Kansas Suspends Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Distribution
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — The top health official in Kansas said Tuesday that the state is suspending distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccines as federal health officials investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, predicted the pause won’t have a “big impact” on the state’s overall rate of shots. That’s because less than 4% of the shots administered in Kansas have been from Johnson & Johnson, according to KDHE data. However, Norman noted some clinics scheduled for Tuesday morning had been put on hold.
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COVID-19 Hospitalizations Decline in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Daily coronavirus hospitalizations continue to fall in Kansas. The start of April saw fewer than 200 people hospitalized daily with COVID-19. That continues a dramatic drop in severe cases since their peak in December. At that time, a typical day saw more than 1,000 people hospitalized with the virus across the state. COVID-19 is also largely under control in Kansas nursing homes and long-term care centers. Those facilities have suffered 650 COVID outbreaks since the start of the pandemic, but just two outbreaks are active right now.
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Kansas COVID-19 Case Total Passes 304,500, Including 4,930 Deaths, Since Pandemic Began
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/AP) - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reports that there have been 304,719 cases of COVID-19 in the state, including 4,930 deaths, since the start of the pandemic. That's an increase of 483 cases and zero deaths since Friday. The death toll was revised downward as part of a regular cross-check and audit of death certificates. This process is normal for KDHE. Another update of case statistics is expected Wednesday.
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Kansas College Paying Staff $250 to Get COVID-19 Vaccines
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The largest community college in Kansas is paying staff members to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and one of the county's largest public school districts is making in-home testing kits available to students who want them. KMBC-TV reports that Johnson County Community College is paying employees $250 to get their inoculations in hopes of bringing more students back to campus in the fall. Meanwhile, KCTV reports that the 22,400-student Blue Valley school district in Johnson County began a voluntary COVID-19 testing program Monday that sends rapid-testing kits home with students who sign up for them. State data showed that Kansas averaged 213 new cases a day for the seven days ending Monday.
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Kansas Colleges to Encourage, Not Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — An increasing number of colleges in the U.S. are requiring students to get a COVID-19 vaccine before returning to campus. Kansas universities are encouraging students to get vaccinated but they are not mandating it. In recent weeks, several universities around the country have said they’ll require students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus in the fall. No Kansas universities plan to require the COVID vaccine. Universities in Kansas require students living on campus to show proof of vaccination against bacterial meningitis and to be screened for tuberculosis. The University of Kansas also requires students to have a measles, mumps and rubella vaccination.
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4-Vehicle Crash in Kansas Kills 1 Child, Injures 3 Others
GARDNER, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in suburban Kansas City, Kansas, say a four-vehicle crash has left a child dead and three others injured. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office says the crash happened Monday morning at a rural intersection west of Gardner. Investigators say a roofing truck crashed into a sport utility vehicle driven by a woman and carrying her three children. The impact of the crash sent the SUV into another truck, which then hit a van. Authorities say one child in the SUV was killed. The woman and other two children were taken to a hospital with injuries, but are expected to survive. Officials have not released the names of the child killed or those injured. No one in the other vehicles was seriously injured.
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Inmate Battling Terminal Cancer Freed from Kansas Prison
LANSING, Kan. (AP) — A 47-year-old man with terminal cancer was freed from a Kansas prison after officials agreed his medical condition is so severe he is not a danger to public safety. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas says Christopher McIntyre was released Monday from the Lansing Correctional Facility in Leavenworth County where he was serving time for aggravated burglary. The Kansas City Star reports that McIntyre is among 105 ACLU clients who requested clemency from Governor Laura Kelly. McIntyre was originally scheduled to be released in 2024. His attorneys have said he could die before then. McIntyre said in his clemency application that he has cancer masses in numerous parts of his body.
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Remains of Korea War Hero Priest Return to Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) - The remains of Father Emil Kapaun (uh-MEEL kuh-PAHN) will return to Wichita. Kapaun died in a North Korean prisoner of war camp in 1951. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor and is being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church. His family and the Catholic Diocese of Wichita say Kapaun’s remains will be placed in a crypt inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception downtown. If Kapaun were named a saint, his remains likely would be moved to a shrine or chapel honoring his life. Kapaun grew up on a farm near Pilsen, in Marion County. His remains were discovered just last month, nearly 70 years after his death. ( Read more.)
