, just off of Meadowlark Lane. Anyone with information has been asked to call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). All tips remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. ( Read more.)
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Investigation Underway After 3 Teens Are Shot in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Kansas City Police Department is investigating after three people, all teenagers under 18 years old, were shot Tuesday evening. According to KCTV, police received a call shortly after 5 pm about the sound of shots fired in the area of 83rd and Lydia. Two people who had been shot were found in the 1300 block of E. 82nd Terrace. That is on the northeastern side of The Village Apartments complex area. The complex is between Troost Avenue and Lydia Avenue. The third person who had been shot was found at E. 84th Street and Lydia Avenue. That is several roads or streets south of where the other two victims were found. It is also outside the area that encompasses the apartment complex. EMS took all three victims to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries. One individual sustained critical injuries. The other two had non-life-threatening injuries. Police say the victims include two males and one female. No suspect information is available at this time. ( Read more.)
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Retired Teachers Will Have Easier Path Back to the Classroom in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - Kansas schools need teachers, and the Kansas State Board of Education is looking to veteran teachers to help mitigate shortages this fall. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that state education board passed a measure Tuesday giving any retired educator who previously held a Kansas teaching license an easier pathway back into the classroom during the 2022-23 school year. The new transitional license option, intended for retired educators whose prior teaching credentials have been lapsed for at least six months, streamlines the process and eliminates application fees and professional development requirements needed for typical license renewals. Teacher retirements in Kansas have risen in past five years
The Kansas board's move comes as several other states also consider how to deal with teacher shortages. Last month, the Kansas State Board of Education voted to continue into the fall semester with lower qualifications for substitute teachers, in light of "an educator shortage that may be the worst we have ever seen" in Kansas. That measure allows anyone with a high school diploma and who passes a background check a temporary substitute teaching license for the fall 2022 semester.
Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson emphasized that both of the board's actions have been temporary measures meant to address teacher shortages and vacancies. ( Read more.)
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Authorities Identify Man Killed in Westport Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri State Highway Patrol has identified the man who died in Sunday night’s shooting at the Ale House in Kansas City’s Westport entertainment district. The patrol identified the man as 24-year-old Cardell Crawford of Kansas City, Missouri. The highway patrol is investigating the incident because off-duty KCPD officers were involved and fired their weapons during the gun fight. It’s unknown whether bullets from those officers’ weapons wounded any of the people hurt in the incident. Investigators have not released the conditions of the five other people who were shot but troopers said that a security guard working at Ale House was among the five people shot.
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New Suicide Hotline to Launch in Kansas and Nationwide This Weekend
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A new suicide hotline launches on Saturday and it represents one of the largest investments in mental health services ever in Kansas. The new number is 988. Callers will be connected with workers specifically trained to help. Kansas is spending $10 million to support the new hotline. That funding helped hire staff for call centers and create mobile response teams that can reach people in crisis. Mental health advocacy groups say the new number is easier to remember and will connect people with mental health resources in their area like substance use treatment or counseling. The federal government is spending over $250 million nationwide to create 988 suicide hotline.
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Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest Teenager After Alleged Threats Made in Chapman
CHAPMAN, Kan. (KMAN) - KMAN Radio in Manhattan reports that a teenager has been arrested for allegedly making threats to kill people at a swimming pool in Chapman, Kansas. Officials with the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office and the Chapman Police Department say a 17-year-old white male allegedly made threats Monday to kill individuals at the pool as well as the Chapman sports complex. Authorities say the teenager showed a small pistol in at least one of the videos he posted to Snapchat.
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Inmate Found Dead at Lansing Correctional Facility
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - An inmate at the Lansing Correctional Facility has died and the cause of death remains unknown. The Kansas Department of Corrections announced that inmate Jamie Gaius Marshall died on Monday. The department said the cause of death is pending autopsy results, however, a preliminary investigation indicates the death is not related to COVID-19. WIBW reports that the 43-year-old Marshall had been imprisoned since January, 2013, following two 2003 drug convictions and one 2012 rape conviction. The death is under investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation as is the protocol when a resident dies in custody.
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Young Girl Dies Week After Being Pulled from Pool at Kansas City Amusement Park
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - A young girl died from her injuries a week after she was pulled from an attraction at Oceans of Fun water park in Kansas City. The Kansas City Star reports that the child - whose name and age have not been disclosed - was in distress at the Coconut Cove pool when a staff member had to pull her out on July 5. After medical personnel performed CPR, the girl was transported to Children’s Mercy Hospital with critical injuries. But just a week after she was being treated in the hospital, water park officials announced that she succumbed to her injuries. The cause of the girl’s injuries remains unknown at this time. Oceans of Fun water park says it will remain closed until further notice.
