Kansas Democrats Attack GOP Tax Plan as Corporate Give-Away
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas Governor Laura Kelly's fellow Democrats are attacking a Republican tax relief plan approved by the state Senate as a give-away to large corporations. Today's (THUR) vote in the GOP-dominated Senate was 26-14. Republican leaders have acknowledged that big businesses WOULD benefit... but see that as helping the state's economy. The bill goes next to the Republican-controlled House. It is designed to prevent Kansas residents and businesses from paying higher state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws. Most of the relief would go to businesses in the first year. Many Republicans expect Governor Kelly to veto it. GOP leaders fell one vote short of a two-thirds majority in the Senate necessary to override a veto because two moderate Republicans voted no.
- Earlier report -
GOP Lawmakers in Kansas Advance Tax Relief Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas have advanced a bill designed to prevent individuals and businesses from paying higher income taxes to the state because of changes in federal tax laws. The GOP-controlled Senate gave the measure first-round approval Wednesday on a voice vote. Senators plan to take a final vote Thursday to determine whether it goes to the Republican-controlled House. Republicans are defying Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's call to wait on rewriting state tax laws. Federal taxes were cut late in 2017 but some changes forced some people to pay more to their home states. The federal standard deduction increased to limit itemizing on Kansas returns because its tax code is tied to federal law. The bill would allow Kansas filers to itemize even if they don't on federal returns.
====================
====================
20 Inmates Charged in November Larned Prison Riot
LARNED, Kan. (AP) - Twenty inmates at the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility face felony charges after a riot at the prison in November. Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett charged the inmates after a state prison official completed an investigation of the November 6 uprising. McNett says the 20 inmates were primarily responsible for the riots. He says he saw no evidence that inmates breached individual housing units in the prison's Central Unit, and his office is treating the case as four self-contained riots occurring at the same time. State prison officials say Kansas spent $113,000 to repair damage and replace equipment. The Hutchinson News reports the inmates are charged with incitement to riot, criminal damage to property and rioting. The riot was one of several at Kansas prisons in 2017 and 2018.
====================
KU's Former Volunteer Volleyball Coach Charged with Burglary
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - A 23- year-old former volunteer volleyball coach at the University of Kansas is charged with several burglaries and thefts of items such as underwear and swimming suits. Prosecutors say the thefts were sexually motivated. Skyler Yee (cq) was charged Wednesday with 15 total counts, including four felony counts of burglary. Douglas County District Court records show the break-ins occurred four times between December 2017 and January of this year at two addresses in Lawrence. Yee has served as a volunteer assistant volleyball coach for several years. He resigned in mid-January. His defense attorney, Casey Meek, says Yee maintains his innocence.
=====================
Nebraska Man Found Dead in Car in Clay County
CLAY CENTER, Kan. (AP) - Kansas authorities say a Nebraska man who was reported missing earlier this week was found dead in his car. Clay County authorities say the body of 66-year-old Rick Kubes, of Auburn, Nebraska, was discovered yesterday (WED) evening about 3 miles north of Clay Center on Kansas Highway 15. An official cause of death hasn't been determined but it appeared Kubes had a medical issue because his vehicle drifted off the road.
====================
Icy Kansas Weather Shutters Schools and Universities
LAWRENCE (KPR) — Numerous Kansas schools and universities are closed today (THUR) as freezing rain leaves roads slippery and dangerous. The National Weather Service in Topeka issued an Ice Storm Warning and a Winter Weather Advisory for a large swath of eastern Kansas. Much of the Midwest is dealing with ice and freezing temps this week. Dozens of districts canceled classes, including Topeka, Lawrence, Wichita and several in suburban Kansas City. In addition to K-12 schools, universities also canceled classes. The University of Kansas, Emporia State University, Washburn University, Washburn Tech, Baker University and Pittsburg State University are all closed. Fort Riley is operating on two-hour delay.
- Related -
Woman Dies After Hitting Snow Plow Amid Latest Winter Blast
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A wintry mix of snow and ice has caused another deadly wreck in Kansas. The Highway Patrol says 51-year-old Dana Michelle Thowe was killed early Thursday when she crashed into a snow plow on Interstate 70 in Topeka. The crash happened two days after another driver was killed after losing control on a slick Miami County bridge. Governor Laura Kelly announced she was closing state offices in the Capitol's Shawnee County after the National Weather Service issued a combination of ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories for a large swath of the state.
====================
Courthouse in KC Missouri Will Remain Closed Until February 19
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Jackson County officials say the county courthouse in downtown Kansas City will remain closed until February 19 because of extensive water damage from leaking water lines. The courthouse has been closed since January 31 after it was flooded with more than 10 feet of water and thousands of pounds of mud when a water line broke. Initially, officials expected to open the courthouse within a few days but another water line break occurred on the upper floors, causing water to drain to the floors below.
