Kansas Medicaid Expansion Push Hasn't Cracked GOP Roadblock
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and other advocates have ramped up a campaign for her proposal to expand Medicaid in Kansas after conservative lawmakers showed they currently hold enough power to block it. Kelly held a news conference Thursday with four business leaders and kicked off a two-hour seminar on the potential economic benefits of expanding state health coverage for the needy. About two-dozen religious leaders also were at the Statehouse, partly to lobby for expansion, and supporters plan a March 19 rally. The new Democratic governor is trying to crack Republican leaders' hard opposition to Medicaid expansion as she seeks her first major victory in the GOP-dominated Legislature. Advocates believe they have bipartisan majorities for her proposal but are still trying to figure out how to get around Republican leaders.
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2 Kansas Companies Indicted for Noxious Chemical Cloud in Atchison
ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — Two companies have been indicted on federal charges after a 2016 mistake at a northeast Kansas distilling plant released a noxious cloud of fumes that prosecutors say caused more than 140 people to seek medical treatment. The U.S. attorney's office announced Wednesday that Midwest Grain Products Inc., of Atchison, Kansas, and Harcros Chemicals Inc., of Kansas City, Kansas, are charged with Clean Air Act violations that put the public in danger. The indictment alleges that the chlorine gas cloud formed after a driver for Harcros pulled a truck into Midwest Grain's facility in Atchison to deliver sulfuric acid. An operator for Midwest Grain helped the driver access the transfer equipment. When the driver mistakenly connected the sulfuric acid line to the sodium hypochlorite line, toxic gas began to form. The parent company of Midwest Grain Products, MGPI Processing Inc., said in a statement that it is reviewing the allegations and has been "cooperating fully with safety officials since this incident."
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KBI: Southeast Kansas Sheriff Intimidated Witness in DUI Arrest
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (AP) — A southeast Kansas sheriff has been charged with two misdemeanors stemming from a driving under the influence arrest. Montgomery County Sheriff Robert Dierks was charged Friday with interference with a law enforcement officer and witness intimidation. His first appearance was Wednesday. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that the summons says the alleged crimes occurred on January 27, 2018, in Montgomery County. The release didn't say what role Dierks played in the DUI arrest. The Montgomery County Chronicle wrote that Dierks urged his deputies and staff in an email Saturday to "continue to conduct business as usual, and let me take care of the politics." Dierks and his attorney, Edward Battitori, didn't immediately return phone messages with The Associated Press.
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Grand Jury Investigating Kris Kobach Disbands Without Bringing an Indictment
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A grand jury that was impaneled to investigate former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has adjourned without bringing an indictment. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that documents it obtained Wednesday said that the grand jury found "no cognizable crime under the laws of the State of Kansas." No other information was released. The grand jury was called after a successful citizen petition drive. Steven Davis, who initiated the petition drive, alleged that Kobach's office failed to properly register several voters in 2016 who applied for registration while renewing their driver's licenses or filling out an online form. Kobach's office previously called Davis' allegations "patently false." The office said the allegations concern a brief period in 2016 when online registration systems were malfunctioning. They said election officials quickly made sure the affected residents were able to vote.
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It's Official: Everyone's Sick of Winter, Meteorologists Say
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Even the National Weather Service is sick of winter. The agency's Kansas City area office said in a tweet that "After a recent poll, stats confirm that 96% of our followers are tired of winter." It jokingly added that, "The other 4% are wrong." Just over 29 inches has fallen since November at the Kansas City International Airport. Meteorologist Jonathan Welsh says that's 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) more than fell over the past three winter seasons combined. None of those winters saw more than 8 inches (about 20 centimeters). The last time the area saw more snow was in 2012-2013, when accumulations totaled nearly 32 inches. Welsh says no additional snow is expected anytime soon, although "we're certainly not out of the woods."
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Kansas Governor's Schools Plan Clears First Hurdle
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly's plan for increasing public education funding has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature despite unexpected resistance from some local school districts. A Senate committee on school funding approved Kelly's proposed increase of roughly $90 million a year on a voice vote Wednesday. The support for the Democratic governor's bill came from the committee's Republican majority and sent it to the full Senate for debate. Kelly views her proposal as a simple way to comply with a Kansas Supreme Court mandate to boost education funding. But fellow Democrats on the committee didn't support her plan after a coalition of 48 school districts withdrew its support. Those districts said a second look convinced them that the plan would not provide enough money to satisfy the court.
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Kansas Ordered to Pay $48 Million to Ex-Pizza Magnate Gene Bicknell
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ordered Kansas to pay $48 million to settle a long-running legal fight with former pizza magnate Gene Bicknell. Bicknell once owned the most Pizza Hut franchises in the nation. His legal fight with Kansas centered on whether the Pittsburg native lived in Kansas or in Florida when he sold his company, NPC International, in 2006. Kansas' revenue department issued a $42.5 million income tax assessment against him, saying he lived in the state. Bicknell paid the assessment, but he argued his official home was in Florida and sued the state of Kansas. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that on Tuesday, District Court Senior Judge Richard Smith ordered Kansas to return $48 million to Bicknell. A spokeswoman for Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says her administration is reviewing the decision.
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Victims of Wichita Crash Were 2 Men, 1 Woman
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say the victims of fiery wreck in northeast Wichita were two men and a woman. The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the victims as 41-year-old Terry Wehry, 44-year-old Renata Wehry and 68-year-old Lonnie Jesser, all of El Dorado. They were killed around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday when a northbound box truck collided with the victims' westbound car while crossing Kansas 254. Both vehicles went into a ditch and caught fire. The patrol says the truck's driver appeared to be uninjured. The patrol says it appears that he didn't yield before crossing the highway.
