GOP Attorney General Launches Campaign for Kansas Governor
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorney General Derek Schmidt has launched his campaign for Kansas governor. Schmidt's kickoff today (TUE) came after weeks of heightened visibility for the three-term Republican because of the GOP-controlled Legislature's debates over Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Schmidt is the first major Republican to formally announce a candidacy for the right to challenge Kelly in 2022, though former GOP Governor Jeff Colyer signaled his plans to run Friday. Lawmakers have boosted Schmidt's visibility by pushing legislation to give the attorney general a check on the governor's power during future emergencies. He's clashed with Kelly during the pandemic and joined battles over the 2020 election.
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UPDATE: Les Miles Out as KU Football Coach Due to Behavior with Women While Coach at LSU
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Les Miles is out as the head football coach at the University of Kansas, just days after he was placed on administrative leave amid sexual misconduct allegations from his tenure at LSU. KU described Miles' departure as a mutual agreement to part ways. He has three years left on his original five-year contract with the school. Last week, LSU released a 148-page review by a law firm about the university's handling of sexual misconduct complaints. It described how Miles "tried to sexualize the staff of student workers in the football program by, for instance, allegedly demanding that he wanted blondes with big breasts, and "pretty girls."
Statement from Kansas Athletics:
The University of Kansas and Les Miles have mutually agreed to part ways effective immediately. Terms of the agreement will be released in the coming days. While a national search for a new head coach begins immediately, Mike DeBord will continue to serve as the acting head coach until an interim head coach is determined.
Statement from KU Director of Athletics Jeff Long:
“I am extremely disappointed for our university, fans and everyone involved with our football program. There is a lot of young talent on this football team, and I have no doubt we will identify the right individual to lead this program. We will begin the search for a new head coach immediately with an outside firm to assist in this process. We need to win football games, and that is exactly what we’re going to do.”
Statement from Former KU Head Football Coach Les Miles:
“This is certainly a difficult day for me and for my family. I love this university and the young men in our football program. I have truly enjoyed being the head coach at KU and know that it is in a better place now than when I arrived. To our student-athletes, I want you to remember that you came to play for KU and earn a degree here. So, I implore you to stay and build on what we started and do all of the things we talked about doing together. There is a bright future for all of you and for KU Football.”
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Kansas AD: Miles Shared Nothing of Misconduct Allegations
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas athletic director Jeff Long says he asked Les Miles during the hiring process to be next football coach of the Jayhawks whether there was anything in his background that could potentially embarrass the university. He says Miles replied, “No.” Three years later, Miles is out as head coach. He was placed on administrative leave last week amid sexual misconduct allegations from his tenure at Louisiana State University. Now KU is looking for another head coach.
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Kansas Governor Issues Disaster Declaration for Fire Hazard
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has declared an emergency disaster due to the high risk of fire caused by high winds and dry conditions. The governor's office said Monday that "elevated to critical" fire weather conditions are expected for the next few days. Tuesday and Wednesday will be especially dangerous as a storm system with strong winds will make fighting fires more dangerous. The declaration makes state resources more readily available to help fight fires and for recovery operations. Kansans are being urged to avoid activity that could cause fires, such as driving or stopping on dry grass or throwing cigarettes on the ground.
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Car Tire Ignites Grass Fire in Johnson County
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KSHB) - A tire caused a grass fire Monday in suburban Kansas City. KSHB TV reports that the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office announced in a Facebook post Monday afternoon that K-10 at Edgerton Road was closed for a short period of time because of the blaze that erupted “after a car lost a wheel.” No injuries were reported. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency Monday due to “high risk of wildland fires and red flag warnings in several Kansas counties,” according to a news release from the governor's office. Johnson County is among those counties with an elevated risk of wildfires.
