Dole Honored in Kansas as Tough but Compassionate Statesman
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) — Former U.S. Senator Bob Dole was honored this weekend at memorial services in his hometown of Russell, Kansas, and in the state capitol. The Kansas City Star reports that hundreds turned out for the memorial service in Russell, where Governor Laura Kelly called Dole "the greatest of the Greatest Generation." Former and current senators Pat Roberts, Jerry Moran, and Roger Marshall also spoke at the service. Dole's body was transported from Russell to Topeka, where hundreds filled the Capitol. This was Dole's final trip to his home state of Kansas. His body is returning to Washington D.C. to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Dole died last Sunday at the age of 98 after serving nearly 36 years in Congress and running as the GOP nominee for president in 1996.
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Dole Remembrances Prompt Calls for Bipartisanship
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The death of Kansas political icon Bob Dole is prompting calls for a return to the bipartisanship that characterized his legislative career. Many of the current and former politicians who eulogized Bob Dole in memorial services over the weekend talked about his personal and political toughness. But they also praised his sense of mission and skill as a lawmaker. Former Democratic Kansas Congressman Jim Slattery noted Dole's willingness to compromise when the issue of the day demanded it. “When hard decisions had to be made, Bob Dole stepped up like an old testament character and said, ‘here I am, send me.’ He did not hide in times of crisis. He looked for solutions,” Slattery and Others, including former Republican U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker, said Dole set an example that present-day politicians should follow.
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Some Kansans Fear Federal Conservation Program is a "Land Grab"
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas lawmakers are concerned about a federal initiative aimed at conserving 30% of the nation’s land and water by 2030. Members of a special Kansas legislative committee are under pressure to oppose the Biden administration conservation plan. The pressure is coming from farmers and ranchers who fear the plan is a government land grab and from Kansans who see the plan as more federal overreach. Republican Representative Ken Rahjes is the chair of the committee. He says those concerns stem from a lack of information about how the plan will work. Supporters of the initiative say fears of a land grab are misplaced. They say the plan hinges on voluntary cooperation from landowners. Lawmakers have asked officials in Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s administration to help them get answers.
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Damaging Winds Expected Wednesday over Kansas, Other Plains States
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The National Weather Service is warning of potentially damaging winds in parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri this week on the heels of devastating tornadoes that wreaked havoc in the Midwest. The weather service has issued a high wind watch starting Wednesday morning for most of Kansas and Nebraska and the northwest corner of Missouri. Central Iowa is under the same watch starting Wednesday afternoon into that night. Forecasters say strong sustained winds between 25 mph and 40 mph are expected in the region, with gusts of more than 65 mph at times. The weather service says damaging winds are likely to bring down some trees and power lines and make driving difficult.
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Warm Kansas Fall Weather Breaks Records
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KNS) - November and December this year in Kansas have been some of the warmest on record. Since Thanksgiving, more than 100 high temperature records have been set in Kansas and with warm weather in the forecast this week, more records could be shattered. Chip Redmond is a meteorologist at Kansas State University. He says the statewide average temperature since the start of December is nine degrees above the historical normal. “Nine degrees is hard to overcome," Redmond said. "We’d need some pretty substantial cold to just come out normal for December.” Redmond says above normal temperatures in late fall and winter mean pests like mosquitoes are active longer. The higher temperatures also increase drought and worsen grassland fire risk. Climate change has so far pushed average winter temperatures in Kansas up about 4 degrees since 1970.
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COVID Toll Nears 800,000 to Close Out Year Filled with Death
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — The death toll from COVID-19 is approaching 800,000 in the U.S., bringing an end to an especially difficult year for the many families who lost loved ones during the pandemic. Carolyn Burnett is bracing for her first Christmas without her son Chris, a beloved Kansas high school football coach whose outdoor memorial service drew hundreds. The unvaccinated 34-year-old father of four died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator, and his loss has left a gaping hole for his family as the holidays approach. His mother set up a special holiday shelf, filling it with a drawing of her son, his bronzed baby shoe, a candle and an ornament of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
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New Mental Hospital for Youth Planned for Hays
HAYS, Kan. (KNS) - A new psychiatric hospital for younger patients Is coming to western Kansas as the need for mental health services continues to increase. The new facility will offer individual and family therapy sessions, and medication management for people under 18. Governor Laura Kelly announced KVC Hospitals is contracted to run the 14-bed treatment center until 2027. The opening of the new facility is expected to ease the backlog for services at the Larned State Hospital in central Kansas. The Kansas City Star reports that wait lists at Larned continue to grow and the hospital can't meet the demand. Those struggles have only worsened as the pandemic has strained people's mental health. The hospital will start admitting patients in 2023.