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Upgraded Charges for Man Accused of Shooting at Police
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors have upgraded charges against a 35-year-old Lawrence man accused of shooting at police during a standoff last year. Abdul Jalil Hussein was charged with several crimes after a June 29 standoff at his house. The Lawrence Journal-World reports prosecutors upgraded a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer to attempted first-degree murder. However, Hussein was found incompetent to stand trial last year and is being treated at Larned State Hospital. In June 2018, Hussein allegedly battered an officer before going inside his home. He allegedly came back outside wearing body armor and pointed a gun at the officer. The two men exchanged fire but neither was hit. He faces several other charges after an hours-long police standoff in December 2017 and violent incidents at his mother's home.
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Suspect Arrested in Death of Man Found in Kansas River
WAMEGO, Kan. (AP) — A 23-year-old man has been arrested in the killing of a 19-year-old man whose body was found in the Kansas River. Pottawatomie County Sheriff Greg Riat said in a news release that Cody Lamia-Beck was taken into custody Wednesday. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that he is a suspect in the death of Jacob Bouck, whose body was found Dec. 24 in the river about 1 mile west of Wamego. He was last seen on Dec. 21. A forensic autopsy indicated Bouck's death was a homicide.
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Man Who Killed Son, Wounded Dad Collapses During Sentencing
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man convicted of wounding a father and killing his 34-year-old son collapsed during his sentencing hearing and was removed from the courtroom on a stretcher. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 30-year-old John Towner Jr. had just taken the oath to testify Thursday when he said, "I can't breathe. I'm about to pass out." After collapsing, he appeared to begin convulsing. The Topeka Fire Department says he was transported to a local hospital. Towner was convicted earlier this year of voluntary manslaughter and attempted second-degree murder in a January 2018 shooting that left John Austin Jr. dead and his father, John Austin Sr., wounded. Towner was acquitted of attempted aggravated robbery and a more serious first-degree murder charge. During the trial, Towner contended he shot the Austins out of self-defense.
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Judge Dismisses 5 Remaining Charges Against O'Donnell
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed the five charges remaining against Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell at the request of prosecutors. Jurors on Monday found O'Donnell not guilty of 21 counts of wire fraud but deadlocked on two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren dismissed on Thursday those remaining counts without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled. The government had filed a motion the day earlier seeking the dismissal of those charges. The Wichita Eagle reports O'Donnell said Wednesday he's glad common sense prevailed but he's sorry the legal action was such an expense for him and taxpayers. O'Donnell was indicted last year on charges that he misspent $10,500 during campaigns for state senate and the Sedgwick County Commission.
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Catholic School Rejects Same-Sex Couple's Kindergartner
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — About 1,000 people have signed a petition after a Catholic grade school in suburban Kansas City denied admission to a same-sex couple's child. The Kansas City Star reports that the Rev. Craig Maxim told families in a letter last month that he sought guidance from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas when the same-sex couple asked to enroll their child in kindergarten at St. Ann Catholic School in Prairie Village. He said the archdiocese advised against accepting the child because the parents could not "model behaviors and attitudes consistent with the Church's teachings." About half of the people who signed the petition to Archbishop Joseph Naumann and the archdiocesan schools superintendent are St. Ann members. Catholic schools nationwide are divided over whether to admit same-sex couples' children.
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Russian Woman Convicted of Parental Kidnapping, Extortion
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 38-year-old Russian woman has been convicted of taking her child out of the U.S. and keeping the child away from the father in Kansas. A federal jury convicted Bogdana Alexandrovna Mobley on Wednesday of one count of international parental kidnapping and two counts of attempting to extort money from the child's father. Prosecutors said Mobley took a child to Russia in April 2014 even though the father, Brian Mobley, was awarded joint custody when the couple began divorce proceedings. The child has not returned to the United States. Brian Mobley was able to communicate with the child only by cell phone and Skype between April 2014 and November 2016. His ex-wife told Brian Mobley he needed to send her money in order to see the child.
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Wichita State Students Narrowly Reject Student Fee Increase
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Students at Wichita State University narrowly rejected a proposal to raise their own fees to fund improvements for academic facilities. The university announced Wednesday that the $38.5 million referendum failed by 107 votes. The referendum drew the highest turnout ever for a Wichita State student vote or survey. If approved, the revenue was expected to raise $20 million for a new W. Frank Barton School of Business. The university statement said the next step is to find alternative state funding for a new business school, which is about 60 percent funded through donor gifts. The Wichita Eagle reports the proposal would have raised the campus infrastructure fee for all students from $6 to $12 per credit hour for 20 years.
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Man Died After Becoming Trapped in Sawdust Hopper
VALLEY CENTER, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a man has died after becoming trapped in a container that sawdust is discharged from. KAKE-TV reports that Valley Center police responded around 12:30 p.m. Thursday to Conner Industries, where the man had gone to purchase sawdust. Authorities believe he became trapped after attempting to manually free up some sawdust that was stuck in a hopper. He wasn't breathing when first responders arrived. Emergency responders tried to revive him but weren't successful. Valley Center police say the case is being investigated as an accident. The man's name wasn't immediately released. He had planned to use the sawdust for agricultural purposes.
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Groundbreaking Set for New Kansas City Airport
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A groundbreaking celebration is planned for late March for the new single-terminal Kansas City International Airport. The Kansas City Aviation Department and the project developer announced Thursday that the celebration will be March 25 at the airport. The announcement is another step toward a new airport in the city, which was a source of controversy for years before voters in November overwhelmingly approved demolishing the current three-terminal airport and replacing it with a single terminal. The City Council last week approved agreements between the city and developer Edgemoor over the design and construction of the airport. The new terminal will have 39 gates and more than 1 million square feet.