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Governor Adding Staffers to Help Alleviate Workload at Kansas Department of Labor
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Governor Laura Kelly is adding workers to the Kansas Department of Labor this week to help improve services at the overburdened agency. But some state lawmakers are working to take more control of the department because of ongoing problems. Kelly plans to eventually double the staff responsible for answering the agency's overloaded phones. But ongoing problems have led lawmakers to set deadlines for improvements and increase legislative oversight. A House plan would also trim back unemployment benefits when the jobless rate is low to encourage people to look for work. Senators are considering a separate bill that does not include trimming back unemployment benefits.
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Older Wichita Students Can Return Full Time This Month
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Middle and high school school students in the largest school district in Kansas will be able to return in-person five days a week after spring break as more staff members are vaccinated and coronavirus numbers improve. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Board of Education in the Wichita district, which has about 47,000 students, voted 6-0 Monday to make the change. It will take effect starting March 29, although the district will continue to offer a virtual learning option. Elementary students already had been in-person five days a week. But older students are attending classes in a hybrid mode in which they learn at home part of the time and and in-person the rest of the time.
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Police: Wichita Man Shot 2 Before Turning Gun on Himself
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say an investigation into a weekend shooting has shown that a man shot two people — including one who later died — before turning the gun on himself. The shooting happened Saturday night, when police were called to an area for reports of a shooting. Arriving officers found 20-year-old Christopher Terrell and a 16-year-old boy with gunshot wounds, as well as the shooting suspect, 26-year-old DeAdrian Johnson, with a gunshot wound. All three were taken to hospitals, where Terrell died of his injuries. Police say Johnson remains hospitalized in critical condition and is under arrest in the hospital on suspicion of second-degree murder. Police say a disturbance among the three preceded the shooting.
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Kansas Records More than 296,000 COVID-19 Cases, Including 4,816 Deaths, Since Start of Pandemic
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/AP) — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported Monday that there have been 296,451 cases of COVID-19, including 4,816 deaths, since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. That's an increase of 590 cases and four deaths since Friday. Johnson County has the highest number of recorded cases in the state, with nearly 55,000. KDHE will provide another update Wednesday. Health officials say the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to drop in the state while vaccination efforts are expanding. About 16% of the state's residents have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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(–Related–)
Kansas to Move to Next Vaccination Phase in 4 Weeks or Less
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — The top health official in Kansas says the state could finish vaccinating seniors and essential workers and move on to the next phase of coronavirus vaccinations in the next month. Dr. Lee Norman said Tuesday that the state could reach the third phase in four weeks or sooner. The next phase includes people aged 16 to 64 with medical conditions that put them at severe risk if they are infected with COVID-19, including cancer and Type 2 diabetes, as well as workers in critical industries such as information technology and government. He says some rural communities already have finished vaccinating people in the current phase, which includes those over age 65 and critical workers including firefighters, law enforcement and teachers.
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Washburn University Plans Fall Return to In-Person Classes
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Washburn University plans to start its fall semester with in-person classes after the Shawnee County Health Department updated its vaccine plan to include university faculty and staff. Washburn President Jerry Farley says this additional level of protection should allow them to return fully to a traditional campus model. University officials said that Washburn students can expect a more normal fall 2021 semester with university faculty and staff now prioritized for vaccine distribution. It was not immediately clear what prompted the change in vaccination policy. Vaccine distribution has ramped up in recent weeks and COVID-19 transmission rates and hospitalizations have fallen
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Analysis: Some Kansans Hesitant to Get Vaccination
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — A new analysis, by the Kansas Health Institute of U.S. Census Bureau survey data, indicates that most Kansans want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine but many remain undecided. As of mid-January, a bit more than half of Kansans had either gotten their shot or said they definitely would get it. Another quarter said they would “probably” agree to be vaccinated. But nearly 10% say they definitely do not want the vaccine. Kansans undecided about getting the vaccine give a wide variety of reasons for being hesitant. Some worry about side effects while others say they distrust the government.
