Kansas to Promote School COVID Vaccine Clinics for Younger Kids
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Laura Kelly says Kansas will encourage its public schools to hold clinics for vaccinating children ages 5 through 11 against COVID-19. She says some doses already have arrived in the state. Kansas expects to receive nearly 128,000 doses of a vaccine for younger children manufactured by Pfizer by next week. The Democratic governor announced Wednesday that all children in that age group immediately will be eligible for shots, that some doses already have arrived and most should be in the state by Friday. The doses would be enough for 46% of the state's children ages 5 through 11 to get the first of two shots.
(Earlier reporting...)
Kansas Expects Nearly 128,000 COVID Vaccines for Younger Kids
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas expects to receive nearly 128,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 through 11 next week, and the state announced today (WED) that all of them will be eligible for shots. Governor Laura Kelly said the state is following recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccinating children. Kansas has about 276,000 children from 5 through 11, and the doses it expects to receive will be enough for 46% of them to get the first of two shots. Federal health authorities gave the final go-ahead Tuesday for a vaccine made by Pfizer for younger children.
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Riley County Commission Chair Tests Positive for COVID-19
RILEY COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) - Riley County Commission Chairman John Ford has tested positive for COVID-19. Ford tested positive Tuesday. Riley County Health Department officials are notifying those who are considered close contacts of Ford. “I received a booster shot on Friday, and I woke up Tuesday morning with severe congestion, headache and loss of smell, and immediately canceled all activities and went to get tested," he said. "My symptoms are extremely mild at this point, and I look forward to getting back to full strength and health to do the work I need to do for Riley County." Riley County officials say the commission chambers will be sanitized. Additionally, the county commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 4th, has been canceled. Another Riley County employee in close contact with Commissioner Ford has also tested positive and is currently in quarantine.
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Reports: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Tests Positive for COVID-19; Will Miss Sunday's Game Against the Chiefs
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday's game at Kansas City. NFL Network was first to report the positive test for the reigning NFL MVP. Rodgers is the latest Packers player to test positive for the coronavirus. Wide receivers Davante Adams, a 2020 All-Pro, and Allen Lazard missed last week's victory at Arizona due to COVID-19 protocols. Green Bay's backup quarterback is 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love, who has thrown seven passes in his short career.
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Wichita Labor Leader Apologizes for Likening Holocaust to Mandates
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas labor leader is apologizing for remarks he made during a legislative hearing comparing COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the Holocaust that killed millions of Jews. Cornell Beard said Wednesday that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has a long tradition of welcoming everyone into the labor movement. Beard is president of the union’s Wichita district. Beard said his remarks were taken out of context but added that he apologizes “wholeheartedly” to the Jewish community. He said in an email to The Associated Press that it was not his intent but his comments came off as insensitive about a sinister time in world history.
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Most Deere Employees Reject Contract Offer, Will Stay on Strike
UNDATED, (AP) - Most workers at John Deere & Company have rejected a contract offer that would have given them 10% raises. Tuesday’s vote means workers will remain on strike in the hopes of securing a better deal. The raises in the latest agreement were twice as big as the ones in the original offer United Auto Workers union members rejected last month, but those raises and improved benefits weren’t enough to end the strike that began on October 14. The new agreement also would have preserved a pension option for new employees and maintained workers’ no-premium health insurance coverage. The disputed contract covers more than 10,000 Deere workers at 12 of Deere's facilities in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas. A separate group of about 100 workers in Colorado and Georgia voted to accept an identical contract.
(– Related –)
Deere Warns Striking Workers Not to Expect Better Offer
UNDATED (AP) – Deere & Co. executives say the company won't return to the bargaining table with striking workers because it won't offer a better contract than one they rejected that included immediate 10% raises. Marc Howze, the chief administrative officer of Deere & Co., said Wednesday that the deal the United Auto Workers union rejected on Tuesday represented the most it could offer and still keep its costs competitive. Pressure on the union to reach a settlement will mount the longer workers go without pay. The disputed contract would cover more than 10,000 Deere workers at 12 facilities in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas, who make the company’s iconic John Deere green tractors and other equipment.
