Court Refuses to Dismiss Suits Alleging Gerrymandering
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday refused to dismiss three lawsuits that challenge new Republican-drawn congressional redistricting maps. Attorney General Derek Schmidt made the request, arguing that the state court system does not have jurisdiction to decide disputes over redistricting for federal offices. All three of the suits allege that the new maps impermissibly gerrymandered in violation of the Kansas Constitution. Republican lawmakers dismissed allegations of gerrymandering.
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UPDATE: Olathe Police: Student Shoots, Wounds 2 at Kansas High School
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a male student shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. Authorities say all three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School around 10:30 a.m., but didn't provide details on what prompted the incident. Yeldell says the student is an adult and was taken into custody. No other students were injured. A statement from Overland Park Regional Medical Center says one of the three people wounded is in critical condition. The other two have been discharged. The county prosecutor's office declined to comment Friday on potential charges.
(–Earlier reporting–)
Olathe Police: Suspect Shoots, Wounds 2 at Kansas High School
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a suspect shot and wounded a school administrator and a school resource officer Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. The student was also shot when the officer returned fire. All three are expected to survive. Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joe Yeldell said the shooting occurred in the office area of Olathe East High School. No other students were injured. Yeldell did not immediately have any information on the sequence of the shootings. Police didn’t immediately release any information on the identity of the suspect or a motive. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene.
Shooting Suspect, Others Injured at Olathe East High School
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a suspect shot and wounded a school resource officer and an administrator Friday at a suburban Kansas City high school. Olathe police said in a tweet that the shooting occurred in the "office area." Police say a suspect has been taken into custody and there are no reports that students were injured. Police didn't immediately release any information on the identity of the suspect or a motive. The district said in a tweet that Olathe East High School is currently under lockdown because of the situation. Neither police nor the district immediately returned a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
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Former Lawrence Police Officer Arrested, Accused of 2017 Sexual Assault
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has arrested a former Lawrence police officer for alleged sexual assault. The KBI says the Lawrence Police Department requested its assistance last November, after receiving a report from a woman who claimed a Lawrence police officer, 41-year-old Johnathan M. Gardner, Of Tonganoxie, had sexually assaulted her while he was on duty. The crime is believed to have occurred in January 2017. KBI agents initiated an investigation. Soon after, Gardner was fired from his position. This (FRI) morning, KBI agents arrested Gardner with the assistance of the Kansas Highway Patrol. The KBI says Gardner was arrested on charges of rape, 12 counts of unlawful acts concerning computers and 12 counts of official misconduct. The charges of official misconduct and unlawful acts with computers claim Gardner committed illegal and unauthorized searches of the Kansas Criminal Justice Information System (KCJIS), as well as internal police department public safety systems between 2017 and 2020. After his arrest, Gardner was booked into the Leavenworth County Jail. He was issued a $50,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing. The Douglas County Attorney is expected to prosecute the case.
(–AP Version–)
Ex-Lawrence Police Officer Arrested on Suspicion of Rape
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A former Lawrence police officer has been arrested on suspicion of rape and other counts after a woman said he sexually assaulted her while he was on-duty five years ago. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says in a news release that 41-year-old Jonathan Gardner, of Tonganoxie, was arrested Friday morning at an intersection in Tonganoxie by KBI agents and Kansas Highway Patrol troopers. Gardner is being held in the Leavenworth County Jail on $50,000 bond. Gardner's employment with the Lawrence Police Department recently ended after a woman reported in November that he had raped her on Jan. 1, 2017. In addition to the rape count, Gardner faces 24 other counts for reportedly conducting illegal and unauthorized searches of police computer records.
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Police Arrest Man Suspected in 2021 Shooting that Hurt Baby
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police have arrested a Wichita man suspected of firing more than 80 bullets at a house in Topeka last year, wounding a 1-year-old boy. Television station KSNT reports that 24-year-old Tray Robinson was arrested Thursday on warrants in the case after police in Wichita received a tip that he was in the city. Police said Robinson was found at a home by officers and was armed with a handgun. Police said he was arrested without incident. Following the arrest, officers found several handguns, parts and loaded extended magazines. Shawnee County prosecutors have charged Robinson with criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling and aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm. He's being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on bonds of more than $521,000.