(AP version)
Girl Pulled from Kansas City Amusement Park Pool Dies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The owner of a popular water park in Kansas City says a young girl who was pulled from a pool last week has died. A spokesman for Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., which owns Oceans of Fun water park, confirmed the girl's death this week. The company said in a statement that park staff and fire department responders cared for the girl after she was found in distress on July 5 at the park's Coconut Cove pool. The company didn't say what caused the girl to begin struggling and it didn't immediately reply to a request for further information, including the girl's name. Law enforcement officials said the girl was younger than 10 years old.
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Swimmer Infected with Brain-Eating Amoeba; Other Cases Reported in Kansas and Missouri
BEDFORD, Iowa (AP) — A Missouri resident has been hospitalized in intensive care after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba. Health officials say the infection likely happened after the Missouri resident was swimming in a southeastern Iowa lake. The Iowa Health Department shut down the beach at Lake of Three Fires State Park after the person was diagnosed with the rare and usually fatal infection. Iowa state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are testing to confirm the presence of the organism in the lake, which could take several days to complete. People are infected when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose, usually while victims are swimming or diving in lakes and rivers. According to the CDC, the fatality rate is more than 97%. This is believed to be the first case discovered in Iowa. However, the neighboring states of Kansas, Missouri and Minnesota have all reported infections. ( Read more.)
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KU Endowment Association Gets New Leader
UNDATED (KPR) – The KU Endowment Board of Trustees has named Dan Martin as the next president of KU Endowment, following a national search. Martin's most recent role was as Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Texas Division of St. Luke’s Health in Houston. He has extensive experience in higher education leadership and fundraising. He is a fourth-generation Kansan from Overland Park, with three degrees from KU and one from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Invasive Jumping Worms Discovered in Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Harvest Public Media) — This summer you might notice a new type of worm in your garden. Jumping Worms, an invasive species from Asia, have recently been found in Kansas and other states throughout the Midwest. The worm has a voracious appetite that depletes the soil of nutrients. They also crowd out and replace beneficial earthworms. Jumping Worms get their name from the way they thrash around. They are more firm and less slimy than other earthworms with a white band around their bodies. To slow the spread of the worm, the Missouri Department of Conservation suggests reducing transportation of soil or mulch and not using the worms as fish bait. Because they’re relatively new to the Midwest, researchers are still waiting to see how they affect gardens, farms and forests. (Read more.)
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Royals Patching Up Roster for Toronto, Image Among Fans
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are busy patching up a roster decimated by players barred from traveling to Toronto because of their COVID-19 vaccination status while trying to heal their damaged image among fans. Ten of the 26 players on the Royals’ active roster were unable to make the trip for a four-game series beginning Thursday night because of Canadian restrictions on unvaccinated players. Among them were All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi, two-time All-Star Whit Merrifield, future cornerstones Kyle Isbel and MJ Melendez and outfielder Michael A. Taylor. Of the eight players summoned from Double-A and Triple-A, only three have played in a major league game.
(– Related –)
10 Unvaccinated Royals Will Stay Home as Team Travels to Canada
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - Ten players for the Kansas City Royals are not traveling to Toronto for their upcoming four-game series because they have had not a COVID-19 vaccine. Five of them played in the Royals’ 5-2 win over the Detroit Tigers Wednesday afternoon - winning pitcher Brady Singer, newly-named American League All-Star Andrew Benintendi, rookies MJ Melendez and Kyle Isbel. The fifth player was cleanup hitter Hunter Dozier who had two hits and an RBI in the win. "It’s just a weird situation. It’s unfortunate. But I didn’t want to put something in my body that I didn’t fully believe in," Dozier said. Health experts continue to recommend the COVID vaccine to prevent infection. The other players placed on the restricted list are: pitchers Brad Keller and Dylan Coleman, backup catcher Cam Gallagher, outfielder Michael A. Taylor and Whit Merrifield, who’s injured. They’ll be replaced by minor leaguers.
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Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Tackle Mitchell Schwartz Announces Retirement
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Offensive tackle Mitch Schwartz, who helped the Kansas City Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2019, announced his retirement Thursday because of lingering effects from a back injury. The 33-year-old Schwartz, who had played in 134 consecutive games with Cleveland and Kansas City, hurt his back against Buffalo in October 2020. He had surgery in the offseason and skipped last year in the hopes of making a full recovery. Schwartz was voted a first-team All-Pro in 2018. He also was picked to the second team on three occasions.
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New Commish: Big 12 Open for Business Amid Realignment Talk
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — New Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark says the league is open for business. While nothing is imminent, he says all options will be explored as he prepares to take over with conference realignment again in the forefront. Yormark made his introductory marks at the start of the league’s football media days. He says he's excited about the transformative moment and the opportunity to grow and build the Big 12 brand and business. The 55-year-old Yormark is joining the Big 12 from his role as an executive on the commercial side of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. He was previously CEO of the Brooklyn Nets.
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These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.