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Former Kansas Democratic Congressman Dennis Moore Dies at Age 75
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP/KNS) — Kansas Democrat and former U.S. Representative Dennis Moore has died at the age of 75. He was a former prosecutor who represented a Kansas City-area congressional district that previously had seemed safe for Republicans. The Kansas News Service reports that the former congressman’s wife said he died of cancer Tuesday, and he also had Alzheimer’s Disease for several years. Moore won the seat for the 3rd Congressional District in 1998 by unseating freshman conservative Republican Congressman Vince Snowbarger. The GOP had held the seat since 1961 but Moore had previously shown that he could attract votes from moderate Republicans and independents in winning three terms as Johnson County district attorney. Moore did not seek reelection in 2010. ( Read more.)
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Kansas Tax Collections in October Reach $100 Million Above Projections
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Kansas tax collections in October soared to more than $100 million above the official estimate of revenue growth for the month. On Monday, the Kansas Reflector reports that Governor Laura Kelly told lawmakers to remain cautious. “As I’ve said before, though our state’s revenue numbers continue to outpace estimates, we must keep practicing fiscal responsibility,” she said. “That’s how we’ll continue to grow our economy and protect our fiscal health.” The state reported total tax collections of $662 million in October, which was $104 million or 18.7% greater than anticipated when the most recent revenue projections were issued earlier this year. The total for last month was $66 million or 11.1% greater than in October 2020. The October revenue report was strengthened by robust income tax collections of $301 million, which surpassed the anticipated collections by $46 million or 18.3%. The state’s corporate income tax receipts were $40 million for the month. That was $25 million, or 166.8%, more than the estimate. Retail sales tax collections in October were $227 million, which was 8.4% higher than projections. It was $16 million or 7.9% more than the latest estimate. The last time the state had tax collections below the monthly estimate was July 2020. ( Read more.)
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Tyrone Garner Elected Mayor in Kansas City, Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A new mayor will take over in Kansas City, Kansas, after the incumbent lost for the second straight election. Unofficial totals show that Tyrone Garner defeated incumbent David Alvey on Tuesday by just over 300 votes out of 16,494 ballots cast. Garner will become the first Black mayor to oversee the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, since the governments joined together in 1997. Garner is 52 and served on the city's police department for more than three decades. Alvey had defeated former mayor Mark Holland in 2017. The Kansas City Star reports that was the first time an incumbent mayor lost to a challenger since 1975.
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Women in Kansas House Call on Fellow House Member to Resign Following Allegations of Domestic Abuse
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Six women in the Kansas House and a former female member are calling on a male lawmaker to resign after being charged with domestic battery and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. The seven Democrats calling for Democratic state Rep. Aaron Coleman of Kansas City to step down also called on him to resign in December 2020. The 21-year-old Coleman faces the domestic battery charge in Johnson County over a Saturday night disturbance involving his brother at his grandfather’s home. Coleman’s attorney entered a not guilty plea Monday. A legislative committee reprimanded Coleman in February over accusations of abusive behavior toward girls and young women before he took office.
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Grand Jury Called by Kansas Woman Returns No Rape Charges
UNDATED (AP) – A grand jury that was convened by a Kansas woman who said she was raped has declined to file charges in the case. Madison Smith, of McPherson, used a 134-year-old state law to empanel the grand jury after a county prosecutor declined to file rape charges against a man who Smith said raped her at Bethany College in 2018. Kansas is one of only six states that allows citizens to petition for a grand jury. Smith said Wednesday she was angry that no charges were brought. She says victims of sexual assault and rape do not get the justice they deserve and she hopes her efforts will lead to changes in how they are treated.
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Kansas Fines Company that Dumped Private Records in Public Trash
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A national company that dumped private records in public trash cans without shredding it or removing personal information has agreed to pay a nearly $500,000 fine. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt sued SearchTec in 2017, alleging it disposed of documents containing clients' personal information in garbage bins around Topeka. The company, which has a satellite office in Kansas, manages business documents and generally performs searches for law firms, service companies and lenders. The lawsuit was settled last week, with SearchTec ordered to pay the fine and make changes in its business practices to comply with the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.
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Ex-Inmate at Leavenworth Prison Says He Was Left Alone After Severe Injury
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A former inmate at the federal prison in Leavenworth claims in a lawsuit that he was left untreated for days after suffering a paralyzing injury. The Kansas City Star reports that the lawsuit filed last week on behalf of 58-year-old Brent Kehler names several prison officers and medical staff. He was serving a sentence for distributing methamphetamine when he slipped and fell in 2019. The lawsuit says the fall eventually left Kehler unable to move or feel anything below his abdomen. Doctors later did surgery but he remained paralyzed.
