UPDATE: Top Kansas School Official Suspended over Insensitive Remark
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) — The top public school administrator in Kansas has been suspended after attempting to resign over an offensive remark about Native Americans at a recent public conference. Education Commissioner Randy Watson's resignation was announced today (FRI) by Jim Porter, the chairman of the State Board of Education. The elected 10-member board appoints the commissioner to run the State Department of Education and called a special meeting to deal with Watson's remark. The board unanimously rejected Watson's resignation and suspended him for 30 days, without pay. The decision comes after Governor Laura Kelly, three indigenous state legislators and the chair of one of the state's four Native American nations called on Watson to resign.
The governor has since requested a meeting with Board Chair Jim Porter and Commissioner Randy Watson to discuss what has transpired and how to move forward now that the Board has acted.
(Earlier reporting...)
Calls Grow for Kansas Education Commissioner to Resign over Insensitive Remark
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and indigenous leaders are calling on the state's top public school administrator to resign over an offensive public joke about Native Americans. Kelly was joined Thursday by three Native American lawmakers and the chair of one of the state's four Native American nations in demanding that Randy Watson step down as state education commissioner. The elected, 10-member State Board of Education appoints the commissioner and has scheduled a special meeting for today (FRI) where it will presumably decide his fate. The State Department of Education released a video of Watson's Zoom presentation to a conference on virtual learning last week in which he joked about telling California cousins visiting Kansas that they needed to worry about “Indians raiding the town.”
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Kansas Education Commissioner Under Fire for Making Insensitive Remarks
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and some lawmakers are calling for state Education Commissioner Randy Watson to resign amid controversy over a comment he made during a Zoom presentation last week. In a recording released by the Kansas Department of Education, Watson is addressing educators during a conference on virtual education. During the talk, he says his cousins from California would be worried about tornadoes in Kansas. Then Watson said, "And I’d say, ‘Don’t worry about that. But you gotta' worry about the Indians raiding the town at any time. And they really thought that, you know? Grew up in California, I guess you don’t know much of the history of Kansas.” The comment drew criticism this week. In a statement calling for Watson’s resignation, Governor Laura Kelly said the Kansas Board of Education “must take issues of derogatory and discriminatory language seriously.” The board is scheduled to meet today (FRI). Watson has served as education commissioner since 2015.
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Kansas Congressional Delegation Condemns Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
UNDATED (KPR) - Kansas members of Congress are calling for stepped up sanctions on Russia now that it has invaded Ukraine. Republican Senator Jerry Moran praised the U.S. intelligence agencies for accurately forecasting Russia’s intentions. Now, he says, the U.S. and its NATO allies must impose “punishing sanctions.”
Democratic Congresswoman Sharice Davids said Russia must suffer “significant consequences” while Republican Congressman Tracey Mann called the invasion “reckless and inhumane.” Congressman Jake LaTurner, also a Republican, said the U.S. must hold Putin and his “thugs” accountable but he criticized Democratic President Joe Biden for not doing more to prevent the invasion. In addition to calling for tougher sanctions, Republican Senator Roger Marshall said the U.S. should provide more defensive aid to Ukraine.
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Mike Pompeo Criticized for Comments About Vladimir Putin
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Former Kansas Congressman and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is under fire for comments he made about Russian President Vladimir Putin just days before the invasion of Ukraine. Pompeo, who’s considering a presidential run, criticized Russian aggression before the invasion and reacted to it by calling for unity and sanctions that impose "real costs” on Putin’s regime. But during an interview on CSPAN last week, Pompeo also talked glowingly about the Russian leader. He's "very shrewd, very capable. I have enormous respect for him. I’ve been criticized for saying that; no, I have enormous respect for him," he said. Former U.S. Army General Barry McCaffrey said Pompeo’s comments - and similar comments from former President Donald Trump - undermine U.S. and NATO efforts to unite against Putin, who he called a “murderous thug.” McCaffrey said, "We’re in great danger. We need to stick with one voice.” McCaffrey’s comments came during an interview on MSNBC.