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Ban on Transgender School Athletes Heads to Governor Kelly
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) _ Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says a bill that would ban transgender athletes from participating in college or public school female sports would be bad for the state’s economy. Kelly met with leaders of aviation manufacturing companies in Wichita Monday to talk about growing jobs as the state moves out of the pandemic. Every business leader on the panel mentioned the need to attract people with the right skills. Kelly told the group that creating an attractive culture is part of her plan to attract a skilled workforce is to the state. She says the ban on transgender athletes works against that. “Companies are making it very clear that they are not interested in this kind of regressive legislation that discriminates against anybody" Kelly said. Meanwhile, the NCAA released a statement saying it supports transgender athletes and will only select locations for championship events that commit to inclusion. Wichita is currently scheduled to host NCAA basketball tournament games in 2025.
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Bombardier Aviation Announces Learjet Layoffs
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Bombardier has formally notified the state of Kansas it plans to lay off more than 200 people at its Learjet facility in Wichita. The letter to the Department of Commerce says the layoffs will begin in June and continue for the next year. The move was expected after Bombardier announced in February it would stop building the iconic Learjet business jet. Learjet currently employs about 1,200 people at its plant in west Wichita. The plant will continue to serve as Bombardier’s primary flight-test center and as a service center.
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Kansas City Approves Naming Street for Martin Luther King
KANSAS CITY, Mo (AP) — After years of debate, Kansas City will have a street named for Martin Luther King Jr. The city's parks and recreation board on Tuesday approved a proposal to rename a 5-mile route along thoroughfares that run east to west after the civil rights icon. City officials and civil rights activists celebrated the decision and vowed that the move was just the first step in larger plans to honor King, and to help foster racial unity in the city. The vote comes after a 2019 election in which voters chose to remove King's name from another well-known boulevard in the city. The new plan drew little opposition.
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Police Investigating Skeletal Remains Found Near Branson
BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — Police in southwestern Missouri are investigating after a mushroom hunter found human skeletal remains in a wooded area in Branson over the weekend. Springfield television station KYTV reports the remains were found Saturday near State Highway 248. Branson police and the Taney County coroner confirmed the remains are human. Police say they have one active missing person investigation, but that the remains found don't appear to be connected to that case. Police say they are checking with other state and federal officials in an effort to identify the remains.
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Police: Woman Found Dead in Kansas City, Kansas, Apartment
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police say a woman was was killed inside a Kansas City, Kansas, apartment over the weekend, and a person suspected of killing her later arrested. Police say officers were called around 5 pm Sunday to the complex located in the city's Riverview neighborhood, where they found a woman dead inside an apartment. Investigators say a suspect had fled the area on foot and was found and arrested a short time later. Police had not identified the victim or the suspect by this (MON) morning, and had not given other details about how the woman died.
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Kansas Legislature Approves Allowing Small Amounts of THC in CBD Products
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Small amounts of THC in products like CBD gummy bears would be legal under a bill passed by the Kansas Legislature. For the last few years, CBD products with small amounts of THC have been easy to find on store shelves in Kansas. But Kelly Rippel, a lobbyist for the cannabis industry, says sellers were operating in a legal gray zone. “This is an important step to move forward with the industry in the state," Rippel said. “It will make sure that businesses and individuals who are participating in the program and doing things the right way, are protected.” Proponents say they’re confident the new bill makes clear that at least some CBD products are legal even with traces of THC. THC is the cannabis compound that can get the user high, but only in sufficient doses, and CDB products, like gummy bear candies, have extremely small amounts of the drug.
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Ex-Kansas City Chiefs Assistant Coach Charged with DUI After Crash
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid has been charged with driving while intoxicated after a crash that critically injured a 5-year-old girl. Jackson County, Missouri, prosecutors announced the charges Monday against Reid, the son of Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Prosecutors allege Reid was driving about 84 mph, and he had a blood alcohol level of .113 about a half hour after the crash near Arrowhead Stadium on February 4. Police say his truck slammed into two cars stopped along an entrance ramp to Interstate 435 near the Chiefs' training facility. Five-year-old Ariel Young, who was in one of the cars, suffered a traumatic brain injury. Reid surrendered to Kansas City police on Monday and was released after posting $100,000 bond.
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Ex-Mayor Strikes Diversion Deal in Kansas Fake Ticket Case
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A former Kansas mayor who resigned abruptly before being charged with making fake tickets to attend a zoo fundraiser has entered into a diversion agreement with prosecutors in the case. Former Goddard Mayor Jamey Lee Blubaugh signed his diversion packet in open court on Monday. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a written statement that under the agreement Blubaugh must follow the law, perform 50 hours of community service and pay $980 in restitution plus other costs. Prosecutors charged Blubaugh and his wife, Elizabeth, each with one misdemeanor count of counterfeiting in August. The Wichita Eagle reports the announcement of the agreement comes on the same day the former mayor had been scheduled for trial. His wife was granted diversion in December.