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COVID Helpline Launched for Douglas County Residents
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - A new COVID helpline is now available for Douglas County residents. The phone number - (785) 864-9000 - will be answered by trained staff who can help answer questions about vaccinations, testing, symptoms, local public health orders and other questions related to the coronavirus. The helpline will be available from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, and from 8 am to noon on Saturday. The University of Kansas has been using this phone number to help answer COVID-related questions since before the fall 2020 semester. Now, it has expanded the number of phone lines and employees available to answer calls with the help of various Douglas County agencies. Those agencies include: Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, LMH Health and Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.
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Deep Freeze to Affect Kansas Utility Customers Differently
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Utility customers in different parts of Kansas will likely see higher electric bills as a result of February's extreme cold snap, while residents of the Kansas City area could get refunds. The difference has to do with how two different divisions of utility giant Evergy fared during the brutal cold. The company's Kansas Central division had to spend an additional $100 million to buy power but Evergy's Metro Division, which serves the Kansas City area, was able to generate $60 million in extra revenue because it was able to generate surplus power and sell it to other utilities.
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Failed Greenhouse Heater Leads to Loss of Between $30,000 and $40,000 in Plants
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Staff with a well-known botanical gardens venue in Wichita say last month's arctic cold snap proved costly for the gardens. Television station KAKE reports that the failure of a heater in Botanica's largest greenhouse during the coldest day of the season killed a slew of plants, some of which had been with the garden for more than 25 years. Kathy Spillman is director of special events for Botanica. She says most of the plants lost were warm-weather succulents and palms, and the estimated value of the plants lost is between $30,000 and $40,000. Botanica staff have started a crowd-funding effort to replace the plants.
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Man Accused of Threatening Kansas City Area Congressman Will Remain in Prison
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge says that a southwest Missouri man who threatened Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver will remain in prison. Kenneth Hubert, of Marionville, appeared at a detention hearing Monday in Springfield. He is charged with threatening to harm or kill Cleaver on January 7. He pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say he called Cleaver's office in Independence, Missouri, used a racial slur and mentioned putting a noose around Cleaver's neck. Cleaver is Black. Prosecutors say Hubert has a history of making threatening calls to other lawmakers or to political organizations. Hubert's public defender said his client had no criminal history and was willing to be put under house arrest.
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Missouri GOP Senator Roy Blunt Won't Seek Reelection in 2022
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt says he will not seek reelection. He made the surprise announcement in a video Monday, making him the fifth Republican in the U.S. Senate to bow out rather than seek another term. Blunt, who turned 71 in January, was widely expected to seek a third term in 2022. Before election to the Senate, he served seven terms in the U.S. House. He also served two terms as Missouri’s secretary of state from 1985 to 1993. He noted in his announcement that through nearly 12,000 votes in Congress he always sought “to do my best.”
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Kansas Senator Announces Funding for Breast Cancer Research at KU Med Center
WASHINGTON (KPR) – Kansas Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., has announced that the University of Kansas Medical Center received more than $850,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to study the effectiveness of combining menopausal and hormone therapies to reduce the risk of breast cancer, while also alleviating menopausal symptoms in women. “As an OBGYN, I understand the complexity of women’s health, especially the risks that develop as they age from their reproductive years to menopause,” said Marshall. “Sadly, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death among women, he said. "Researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center developed an ingenious approach at reducing the risk of breast cancer while also alleviating common symptoms that occur as women go through menopause. I applaud their work and hope that these trials yield promising results.” The project, funded by the National Cancer Institute, aims to prevent cancer in women by studying the effects of a combination of hormonal and non-hormonal treatment. Over the next five years, the research team will use breast imaging to evaluate its effectiveness in preventing breast cancer. The clinical trial is expected to begin early this summer and will enroll 120 women ages 45-60 with hot flashes and at increased risk for breast cancer from five NCI-designated Cancer Centers.