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Kansas GOP and Democrats Rally at the Statehouse in Support of Ukraine
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas lawmakers rallied Thursday on the steps of the Statehouse in support of Ukraine. Some students from the embattled nation studying at the University of Kansas were part of the demonstration, including 19-year-old Mycola Hordiichuck, who's in his third year at KU, studying business. But these days, he can’t keep his mind off his family back home, who, the last time he spoke to them, said they were under heavy bombardment. They’re terrified, Hordiichuck said, but determined to do what they can to repel the Russian invaders. “My parents are collecting bottles for Molotov cocktails and my grandparents are making bread at night to feed soldiers in the morning," he said. Another Ukrainian, 19-year-old Elina Shutova, worries that she may never see her family again. “What am I feeling now, so far away? I’m heartbroken to see my hometown of Kherson being attacked by Russians who make attacks on the civil buildings and kill civilians," she said. Kansas lawmakers say regardless of party, they’re united in their condemnation of the Russian invasion. More than two dozen stood at attention, hands over hearts, as the rally concluded with the playing of the Ukrainian national anthem. Both the Kansas House and Senate are expected to vote soon on resolutions condemning Russia for its actions.
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Missouri Elected Leaders Decry Russian Invasion of Ukraine
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Republican Governor Mike Parson is calling for more severe sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine. Parson told reporters gathered for an annual Missouri Press Association Capitol meeting Thursday that he's ready to help in any way. But Parson says there's little else states can do aside from urging the U.S. government to stand strong against Russia. Missouri's state worker retirement program had about $1.6 million worth of investments in Russia as of Wednesday. Missouri State Employees' Retirement System board members voted Thursday to completely divest as soon as possible.
(-Related-)
Missouri Joins States Targeting Russia over War in Ukraine
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri officials are joining a growing contingent of states targeting Russia over its war against Ukraine. Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe on Wednesday called upon Missouri retailers to pull Russian-made products from their shelves. House Majority Leader Dean Plocher said the chamber could consider a pro-Ukrainian resolution as soon as Thursday. Plocher also has filed legislation that would bar public entities or contractors from doing business with Russian entities. A retirement board for Missouri's public employees is to meet Thursday to consider divesting its investments in Russian securities.
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New Kansas Health Secretary's Nomination Faces Uncertain Future
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Conservative Republicans’ frustrations over how Democratic Governor Laura Kelly handled the COVID-19 pandemic are threatening to derail the confirmation of the state’s new health secretary. Kelly picked Janet Stanek, a former hospital administrator, to head the Kansas Department of Health and Environment last fall, following the resignation of the Dr. Lee Norman. Norman drew heat from conservative Republicans for his aggressive response to the pandemic. Now, Stanek is coming under fire from some of the same lawmakers. Under pressure, she recently pulled some TV ads promoting the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. A Senate committee has passed her nomination on to the full Senate without recommending her confirmation. It's not yet clear how much trouble Stanek's confirmation faces in the full Senate. She would have to step down if the full Senate rejects her appointment. Stanek declined comment. The governor says Republicans are playing political games. "I think when it’s all said and done she will be confirmed," she said. "I just wish they wouldn’t put her through this kind of pain and agony.” Stanek says rebuilding lawmakers’ trust in the agency would be among her top priorities.
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GOP Moving to End Kansas Grace Period for Mail-In Ballots
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers are moving ahead with trying to end a three-day grace period for Kansas voters to mail in their ballots. A GOP-dominated state Senate committee advanced a measure Thursday that one voting-rights activist called “madness.” It would require all mail-in ballots to arrive by 7 pm on Election Day, limit the use of ballot drop boxes, and give people three fewer days before an election to register to vote. The measure goes next to the full Senate. Supporters say they're trying to make elections more secure, but voting-rights advocates say the changes would make it harder to vote. GOP state legislators nationwide are tightening election laws.
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Inmate Advocacy Groups Push for New Way to Count Prisoners in the U.S. Census
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) -The U.S. Census counts a prisoner’s home address as the prison they’re housed in and not the place they lived before being incarcerated. Inmate advocacy groups complain that is another form of gerrymandering. Kansas has already completed its redistricting process, but Wanda Bertram, of the Prison Policy Initiative, says the state is misrepresenting the location of inmates. She says current law unfairly changes the shape of legislative districts because most Kansas prisons are in rural towns. The town’s population grows because they have a prison, even though inmates move away after release. “Incarcerated people, even though they're locked up, they still have a political stake in their hometowns," she said. "They're still constituents to the places that they're from.” Kansas prisoners cannot vote. Bertram says having people counted in a district where they can’t vote is not democratic. Most states count inmates the same way Kansas does, but there is a growing trend to rethink this practice.
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Kansas Senate Confirms Nominees to Board of Regents
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Senate has confirmed Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s nominees to the board that oversees the state’s universities. But votes for two of the three nominees were far from unanimous. The vote to confirm former railroad CEO Carl Ice to the Kansas Board of Regents was unanimous. Former Kansas City, Kansas Schools Superintendent Cynthia Lane and retired Lawrence banker Wint Winter Jr. were also confirmed but several senators voted against them. Republican Senator Molly Baumgardner said that’s because both Lane and Winter withheld information from the committee scrutinizing their nominations. “It is unfortunate that we had two nominees that could not be forthcoming in their application," she said. Baumgardner said Lane didn’t disclose her role in a lawsuit over school funding. She said Winter dodged questions about lending practices at his former bank. Winter’s politics were also an issue. A lifelong Republican and former legislator, he’s endorsed Democrats in the last two races for governor.
