U.S. Parents Delaying Preschool and Kindergarten Amid Pandemic
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Children who had preschool cut short in the spring are now being held out of kindergarten at higher than normal rates as many school districts begin the year online. That's raising concerns that the pandemic could have an outsize impact on the nation's youngest learners. According to a University of Oregon survey, 17% of parents surveyed this month were delaying sending their children to kindergarten. That's much higher than in a typical year, when about 4% of families delay the start of kindergarten. School districts in Los Angeles and Nashville, Tennessee, are among those reporting drops in kindergarten enrollment.
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More Kansas Schools Ending In-Person Classes, Sports
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and canceled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines. The Wichita Eagle reports both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams. Chanute has canceled football games, but is continuing in-person classes. The school board in Atwood overruled the superintendent’s decision to move classes to remote learning then later reversed course.
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COVID-19 Has Kansas Lawmakers Pondering Broader Oversight
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas have started pushing to give more of their colleagues a say in how the state manages protracted emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic. Their discussions Thursday came after months of conflict between GOP lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. A Republican-led legislative committee studying the state’s emergency management laws agreed Thursday that the GOP-controlled Legislature should consider creating a new panel with permanent oversight of how the governor handles months-long emergencies. The study committee also said lawmakers should look at making it easier for them to reconvene later in the year after their annual spring session has concluded.
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Even "Frontier" Counties Getting Hit with Spike in New COVID-19 Cases
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has set another record for its biggest seven-day spike in new coronavirus cases. The state’s top public health official said Wednesday that it’s a sign the state is seeing community spread of the virus even in “frontier” counties. The state health department reported 1,267 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Monday, an increase of 2.3%, to bring the total to 55,226. The average number of new cases per day was 622 for the seven days ending Wednesday, beating the previous record average of 615 for the first seven days of September. The state also reported another 21 COVID-19-related deaths to bring the pandemic total to 621.
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COVID-19 Case Total in Kansas Exceeds 55,000, Includes 621 Deaths
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - State health officials say Kansas has identified more than 55,000 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The Department of Health and Environment reported Wednesday that Kansas has recorded 55,226 cases, including 621 deaths. That's an increase of 1,267 cases and 21 deaths since Monday. Another update on case numbers will be released Friday.
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Nursing Homes Lead List of Reported Kansas COVID-19 Clusters
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Nearly half of the places reported by Kansas as linked to active coronavirus clusters of five or more cases are nursing homes. A state official has told legislators some homes still are struggling to find testing supplies despite heightened federal testing requirements. The state Department of Health and Environment's latest weekly report on places linked to coronavirus clusters was issued Wednesday and named 29 with 14 tied to nursing homes. Meanwhile, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that a Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services administrator told a legislative committee Wednesday that some nursing homes are struggling to meet a federal benchmark to test staff at least once a week.
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Missouri Governor, Opponent of Mandatory Masks, Has COVID-19
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Republican Governor Mike Parson, who has refused to require residents to wear masks, has tested positive for the coronavirus. His office confirmed the positive test Wednesday. Parson was tested after his wife, Teresa, tested positive earlier Wednesday. Teresa Parson had experienced mild symptoms, including a cough and nasal congestion. Governor Parson postponed several events through the remainder of the week. Parson is 65. He has repeatedly urged residents to wear masks and maintain social distancing, but he has been an outspoken opponent of mask mandates, sometimes appearing at functions without one.
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Federal Authorities to Investigate Overland Park Teen's 2018 Shooting Death
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating possible civil rights violations in the January 2018 shooting death of a Kansas teenager by an Overland Park police officer. An FBI spokeswoman said Thursday the agency, its Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney in Kansas are investigating the death of 17-year-old John Albers. Albers was shot to death by officer Clayton Jenison as he backed out of the driveway of his Overland Park home. Officers went to the home when friends reported Albers was threatening to hurt himself. Jenison was later cleared of any wrongdoing but left the department. Albers's family reached a $2.3 million settlement with the city of Overland Park over the shooting.
