Federal Investigators Remain on Scene of Fatal Train Wreck in Missouri
MENDON, Mo. (KCUR) - The National Transportation Safety Board is on the ground in Mendon, Missouri, investigating the events leading up to an Amtrak train hitting a dump truck and derailing, killing four and injuring at least 150. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, says the dump truck was transporting construction materials to an Army Corps of Engineers project near the collision site. Homendy said the agency does not think the train technology or speed caused the crash. "There are other contributing factors in any accident that we will look at, including lack of vehicle technology, lack of crossing infrastructure, and other things that could prevent a future incident from occurring," she said. The team of 16 investigators will continue to look into the crash and release their findings.
(Earlier reporting...)
4 Killed After Amtrak's Southwest Chief Passenger Train Hits Truck, Derails East of Kansas City
MENDON, Mo. (AP/KPR) — Four people were killed and around 150 others taken to hospitals when a passenger train traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago struck a dump truck and derailed in a remote, rural area of northern Missouri Monday afternoon. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the driver of the truck was killed as were two people onboard the train. At least eight medical helicopters responded from around the state, according to Matt Daugherty, Lifeflight Eagle director of business development. Daugherty said he knew there were a number of injuries and some people were in critical condition. The Southwest Chief was carrying 243 passengers and 12 crew members when the collision happened near Mendon, about 100 miles east of Kansas City. The Missouri Highway Patrol says several train cars and two locomotives derailed. Authorities say two Boy Scout troops, on their way home from a trip to New Mexico, were among the passengers onboard the Southwest Chief. (This story is still developing.)
Safety Upgrades Urged for Site of Amtrak Wreck That Killed 4
MENDON, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri Department of Transportation plan released this year cited a need to improve safety at the rail crossing where an Amtrak train and a dump truck collided, resulting in the deaths of three passengers and the truck driver. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tuesday a fourth person died from injuries from Monday's crash. The patrol said about 150 people had been taken to 10 area hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to serious. Three passengers on the train and the driver of a dump truck hit by the train died in the Monday collision. The Southwest Chief was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago. National Transportation Safety Board investigators were at the scene Tuesday.
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Brothers Convicted in $1.4 Billion Healthcare Fraud Case Involving Kansas, Missouri
UNDATED (KCUR) - A federal jury has convicted Jorge Perez, a businessman behind the takeover of rural hospitals in Kansas and Missouri, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Following a 24-day trial in Jacksonville, Florida, the jury this week found Perez and his brother, Ricardo Perez, guilty of fraudulently billing $1.4 billion for laboratory services through the rural hospitals they acquired. The hospitals included Putnam County Memorial Hospital in Unionville, Missouri, and other financially ailing hospitals Hillsboro, Horton and Oswego, Kansas. At one point, Perez oversaw 18 rural hospitals in eight states. Twelve of them ended up filing for bankruptcy and eight closed, leaving many small towns without their only hospital and hundreds of employees without jobs.
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Hemp Company Sues Kansas over Raid by Law Enforcement
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A hemp company is suing the state of Kansas saying it was illegally raided. The Kansas News Service reports that the lawsuit is about the definition of a chemical in cannabis called Delta-8. The then-Topeka-based cannabis dispensary is Guardian MMJ and it sold products containing Delta-8. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt issued an opinion last year saying Delta-8 is close enough to the active ingredient in marijuana that it’s also illegal in higher doses. The dispensary claims its products were made correctly and are allowed under federal law. The complaint says local law enforcement officials cited Schmidt’s opinion as a reason for raiding the company. Guardian says over $120,000 worth of property was taken. The Shawnee County Sheriff has not said how many shops it raided or how much property it seized.