====================
KBI: Father and Son's Death in Northwest Kansas a Case of Murder-Suicide
REXFORD, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says the deaths of a Kansas father and son were a murder-suicide. Rawlins County emergency responders found the bodies of 74-year-old Gary Withers and 41-year-old Daniel Withers February 1 on a farm in northwest Kansas. The KBI said in a news release Wednesday that preliminary autopsies revealed the elder Withers was killed by a gunshot wound and his death was a homicide. The autopsy findings indicated Daniel Withers died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The KBI says evidence suggests that Danny Withers shot his father, Gary Withers, and then shot himself. The investigation is continuing.
====================
Nebraska Man Found Dead in Car in Kansas
CLAY CENTER, Kan. (AP) — Kansas authorities say a Nebraska man who was reported missing earlier this week was found dead in his car. Clay County Sheriff Chuck Dunn says the body of 66-year-old Rick Kubes, of Auburn, Nebraska, was discovered Wednesday evening about 3 miles north of Clay Center on Kansas 15. Dunn says an official cause of death hasn't been determined but it appeared Kubes had a medical issue because his vehicle had drifted off the road. The sheriff says Kubes left a home in Clay Center early Sunday to drive to a hospital in Auburn because he was suffering from back pain. A statewide silver alert was issued on Monday when after he didn't arrive at the hospital.
====================
Woman, Dog Die in Kansas City, Kansas, House Fire
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City, Kansas, fire officials say woman and a dog died in a house fire. Assistant Fire Chief Morris Lechter says a man was able to escape the fire early Wednesday. The house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. The woman and dog were discovered after firefighters knocked down the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
====================
Arrest Made in Death of Infant Girl in Great Bend
GREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) — The father of a 5-month-old girl who died in January has been arrested in her death. Great Bend police say Wednesday that 20-year-old Cody Lane Reed, of Great Bend, is being held the Barton County jail without bond pending formal charges. The girl, Lettizia Reed, was hospitalized on January 28 after emergency crews found her injured at an apartment. She died three days later. Preliminary autopsy results found the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is helping with the investigation.
====================
Man Arrested After Wife Dies, her Grandmother Injured in Southeast Kansas
ARMA, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old Kansas man is charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his wife and an attack on her grandmother. Crawford County authorities allege Jeremy Delmarco fatally stabbed his wife, 34-year-old Brandy Delmarco, and stabbed her grandmother, 84-year-old Dorma Lemaster Monday at a home near Arma. The Joplin Globe reports Captain Danny Smith said Jeremy Delmarco, struggled with a deputy despite being shot several times with a stun gun. A second deputy helped arrest Jeremy Delmarco. Authorities say a dog that bit one of the deputies was shot and killed. Jeremy Delmarco also is charged with felony obstruction of justice, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1 million.
====================
Wichita Police Investigate Deadly Shooting Near Health Club
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police are asking for the public's help as they investigate the shooting death of a 22-year-old in northwest Wichita. Officer Paul Cruz says police were called Wednesday evening to investigate a shooting in the parking lot of a Genesis Health Center. Cruz said the caller found Lorenzo Wade lying on the ground and tried to provide help until emergency responders arrived. KAKE-TV reports Wade was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have made.
Police are working to determine where Wade was shot.
====================
Homicide Victim Found Near Key to Stolen Vehicle, Police Say
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police in Kansas City, Kansas, are investigating the killing of a man whose body was found near the key to stolen vehicle. KMBC-TV reports that Police Chief Terry Zeigler says officers found the man dead of an apparent gunshot wound early Thursday after they were dispatched to the scene of a shooting. Investigators found a car key next to the victim that belonged to a vehicle that had been stolen from the Legends Honda dealership near the Kansas Speedway.
Officers found the vehicle in a nearby parking lot with multiple holes in it. The victim's name wasn't immediately released.
====================
Former Emporia State University President Placed on Leave
ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) — The president of Lindenwood University's flagship campus in suburban St. Louis has been placed on paid administrative leave but says he's been given "no reason why." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Michael Shonrock says he expects to be fired Friday, when Lindenwood's Board of Trustees meets. There's no published agenda. Shonrock was the president of Emporia State University in Kansas before coming to the St. Charles-based Lindenwood in June 2015. Shonrock says he has received favorable reviews each year. He was placed on leave Tuesday in a letter that he said "doesn't describe any rationale at all." A university spokeswoman says the school doesn't comment on personnel matters. The president of Lindenwood's Belleville, Illinois, campus was placed on administrative leave in November and is no longer at the university.
