Private Prison in Leavenworth About to Become Empty
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Midwest Newsroom) - A private prison in Leavenworth is about to empty out as its contract with the government to hold federal prisoners who await trial ends this month. But questions still swirl about what will happen to the private prison in the future. CoreCivic has operated the facility in Leavenworth under a government contract to lock up federal defendants awaiting trial or sentencing. But that contract expires this month after President Biden issued an executive order telling the Justice Department to stop doing business with private prisons. The Leavenworth facility has a reputation for poor and unsafe conditions. Prisoners there will now move to the government-run prison in Leavenworth. Federal immigration officials declined to say whether the emptied prison will be used to house immigration detainees, a rumor that cropped up earlier this year. But two lawyers familiar with the situation say it appears unlikely the Leavenworth prison will end up holding immigration detainees.
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Kansas Considers Alternatives to Future Highway Funding
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The increasing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on the road is prompting Kansas transportation officials to look for new ways to fund the state’s highways. With gas tax revenues dropping, the Kansas Department of Transportation is exploring the feasibility of taxing drivers based on how much they drive. KDOT Secretary Julie Lorenz says the agency is starting with a public survey. That information will then be used to shape a study of potential options before officials take action. “There is nothing about this that’s set. I don’t want anybody to be worried about it. It’s a study and a conversation," she said. Lorenz says one of the biggest questions is how to design a system that’s fair to rural drivers who often have to travel long distances for essential services. The current Kansas gas tax of 24 cents-a-gallon gas generates about a quarter of the money needed to maintain and expand the state’s sprawling road system. Sales taxes generate most of the rest. But by 2045, gas-tax revenues will barely cover 10% of road costs. Lorenz says it will likely be a couple of years before any changes are made.
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Authorities: Deputy Fatally Shot Man in Blue Springs Standoff
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri State Highway Patrol says a man suspected of firing gunshots into a suburban Kansas City home before a standoff with police was fatally shot by a Jackson County sheriff's deputy. The Kansas City Star reports that the shooting happened Monday night after deputies were called to a rural Blue Springs home, where the occupants reported that a man outside was firing shots into the house. Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe says law enforcement responded, and the man later rammed his vehicle into a SWAT team armored truck and brandished a rifle. Lowe says a Jackson County deputy then fired a single shot that killed the man, later identified as 48-year-old Douglas Halphin of Blue Springs.
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Kansas City Police: 3 Men Shot in Westport; 1 Later Dies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police in Kansas City are looking for a shooter or shooters after three men were shot in the city's Westport Entertainment District early Monday, and one later died at a hospital. Police say officers working off-duty in the district heard multiple gunshots fired just after 2:30 am Monday. Within seconds, a man ran up to the officers saying he had been shot. Other officers found a second victim around the same time, and medics rushed the man to a hospital. Police say a third man who had been shot during the same incident was taken to a hospital by a private car. Police say one of the victims died a short time later from his injuries.
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Police ID Teen Fatally Shot at Kansas City, Kansas, Party
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police have identified a person killed in a shooting at a party in Kansas City, Kansas, last week as a 16-year-old high school student. Police say Hugo Hernandez-Vasquez died at a hospital following the Friday night shooting in the city's Shawnee Heights neighborhood that also injured several others. Police say an 18-year-old woman at the party, Ximena Acevas-Vargas, later died of traumatic injuries that were not associated with the shooting, but did not give more details about how she died. Police continue to investigate both deaths, and no arrests have been reported.
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Highway Patrol: 2 14-Year-Olds Killed, 3 Others Injured in Manhattan Crash
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says two 14-year-olds died and three other teens were injured in a crash in Manhattan over the weekend. Television station KSNT reports that the crash happened Sunday afternoon, when a sport utility vehicle heading east on Kansas Highway 18 crashed into a concrete bridge pillar and burst into flames. Investigators say the two 14-year-olds, who were middle school students in the Manhattan-Ogden School District, died in the crash. A third teen was seriously injured and flown to a hospital by medical helicopter. Officials say the two other teens suffered minor injuries. The patrol did not immediately release the names of the teens killed.
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Kansas Attorney General: State Will Get Nearly $28 Million in Settlement with Centene Corporation
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says the state will get nearly $28 million from a legal settlement with the company that manages prescription costs for the Kansas Medicaid program. Schmidt says the settlement with St. Louis-based Centene Corporation came after an investigation of nearly two years into whether the firm had overcharged Medicaid for prescriptions. Kansas settled with Centene before filing a lawsuit. The company denied wrongdoing and called the settlement a "no-fault agreement." States across the U.S. have been investigating companies known as pharmacy benefit managers, and Mississippi and Ohio in June settled lawsuits against Centene for a total of nearly $144 million. ( Read more.)
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KCC Approves Plan to Speed Transition to Electric Vehicles
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas regulators have approved a plan that could help speed the transition to electric vehicles. State regulators say they will allow electric utility Evergy to begin offering up to a $500 rebate to people who install a 240-volt outlet in their home to more quickly charge electric vehicles. The five-year program will start next year. But regulators denied a request to expand Evergy’s EV charging network and include the costs in everyone’s bills. Regulators said Evergy is free to use investor profits to expand their network and that it might allow the costs to be passed on to all customers in some cases. For example, if Evergy built chargers in areas underserved by private charging companies.
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Kansas GOP Secretary of State Draws Primary Challenger
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) - Former Johnson County commissioner Mike Brown is challenging Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab in the Republican primary and he's staking his campaign on election security. Brown accused current Secretary of State Schwab of being lax when it comes to voter security, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Kansas. Schwab supports Kansas voter ID laws and worked to provide in-person voting options during the pandemic. A statement from his campaign team says those actions have made Kansas elections secure. Brown attracted controversy when he was a county commissioner. Last year during social justice protests, he urged people on social media to buy guns and prepare for what he called a coming war.