(AP version)
Kansas Senate Confirms Appointees to Higher Education Board
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Kansas Senate has confirmed three members appointed by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly to the state board overseeing higher education. Former state Senator Wint Winter Jr., of Lawrence; former Kansas City, Kansas, school Superintendent Cynthia Lane, and former BNSF Railway CEO Carl Ice, of Manhattan, won confirmation to the Board of Regents on Wednesday despite opposition from some conservatives to Winter and Lane. The three have been serving on the board since June and would have had to leave if their appointments had been rejected. Winter is a Republican known for criticizing conservatives. Lane was superintendent while her district was suing the state over education funding.
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Experts: Central U.S. Needs To Be Ready for Next Earthquake
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Experts have warned for decades that a large swath of the central U.S. is at high risk for a devastating earthquake. They know that overcoming complacency is among their biggest hurdles. Hundreds of experts devoted to earthquake preparedness gathered Thursday in St. Louis to discuss risks, preparedness strategies and recovery planning. Though U.S. quakes are most commonly associated with the West Coast, the New Madrid Fault Line centered in southeast Missouri produced three large earthquakes 200 years ago. People in the region have heard so many warnings about the next Big One that, for many, it goes in one ear and out the other. But experts warn there's a 7-10% chance of a magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquake in the next 50 years in the New Madrid zone.
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Ex-Kansas City Detective Sentenced to 6 Years in Man's Death
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Kansas City police detective has been sentenced to six years in prison for fatally shooting a Black man who was backing a pickup truck into a garage in 2019. Eric DeValkenaere, who is white, was sentenced Friday afternoon to three years for second-degree involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run at the same time. He was convicted in November of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. DeValkenaere will not go to prison immediately after his sentencing, however. Judge J. Dale Youngs ruled in February that the former detective will be allowed to remain free while he appeals his conviction. DeValkenaere's attorneys had argued he was not a threat to flee.
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75-Year-Old Accused of Being Fake Police Officer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A 75-year-old Jackson County man faces charges for allegedly pretending to be a police officer and pulling over a driver. KCTV-TV reports that the Missouri State Highway Patrol launched an investigation in January after a driver became suspicious after being pulled over. The driver told the patrol that after he passed another vehicle, that driver began following him closely, flashed his headlights and activated emergency lights. The alleged victim said the man took his driver's license and pretended to run a computer check. The alleged victim noted the license plate identifiers of the vehicle that pulled him over, which led to the arrest.
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Two Adults, 1 Child Found Dead After Fire in Greeley
GREELEY, Kan. (AP) — Fire officials are investigating after two adults and a child were found dead in a house fire in eastern Kansas. Anderson County Sheriff Veron Valentine said the fire was reported early Wednesday in Greeley. Valentine said the home was engulfed in flames when volunteer firefighters arrived. When firefighters were able to enter the home, they found the bodies of two adults and a child. Greeley is a town of about 300 people about 60 miles south of Kansas City.
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Pipe Bombs, Tracker Found at Scene of Kansas Murder-Suicide
LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — Investigators found pipe bombs and a GPS tracking device in a car outside a Lenexa home where police say a gunman killed his ex-girlfriend and a man she was dating, then himself. WDAF TV reports that investigators also found a so-called ghost gun and other weapons inside the home where 22-year-old Sara Beck and 20-year-old John Williamson were killed Sunday. Police say the gunman was 37-year-old Dustin Johnson, of Belton, Missouri, who also killed himself. Court documents say Johnson was wearing a tactical vest when his body was found and that police found an assault rifle near him that had been constructed from various parts. Lenexa police said they believe Johnson was using the tracking device to keep tabs on his ex-girlfriend.
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Auburn Man Dies After Brush Fire Gets Out of Control
AUBURN, Kan. (AP) — Fire officials in Auburn say a 90-year-old man died after a brush fire he started got out of control. Auburn Assistant Fire Chief Erik Wood said crews responded to the fire Tuesday in southwest Shawnee County, where a woman said she couldn't find her husband. Wood said firefighters found the man dead after extinguishing the blaze. It wasn't clear if the man died from the fire or a medical problem. Fire officials are warning Kansans to reconsider burning in the current warm and extremely dry conditions. The National Weather Service had issued an advisory for a very high fire danger on Tuesday because of the conditions.
