Police: 2 Teens Shot to Death in Kansas City, Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police are investigating after discovering two 14-year-olds shot to death inside an apartment in Kansas City, Kansas. Police say the discovery was made early Friday when officers were called to an apartment complex between Silver City Park and Argentine Middle School. Arriving officers found two boys inside an apartment who had been shot. Both teens died at the scene. Police identified them Friday as Samuel Guess and Antonio Johnson. Police say they have no suspects in the shooting and are asking the public for any tips leading to an arrest.
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Kansas GOP House Committee Settle on "Parents Bill of Rights"
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A so-called "Parents Bill of Rights" is moving through the Kansas Statehouse. A proposal that would require schools to post classroom and training materials online has moved one step closer to approval. A House education committee passed its proposed "Parents' Bill of Rights" Thursday, sending it to the House floor. A similar proposal is making its way through the Kansas Senate. Bonner Springs teacher Kim Nelson told a Senate committee that the proposal would require more time and paperwork for something that’s already available. “We do share it," she said. "Actually, when I was telling my students about this particular presentation that I was going to give to you today, one of my students said, ‘Why don’t they just ask? It’s on our ChromeBooks.’” Lawmakers removed a portion of the bill that would open teachers and librarians to obscenity charges for presenting material deemed harmful to minors.
(AP version)
KS GOP House Committee Settle on "Parents Bill of Rights"
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Republican lawmakers who want to limit what public schools in Kansas teach about racism have settled on a proposed "parents' bill of rights." It would give people outside the education system more power to shape what happens in classrooms and school libraries. A GOP-controlled Kansas House committee approved a measure Thursday that would require schools to post information online about classroom materials and allow people to push to remove materials from libraries. Conservatives acknowledge that they've struggled to correctly label what they're trying to keep out of classrooms and libraries so that the rules aren't easily flouted.
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Bill Blocks Kansas Governor from Changing State Medicaid Program Until 2025
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A bill in a Kansas House committee would bar the governor from making any changes to the Medicaid health care program until at least 2025. It would lock in contracts for the program until the next governor takes office. Republican lawmakers who support the bill say it would keep the Medicaid program running smoothly if a new governor takes over next year. But opponents say it could make it difficult for the Democratic governor’s administration to manage the Medicaid program. Sarah Fertig is the Kansas Medicaid director. She says the bill would require the program leaders to seek legislative approval when quick changes are needed. “This could still mean our hands are tied and we are not able to take action, and this would be for a three-year period," she said. But Republican Representative John Barker says he is not concerned, because lawmakers can work quickly. “When we have an emergency, I’m always amazed at how fast we can actually come together and work," he said. The committee will wait to consider the bill. Members want Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt to weigh in on whether it’s legal. Schmidt is also running for governor.
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Kansas House GOP Blocks Effort to Expand Medicaid, Legalize Weed, Repeal Ban on Gay Marriage
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/KNS) - Republicans in the Kansas House have blocked attempts to let voters decide whether to expand Medicaid, legalize medical marijuana and overturn the state’s unenforceable ban on same-sex marriage. Democrats attempted to force votes on those proposals this week during debate on a measure to give the Legislature veto-power over state rules and regulations. Democratic Representative Brandon Woodard, one of four openly LGBTQ members of the Legislature, says Republican leaders are blocking his proposal to repeal the 2005 amendment that banned same-sex marriage. “It’s frustrating because that was introduced in February, 2021 and we can’t even get a hearing. Not a single hearing on this or any other equality issue since I’ve been here," he said. After ruling the Democratic proposals out of order, Republicans tentatively approved the measure to increase the Legislature’s regulatory authority.
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Kansas Legislation Would End City/County Bans on Plastic Bags
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - A bill in the Kansas Legislature would make it illegal for cities and counties to ban - or limit the use of - plastic bags, bottles and food containers. Kent Eckles is a lobbyist for the Kansas Chamber, the influential business group backing the bill. He says forcing grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses to comply with rules that differ from one community to the next would increase costs for them and consumers.“We think the free market is the way to go, and not have a hodgepodge of regulations," he said. But Zack Pistorius of the Kansas Sierra Club says blocking policies aimed at reducing the tons of plastic littering the environment and clogging landfills is bad policy…and bad government. “This bill is more about democracy. It’s about the ability of our communities to self-govern," he said. Pistorius says local governments should be free to set their own priorities. Plastic bag bans have been discussed in several Kansas communities. And more than 70% of Wichita residents say they would support such a ban.