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Kansas and Missouri Drivers Warned to Watch Out for "Lusty" Deer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police officials and the AAA auto club are urging drivers to be especially cautious this time of year as collisions with deer become more frequent. The Kansas City Star reports that cooler weather and shorter daylight hours mean it’s breeding season for deer. Kansas City, Missouri, police said on Twitter that “lusty deer” are on the move “and won’t let your car get in the way of their quest for loving.” In 2020, the Missouri State Highway Patrol cited 3,639 crashes involving deer, killing five people and injuring 348. In Kansas, 9,670 deer crashes killed four people and injured 471 others.
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UPDATE: 2 of 3 Deaths at Kansas Apartment Complex Were Homicides
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City, Kansas police say two of the three deaths discovered at the same apartment complex this week are being investigated as homicides. Police said Wednesday the third person died from natural causes. The three people were found dead in separate apartments on Monday and Tuesday at the Wyandotte Tower Apartments in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. Police found 35-year-old Damon Irvin's body on Monday and his death is considered a homicide. Authorities said 25-year-old Rau’Daja Fairrow was found dead on Tuesday and that death is also considered a homicide. Police believe 66-year-old Roy Wright, whose body was found Tuesday, died of natural causes.
(–Earlier reporting–)
Police: 3 Residents Die in Separate Apartments at Complex
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City, Kansas, police say they are investigating the deaths of three people who lived in separate apartments at the same building. The two men and a woman were found dead at the Wyandotte Towers during the last two days. Police say the deaths are being investigated as homicides but they did not say how the residents died. Police spokeswoman Nancy Chartrand said officers found the first man dead on Monday. Building management notified police on Tuesday of the other two deaths. The Wyandotte Towers is a 15-story building with 302 units near downtown Kansas City, Kansas.
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Woman Who Drowned Son, Tried to Kill Second Child in Sentenced in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 34-year-old woman who drowned one son and tried to suffocate a second child before she jumped off a bridge in Kansas City has been sentenced to life in prison. Aushena Warren was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in August to second-degree murder and first-degree assault. Prosecutors say Warren drowned her 8-year-old son at the family home in June 2017 and tried to smother her 6-year-old son. She later jumped off the Kit Bond bridge in Kansas City but was rescued by fire department personnel. She left a note apologizing and blaming her actions on the family's financial situation.
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Kansas Inmate Who Was Released by Mistake is Arrested
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas jail inmate who was released by mistake is now back in custody. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office says 30-year-old Jamarcius Quayshaun Fisher was released Monday after someone mistakenly applied a "time served" label to his pending criminal case. In fact, the time served applied to a traffic case. Fisher was arrested Tuesday afternoon. He is awaiting trial on charges of aggravated burglary, domestic battery and criminal damage to property.
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Man Indicted for Taking Controlled Substances from Kansas Hospital
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) - A registered nurse has been indicted for stealing powerful drugs from Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park. A federal grand jury in Kansas indicted 30-year-old Alec Ramirez, of Overland Park, on two counts of tampering with a consumer product, one count of possession of fentanyl by deception and one count of possession of hydromorphone by deception. Prosecutors say that in March 2021, Ramirez removed vials of fentanyl and hydromorphone from a cabinet at Menorah Medical Center and replaced the drugs with an alternate liquid and returned the vials to the cabinet. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Profanities Removed from Kansas Legislative Hearing Audio
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An official recording of a Kansas legislative hearing has been edited to remove profanity directed toward a journalist. The comments from Justin Spiehs came during testimony Saturday on COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Spiehs has held daily protests outside Lawrence school district buildings for months. During his testimony, he began criticizing Sherman Smith, editor in chief of the Kansas Reflector. The testimony was initially publicly available on the Legislature's live feed of the hearing but about 30 seconds including the profanities were later edited out. J.G. Scott, director of the Kansas Legislative Research Department, says the department is getting legal counseling on how to proceed with the audio.