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All Kansas Counties Placed on Drought Watch as Heat Wave Creeps Across State
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - All 105 Kansas counties have been placed under at least a drought watch as a record heat wave makes its way across the Sunflower State. WIBW TV reports that on Monday, Governor Laura Kelly signed Executive Order #22-06, which declared updated drought emergencies for all Kansas counties. The Kansas Water Office said the declaration puts all 105 counties in the Sunflower State either on a watch, warning or emergency status. “A significant portion of the state of Kansas has experienced drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several months,” said Kelly. “Unfortunately, these conditions are forecast to persist or get worse, so I strongly encourage Kansans to be mindful of drought conditions while we work to minimize the threat of fires across the state.” While most of the state has seen high precipitation throughout the month of June, the Office said a record-breaking heat wave has made its way across the area. It said most of eastern Kansas is currently drought-free, however, the forecasted hot and dry conditions will likely rapidly lead to intense drought conditions over the next few weeks. According to the Kansas Water Office, the order will remain in effect until it is rescinded by another Executive Order which ends or revises the drought stage status of affected counties.
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Department of Justice Sues Kansas Department of Health over Dismissal of Soldier
UNDATED (KNS) - The U.S. Justice Department is suing the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for allegedly firing a member of the military because they were going to be deployed soon. Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Stacy Gonzales worked with the Finney County Health Department between 2001 and 2010. Her position was funded by KDHE. She returned from deployment in 2007 and alleges she was treated poorly for being sent overseas. Funding for her position was then eliminated as she had another deployment coming up. A spokesperson for KDHE told news organizations that the department supports members of the military.
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Power Company's Plan to Make Electricity Customers More Energy Efficient Under Fire
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Members of the public urged Evergy to do more for low-income Kansans at a regulatory hearing Monday evening. The utility company wants state regulators to sign off on a four-year plan that it says will nudge households and businesses to become more energy efficient. The proposal includes things like rebates for insulation. Kim Winslow, of Evergy, says it will benefit all customers. "The plan will save energy equating to the energy of nearly 40,000 homes. And will lower emissions in your communities from the reduced electricity," Winslow said. But members of the public said Evergy’s plan will leave many Kansans unable to afford energy efficient technology and building improvements. Kansas residents and climate activists pummeled the utility company at the hearing over its energy efficiency proposal. Critics want Evergy to copy a program in Missouri that they say gives people more help paying for things that cut energy consumption. Mohsen Fatemi is an urban planner in Lawrence. “Utilities who enjoy their monopoly market power and their loyal customers should invest in their communities much, much more than they do now and are planning to do in the future," he said. Evergy says the Missouri program has flaws. ( Read more in the Kansas Reflector.)
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Paola Man Faces Sentencing for Hate Crime Conviction
PAOLA, Kan. (KCUR) - Prosecutors and defense lawyers are asking that a Paola, Kansas, man be given a sentence of two years and three months in prison after he was convicted of a hate crime for threatening an African American juvenile with a knife. Colton Ray Donner pleaded guilty in February to a racially motivated hate crime. The judge is not bound by the sentencing recommendation – although he’s likely to follow it -- and could sentence Donner to a maximum of 10 years in prison. In September 2019, Donner got out of his car when he saw a Black juvenile on the sidewalk and approached him while brandishing a knife. He threatened him, shouted racial slurs and told him that Paola was "a white town." Donner was also charged with domestic battery in May 2020, according to court filings. He pleaded guilty to that charge after spending 64 days in custody. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on the hate crime charge this Wednesday.
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Kansas City Named Best Place on Earth to Work Remotely
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Business Insider) - Kansas City has been voted the best place on earth to work remotely, according to new research from Icelandair. The city, which is home to around 500,000 people, was one of 150 analyzed by the airline, which ranked cities according to how easy, safe and healthy it is to work in them. Factors including internet speeds, quality of life, cost of living, and healthcare were all considered in the ranking, according to the research. Business Insider magazine reports that Kansas City beat better-known international hubs like Vienna, Copenhagen, and Wellington to become the world's best city for accommodating remote workers. As well as Kansas City, Vienna, Copenhagen, and Wellington, the top 10 list was made up of Edinburgh, Perth, Frankfurt, Brisbane, Helsinki, and Victoria in Canada. ( Read more.)
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KPR Completes "Quiet" Summer Fund Drive
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - With support from listeners, Kansas Public Radio raised more than $20,000 in what the station called its "quiet" summer membership drive. KPR Development Director Joanna Fewins said the station raised at least $22,245 in the past week or so, thanks to a $20,000 dollar-for-dollar matching grant provided by existing KPR listener-members. With the challenge grant and new money raised, the station reeled in more than $42,000. In the past few years, the University of Kansas, which owns the radio station, has reduced university funding to KPR by a half million dollars. Fewins says the station now relies on listeners and local business underwriters for more than 84% of its operating budget. The station continues to take pledges from listeners on its website: KansasPublicRadio.org .