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Republican Lawmakers Bar Journalists from Statehouse Floors
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah's state Senate passed rules this week limiting where the press can go to report in statehouses, marking the latest move by Republican state lawmakers nationwide who are peeling back access to chambers after the pandemic provided new accessibility. Rules governing where journalists can work vary across the nation’s 50 statehouses. But in states such as Utah, Kansas and Iowa, reporters who have been accustomed to reporting from the floor of legislative chambers are being restricted to public galleries. Lawmakers argue that creating formal rules brings needed clarity and allays security concerns. Newspaper executives and press advocates have opposed the changes, arguing they inhibit accountability reporting and limit transparency.
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KDHE, FDA Issue Warnings for Multiple Brands of Powdered Infant Formula
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/KDHE) – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the federal Food and Drug Administration have issued an alert to consumers over possible bacterial contamination of three brands of powdered infant formula. The FDA is advising consumers not to use certain lots of Similac, Alimentum, or EleCare powdered infant formulas due to possible Cronobactercontamination. Abbott Nutrition has issued a recall of these infant formula products manufactured at its Sturgis, Michigan facility. People can learn more about returning the product directly to the company here. Cronobacter infections are rare, but may be fatal in newborns. Symptoms of Cronobacter infectioninclude a fever, poor feeding, crying, and very low energy. KDHE is urging parents and caregivers for infants with these symptoms to immediately seek care from a health care provider.
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Kansas Crews Putting Out Vehicle Fire Discover Body in Trunk
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) _ Firefighters in Leavenworth County called to put out a vehicle fire earlier this week made a grisly discovery: a body inside the car's trunk. KSHB TV reports the discovery was made before dawn Monday when Kickapoo Township firefighters responded to a car fire in rural northern Leavenworth County. The sheriff's office says that once the fire was extinguished, firefighters found the body in the car's trunk. Investigators have not released the victim's name. Detectives are investigating.
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Officials: Woman, Dogs Killed in House Fire North of Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Fire officials say a woman and two dogs died in a house fire early Friday north of Topeka. Station WIBW-AM reports that Soldier Township fire crews were called around 1 am Friday to the home about 8 miles north of Topeka. Battalion Chief Chad Lady says firefighters arrived to find the house collapsed and fully engulfed in flames. Lady said fire crews later found the bodies of the woman and two dogs inside. Authorities have not released the woman's name. An investigator from the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office was at the scene Friday to try to determine the cause of the fire.
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Woman Sentenced for Helping Sex Offender Escape from Larned State Hospital
LARNED, Kan. (AP) — A 45-year-old Garden City woman has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for helping a sex offender escape from Larned State Hospital. Liliana Guadalupe Houser pleaded no contest in January to three felonies related to the June 2021 escape of John Freeman Colt. He was captured in Utah in September 2021. Houser admitted to having unlawful sexual relations with a patient, trafficking in contraband in a care and treatment facility and obstructing Colt's apprehension. Before sentencing, Houser told the judge Colt had manipulated her at a time when her marriage was deteriorating and after the loss of her son.
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Shots Fired During Police Chase Through Concordia
CONCORDIA, Kan. (AP) - Police in Concordia say a Nebraska man and a Texas woman are now in custody after leading police on a car chase and rolling gun battle through town. According to police, when officers tried to stop a pickup truck in Concordia Wednesday afternoon, the driver fled. During the chase, one of the people in the truck fired at officers, prompting a Concordia officer to return fire. No one was injured. The chase ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The driver, Jacob Lyman of Bennet, Nebraska, was arrested on several traffic and drug charges. His passenger, Valerie Sanchez of Temple Bell, Texas, was booked on several drug charges.
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Drug Overdose Deaths Increase in Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) - Overdose deaths in Kansas are on the rise. According to data from the CDC, Kansas posted the third-highest percentage increase in drug overdose deaths among all 50 states. Provisional data released by the agency show drug overdose deaths in the state in 2021 increased nearly 49 percent over the previous year. Through September 2021, there were 638 drug overdose deaths. That compared with 429 a year earlier. Only Alaska, with a 60 percent increase, and Vermont, with a 59 percent increase, exceeded the percentage jump in Kansas. Nationwide, the CDC says the number of drug overdose deaths has doubled in just six years, to 104,000, in 2021.
