UPDATE: KU Hospital Admits Patient with COVID-19, Disease Caused by Coronavirus
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS/KCUR) — The University of Kansas Hospital says it has admitted a patient with COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. The patient is in a specially-equipped area to prevent the spread of the virus to other patients, staff, physicians and visitors. Officials won't provide any personal details about the patient’s identity. Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said the patient admitted to the KU Hospital for COVID-19 is the same woman from Johnson County who was previously identified as the first presumptive positive case of coronavirus in Kansas. Over the weekend, Kansas health officials announced that a Johnson County woman was the state’s first case of the new coronavirus. She appears to have contracted her illness while traveling in the northeast United States. (Read more.)
Earlier reporting...
University of Kansas Hospital Has Patient with Coronavirus
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas Hospital says it has admitted a patient with the coronavirus. Hospital officials said in a statement Monday they would not discuss specifics about the patient, leaving it unclear if the patient is the same case Gov. Laura Kelly announced Saturday or is the state's second case. The statement said the patient is being treated in a specially equipped area designed to prevent the spread of the virus. The state's first case is a woman from Johnson County. She is under the age of 50 and is isolating herself at home after seeing her doctor.
Kansas Confirms 1st Coronavirus Case, Johnson County Woman Tests Positive for Virus
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Officials confirmed Saturday that a Kansas City-area woman who recently traveled to the Northeast is the first case of coronavirus in Kansas. Governor Laura Kelly and health officials said the woman is isolating herself at home after seeing her doctor over the common coronavirus symptoms of a cough, slight fever and shortness of breath. She lives in Johnson County, the state's most populous county. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman said she is "doing well." The Kansas announcement came as Florida reported two coronavirus deaths and the U.S. death toll reached 19. The U.S. has more than 550 cases.
(-Related-)
St. Louis Woman Returns from Italy and Becomes Missouri's 1st Coronavirus Case
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri officials say a St. Louis-area woman who recently traveled to Italy is the state's first confirmed coronavirus case. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said Saturday that the woman is in her 20s and is at home with her parents. He said she was returning home from Italy when she showed coronavirus symptoms. She was tested at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, and officials said it made sure that she was kept away from other patients. Page said the woman and her parents have assured officials that they have not left their home other than to go to the hospital.
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Kansas Men Survive Plane Crash in Florida
DESTIN, FL (KSAL Radio) -- Two Kansas men and a canine have survived a plane crash in Florida. According to the sheriff's office in Okaloosa County, Florida, a pilot and passenger aboard a Beech Bonanza aircraft went down short of the Destin Executive Airport runway Sunday morning. KSAL Radio reports that the two men are identified as a father and son: 47-year old Jason Dougherty of Garden City and 22-year old Caleb Dougherty of Salina. They were flying into the Destin, Florida, area for vacation. A Labrador retriever flying with them, also survived the crash (without a scratch) after just missing a home and landing in a tree in the area of Main Street and Planet Drive around 10 am Sunday. They say the plane began experiencing engine trouble as they were coming in to land. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident.
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UPDATE: Kansas Inmate Who Escaped from Prison Has Been Captured
LARNED, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas inmate who escaped from a state prison has been captured. The Kansas Department of Corrections said in a news release that 52-year-old Ronald Smith was apprehended at 7:25 pm Sunday. No details were provided. He had been reported missing earlier in the day from the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility after he failed to show up to his work assignment. Smith is serving a sentence for 2018 Reno County convictions for drug possession, theft, burglary and fleeing.
Earlier reporting...
Kansas Inmate Escapes from State Prison Sunday
LARNED, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas inmate escaped from a state prison Sunday morning. The Kansas Department of Corrections says 52-year-old Ronald Smith was reported missing Sunday from the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility after he failed to show up to his work assignment at the Larned State Hospital. Smith is serving a sentence for 2018 Reno County convictions for drug possession, theft, burglary and fleeing. He is described as 5-foot-10, 179 pounds with green eyes and black and gray hair.
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Special Olympics Kansas Cancels State Events Due to Coronavirus Concerns
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) -- Special Olympics Kansas has canceled a number of activities due to the spread of the coronavirus. The following events are affected:
• 2020 State Basketball and Cheerleading Tournaments scheduled for
March 14-15 in Topeka and March 20-21 in Hays
• All Young Athletes Programs scheduled March 9-23
• All local team practices scheduled March 9 – 23
• KU Unified Basketball Championship game scheduled March 19
"While this news is incredibly disappointing for all of us, the health and safety of our athletes, volunteers, staff, and partners remains our top priority," said President & CEO John Lair. He said it wasn't until Saturday, March 7, when a case of coronavirus was confirmed in Kansas - and in several surrounding states - that they made this decision. Lair said the Special Olympics serve a "population where many are at a heightened risk of infection due to age and/or compromised immune systems." Lair said Special Olympics Kansas staff will re-evaluate the situation on March 23, 2020, and provide guidance and updated information regarding future events at that time.