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Wichita Police: Fatal Shooting Happened at a Party
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened during a party at a home that was being rented out. The shooting was reported near Douglas Avenue and Oliver Street around 3 am Sunday. Wichita Police Officer Trevor Macy said a 20-year-old man was found dead in the back yard of a home. Three other victims were taken to a hospital with injuries that weren't considered life threatening. All three have since been released from the hospital. Macy said the home where the shooting happened was being rented out on Airbnb at the time.
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UPDATE: Police Arrest 2 Men in Shooting of 2 Others that Killed 1
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Police have arrested two men in connection with the shooting of two other men in Hutchinson that left one dead. Television station KAKE reports that officers arrested 64-year-old Sandral Wade and 71-year-old Robert Lagrange, both of Hutchinson, on Monday. Police say both men have been charged in a warrant with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Detectives say Wade and Lagrange are suspected in the shooting that took place after 1:30 am Sunday. Police say a 46-year-old man was killed in the attack and a 42-year-old man was hospitalized, but in stable condition. Names of the victims have not yet been released.
(Earlier reporting...)
Police Seeking Suspect Following Shooting of 2, 1 Fatally
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Police are searching for a suspect in the shooting of two people in Hutchinson over the weekend, one of whom died. Hutchinson police say the shooting happened just after 1:30 am Sunday. Police were alerted when officers on patrol in the area heard a volley of gunshots. As police were searching the area, someone called 911 to report the shooting, and officers found two victims — a 46-year-old man in a front yard and a 42-year-old man lying in the street who had been shot in the stomach. The older man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The younger victim was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition later Sunday. Police have not released the victims' names.
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Inmate Found Breaking Hole in Window at Sedgwick County Jail
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a detention deputy doing his regular early morning rounds discovered an inmate trying to break a hole to an outer cell window at the county jail in Wichita. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that the deputy noticed paper covering part of the window at about 2:05 a.m. Friday and instructed the inmate to remove it so he could examine the window. He found damage to the window about six inches in diameter. The inmate had broken the first several layers of glass, but had not yet broken through to the outside. The sheriff's office says a hole of this size would have provided an access point to introduce contraband into the facility.
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Suspect Arraigned in Shooting at Missouri Convenience Store
LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A southern Missouri man has been arraigned on first-degree murder charges in a shooting that killed one person and critically injured three others. Oregon County authorities say the court entered a not guilty plea for 28-year-old Christopher Lindley, of Thayer, on Monday. He is accused of shooting the victims early Saturday at the Snappy Mart in Koshkonong. A probable cause statement released Monday said one victim, Paul Chavis, was shot outside the store. A deputy found Carlos Moreno, a truck driver from California, dead and two others, Melissa Rae Blaskiewicz and Jonah Bivens, injured inside the store. Authorities did not announce the victims' hometowns.
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Missouri House Advances Bill for Guns on Buses, in Churches
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers are advancing a sweeping firearms bill that would allow concealed guns on public transportation and in churches. The Republican-led House on Monday gave initial approval to the bill in a voice vote. Currently, people need permission to bring firearms into places of religious worship. The bill would allow people with concealed carry permits to bring guns in churches, synagogues and mosques regardless. Another provision in the bill would ensure that gun stores are considered essential businesses. That means state and cities couldn’t order them closed during emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic.
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University of Missouri Band Picked for 2022 Macy's Parade
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri’s marching band has been invited to perform in the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Officials surprised band members with the invitation on Saturday. Missouri’s band, which has more than 300 members, was one of nine selected to participate in the parade out of hundreds of applicants. Band director Amy Knopps said it is an honor to be selected. Over the next 18 months, the band will prepare for the parade with rehearsals and fundraising events. Macy’s is donating $10,000 to help the band raise funds for the trip.
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NWSL Imposes Additional 1-Game Suspension for Kansas City's Edmonds
CHICAGO (AP) — The National Women’s Soccer League has imposed an additional one-game suspension for Kansas City’s Kristen Edmonds following her actions in a game against the Portland Thorns. Edmonds was issued a red card and sent off the field after a scuffle with Portland’s Morgan Weaver in the final moments of the Thorns’ 2-1 victory. As a result of the red card, she was fined and suspended a game. The NWSL added the second game after a disciplinary review.
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