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Kansas Statewide Virtual Job Fair Goes Live December 8 & 9
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – The state of Kansas is hosting another statewide virtual job fair, December 8 and 9. Kansans seeking employment opportunities are encouraged to participate starting at 8 am Wednesday, December 8 and ending at 5 pm on Thursday. The event will give job seekers the opportunity to meet virtually with multiple businesses. Candidates will be able to upload their resumes to their Virtual Job Fair account as well as live chat and conduct interviews through any digital device such as a computer, tablet or mobile phone.
Click here to register for the Virtual Job Fair.
Kansas has conducted 11 virtual job fairs since the first one in 2020. Hundreds of employers and registered job seekers participated in each online job fair. The next scheduled statewide virtual job fair in Kansas is set for February 16 and 17. Kansas officials encourage job seekers to visit KANSASWORKS.com and jobs.ks.gov.
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Bob Dole to Lie in State at the Nation's Capitol Thursday
UNDATED (KPR) - Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole will lie in state this Thursday at the nation's capitol. The Republican statesman died Sunday morning at the age of 98. Local memorial services for Dole have not yet been announced, but the man from Russell will be honored at the U.S. Capitol. The ceremony is not open to the public. Dole spent decades representing Kansas in both the House and Senate. The World War II veteran was also the 1996 Republican nominee for president. Dole was a leader known for his caustic wit, which he often turned on himself but didn't hesitate to turn on others, too. He shaped tax and foreign policy and worked vigorously to help the disabled, enshrining protections against discrimination in employment, education and public services in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
(Earlier and additional reporting...)
Bob Dole: War Hero, Statesman, Kansan Dead at 98
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are remembering Bob Dole, a man who defied the odds in war, only to fall short of his ultimate goal in politics. Dole died Sunday. He was 98. After paralyzing wounds in World War II, Dole willed himself to walk again, and ran for Congress with a right arm too damaged to shake hands. He rose through the Senate ranks to become a long-serving Republican leader and tireless champion of his party. But the prize of the presidency eluded him. He tried three times, and came closest in his final race, securing the 1996 Republican nomination only to be steamrolled by President Bill Clinton's reelection machine. ( Read more.)
Listen to KPR's Kaye McIntyre's remembrance of Bob Dole.
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Kansas Records 477,789 COVID-19 Cases, 6,743 Deaths Since Start of Pandemic
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas health officials have identified more than 3,300 new cases of COVID-19 in the state since last Friday. In its latest report, released Monday, the state health department said there have also been 13 new, virus-related deaths since Friday. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports new case and fatality numbers every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci: Early Reports Encouraging About Omicron Variant
UNDATED (AP) - U.S. health officials say that while the omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading in the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations. President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told CNN’s “State of the Union” scientists need more information before drawing conclusions about omicron’s severity. But reports from South Africa, where it emerged and is becoming the dominant strain, suggest hospitalization rates have not increased alarmingly. Omicron had been detected in about a third of U.S. states by Sunday. Fauci said the Biden administration is considering lifting travel restrictions against noncitizens entering the United States from several African countries.
(-Related-)
Missouri Confirms 1st Case of Omicron Virus Variant
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Health officials have confirmed the first case of the omicron coronavirus variant in Missouri. The St. Louis Health Department said Saturday that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed the virus case in a resident of St. Louis that was first reported Friday as a presumed case of the omicron variant. Health officials did not identify the patient, but they have said that the person had recently traveled in the United States. Officials have also said there are no concerns about that person’s health at this point. Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, director of the St. Louis health department, said the omicron case is a reminder that everyone should get vaccinated.
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President Joe Biden Scheduled to Visit Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — President Joe Biden will visit Kansas City Wednesday to promote the recently passed infrastructure law. The White House on Saturday did not announce the exact location of Biden's visit. It is Biden's first visit to Kansas City since becoming president. He did visit the area in March 2020 as he campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination. Biden signed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill on November 15. It contains money for roads, bridges, broadband, water systems and a shift to electrical vehicles.
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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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Kansas City's Buck O'Neil Headed to Baseball's National Hall of Fame
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) - It was regarded as long overdue when it was announced Sunday that Buck O’Neil had been elected to Baseball's National Hall of Fame. But his election wasn't a sure thing. Raymond Doswell, the curator at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, was on the committee that announced in 2006 the induction of 17 Negro Leaguers, but without Buck O’Neil. But Doswell was just as excited as anyone else at the museum when they learned Buck O’Neil would be part of the Class of ‘22 Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, will be on July 24th next summer.
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Some Kansas Communities Get High Marks for Inclusivity
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Municipalities across Kansas have improved their inclusivity ratings this year. That's according to the Human Rights Campaign. The campaign describes itself as the largest LGBTQ advocacy and lobbying group in the United States. Kate Oakley is the group’s legislative director. She says the improvement is due in part to the state updating its sex discrimination laws to align with a recent Supreme Court ruling. “That has made the non-discirmination protections for Kansans significantly more rigorous. So that makes a big difference in the scorecard and also of course makes a big difference in people’s lives knowing that they have recourse if they’ve been discriminated against," she said. The "inclusivity rating" scores cities on a scale of 100 every year by analyzing municipal laws and policies for LGBTQ-plus individuals. This year, Topeka and Overland Park tied for having the most inclusive policies with a score of 93.
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Chiefs Keep AFC West Lead with 22-9 Victory over Broncos
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The resurgent Kansas City defense shut down Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos and the Chiefs beat Denver 22-9 Sunday night for their fifth straight win. The Chiefs now lead the Chargers by a game and lead the Broncos and the Raiders by two games in Kansas City's race for a sixth straight AFC West championship.
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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!