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Suspect in College Football Player's Death Ruled Competent
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The suspect in the shooting of a football player and the wounding of New York Giants cornerback Corey Ballentine in Kansas will go on trial July 13 after being found competent to stand trial. A judge today ruled Francisco Mendez competent for trial after a court-appointed psychiatrist changed his initial finding. Psychiatrist David Blakely reversed his finding that Mendez was incompetent for trial after listening to jail recordings and videos of Mendez talking about the case to others. Mendez is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the April 2019 death of Washburn University player Dwane Simmons and the wounding of Ballentine.
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Police Investigate Fatal Shooting in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police are investigating a fatal shooting in eastern Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City police said officers were called to the area around 9:30 pm Saturday to investigate a shooting, and they found the victim who had died at the scene. The victim wasn't immediately identified. Police spokesman Captain David Jackson said witnesses told officers the victim had been walking down the street and acting erratically before the shooting. The man approached a vehicle and appeared to talk to someone for a short time before he was shot. The vehicle had left the area before officers arrived. No arrests have been announced.
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House Fire Kills 1 Person in Northeast Kansas City, Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Firefighters found a person dead inside a house while they were responding to a fire in northeast Kansas City, Missouri. The fire happened Saturday night. Kansas City police say the death is being investigated as a fire fatality, not a homicide. Kansas City Fire Department Assistant Chief Jimmy Walker said the fire started in the home's basement and spread to the upper floors. The body was found on the second floor. The cause of the fire remained under investigation Sunday. The victim's name wasn't immediately released.
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Kansas GOP Leader's Medicaid Expansion Move Roils Statehouse
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate leader is drawing criticism from some fellow Republicans for working with the state's Democratic governor to win support of a Medicaid expansion plan. Just last year, Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning was blocking a different Medicaid expansion plan. His shift shows how efforts to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act can get bipartisan support even in the last red states to consider them. Denning also faces a tough reelection bid in his suburban Kansas City district. It's among many suburban areas where President Donald Trump has lost support, scrambling local political calculations.
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Plan Would Boost Funding for Top Kansas Lawmakers' Offices
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The offices of Kansas legislative leaders would see an 11% increase in their funding under a proposal that has cleared committee. Almost all of the new dollars would go to top Republicans. The House Appropriations Committee added the money Monday before approving the Republican-controlled Legislature's proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins in July. The biggest increases of nearly 58% would go to the offices with the smallest budgets. They are the Senate vice president and the House speaker pro tem. The proposal goes next to the House. Top Democrats strongly criticized the proposal and said such spending is not a priority.
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Construction on Lawrence Police Headquarters Hits Midpoint
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Officials say construction of a new $19.5 million police headquarters in Lawrence is now 50% complete. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that officials celebrated the halfway mark Friday as the final piece of the structure's steel framing was placed. City staff, police and city signed the steel beam, and topped it with American flag and a small evergreen tree, intended to bring good fortune, during Friday's ceremony. The new headquarters will house about 90% of sworn police staff and include spaces for investigations, administration and the crime lab.
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Former KCK School Resource Officer Pleads No Contest to Sex Crimes
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas City, Kansas, school resource officer will be sentenced in May for committing sex crimes against children. Michael Eugene English Sr. pleaded no contest last week to three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with children between the ages of 14 and 16. The Kansas City Star reports English was a school system security guard before joining the Kansas City, Kansas, School District's independent police unit in 2015. Authorities say the crimes began in January 2018. An investigation began in March of that year when a parent notified police. English faces a maximum of just over 14 years in prison. His sentencing is set for May 8.
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Wichita Woman Sentenced for Stealing from Ailing Stepmother
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 53-year-old Wichita woman has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for stealing $54,000 from her grandmother, who was in a nursing home. Shelby Frias was found guilty in January of mistreatment of an elder person. Prosecutors say she took the money from her 72-year-old stepmother's account. The older woman was in a nursing home with dementia and died about five months after the theft was discovered. Frias was sentenced Friday and ordered to pay restitution. She testified at her trial that her stepmother wanted her to keep the money safe. But evidence showed Frias spent the money on shopping, trips and rental cars.