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Jackson County Audit Finds Millions in Problematic Contracts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A state audit says Jackson County government spent millions of dollars on no-bid contracts or contracts that were not reevaluated for years. State Auditor Nicole Galloway says the audit released Wednesday also found the county was not transparent about millions it spent on legal lobbying and other professional services. Galloway, the Democratic nominee in the Missouri governor's race, said Jackson County ignored requirements in its charter that all professional services contracts over $5,000 be competitively bid, except in emergencies. Jackson County executive Frank White said the county cooperated with the audit and has already made changes several of the recommended changes.
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Kansas City Civil Rights Leader Rosemary Lowe Dies at 94
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Longtime Kansas City civil rights leader Rosemary Lowe has died. She was 94. Family and a funeral home confirmed that she died Tuesday, but did not provide details. The Kansas City Star reports that Lowe served for decades as president of the Santa Fe Area Council. She also worked behind the scenes to help with the founding of Freedom Inc., a Black political club. Lowe was a Democratic committee representative for the city's 14th Ward. Lowe served on numerous boards and volunteer committees and helped with the appointment of police chiefs and policymakers.
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Kansas Farm Device Triggers Police Response to Shooting Call
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities responding to a call about sheriffs deputies being shot at briefly shut down the Kansas Turnpike Wednesday night and sent an armored vehicle and drone to the scene. The Wichita Eagle reports it turned out the ruckus was coming from a propane cannon an 87-year-old watermelon farmer uses to scare away raccoons and coyotes from his crops near Haysville. About 10-12 watermelons were disappearing each night, so about a week ago Kenneth Simmons put a propane cannon in their field east of the Turnpike to scare off the predators The device can be put on a timer to set off a loud bang.
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Police Arrest 1 in Shooting Death on Wichita's West Side
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police have announced an arrest in the shooting death of a man earlier this week on Wichita's east side. Television station KAKE reports that the shooting happened just before 3:30 am Tuesday. Arriving officers found 42-year-old Jeremy Hutchens in a car with a gunshot wound. Hutchens died at the scene. Police said an investigation revealed that Hutchens had met another man, 22-year-old Christian Wohlford, for a property transaction when an argument ensued. Police say Wohlford shot Hutchens. A woman in the car was not injured. Police arrested Wohlford several hours after the shooting during a traffic stop.
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Police: 91-Year-Old Man Hit, Killed on Salina Street
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Police in central Kansas say a 91-year-old man was hit and killed this week as he stood in the middle of a street in Salina. Police say the crash happened Monday afternoon, when a sport utility vehicle hit another vehicle, pushing it into 91-year-old James Price. Salina police say the 82-year-old driver of the SUV may have lost consciousness before hitting the vehicle. Police say Price was in the street standing next to the vehicle that was hit. He died from his injuries.
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Kansas City Police Identify 1-Year-Old Killed in Triple Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City police have identified a child killed in a triple shooting there as a 1-year-old boy, making him the city's youngest homicide victim this year. Police say Tyron Payton was in the back seat of a car with three other adults when someone opened fire on their vehicle Monday afternoon. The child’s death is the 148th homicide this year in Kansas City. At this time last year, 114 homicides had been recorded. Federal agents have been sent to Kansas City and a handful of other cities this summer to help fight gun violence, part of a program called Operation Legend. The program is named after a 4-year-old Kansas City boy LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while sleeping in his father’s apartment on June 29.
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All Federal Agents from Operation Legend Leave Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Officials say federal agents assigned to Operation Legend in Kansas City have left the city. More than 200 federal agents were sent to Kansas City to be part of an anti-crime task force that later expanded to eight other U.S. cities. The U.S. attorney's office in Kansas City announced Wednesday that the agents have returned to their home districts, as was planned all along. The task force was named for a 4-year-old Kansas City boy who was shot and killed while he slept this summer. The agents helped local law enforcement officials investigate homicides and other crimes.
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Suspected Drug Dealer, Deported Last Year, Charged in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An accused drug dealer who was deported last year is once again facing drug charges after illegally returning to the U.S. The Wichita Eagle reports that 28-year-old Raul Valenzuela-Arce was charged last week in U.S. District Court in Topeka. He is accused of distributing methamphetamine. An affidavit from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation says Valenzuela-Arce was arrested in March 2019 in Topeka on state drug and gun charges. The affidavit says Valenzuela-Arce agreed while jailed to become a KBI informant. But instead of helping police, Valenzuela-Arce allegedly returned to committing drug crimes. Court filings show he was deported to Mexico in November, but was caught in Topeka in July.
