Strong Winds Blow Warmth, Chance of Tornadoes into Midwest
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A powerful storm system ushered in strong winds, heavy rain and a chance of tornadoes on Wednesday, with temperatures posed to set record highs in some places only days before the official start of winter. Much of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and parts of Missouri could see record highs, but the warmth came with dangerous winds and threats of violent storms. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning in an area stretching from New Mexico to upper Michigan — including Wisconsin and Illinois. Gusts of more than 80 mph have been recorded in the Texas Panhandle and western Kansas, which reported dust storms that crippled traffic on Interstate 70. A National Weather Service site in Lamar, Colorado reported a 107 mph gust.
Many roads were closed in western Kansas Wednesday afternoon, including I-70 in both directions from Russell to the Colorado state line, and all state roads in several western counties. Officials cited the danger to high-profile vehicles and dramatically reduced visibility from airborne dust. K-25 in Lakin was closed due to debris on the highway. All highways out of Ulysses were closed due to blowing dirt – including U.S. 160 east and west as well as K-27 north and south. Interstate 70 was reopened in both directions around 5:40 Wednesday afternoon.
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Record High Temperatures, High Winds Descend on Midwest
OMAHA, Neb. (AP/KPR) _ Much of the Midwest is bracing for high winds, heavy rain and a chance of tornadoes as temperatures feel like summertime despite the official start of winter being only days away. Forecasters across the Plains states predict unusually warm weather Wednesday, including likely record-breaking high temperatures in the mid-70s for much of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and parts of Missouri. The record high temperature for December 15th in Topeka is 70 degrees set in 2002. The warmth comes with dangerously high winds and threats of violent storms, just on the heels of devastating tornadoes last weekend.
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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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Governor: Kansas Identifies Potential Omicron Variant Case
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Laura Kelly says that the state health department in Kansas has identified a potential case of COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant. Kelly told reporters after a public event Wednesday that health officials believed they had identified two potential omicron variant cases this past weekend, but genetic testing of patient samples ruled out one of them. Testing on the other has not been completed. At least 30 states have confirmed cases linked to the omicron variant, but Kansas has yet to announce that it has. Kelly said that confirming an omicron case “won’t change the approach” in addressing the novel coronavirus’ continued spread.
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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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Medicaid Now Certifies Kids for Free Lunch in Kansas, 7 Other States
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has added eight states to the 19 where students receiving Medicaid coverage will be automatically added to the program offering free or reduced-price school lunches. A news release Tuesday says those states are Kansas, Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The department says this expands demonstration projects that have certified more than 1 million students for free meals and nearly 260,000 for reduced-price meals since the 2012-2013 school year. It says the 27 states now involved represent about 75% of students nationwide.
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Kansas Chamber of Commerce Endorses Warren for Attorney General
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - An influential business organization in Kansas is taking sides early in the race for state attorney general. The political action committee of the Kansas Chamber is backing conservative state Senator Kellie Warren, a Leawood lawyer, in the Republican primary for attorney general. The early endorsement signals the Chamber’s opposition to former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach, a hardline conservative, is running for attorney general after losing the race for governor in 2018 and a Republican Senate primary last year. Those losses concern many Republicans. Former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi is also in the running for the GOP nomination for attorney general. Lawrence trial lawyer Chris Mann is the only Democrat in the race. Republican Derek Schmidt, the state’s current attorney general, is running for governor.
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Groups Seek Schmidt Recusal in Natural Gas Price Gouging Case
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - An advocacy group is calling for Attorney General Derek Schmidt to recuse himself from an investigation into potential natural gas price gouging. They say he has a potential conflict of interest because he owns a gas well. Natural gas prices shot up during a cold snap in February. The Kansas Reflector reports that Republican Attorney General Schmidt has a natural gas well that could generate up to $660 per month. Schmidt’s campaign says the situation isn’t unique and Kansans across the state have wells on their property. They also say Schmidt doesn’t set gas prices. The attorney general’s office is looking into whether gas companies improperly raised prices during a statewide emergency last February. The office is trying to hire an outside firm to help. Critics say Schmidt should not investigate gas prices while also making money from natural gas.
