KCK Police: 1 Killed, 1 Injured in Early Morning Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police in Kansas City, Kansas, say a person has been killed and another has been injured in a shooting. Authorities say the shooting happened minutes before 1 am today (TUE) on South 11th Street. Officers called to the scene found a male in his late teens lying in the street with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital in serious but stable condition. Nearly six hours later, police were called about a second shooting victim in the area and found the body of another male teen in an alley. Police say he had been fatally shot. The names of the victims have not been released, and no arrests have been reported.
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Crews Pull Body of 11-Year-Old Girl from Kansas River
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police in Kansas City, Kansas, say crews have pulled the body of an 11-year-old girl from the Kansas River, where she went missing over the weekend. Police said in a news release that the body of Rebecca Van Sui Par was found Monday evening after a boater spotted a body along the river's shoreline. Authorities have said the girl was pulled under the water while trying to retrieve a beach ball a family had been batting around on a sand bar. Officials say an adult and two other minors tried to save the girl, but ended up having to be rescued.
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University of Kansas Begins Classes Amid COVID-19 Concerns
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas started classes Monday amid concern about how the coronavirus pandemic will disrupt the fall semester. The university is requiring every student, faculty and staff member who plans to be on campus to be tested for the virus. Last week, results from people who arrived on campus early found 89 people had tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 87 were students, with a majority from fraternities and sororities, which allowed members to move back early. Over the weekend, Chancellor Douglas Girod issued a cease and desist order against two fraternities after social media posts showed large groups gathered outside the groups' homes without masks or social distancing.
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More than 38,000 COVID-19 Cases, 426 Deaths Reported in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) - Kansas saw another weekend surge of COVID-19 infections with the state recording 1,545 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since last Friday. That's an increase of 4.2%. State health officials say 38,401 coronavirus cases, including 426 deaths, have been identified in Kansas since the pandemic began. COVID-19 cases have now been reported in all 105 Kansas counties. The latest numbers from the Department of Health and Environment were released Monday. An updated list of Kansas coronavirus cases will be released online Wednesday.
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Plan Would Allow Some Schools to Play Fall Sports in Spring
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas schools might be able to play a truncated version of their fall season in the spring under a plan that the Kansas High School Activities Association is considering. With some of the state’s largest districts canceling or suspending fall sports and other extracurricular activities, the association Executive Board voted 9-0 Monday in favor of the “alternative fall season opportunity.” For schools that participate, the fall season would overlap the spring season, which would start about one month later. The association’s board of directors will take final action Friday.
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Missouri Governor Candidates Split on Mandatory Masks
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Democrat Nicole Galloway says she'll require face masks statewide if elected Missouri governor. That's part of a plan she released Monday to handle the coronavirus pandemic. Galloway is trying to unseat Republican Governor Mike Parson. He has resisted calls to enact a statewide mask mandate. Parson has said that local officials in state virus hotspots have required masks on their own. Parson also has left it up to local school districts to decide how to handle reopening. Galloway wants statewide guidelines that would only allow full in-person learning if virus cases in the county are low relative to the population.
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Kansas Candidate Who Admitted to Revenge Porn Back in Race
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 19-year-old Kansas House candidate who admitted to engaging in revenge porn and harassing girls online has reversed his decision to abandon a campaign that has seen him disavowed by many fellow Democrats. Aaron Coleman, of Kansas City, Kansas, said Tuesday that many of the people who voted for him in the Democratic primary over veteran state Rep. Stan Frownfelter urged him not to drop out. Coleman prevailed by 14 votes. Frownfelter already has launched a write-in campaign for November but House Democratic Leader Tom Sawyer said he thinks it's unlikely the House would seat Coleman.
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Kansas Governor Renominates Lawyer for Appeals Court Spot
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly has renominated a federal public defender to the Kansas Court of Appeals despite his initial rejection by the Republican-led state Senate. The Democratic governor said Monday that Carl Folsom III is undoubtedly the most qualified person for the job, citing his experience, passion for the law and understanding of how it affects people's daily lives. Folsom would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Appeals Judge Steve Leben. Kelly told reporters that some state senators said they regret their earlier action and that she expects Folsom to be confirmed this time.