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Kansas Senate Pushes for More Transparency at Federal Lab in Manhattan
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Senate has narrowly approved a bill that would require biological laboratories to publicly report when there are accidents. The bill could affect the work of scientists at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan. The federal lab will study animal diseases. Supporters of the reporting requirement say it will increase public trust and help protect Kansas agriculture if an accident occurs. One Republican supporting the plan pointed to the theory that COVID-19 escaped from a research lab. But lawmakers opposing the idea say the bill duplicates what is already required by federal laws. Democratic Senator Tom Hawk says the bill creates an unnecessary sense of danger. “It will significantly harm our current small and large laboratory operations in Kansas and discourage further bioscience investment in our state," he said. The Kansas House will now consider the plan.
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Kansas Legislation Would Modify Search Warrants but Wouldn't Ban "No Knock" Warrants
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - This week, the Kansas House approved a bill that law enforcement officials say will help prevent potentially violent mistakes when serving search warrants. But the bill does not ban so-called "no-knock" warrants. The legislation gives law enforcement agencies more time to serve search warrants after a judge approves them. Currently they have four days. This bill increases that time limit to 10 days. Supporters say that will give officers more time to solidify evidence and plan the execution of the search warrant because mistakes - like showing up at the wrong address - can be deadly. Republican Representative Brett Fairchild also wanted to ban "no-knock" warrants. He said when officers burst into a home unannounced it’s more likely to trigger a violent response. “These no-knock warrants have been very deadly and very bad for both civilians and police officers," he said. Fairchild’s amendment, which was rejected, would have required officers serving warrants to be in uniform and knock before entering. The bill now goes to the Kansas Senate.
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Kansas Board of Regents Reviews Programs at State Universities
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Board of Regents has hired a consulting firm to review programs at the state’s universities. The move comes as higher education faces a budget crisis. Enrollment at Kansas colleges fell by over 8% last fall – more than the national average. And Regents are looking to the Maryland-based RPK Group for answers to balance the books. The firm will review degree programs at all six major universities in the state. They’ll look at areas of duplication, workforce needs, and basic supply-and-demand. But the firm’s founder, Rick Staisloff, says the study is not just about the bottom line. "There’s often a fear that this is about cutting, about doing less, right? And really it’s about an emphasis on where might we invest," he said. RPK Group conducted a similar review in Vermont, where one of the recommendations was to merge several of the state institutions.
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Wichita Police: Two Deaths Appear To Be Murder-Suicide
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say the deaths of a man and woman at a recreational vehicle park appear to be a murder-suicide. Officers found the bodies of 56-year-old Jay Shrum and 59-year-old Marni Shrum late Thursday at the All Seasons RV Park. Officers went to the area after someone called 911 to report not being able to get ahold of them. Police spokesman Trevor Macy said the Shrums died of apparent gunshot wounds. Macy said the deaths appear to be a domestic violence murder-suicide but the investigation continues.
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Kansas Senate Advances Bill to Stop Cities and Counties from Banning Plastic Bags
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Senate has advanced a bill that would make it illegal for cities and counties to ban or limit the use of plastic bags, bottles and single-use food containers. The bill has the backing of the Kansas Chamber and other influential business groups, so its chances look good as it heads to the Republican controlled House. Supporters say forcing grocery stores, restaurants, and other businesses to comply with rules that differ from one community to the next would lead to increased prices. But opponents, like Democratic Senator Mary Ware, say the bill would block local governments from responding to citizens who want to reduce the plastic waste fouling the environment and piling up in landfills. “When simple convenience for business is given more weight than home rule, it is a sad day in Kansas. This is an anti-democracy bill," she said. Ware represents Wichita, one of several Kansas cities considering regulations that will become illegal if the bill becomes law.