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Kansas Public Radio Is Hiring a New Membership Director
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Public Radio is hiring a new Membership Director. The position is open due to an internal promotion. Former Membership Director Joanna Fewins has become the station's new Development Director. Learn more about this position and how to apply. Unnamed sources tell KPR News that the University of Kansas-based radio station, on the air since 1952, is a "great place to work, with good benefits and mildly interesting employees."
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Kansas Voters to Decide in August Whether State Constitution Protects Abortion
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The federal ruling overturning nationwide abortion rights raises the stakes for the vote on a Kansas constitutional amendment. Kansans still have a right to abortion because of a 2019 state ruling that said the Kansas Constitution protects it. But voters will decide whether to remove that right in August. Critics say the amendment, known as Value Them Both, will put Kansas on the path to a total abortion ban. But Mackenzie Haddix, with a coalition supporting the amendment, says it only puts abortion policymaking back in the hands of lawmakers. “And limits should be decided by the people, not unelected judges. And so that is simply what 'Value Them Both' does," she said. Kansans will vote on the constitutional amendment August 2nd. ( Read more.)
(-Related-)
Gay Wichita Couple Marries as They Worry About Future Court Rulings
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita couple decided to get married Saturday at a pride event instead of waiting until later this year after a Supreme Court justice suggested the court should consider overturning rulings legalizing same-sex marriage and striking down laws criminalizing gay sex. Elliot and Juniper Chibs got married in front of hundreds of people at Naftzger Park in Wichita. Their marriage is legal now, but they worry that could change. Elliot Chibs told the Wichita Eagle that she's afraid the court will take away the right to gay marriage. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple, who attended the pride event said the court's ruling is a wake-up call that those other rights are now at risk.
(-Related-)
With Roe Over, Some Fear Rollback of LGBTQ and Other Rights
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision allowing states to ban abortion is stirring alarm among LGBTQ advocates. They fear that the ruling could someday allow a rollback of legal protections for gay relationships, including the right for same-sex couples to marry. In the majority opinion issued Friday that overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Justice Samuel Alito said the decision applied only to abortion. But critics discounted that statement. In a separate concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should review other precedents, including decisions legalizing same-sex marriage and striking down laws criminalizing gay sex. A protester at a Topeka abortion-rights rally said conservatives would not stop with abortion.
(Additional reporting...)
Missouri Bans Most Abortions in Wake of U.S. Supreme Court Ruling
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Most abortions are now illegal in Missouri following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended a constitutional protection for abortion. A 2019 Missouri law prohibits abortions “except in cases of medical emergency.” But that law had not taken effect because it contained a provision making it contingent upon verification by state officials that the Supreme Court had overruled its 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent. After Friday's Supreme Court ruling, Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Governor Mike Parson both issued the necessary paperwork for the abortion-ban to take effect. Physicians who perform abortions could face felony charges punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Kansas voters will decide on a constitutional amendment August 2nd on whether the state constitution includes a right to abortion or not. ( Read more.)
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Investigation Underway into Union Pacific Train Derailment in Bonner Springs
BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. (KPR) - Twenty-five Union Pacific train cars, some carrying hazardous materials, derailed Friday evening in Bonner Springs. Authorities say nothing was spilled and no one was injured. The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department, which responded, reports nine of the train cars were tankers, carrying isobutane, a flammable gas used to make products ranging from aviation gasoline to plastics to food supplements. However, none of the hazardous materials were reported to have leaked. The derailment happened around 6:20 pm. Fire officials say 21 of the cars were completely off the tracks. An investigation is underway. ( Read more.)