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One Dead, One Injured in Manhattan Entertainment District
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Riley County police are investigating after a shooting that left two people injured in a popular Manhattan bar and entertainment district. The Manhattan Mercury reports that police responded to a report of gunshots shortly before 1:30 a.m. Sunday in Aggieville. Officers found a 24-year-old man with a gunshot wound and another 24-year-old with a head injury. Kansas State University on Sunday said the man shot was a student.
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Authorities Identify Two Killed in Southwest Kansas Semitrailer Collision
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified two people killed in the collision of two semitrailers east of Dodge City. Investigators say the crash happened at U.S. 50 and U.S. 283 about 4:50 a.m. Monday, when a northbound semi failed to yield at the intersection and collided with an eastbound semi. Investigators say both semitrailers caught fire. The Ford County Sheriff's Office said first responders pulled the driver of the northbound semi, a 38-year-old woman from Mineral Wells, Texas, from the wreckage and rushed her to a Wichita hospital with serious injuries. Investigators say a passenger in her truck, 38-year-old Julius Cooper also of Mineral Wells, and the driver of the other truck, 39-year-old Michael Hansen of Mohave Valley, Arizona, died at the scene.
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Southeast Kansas Voters Approve Recall of County Commissioner
LABETTE COUNTY, Kan. (AP) - Voters in southeast Kansas managed to do something state law makes difficult when they voted earlier this month to recall a county commissioner. Labette County Commissioner Brian Kinzie has conceded that he lost the race. The campaign against Kinzie was based on the fact that he violated Kansas's open meetings act when he had a phone conversation with another member of the three-person county commission. The Kansas Attorney General's office investigated that. And recall petition organizers also raised concerns about whether Kinzie's family would benefit financially from a proposed wind farm.
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Magnitude 3.8 Earthquake Reported in North-Central Kansas
GYPSUM, Kan. (AP) — Two more earthquakes rattled residents in north-central Kansas Saturday evening. The U.S. Geological Survey said nearly 100 people reported feeling the earthquake that struck four miles southwest of Gypsum shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday. The magnitude 3.8 earthquake came several days after a magnitude 4.3 earthquake was reported near the same area on Wednesday. Officials another milder earthquake of magnitude 2.5 was also reported in the area earlier on Saturday evening. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from Saturday’s quakes.
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Chiefs Place DT Chris Jones in COVID-19 Protocol
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs was placed in the COVID-19 protocol on Tuesday, one day after wide receiver Josh Gordon was added to the list and two days after a win over the Raiders. Chiefs coach Andy Reid wasn’t sure whether either player will be available when the AFC West-leading Chiefs visit the Chargers on Thursday night. Los Angeles is a game back in the division and has already beaten Kansas City once. If a player is vaccinated and tests positive, he needs two negative tests taken 24 hours apart to return to the team. And assuming they fall into that category, Gordon and Jones could conceivably be cleared by Thursday night.
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Toys for Tots in Need of 20,000 More Toys this Holiday Season
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KPR) - Toy drive organizers in Overland Park are in need of 20,000 more toys this holiday season. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and Overland Park Convention Center are requesting community assistance to address the local toy shortage. Organizers say they are trying to provide toys to more than 56,000 area children who are in need this holiday season. To donate, guests are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy for donation and drop it off at the Overland Park Convention Center through December 16. “Based off our numbers, it looks like we’ll be falling short by about 20,000 toys this year — that’s 20,000 kids who won’t get a Christmas if we’re not able to produce,” said SSgt. Warren Ory, Marine and local Toys for Tots campaign coordinator. “We are looking to the community for help. If you could find it in your hearts to donate, we are really in need for ages 0-2 and 11 plus.” Last year, the local Toys for Tots served more than 34,000 children in the greater Kansas City area. The Overland Park Convention Center will once again serve as the largest donation site for the area Toys for Tots drive.
Toys for Tots assists children up to age 16. Items to consider for pre-teens and teens include, but are not limited to, sporting equipment, bags, balls, books, backpacks, cosmetics, purses, watch/wallet gift sets, bath gift sets, board games, radio control cars and trucks, hand-held electronics, skateboards/helmets, curling irons, hair straighteners, and hair dryers.
The Overland Park Convention Center will be open for public donations Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Due to COVID-19, guests are asked to drop items off at the security entrance located on the east side of the convention center off Woodson Rd. (Directional signage is provided.)
Learn more at opconventioncenter.com/toys-for-tots or by calling 913.339.3000.
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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. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!