(AP version)
Kansas Moves to Stop Cities, Counties from Banning Plastic-Bags
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans in the GOP-controlled Kansas Legislature have moved to block local bans, restrictions or taxes on plastic bags or other packaging. The state Senate voted 27-13 for a bill that would strip cities and counties of their power to regulate or tax bags, cups, bottles or other packaging. The measure has the backing of business groups and would cover not only plastic, but cloth, paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass or foamed plastic such as Styrofoam. The bill goes next to the House. Business groups said a patchwork of local regulations would be difficult to follow. Critics said local communities should be allowed to deal with trash as they see fit.
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Kansas House Moves to Make Counties Keep Electing Sheriffs
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas House has approved a measure aimed at ensuring that counties don't stop electing their sheriffs. The vote Wednesday was 97-24 on a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution declaring that sheriffs are elected to four-year terms. The constitution now says only that lawmakers will create county offices ``as may be necessary.'' The measure had far more than the two-thirds majority necessary for passage in the House. If the measure passes the Senate, it will go on the ballot in November for voters' possible approval. Backers said electing sheriffs makes them more accountable to voters. Opponents said counties should be allowed to decide how to manage law enforcement.
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Patrol: Head-On Crash on I-235 in Wichita Kills Two Drivers
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — State officials have identified two drivers killed in a head-on crash on Interstate 235 in north Wichita. KAKE TV reports the crash happened around 6 pm Wednesday. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a southbound pickup truck driven by 56-year-old Darth Cline, of Wichita, crossed the median and collided head-on with a northbound FedEx truck. The patrol says Cline died at the scene. The driver of the FedEx truck, 30-year-old Tyler Bauer of Wichita, was rushed to a hospital, where he died of his injuries. The crash closed a stretch of the interstate for several hours.
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11 Inmates Charged in Platte County, Missouri, Jail Disturbance
PLATTE CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri authorities say 11 inmates at the Platte County Detention Center were charged after a disturbance in December. Prosecutors say about 25 inmates participated in the riot on December 20, which lasted more than five hours. Some of the inmates were described as passive participants. Others destroyed jail property and refused to return to their cells. Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said the riot was sparked by inmates not being able to get their e-cigarettes. Zahnd said two SWAT teams used small plastic balls filled with pepper spray to end the disturbance. Four inmates were charged with damaging jail property and rioting, while the others were charged with failure to disperse.
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Kansas Juvenile Officer Accused of Having Sex with Teenager
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former officer at the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex in Topeka is accused of having sex with a teenager at the center. Twenty-five-year-old Pedro Cruz-Garcia was released from the Shawnee County jail after posting a $50,000 bond on Sunday. He is charged with having unlawful sexual relations with a victim who was 16 years old or older. The Kansas Department of Corrections said in a statement Tuesday that an investigation began after a staff member at the juvenile center heard other inmates talking about Cruz-Garcia and the victim. Cruz-Garcia was fired from the detention center on February 11.
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Leavenworth Man Shot by Police Arrested After Hospital Release
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a man who was shot by police last week in Leavenworth is in custody after he was released from the hospital. The KBI says 31-year-old Donald Barden Jr. was arrested Wednesday. He was booked into jail on possible charges of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and felon in possession of a firearm. The KBI says officers confronted Barden on a Leavenworth street on February 13. They say Barden ignored commands to drop his weapon and he was shot when he pointed the gun at officers and ran toward them.
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Leavenworth Man Sentenced in Fatal Hit-and-Run
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A 37-year-old Leavenworth man has been sentenced to 3.5 years in jail for a fatal hit-and-run. Justen Michael McCarter was sentenced Thursday in the death of 44-year-old Adam Wheeler in March 2020. Police say McCarter was speeding on a stolen motorcycle when he hit Wheeler, who was crossing a Leavenworth street. KSHB-TV reports witnesses told police McCarter was drag racing when he hit Wheeler. McCarter pleaded guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter and possession of a stolen motorcycle.
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Topeka Teen Who Was Subject of Protest Arrested on 11 Counts
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shawnee County authorities have charged a Topeka West High School student who was the subject of protests from other students with 11 sex-related crimes. District Attorney Mike Kagay says he will ask a judge to charge the student as an adult because of the serious nature of the crimes. The student's name has not been released because he is a juvenile. Kagay says the 11 charges involve five alleged victims. Topeka West High School students staged a protest on September 17 because of what they called a lack of response to allegations that the male student had sexually assaulted a female student in July.