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Kansas County Settles Discrimination Lawsuit with $22,000
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Sedgwick County has agreed to pay $22,000 to a former employee to settle his racial discrimination lawsuit. David Partridge, who is biracial, sued the county last year, saying a coworker on a county work crew called him "boy" or the "colored guy" and sang slavery-era songs with his name added to the lyrics. Partridge's lawsuit said that after he complained, a county investigation verified the racial discrimination, and he was offered another position at lower pay but was fired when he refused. The Wichita Eagle reports that attorneys for Partridge and the county informed a judge Wednesday of the settlement.
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K-State Program Aims to Help Low-Income High School Students Apply for College
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - Kansas education officials are expanding a program that helps low-income high school students apply for college. About a dozen high schools in Kansas have full-time college advisors paid for by the nonprofit College Advising Corps at Kansas State University. The advisors guide students through the confusing college admission process — everything from registering for the ACT to planning campus visits. They also help students fill out financial aid forms. The program started in Kansas City, Kansas, and Wichita. This fall, the Board of Regents and the state Department of Education plan to add nine more cities, including Hays, Great Bend, Salina and Hutchinson. Educators hope it will boost enrollment at the state’s universities, which is down nearly nine percent over the past five years.
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Missouri Governor Signs Law Exempting World Cup Tickets from Sales Tax
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed a bill that will exempt FIFA World Cup tickets from sales tax when the games are played in Kansas City in 2026. The governor signed the bill Thursday and praised the bipartisan effort to bring the games to Kansas City, which was chosen last week as a host city. Lawmakers passed the bill earlier this year after FIFA officials required tax breaks from cities hoping to host the games. Democratic state Sen. John Rizzo, from the Kansas City-region, said estimates are the game could bring more than $600 million in revenue to the state.
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Scientists Put GPS Trackers on Flint Hills Cattle in Effort to Protect Wildlife and Vegetation
CHASE COUNTY, Kan. (KNS) - The worlds of agriculture and environmental conservation often conflict. But a new project in Kansas brings together scientists and ranchers to see if invisible GPS fencing can control cattle and keep them out of sensitive areas. Some cattle in the Flint Hills are now wearing GPS trackers designed to help ranchers control their herds and protect wildlife and the environment. The Kansas News Service traveled to the Kansas Flint Hills to learn more. ( Read more.)
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Ex-Kansas City Wizards Player Scott Vermillion Had CTE, a 1st in MLS
BOSTON (AP) — Researchers have diagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a Major League Soccer player for the first time. The Boston University CTE Center says defender Scott Vermillion suffered from the degenerative brain disease that has been linked to repeated blows to the head. Vermillion died of an accidental drug overdose in December 2020 at the age of 44. CTE has been found in more than 100 former NFL players as well as semi-pro and high school soccer players. Vermillion is the first from MLS. He played in four MLS seasons for D.C. United, the Colorado Rapids and the Kansas City Wizards before retiring in 2001 with an ankle injury.
**An earlier version of this story from the Associated Press misidentified Scott Vermillion as having played for Sporting KC. He played for the Kansas City Wizards.
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Royals Send Carlos Santana, $4.3 Million to Seattle Mariners for 2 Young Pitchers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals traded first baseman Carlos Santana and nearly $4.3 million to the Seattle Mariners for right-handers Wyatt Mills and William Fleming on Monday, clearing the way for Kansas City to bring up hot prospect Vinnie Pasquantino. Pasquantino was not in the starting lineup against Texas on Monday night because of tight travel schedules, but Royals general manager J.J. Picollo and manager Mike Matheny expect his big bat to be in the lineup regularly. "When I was growing up, I had a dream of playing professional baseball. But I just enjoy playing the game," said Pasquantino, who was doing his laundry when he learned of his big league call-up. "I still do now, and I'm going to continue to try to do that as we move forward. I just love playing the game."
The Royals optioned Mills, a 27-year-old relief pitcher, to Triple-A Omaha while designating right-hander Ronald Bolaños for assignment. Fleming, a 23-year-old with starting potential, was assigned to Class-A Quad Cities.
This is the second time Santana has been with Seattle, though the first lasted a mere 10 days. He was acquired along with J.P. Crawford from Philadelphia for infielder Jean Segura, right-hander Juan Nicasio, and left-hander James Pazos on Dec. 3, 2018; the Mariners then traded him away as part of a three-team deal with Cleveland and Tampa Bay.
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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, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today.