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Civil Rights Groups Vow Lawsuit over Israel Boycott Law
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Officials with two Oklahoma civil rights groups say they intend to sue the state if the Legislature passes a bill to prohibit state contracts with companies that boycott Israel. Attorneys with the Oklahoma chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and Council on American-Islamic Relations both said Monday the bill is unconstitutional. They say Supreme Court precedent holds that a boycott is a form of free speech. Oklahoma's bill is similar to laws that federal judges in Arizona, Kansas and Texas have blocked from taking effect. A judge in Arkansas let a similar law stand. The Arkansas case is being appealed.
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University of Kansas Still Investigating Massage Therapist for Some Female Athletes
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas officials say a man recently charged with a child sex crime had provided massage services to some women's athletic teams since 2015. The therapist, 48-year-old Shawn O'Brien, was an independent contractor who operated Medissage in Lawrence. O'Brien was charged recently with aggravated indecent liberties with a child after a girl accused him of touching her sexually seven or eight years ago under the guise of a "massage." Chancellor Doug Girard and Athletic Director Jeff Long said in a statement Thursday they were "deeply troubled" by an internal inquiry into the situation. They say the school is providing support to student-athletes, parents and staff.
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Medical Marijuana Roll Out Spurs Sharp Words in Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The man leading Missouri’s medical marijuana program is involved in a war of words with some lawmakers, saying their criticism is fueled by “politics and money.” Lyndall Fraker has faced scrutiny over the past month from the House government oversight committee, including accusations that the program’s implementation was bungled and that conflicts of interest may have tainted the application process. Fraker told the Kansas City Star that legislators questioning his performance are doing the bidding of campaign donors. The state recently granted licenses for everything from cultivation to retail sales. The process drew criticism from many who failed in licensing efforts.
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FEC Reviews Father's Funds Funneled to Kansas Congressman Steve Watkins
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Federal Election Commission is examining now-refunded campaign contributions that Kansas Rep. Steve Watkins' father funneled through the freshman Republican congressman's sisters and others during the 2018 campaign. The Kansas City Star reports that Topeka physician Steven Watkins Sr. confirmed Friday that the FEC is looking into thousands of dollars he steered into his son's campaign through other donors, including his daughters and a homebuilder. The congressman has been under investigation by local officials over whether he violated state election laws for previously listing a UPS Inc. store as his residence. He's facing a GOP primary challenge from State Treasurer Jake LaTurner.
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Daylight-Saving Time Arrives; Clocks Should be Set One Hour Forward
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — It's time to spring forward again, as the country makes the switch to daylight saving time. Like those in almost all other states, residents in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri will trade an hour of sleep starting Sunday morning for an extra hour of sunlight in the evening. The government expanded daylight saving time in 2007 in an effort to save energy. It now begins on the second Sunday in March and continues until the first Sunday in November. The official change occurs at 2 am Sunday, local time, although people often change their clocks before going to bed Saturday night. Daylight saving time ends November 1.
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KU Remains Unanimous No. 1 in Top 25; FSU up to No. 4
The University of Kansas maintained its grip on the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll. The Jayhawks received all 65 first-place votes to remain at the top for a third straight week. The past two weeks they have been the unanimous choice ahead of Gonzaga and Dayton. Florida State climbed three spots to No. 4 after winning its first Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title. This is FSU's highest ranking since sitting at No. 2 in December 1972. West Virginia and Butler were the week's new additions. Michigan and Penn State fell out of the poll.
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Big 12 Coaches: Azubuike Is Player of Year, Drew Top Coach
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Kansas center Udoka Azubuike has been selected as the Big 12 player of the year by the league's coaches. Baylor's Scott Drew was named coach of the year in the voting by his conference peers. The Big 12 awards were announced Sunday, the day after the end of the regular season. Azubuike is averaging 13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. The 7-footer is also shooting an NCAA-best 74.8% from the field for the regular-season champion Jayhawks. Big 12 runner-up Baylor is 26-4 and spent five weeks as the nation's No. 1 team. The Bears also set a Big 12 record with 23 wins in a row.
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Best Player? In College Basketball, That's Still Unclear
UNDATED (AP) — The unpredictability of the college basketball season has made for a murky race for national player of the year honors. There's no one like Duke's Zion Williamson, who was a runaway choice as The Associated Press national player of the year. Now there's a top tier of worthy candidates. The list includes Kansas point guard Devon Dotson as the floor leader for the No. 1-ranked Jayhawks. Dayton's Obi Toppin has been dominant in the Atlantic 10. The list also includes Iowa's Luka Garza, Marquette's Markus Howard, Seton Hall's Myles Powell and Oregon's Payton Pritchard.
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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.