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Kansas City Settles with Black Man Wrongly Jailed at Age 15
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The Kansas City Police Department has agreed to pay a $900,000 settlement to a Black man who was wrongly arrested when he was 15 and held for three weeks before being released without charges. Tyree Bell sued in 2017 over his arrest for a crime he did not commit. Attorneys on both sides on Tuesday told the judge in the case about the settlement, which the judge still must approve. Bell was arrested in June 2016 by officers who said he resembled a Black teenager who ran from them earlier that day. An appeals court found in October 2020 that Bell's only resemblance to the suspect was that he was Black, juvenile and male.
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Missouri Lawmakers Fight Medicaid Expansion, Funding for Planned Parenthood
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature has passed a stopgap budget attempting to block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood while also funding voter-approved Medicaid expansion. Minutes later on Thursday, the House approved a proposal that would allow them to effectively undermine Medicaid expansion by not paying for it in future years. The budget bill is primarily needed to dole out roughly $1.7 billion in federal funding to school districts. Republicans added a provision seeking to block all public funding for Planned Parenthood, including some clinics that don't provide abortions. Republican Governor Mike Parson signed the budget bill Thursday.
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Missouri House Bill Could Let More School Staff Carry Guns
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri House has endorsed legislation that could expand the number of school personnel allowed to carry guns. Current law lets teachers and administrators undergo training to function as school protection officers. A bill endorsed this week by a voice vote in the House would expand that to any school personnel. That means custodians, cooks and maintenance staff also could be trained to carry guns as school protection officers. The bill needs another House vote to advance to the Senate. As of last August, there were 42 school staff across the state who had undergone training as protection officers.
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University of Kansas Administrator Named President of North Dakota State
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A University of Kansas administrator has been chosen to be North Dakota State University's next president. The North Dakota Board of Higher Education unanimously chose David Cook, the vice chancellor for public affairs and economic development at the Lawrence school. He beat out two other finalists: Marymount provost and vice president Hesham El-Rewini, and University of Minnesota Crookston chancellor Mary Holz Clause. Cook will replace Dean Bresciani, who is stepping down after a dozen years at the helm to become a tenured professor in health sciences and education. Asked to name some of the challenges he’ll face at North Dakota State, Cook said he feels there’s an opportunity to improve on enrollment, research and internal relations.
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Missouri Lawmaker Ends Protest, Sorry for Overalls "Ruckus"
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Republican Missouri state senator punished for wearing overalls has ended his filibuster. State Sen. Mike Moon on Wednesday apologized if he offended anyone with his outfit. Moon earlier this month wore denim overalls paired with a jacket and tie on the Senate floor. There's no specific rule prohibiting overalls. But senators are traditionally expected to dress professionally. The state's top Republican senator pulled Moon from his committees as punishment. In response, Moon blocked all work Tuesday and part of Wednesday. Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz reappointed Moon to committees when Moon apologized Wednesday.
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Kansas-Baylor Showdown Headlines Crucial Week in Big 12 Conference
UNDATED (AP) - The Big 12's best team this season meets the league's best — and the nation's best, for that matter — from last season when No. 5 Kansas heads to No. 10 Baylor Saturday night. The Jayhawks can essentially put away the Bears in the race for the regular-season title with a season sweep of the defending national champions. Texas Tech is also trying to stay alive in the race for the No. 1 seed when it plays TCU on Saturday night. Kansas has won four straight following a nip-and-tuck loss to Texas, while the Bears have won four of their past five since their loss in Lawrence with the only blemish against No. 11 Texas Tech. "You know, every test is opportunity for us; we are getting better. We've progressed throughout the year," Jayhawks forward Jalen Wilson said,. "We continue to get better, so I think there's a whole lot of opportunity."
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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!