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2nd KC Worker Dies from Injuries Suffered in Trash Truck Fire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A second Kansas City worker has died from injuries after a trash truck crashed and caught fire. The crash happened Tuesday morning on Interstate 435 in northeast Kansas City. Police say the driver of the truck lost control while trying to exit onto Front Street. The truck then overturned and hit a concrete barrier before erupting in flames. Police say a three-person crew was inside the wreckage. One was able to escape, and a passing police officer helped pull the critically injured driver from the truck. The third city worker died at the scene. Police said Wednesday that the injured driver later died at a hospital.
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Kansas Man Ordered to Repay $40 Million for Tax Fraud
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a 59-year-old Leawood man has been ordered to repay $40 million to the IRS for tax fraud. Scott Tucker, a former racecar driver, was also sentenced to three years in prison for the scheme. Tucker pleaded guilty in November to one count of filing a false or fraudulent tax return. The U.S. Attorney's office in Kansas says Tucker submitted false tax returns in 2010 for his professional auto racing business called Level 5. Tucker's sentence in Kansas will be concurrent with a sentence of more than 16 years he is serving in New York for evading taxes on a nationwide $3.5 billion internet payday lending enterprise.
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Topeka Man Sentenced in Death of Ex-Girlfriend
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man has been sentenced to 48 years and nine months in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend. Jeremy Lardner was sentenced Thursday for the 2019 death of 36-year-old Brandi Prchal, an officer for the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Her body was found in Lardner's gas-filled home on November 1, 2019. Authorities said she suffered blunt-force trauma and was dead at the scene. Lardner was found unconscious in the home and was charged after he was released from the hospital. Lardner pleaded guilty in January to second-degree murder, aggravated robbery and kidnapping.
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Kansas Tax Collections for February Nearly $19 Million over Estimates
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas tax collections have, once again, beat expectations. The Department of Revenue reports total tax collections for the month of February were more than $502 million. That's nearly $19 million more than estimated. Last month's tax collections are 10-percent higher than tax collections in February of last year.
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Ukraine War, Inflation Hurt Business Outlook in Nine States
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ A new monthly survey suggests that worries about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, soaring inflation and rising interest rates combined to undermine the confidence of business leaders in nine Midwest and Plains states. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said businesses also fear the war may worsen the ongoing supply chain problems and push commodity prices higher. The report's confidence index fell to its lowest point ever in February when it hit 19.5, falling from January's already low 36.2. Any score below 50 suggests a negative outlook. The monthly survey covers Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
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Kansas Trooper Drew Gun on Kansas Lawmaker After Stop for Speeding
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper says in a statement that he drew his pistol on a Kansas legislator stopped for speeding when the lawmaker abruptly got out of his car holding his cellphone. The trooper's affidavit was released Wednesday and provides details about the November 27 arrest in Lawrence of Democratic state Rep. Aaron Coleman, of Kansas City. Coleman is charged in Douglas County District Court with speeding and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle and has a hearing set for April 15. Master Trooper Michael Hamilton said in his affidavit that Coleman was speeding west on Interstate 70, left the highway and stopped in a parking area.
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Salina High Schools to Keep Book Challenged by Parents
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Salina Public Schools will not remove a book that was challenged by some parents. Three parents objected at a February 8 school board meeting to the book "All Boys Aren't Blue," which was acquired by Salina's South and Central high schools. The book is a series of essays by a Black and gay man. A review committee acknowledged the book contains sexual scenes that some might find disturbing but said it had merit as a literary work. The committee also found that the district's policies were followed when the book was chosen for the high schools.
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Missouri Bill Would Allow Hospital Visitors During Pandemics
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri hospitals and nursing homes would have to allow visitors under a bill proposed in response to limits enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Republican-led House advanced the measure Wednesday. The bill would require hospitals and other in-patient facilities to allow a patient's spouse, parent or guardian plus another person to visit at any time. Under the bill, hospitals and nursing homes could deny a visitor for health or safety reasons. That includes showing signs of coronavirus or another contagious illness. The bill also would ensure that patients who refuse to get vaccinated could still get organ transplants.
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Baylor, Kansas to Decide Big 12 Title in 2 Games Saturday
UNDATED (AP) - Third-ranked Baylor has gone on a late-season charge to forge a tie atop the Big 12 heading into its regular-season finale against Iowa State on Saturday night. The Bears will know what they need to do by the time they tip off because sixth-ranked Kansas, which is also 13-4 in the league, plays No. 21 Texas about two hours before at Allen Fieldhouse. No. 21 Texas Tech is one game back, but swept the Bears and split with Kansas, giving the Red Raiders an outside shot at the No. 1 seed in the league tournament heading into their game at Oklahoma State.
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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!