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Wichita-Area Priest on Leave After Child Abuse Allegation
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita-area priest is on administrative leave after being accused of sexually abusing a child. The Catholic Diocese of Wichita announced Monday that Rev. Michael Schemm will be restricted from offering sacraments or preaching while the allegation is investigated. Bishop Carl Kemme made the decision after the Diocesan Review Board recommended it following an initial review of the allegations. The diocese did not provide information on where or when the alleged abuse occurred. Schemm had been the pastor at the Church of the Resurrection in Bel Aire. District Attorney Marc Bennett said the allegations go back more than 25 years.
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Jackson County, Missouri, Extends Mask Mandate as COVID Spread Remains High
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) - Although some county representatives argued for ending the face mask mandate immediately, the Jackson County (Missouri) Legislature voted 5-2 to extend the current mask mandate until November 22. KCUR Radio reports that on Monday, county legislators approved an extension of the countywide mask mandate - just minutes after rejecting a proposal to end the rule immediately. Supporters of the extension acknowledged the progress the county has made in slowing the spread of the virus, but they argued the threat required continued action. Jackson County’s case rate stands at 152 per 100,000 residents. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention currently rate community transmission in Jackson County as “high" — the most severe level of COVID risk. CDC recommendations call for everyone in high-risk counties to wear face masks in public, indoors settings. Under the mandate, which was previously scheduled to expire November 7, Jackson County requires universal masking in indoor public spaces for everyone ages 5 and older, regardless of vaccination status.
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Lawrence Hospital Reaches Agreement with Blue Cross; LMH Health Will Remain in Network
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - State employees and other people who have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas health plans in Douglas County can stop stressing over whether the local hospital in Lawrence will be out of network next year. LMH Health will remain in the Blue Cross network. The state’s biggest private health insurer and LMH Health have long wrestled over reimbursement prices. The situation came to a head in late October, when LMH announced it might not be in the Blue Cross network for 2022. Thousands of University of Kansas employees, other state workers and state government retirees faced a looming open enrollment deadline to pick between Blue Cross and Aetna for the coming year. But Blue Cross and LMH finally struck a deal. The two sides announced Monday they had reached an agreement that would keep the Lawrence hospital in the Blue Cross network for the next three years. ( Read more in the Lawrence Journal-World.)
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Kansas Sierra Club Report: Evergy Could and Should Close Coal-Fired Power Plants Earlier than Planned
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - A new report from an environmental advocacy group says the electric utility Evergy is moving too slowly to close coal-fired power plants. The group says closing the plants earlier would cut emissions and save customers hundreds of millions of dollars. The Kansas Sierra Club used a computer model that compares the cost of building new wind, solar and battery storage to the cost of operating a coal plant. When the renewable energy options can meet electricity demands and fall below the cost of operating the coal plant, the model says it’s time to shut coal down and replace it. The Sierra Club’s report says Evergy could replace all their coal plants as early as 2028. But Evergy spokesman Chuck Caisley says the company has to consider more than just cutting emissions. "It’s a time, affordability and reliability specifically question that we’ve got to deal with," he said. The report's lead author, John Romankiewicz, says their modeling shows there are plenty of affordable clean energy options available and Evergy doesn’t need to wait. "They can move up those dates if only they would use the latest modeling techniques and the latest renewable energy cost data," he said. Evergy says closing all coal plants before 2030 wouldn’t be feasible or cost effective, because it would require adding more natural gas generation. Evergy’s current plan calls for closing all its coal plants by 2039.
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October Survey Shows Growth, but Scant Confidence in Economy
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of business leaders in nine Midwest and Plains states shows significant jumps in employment and inventories since September, but confidence in the economy over the next six month remained at a dismal low. The overall index for October of the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions released Monday rose to 65.2 from September's 61.6. Any score above 50 on the survey’s indexes suggests growth. But the survey's business confidence index, which looks ahead six months, failed to budge from 37 recorded in September. The monthly survey covers Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
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Kansas City Royals Move Longtime Coach to Front-Office Role
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have announced a series of front-office moves. They include the addition of longtime first base coach Rusty Kuntz as a special assistant to team president Dayton Moore and the general manager of quality control. The moves came after Moore was promoted from general manager to a more wide-ranging role within the organization late in the season, and longtime assistant GM J.J. Picollo was promoted to fill his day-to-day role. The Royals finished 74-88 and fourth in the AL Central.
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Reminder: The transition from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time takes place Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 2 am local time. Clocks should be set back one hour Saturday night.
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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!