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Investigators: Fire at Kansas Church Ruled an Accident
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Federal investigators say the fire that damaged an annex building of the First Baptist Church in Mission was an accident. The Kansas City Star reports that a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says there will be no criminal investigation. Investigators have released the building back to the church. Firefighters were called to the church around 5:30 pm Thursday after smoke and flames were reported coming from the church’s annex building. By the time firefighters arrived, flames had broken through the building’s roof, which later collapsed.
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Protesters Object to Lack of Charges in Police Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - More than 50 people gathered outside the home of Jackson County, Missouri, prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to protest her decision not to charge a police officer who shot and killed a Black man last year. The protesters called for justice for 47-year-old Donnie Sanders as they marched to the home of Peters Baker on Saturday. Last week, she announced that investigators didn't find enough evidence to support charges against the Kansas City police officer involved in the shooting. Sanders' sisters, who participated in the protest, said they want Peters Baker to release a complete copy of the investigation into the shooting and for the officer who shot their brother to be held accountable.
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USDA Relocations to KC Curtail Ag Research
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — More than a year after two U.S. Department of Agriculture research agencies were moved from the nation’s capital to Kansas City, Missouri, they remain critically understaffed and some farmers are less confident in the work they produce. The relocation of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in September 2019 led to a mass exodus of employees who couldn’t or didn’t want to move halfway across the country. The agencies are producing research that is smaller in scope and less frequent, and some farmers say they now have to corroborate USDA research by comparing it to private market analysis. A USDA spokesman says the agency is focused on rebuilding employee confidence and morale.
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Mother Arrested After Rollover Crash that Killed 5-Year-Old Daughter
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A 26-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after a rollover crash that killed her 5-year-old daughter. The crash happened around 3:15 am Sunday in a rural area southeast of Wichita. According to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office, deputies found the woman's 2014 Ford Escape off the road and overturned. The 5-year-old girl in the vehicle, Aleah Reyes, died at the scene while the mother had only minor injuries. Officials said Nory Lam was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol and transporting an open container of alcohol.
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Police: Wichita Man Dies from Injuries in 2-Vehicle Crash
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a man died from injuries he received in a head-on crash in south Wichita. KAKE TV reports that the crash happed just before 8 pm Sunday, when a southbound truck crossed the center line on Hydraulic Street and hit a northbound vehicle. Police say a 65-year-old man driving the truck was taken to a hospital with critical injuries and later died. Police say the woman driving the other vehicle was not seriously injured. The names of those involved were not immediately released.
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Suspect Arrested After Child Killed in Wichita Hit-and-Run
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old man is in custody after a child died in a hit-and-run collision in Wichita. On Monday, police arrested Marcus Downey on potential charges of felony hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license. The 4-year-old boy was struck by a pickup truck when he and his mother were crossing a street in downtown Wichita Monday morning. He died at a Wichita hospital. Capt. Wendell Nicholson said the truck fled the scene but was found about 100 yards away. The boy's mother was not injured.
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Police Investigating Man's Shooting Death in Garden City
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) _ Garden City police are investigating the shooting death of a 32-year-old man. Police were called to an apartment Sunday evening. Sgt. Lana Urteaga says officers found Victor Cabrera suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He died later at a Wichita hospital. No suspect information has been released.
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Big 12 Commissioner Bullish About Future as Tournaments Near
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby says it could be years before conference schools recover from the financial blow they took when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports. Bowlsby believes there is reason to feel good about the future. That includes the return of the men's and women's conference tournaments this week in Kansas City, Missouri.
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No. 11 KU Without McCormack, Enaruna for Big 12 Tournament
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas men's basketball team will be without starting center David McCormack and backup forward Tristan Enaruna for the Big 12 Tournament due to COVID-19 protocols. The No. 11 Jayhawks hope to have both players back for next week’s NCAA Tournament. Jayhawks coach Bill Self said Tuesday the pair entered the protocol “semi-recently” but did not say whether either tested positive for the virus. The No. 2 seed Jayhawks open tournament play in Thursday’s quarterfinals against No. 25 Oklahoma or Iowa State.
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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.