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Kansas River Keeper Works to Promote, Protect and Clean Up the Kaw
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - About 800,000 Kansans get their drinking water from the Kansas River. Water treatment plants work to keep the water clean and safe. But so do environmentalists, including a group called "Friends of the Kaw." The group's executive director, Dawn Buehler, is known as the Kansas River Keeper. The DeSoto woman says the group spends time every year trying to clean up the Kaw. "We see a lot of plastic bottles," Buehler said. "We still see a lot of tires. And I am still astonished at how many appliances we find. We're talking refrigerators, multiple refrigerators." In October, the group plans to remove hundreds of tires from a stretch of river near Eudora. Buehler and Friends of the Kaw spent part of the summer paddling down the Kansas River, from Junction City to Kansas City. Their 173-mile journey raised awareness about environmental threats facing the waterway, including trash, chemical pollution and dredging. The nine-day trip also highlighted the river's recreational opportunities. ( Listen to KPR's interview with the Kansas River Keeper.)
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Kanye West Falls Short in Bid to Be on Missouri's Ballot
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rapper and music producer Kanye West will not be on Missouri's election ballot this November. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft's office on Tuesday notified West that his supporters had not gathered enough signatures to qualify for the state's general election. West announced he was a candidate for president in July, prompting speculation it was a publicity stunt to promote a new album or that Republicans were hoping he would draw votes away from Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Ashcroft's office says it verified 6,557 petition signatures for West. Missouri law requires 10,000 valid signatures to be placed on the ballot.
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Amtrak's Southwest Chief to Reduce Service Through Kansas
NEWTON, Kan. (AP) — Amtrak passengers in Kansas will see reduced service starting in October as part of the rail service's nationwide cutback in routes in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Amtrak plans to cut service on nearly all of its long-distance trains to three times a week. Beginning Oct. 12, the Southwest Chief will leave Chicago on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. The train will leave Los Angeles on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The train serves travelers in Lawrence, Topeka, Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City and Garden City in Kansas. The company said its nationwide changes are due to a dramatic drop in passenger use during the pandemic.
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Invenergy to Expand Available Wind Power in Missouri, Kansas
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 Missouri and Kansas. 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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Virtual Learning Sites Sprout up to Help Working Parents
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — With many schools still closed by the coronavirus pandemic, public and private alternatives are sprouting up across the nation to watch over children as they study. The programs are taking shape in somewhat unlikely places: a dance studio in Florida, a martial arts center in Missouri and libraries in San Francisco. The sites provide a lifeline for families that struggled through virtual learning last spring, but organizers acknowledge they are a poor substitute for schools with professional educators. And experts say they could risk subjecting caregivers to the same virus dangers that closed schools.
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Clay County Man Accused of Growing Poppy Plants to Manufacture Heroin
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 43-year-old man has been charged with growing thousands of poppy plants near his north-central Kansas home in order to manufacture heroin. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said in a news release that Matthew Pfeiffer, of Morganville, was indicted Monday on three drug-related charges. The indictment alleges that law enforcement officers seized more than 4,000 poppy plants during a search of Pfeiffer's home in Clay County in June. The poppies were a type of plant from which heroin may be derived.
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Kansas Approves Coyote Hunts with Lights, Thermal Imaging
PRATT, Kan. (AP) — Kansas hunters will be allowed to use artificial light and thermal imaging equipment to hunt coyotes night beginning next year. The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission voted last week to make changes for night hunting of coyotes in response to requests from hunters. Artificial lights and thermal imaging will be allowed between Jan. 1 and March 31, and hunters will be required to buy a permit to use the equipment. Matt Peek, a furbearer biologist with the wildlife department said states surrounding Kansas all allow the use of equipment at night, and Kansas hunters have been asking for the change for several years.
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Police Investigate Shooting Death in North Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police are investigating the shooting death of a man in north Wichita. Police say the shooting happened around 9:15 pm Monday when a person called 911 to report that a man had been shot. Officers arriving within minutes found a 33-year-old victim and pronounced him dead at the scene. His name has not yet been released. Police impounded two vehicles during their investigation, but no arrests had been reported by early this (TUE) morning.