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Casino Magnate Pushing to Reopen Wichita's Greyhound Park
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Casino magnate Phil Ruffin is pushing a bill in Topeka that would enable him to reopen his defunct Wichita Greyhound Park. The legislation would let Sedgwick County residents vote on whether the former racetrack should be allowed to have electronic slot machines and wagering on video replays of horse races. Ruffin closed the park in 2007 after a similar vote failed. Scott Beeler is a lawyer with Lathrop GPM. He spoke at a recent hearing on behalf of Ruffin’s company. Beeler says the bill would enable the facility to be profitable, create jobs and bring in revenue to the state. “We also know that none of the three racetrack facilities are operating. Why? Because they are not economically feasible under the current legislation," he said. Critics say the bill would likely lead to lawsuits from state-run casinos in Kansas.
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Kansas Legislature Seeks Constitutional Change to Regulate, Override State Agencies
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Some Kansas lawmakers want to change the state constitution to make it easier for them to block rules and regulations issued by state agencies. But, they’ll need the approval of Kansas voters to do it. The Kansas House is poised to vote a resolution to put the proposed constitutional change on the November ballot. House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, says the amendment is needed to check the rule making power of state agencies controlled by the governor to ensure... "That the Legislature is the body that makes the law and not bureaucrats," he said. Wichita Democrat John Carmichael says changing the balance of power to give lawmakers veto-power over rules and regulations that protect everything from the environment to injured workers isn’t a good idea: “This proposed constitutional amendment turns that balance on its head," he said. Both chambers of the Legislature need to pass the resolution with two-thirds majorities to put it on the general election ballot.
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Authorities: Kansas City Woman Decapitated 6-Year-Old Son
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A Kansas City woman is in custody after authorities allege she decapitated her 6-year-old son. The Jackson County Prosecutor's office says 35-year-old Tasha Haefs is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action after her son's body was found at the family home late Tuesday. Investigators say they found the child dead and Haefs with blood on her after responding to a call of a disturbance at the home in east Kansas City. Police say Haefs admitted to decapitating her son in a bathtub. No other children were found in the home. She is being held in the Jackson County Jail on no bond.
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Kansas City Man Charged with Murder in Westport Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A 21-year-old man is charged with first-degree murder and 10 other counts after a shooting in Westport left one person dead and two others injured. The Jackson County Prosecutor's office says Kershmire Ralls, of Kansas City, is charged in the December 6 death of Jabraughn James. Video from the area shows Ralls watching the three victims in a Westport bar. The video says Ralls followed the victims after they left the bar and eventually shot them as they fled. Prosecutors say the victims appeared to have no idea they were in danger.
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Wichita Woman Sentenced to 16 Years for 2020 Shooting Death
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Wichita woman who fatally shot a man accused of beating her adult son with a baseball bat has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison. The Wichita Eagle reports that a judge on Wednesday sentenced 43-year-old Amber Ahrens for the 2020 shooting death of 53-year-old David Leddy. Ahrens had pleaded guilty in November to second-degree murder and a weapons count in Leddy's death. Police have said the shooting happened June 17, 2020, after Ahrens' 19-year-old son and Leddy had fought earlier in the day. Ahrens has said she shot Leddy in the head after she confronted him and he threatened to beat her, too.
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Survey: Farm Prices, Equipment Sales Soar Across 10 States
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A new monthly survey of bankers released Thursday says the strength of the economy in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states continues to drive farmland prices and farm equipment sales higher. The overall economic index for the region grew to 61.5 in February from January's 61.1. Any score above 50 suggests growth. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says the region is benefiting from a combination of solid grain prices, low interest rates and strong agricultural exports. The survey covers Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
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Kansas, Baylor Compete for Big 12 Regular Season Title
UNDATED (AP) - There are just three weeks left in the chase for the regular-season Big 12 title, and not surprisingly, Kansas and Baylor are at the top of the heap. They will meet again February 27 in a massive game in Waco. In the meantime, every time these two teams step on the floor will be crucial. The sixth-ranked Jayhawks head to West Virginia on Saturday, while the seventh-ranked Bears get a visit from TCU.
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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, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!