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Gale Sayers, "The Kansas Comet" and Chicago Bears Hall of Fame Running Back, Dies at 77
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers has died. Sayers made his mark as one of the NFL's best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Bears teammate with cancer. Nicknamed "The Kansas Comet," Sayers was considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo depicted in the 1971 film "Brian's Song" that marked him as more than a sports star. Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatives say he was diagnosed with dementia. His wife said she partly blamed his football career. ( Read more in this article from KU Athletics.)
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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Shatters Diplomatic Norms with Political Appearances
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is ignoring criticism and forging ahead with events that have overtly political overtones ahead of the presidential election. Pompeo is casting aside a long tradition of the nation's top diplomat shunning partisan politics. On Wednesday, he gave a speech in the swing state of Wisconsin, marking the fourth such event this month alone. While his speeches have stopped short of blatant calls for President Donald Trump's reelection, the venues Pompeo has chosen have raised eyebrows and sparked allegations of potential violations of federal law. Before becoming Secretary of State, Pompeo served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Before that, the West Point graduate served as a Kansas congressman, representing Wichita and the south-central Kansas area.
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Kansas Soccer Club Leader Sentenced in Case Involving Player
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The founder of a Johnson County soccer club has been sentenced to two years of probation for inappropriately touching a minor girl he coached. Thirty-seven-year-old Jason Cummins was sentenced Wednesday. He pleaded guilty in July to attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child between the ages of 14 and 16. If he violates his probation, he would serve 19 months in jail. Court records say Cummins took the girl to his Shawnee home and touched her without her consent. Cummins founded Arson FC in 2014. He ran the club and coached the team the victim played on.
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Audio-Reader Holds Next Facebook Live Audio Sale Today
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Audio-Reader Network is holding its next Facebook Live Audio Sale today (THUR) at 6 pm. Assorted pieces of gently-used audio equipment (receivers, turntables, speakers, etc.) will be showcased and sold below market value during the event. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Audio-Reader, the radio, telephone and Internet reading service for the blind and vision-impaired, based at the University of Kansas. KPR News Director J. Schafer will emcee the event. He'll be joined by audio expert Dave Dunford, one of several volunteer audio technicians who check and repair every donated piece of equipment to make sure everything works as it should. Vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and even musical instruments are often part of Audio-Reader's Facebook Live events. Learn more at Audio-Reader's website.
(View some of the items for sale.)
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Lawmaker: Governor's Staff Blocks List of Kansas PPE Suppliers
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Republican lawmaker says Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s office blocked a Kansas legislative committee from obtaining a list of the state’s personal protective equipment suppliers. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Senator Dennis Pyle of Hiawatha released emails Tuesday during a meeting of a study committee showing that its request had been refused. The committee sought the list after testimony last month that some of the state’s personal protective equipment was defective. According to the emails released by Pyle, the Adjutant General's Department cited instructions from the governor’s staff in declining to release the list. Kelly’s chief of staff said the directive was an effort to narrow the committee’s request.
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Big 12 Conference Openers Include 1st Games for Baylor, TCU
UNDATED (AP) - The Big 12 is ready to open conference play in its 25th season. All 10 teams are set to play in league games Saturday. TCU and Baylor will be playing their season openers after being unable to play their scheduled non-conference games because of COVID-19. Among the games, Kansas State is at No. 3 Oklahoma. The Sooners last season had their five-year road winning streak ended in a 48-41 loss at K-State. Dave Aranda will make his head coaching debut at Baylor against Kansas and his former boss Les Miles. TCU tries for its 19th consecutive home-opening win against Iowa State.
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Alex Gordon Retiring After Playing Entire Career with Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon will retire after the season. The player who spent his entire 14-year career with Kansas City made the announcement Thursday. While he never quite hit with the kind of average the Royals hoped he would, Gordon turned himself into one of the best defensive players in the game. He helped the Royals to two World Series trips and a championship in 2015. Gordon is 36 and says his decision to retire was influenced by the pandemic. He now wants to spend more time with his family and “catch up on things I’ve missed my whole life.”
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KPR's daily headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. KPR's weekend summary is usually published by 1 pm Saturdays and Sundays.