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Missouri Patrol: St. Joe Man Who Died After Police Pursuit Shot Himself
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri State Highway Patrol says a man fatally shot himself while he was being pursued by a sheriff's deputy last week. The patrol said Monday a preliminary autopsy report indicates 35-year-old Shiloh Smith. of St. Joseph, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Smith died Thursday after a chase that began in Gentry County because of traffic violations. Shots were fired during the chase, which ended when Smith's pickup crashed in DeKalb County.
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GOP Candidate for Neosho County Commission Killed in Crash
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican candidate running against a Neosho County commissioner was killed after his motorcycle was hit by a car. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 31-year-old Christopher D. Ellis died from injuries sustained when a 79-year-old Parsons woman driving a Buick Regal crossed into the lane in which he was riding and struck him Sunday afternoon about three miles north of Erie. Ellis was driving a 2009 Harley Davidson north on highway U-59 and the Buick was southbound. The Wichita Eagle reports Ellis was running against incumbent David Orr for the Neosho County Commission seat. The Buick's driver was hospitalized with possible minor injuries.
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Panel Nixes Residency Complaint in Sedgwick County Race
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A panel assessed a radio talk show host $175 for filing what it determined was a baseless challenge to the residency of a Sedgwick County Commission candidate. The Wichita Eagle reports the panel unanimously ruled Monday that candidate Sarah Lopez lives in the 2nd District and can stay on the ballot challenging incumbent Michael O’Donnell. It quickly rejected the complaint against Lopez by KNSS radio host John Whitmer and slapped him with the bill for the time it took to investigate it. Whitmer is a former paid campaign worker for O’Donnell.
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Kansas Commission Adds LGBT Nondiscrimination Protections
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas commission that enforces the state's nondiscrimination laws will begin hearing claims from people who allege they are being mistreated because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Kansas Human Rights Commission says the decision is in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment. But the commission expanded the ruling beyond employment cases, offering protections for people alleging discrimination in housing and public accommodations, such as retail stores and educational institutions.
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Kansas City Police Officer Indicted on Felony Assault Charge
LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A grand jury has indicted a Kansas City police sergeant on a felony assault charge after he allegedly kneed a 15-year-old on the back and head as the teenager repeatedly said “I can't breathe.” Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced Friday that Sgt. Matthew Neal faces a felony third-degree assault charge. An affidavit from the grand jury said in November 2019 the juvenile and another male with him were kneeling, handcuffed and cooperating when Neal put his knee on the back of the teenager's head and forced his face into the cement. No charges were filed against the juvenile.
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Second Man Charged in Shooting Death of Wichita Teenager
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A second suspect is charged in the shooting death of a Wichita teenager in May at a Wichita apartment complex. Twenty-two-year-old Nathaniel Saunders appeared in court Tuesday, where he was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery charges in the death of 17-year-old Marcus Sain. A second person was seriously injured in the shooting, which police say occurred during a drug deal. Another suspect, 22-year-old Malcolm Ganther, was charged in May with first-degree murder and aggravated battery. Prosecutors say the two victims were in Ganther’s vehicle when a disturbance broke out. Saunders is accused of getting out of the vehicle and firing several shots at the victims.
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Chiefs Encouraging Fans Who Show Up to Wear Masks - and Keep Them On!
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Every time Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes looked into the stands on Saturday, they saw Chiefs fans wearing masks. There were plenty of videos making the rounds on social media afterward that showed many were not. It was the first chance for Kansas City fans to glimpse the Super Bowl champions after an offseason scuttled by the coronavirus pandemic. The Chiefs were forced to move training camp from the fan-friendly Missouri Western State University to their locked-down home base just across the parking lot from Arrowhead Stadium. A similar practice is set for this Saturday.
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Royals Sign Multiyear TV Deal to Remain with FOX Sports KC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals and Sinclair Broadcast Group have signed a multiyear agreement beginning with the current season to televise games on FOX Sports Kansas City. The number of years and financial terms were not disclosed. The regional sports network is midway through its 13th season as the exclusive TV home of the Royals, and its 21st overall. It already was planning to broadcast 59 of the 60 scheduled games during the pandemic-shortened season under what amounted to a handshake agreement.
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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.