====================
No Charges Against Missouri Officers Who Fatally Shot 2 Men
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Three Kansas City police officers won't face charges in the fatal shootings of two men who were struggling over a handgun last summer in a downtown square. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a letter to the police chief that two of the officers were compelled to fatally shoot 33-year-old Timothy Mosley in June because he ignored officers' repeated demands to drop his weapon and attempted to fire it. She said 34-year-old Robert White was killed because he was too close to Mosely. The third officer at the scene didn't fire his weapon. Mosley and White were killed less than an hour after city officers fatally shot a woman seen brandishing a sword. Baker's letter was dated January 9 and posted to the prosecutor's office website Tuesday night.
====================
Embattled Military School in Salina Plans to Close
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An embattled Kansas military school announced Wednesday it plans to close after this school year, saying it has unfairly become a target for litigation and negative media portrayals. St. John's Military School in Salina said in a news release that its leaders have sought to sustain the school through various strategies, but "the landscape of education has changed dramatically" resulting in lower enrollment and unsustainable higher costs of education. "This, combined with St. John's having unfairly become a target for legal cases and negatively biased and misleading portrayals by some media outlets, has created an insurmountable situation that school leaders have been unable to overcome," the school said.
The school told parents and other supporters in a letter posted on its website that it had only been able to stay open due to the generosity of a few donors and its endowment fund, which it said has been expended. A $369,175 arbitration award in December against the school and its endowment fund was made public last month. The Episcopalian boarding school plans to continue to operate through May 11, culminating with a celebration of its history during commencement weekend. "Considerable research, thought, contemplation, discussion, and prayer has factored into this arduous decision," the school said in its release. "For over 131 years, St. John's has been a school dedicated to helping young men grow spiritually, morally, intellectually, and physically in a safe environment."
The private boarding school for grades 6 to 12 draws boys from around the country as it touts its ability to develop academic and leadership skills in a military environment. Tuition is $34,100 a year, according to its website. The Salina boarding school has been dogged over the years by litigation. In the latest ruling, an arbitrator found the school failed to supervise cadets and intentionally inflicted emotional distress in 2014 on a bullied 11-year-old student who had been tied together with his harasser in public as punishment. Shortly thereafter, the boy was allegedly raped and sodomized by his harasser in a dorm room in Salina, according to a court filing. The family's attorney, Dan Zmijewski, called news of the school's closure "fantastic." "My life goal is to try to prevent horrific things from happening to kids and the best way to do that is to keep institutions like that from staying open," said Zmijewski, who filed several of the lawsuits against the school.
In 2014, St. John's settled on the eve of trial a lawsuit filed by Zmijewski on behalf of 11 former cadets who claimed the school's practice of giving higher-ranking cadets the power to discipline younger ones encouraged physical and mental abuse. The settlements in that lawsuit alone ranged from $55,000 to $1.8 million.
The largest of those went to the family of a 14-year-old California boy who alleged he was tormented by adults and students at the school, suffering two broken legs in separate incidents during four days he attended the school in 2012. "In my opinion, it has been going on for too long and closing their doors is great news," Zmijewski said. "It can't happen to anybody else."
====================
Crime Reported on KU Campus Hits 10-Year Low in 2018
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas officials say crimes reported on the Lawrence campus in 2018 dropped to the lowest level in 10 years. The Office of Public Safety said in a news release Wednesday that 619 crimes were reported last year, down 8 percent from 670 in 2017. The report found theft continues to be the most common crime, with 150 reported in 2018. That was followed by drug crimes, with 113 reports, and property damage, with 91 reports. Assault reports rose significantly from 2017, with a total of 34, up from 14 in 2017. Nine sex offenses were reported in 2018, up from five from the previous year. Reported rapes dropped from four to two. Sexual assaults that are reported to university administration or other law enforcement departments aren't included in the report.
====================
Missouri Tries Again to Replace Thomas Hart Benton statue with One of Harry Truman
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers are trying again to replace a statue at the U.S. Capitol with one of former President Harry S Truman. The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday to put Truman's statue in place of one of former Sen. Thomas Hart Benton, who was instrumental in the nation's westward expansion. State lawmakers passed something similar last year. But it was vetoed by Governor Mike Parson because the version sent to him mistakenly referenced the accomplishments of Benton's great-great nephew, a famous painter by the same name. All states are allotted two statues in the Capitol. Unless the Benton resolution passes, Truman's statue is to replace one of former U.S. Sen. Francis Preston Blair Jr., who was instrumental in keeping Missouri out of the Confederacy. The resolution now goes to the Missouri House.
====================