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Kansas Utilizes Federal Funds to Expand Broadband Access
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - More than 70,000 Kansans still don’t have internet access, but that could change with funding from a federal infrastructure bill signed into law last month. A new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts looks at how states are using federal grants to boost broadband access. The report finds that Kansas has moved quickly to help bridge the digital divide. The new infrastructure bill includes $100 million for Kansas to expand broadband infrastructure and internet access.
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Rock Band Tool's Drummer Arrested for Assault, Anti-Gay Slur
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police say the drummer of the rock band Tool has been arrested and charged with a municipal assault violation for allegedly using an anti-gay slur during a confrontation at Missouri's Kansas City International Airport. Court documents show Kansas City police arrested 60-year-old Malibu, California resident Danny Carey on Sunday. Police say Carey used an anti-gay slur and repeatedly jabbed someone in the chest with two fingers. The municipal assault violation is punishable by 180 days in jail, a $250 to $1,000 fine, or both. A spokeswoman for the band Tool says neither Carey nor the band are commenting.
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Names of Wichita Police Accused of Misconduct to Stay Secret
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new contract allows the Wichita police department to continue keeping the names of officers accused of wrongdoing secret. The Wichita City Council approved the contract Tuesday. The department has kept the names of officers disciplined for misconduct or use of excessive force secret for years. Community activists say the practice undermines confidence in the police and supports the idea that the department is more interested in covering up police actions than being honest with the community. City and union officials say police should not be treated differently from other city employees, whose personnel records are not open to the public.
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Jury Awards $4 Million to Transgender Student in Kansas City Suburb
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) - A jury has found that a Kansas City-area school district discriminated against a transgender student by denying him access to the boys' restrooms and locker rooms. A Jackson County jury on Monday said the Blue Springs district should pay more than $4 million to the student. KSHB-TV reports the student sued the district for sex discrimination in 2015. He had successfully petitioned in 2014 to amend his birth certificate to reflect his gender and new name. The lawsuit claims the district continued to deny him access to locker rooms and and boys' restrooms after that change. The district says it will appeal the verdict if necessary.
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Report: Kansas Has Shortest Prison Probation Length
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A new report says Kansas has the shortest average length of probation of any state in the country, but it sends more people back to prison for supervision violations than most other states. Kansas and Massachusetts are the only two states where the average probation length is nine months. The report from Pew Charitable Trusts says Kansas is doing well with short probation lengths, because shorter supervision can reduce recidivism and the burden on caseworkers. The study says Kansas policies appear to be working, but more research is needed. Kansas does have the 12th highest rate of incarcerating people for supervision violations. One potential cause is the state’s offender registry list. Critics of the list say it is too burdensome and has no impact on public safety.
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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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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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Kansas City Police: Teen Dies After Being Shot
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Police in Kansas City , Missouri say a teenager has died after being shot several blocks south of Swope Park. Police say officers were called to the area around 7 p.m. Tuesday for reports of someone on the ground experiencing a medical emergency. Medics who also arrived on the scene determined the teen had been shot and rushed him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police later identified the victim as 17-year-old Kaleb Martin. Police said they did not immediately have any suspects in the case.
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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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Chiefs Add Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. to COVID-19 List; 3rd Player This Week
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs added linebacker Willie Gay Jr. to the COVID-19 list on Wednesday, one day before they play the Los Angeles Chargers in a game that could go a long way toward deciding the AFC West. The Chiefs placed wide receiver Josh Gordon on the list Monday and defensive tackle Chris Jones on it Tuesday. All three of them played in Sunday’s win over the Raiders, which kept Kansas City a game ahead of the Chargers in the division. There is an outside chance Gordon or Jones could play if they return two negative tests 24 hours apart.
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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!