Disgraced Former Bishop to Stay in Kansas, For Now
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Catholic Church officials say disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick will continue to live at a Kansas friary "until a decision of permanent residence is finalized." McCarrick moved to the St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, Kansas, in September after Pope Francis ordered him to live in penance and prayer while sexual abuse allegations were being investigated. McCarrick was defrocked after being found guilty by the Vatican of sex abuse, including while hearing confession. In a statement Saturday, Bishop Gerald L. Vincke of the Salina, Kansas, Diocese said he hopes the Vatican's decision to defrock McCarrick will "help bring healing to all affected by sexual abuse and those hurt by this scandal."
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Kansas Senators Express Concern about Emergency Declaration
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' two Republican U.S. senators worry about the precedent set by President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the border with Mexico to secure more money for a wall. Senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts said Saturday that they are concerned that a future president could use a similar declaration to impose policies that Congress has not authorized. The White House has said $6.1 billion will be redirected to the wall. But the senators said they are still studying the question of how much authority the president has under the U.S. Constitution to make such a move. Moran said: "I'm worried that if it gets used this time, what's the next instance in which it becomes used?" Roberts said he worries about "government by fiat" in the future.
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Kansas GOP Picks New Chairman
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican activists in Kansas have named a Kansas City-area attorney as the party's new state chairman. Michael Kuckelman of Overland Park faced no opposition and was elected to a two-year term by the GOP State Committee in a meeting Saturday. Kuckelman replaces Kelly Arnold, who had decided to retire as chairman after six years. During Arnold's first two terms, Republicans swept all statewide and congressional races, but in last year's elections, Democrats Laura Kelly and Sharice Davids won the governor's race and the 3rd Congressional District seat in the Kansas City area. Kuckelman promised GOP activists to build party unity and improve GOP voter turnout. Kuckelman also has made headlines in recent weeks by representing Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning in a defamation lawsuit against The Kansas City Star.
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Veterans Addiction Treatment Center Being Built in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A new $4.4 million facility is being built at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita to treat veterans' addictions. Medical center director Rick Ament said at a groundbreaking Friday that the inpatient center is "a badly needed service for veterans between Kansas City and Oklahoma City." The Wichita Eagle reports that the hospital sends between 15 and 20 veterans every month to Leavenworth or Kansas City for residential treatment for substance abuse. VA spokesman Akeam Ashford says the new facility will have 12 beds to treat veterans in Wichita. There are currently 183 veterans enrolled in the outpatient substance abuse program in Wichita. Construction is expected to be completed in October, with patient treatments starting in January.
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Lawmakers: U.S. Budget Measure Includes $50 Million for Amtrak Route from Kansas to New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Lawmakers say a federal budget compromise approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump provides $50 million of additional federal funding to maintain Amtrak rail passenger service through New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas. New Mexico lawmakers said Friday the funding for the Southwest Chief route will enable Amtrak to pay matching funding for a grant to pay for maintenance and safety improvements to the Southwest Chief route. Amtrak officials previously proposed replacing train service with bus service between Dodge City, Kansas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico — about a quarter of the 2,265-mile route providing daily train service between Los Angeles and Chicago. The New Mexico lawmakers said the funding was also pushed by senators from Colorado and Kansas.
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Board of Embattled Kansas Military School Exploring Options
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The board of an embattled Kansas military school is exploring what to do with the property as the private boarding school prepares to close after facing years of litigation. St. John's Military School announced this month that the Salina all-boys school will close after this school year. The school said it was unfairly targeted by lawsuits and negative media portrayals, including accusations that administrators failed to supervise cadets. The Salina Journal reports that the school's board is considering fundraising options to transform the school grounds. The school's president, Col. William Clark, says the board is committed to keeping the property as an educational institution. He says it's too early to determine whether it'll stay a military school or become another kind of facility, though all options are being considered.
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Police Investigate Wichita Shooting
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita are investigating the shooting of a woman who told officers she was answering a late-night knock at her door before she was shot in the back. Television station KSNW reports that the 58-year-old woman told police she heard a knock at her door early Friday morning, and when she went to answer it, someone outside shot through the door. Police say several rounds were fired. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to her back. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Police say they don't believe the shooting was random. No arrests have been announced. Police say a man and woman in their 20s and an infant were also in the home at the time of the shooting.
