Kansas Geological Survey: Groundwater Levels Fall Across Western, Central Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Average groundwater levels across western and central Kansas fell by more than a foot in 2021. That's according to the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS), which helps measure water wells every January. The KGS says the greatest declines were in the southwest part of the state. The KGS, based at the University of Kansas, and the Division of Water Resources (DWR) of the Kansas Department of Agriculture measure about 1,400 wells every year to monitor the health of the High Plains aquifer and other aquifers in western and central Kansas. Those measurements showed an overall average decline of 1.01 feet last year. Most parts of the region saw below-average precipitation for the year, especially during the summer growing season for agricultural crops.
“The key takeaway is that 2021 started off very dry and, outside of the month of May, which is the last month most folks in western Kansas saw any measurable precipitation, dry conditions continued right into the summer and fall months,” said Brownie Wilson, KGS water-data manager. The 2021 decline followed an overall drop of 0.93 feet in 2020, which was another abnormally dry year. Dry years lead to increased pumping demands, primarily for irrigation, which in turn typically cause greater declines in water levels. “The entire state is currently in some stage of drought and even with recent snowfalls, I bet it remains that way,” Wilson said.
The High Plains aquifer is a network of water-bearing rock that extends into eight states. In Kansas, the aquifer comprises three components — the Ogallala aquifer, the Great Bend Prairie aquifer and the Equus Beds. Of these, the Ogallala aquifer underlies most of western Kansas and consists mainly of the Ogallala Formation, a geologic unit that formed from sediment eroded off the uplifting Rocky Mountains.
The Kansas Geological Survey is a research and service division of KU. KGS researchers study and provide information about the state’s geologic resources and hazards, including groundwater, oil and natural gas, rocks and minerals, and earthquakes. ( Read more.)
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2 Bird Flu Cases Found in Sedgwick, Dickinson Counties
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas agriculture officials say more cases of avian influenza, more commonly called bird flu, have been found in the state. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Kansas Department of Agriculture has confirmed the disease in a backyard home-farm flock of birds in rural Sedgwick County and a similar backyard flock in rural Dickinson County. The cases were confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. Officials say the affected areas have been quarantined and the affected flocks will be culled to prevent the spread of the disease. Nearly 13 million chicken, turkeys and other birds have been or are set to be killed in the U.S. because of the bird flu.
(Earlier reporting...)
More Bird Flu Cases Identified in Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - The state is warning Kansas hunters and people who keep chickens and other birds outdoors to take precautions against the spread of bird flu. Bird flu was found this month in chickens in eastern Kansas and wild waterfowl in central Kansas. The Midwest hasn’t seen a major bird flu outbreak for seven years. Back then, farmers had to kill nearly 50 million birds. Poultry and egg prices shot up. This time, farmers outside of Kansas have had to kill a few million animals so far. The disease isn’t infecting humans so far, but the state of Kansas is warning hunters to put on nitrile gloves before touching any birds they kill. People who own birds should keep them away from wild ones. The avian influenza cropping up in Kansas and nearby states has the potential to further inflate food prices. The region’s last major outbreak cost the economy $3 billion. Kansas State University professor Juergen Richt, who studies animal diseases, said "Right now I think we have only destroyed about 2 million, 3 million birds in the United States. But if this continues, we might have a similar situation as seven years ago when prices for eggs and chicken meat went up significantly.” So far no cases have been reported in people.
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Kansas Senate Considers Constitutional Amendments on SCOKAN Appointments, Tax Hikes
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Senate is expected to vote today (WED) on a pair of constitutional amendments. One would change the way Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected. The other would make it harder for lawmakers to raise taxes. Since the 1950s, Kansas governors have selected state supreme court justices from nominees screened by a nonpartisan commission made up of lawyers and citizens. Republicans, like Senator Kellie Warren, say that gives lawyers too much power. “For decades, we have allowed one industry, one interest group to control an entire branch of government," she said. One of the proposed amendments would scrap the commission and replace it with a Senate vote on the governor’s selection. The other is aimed at controlling state spending. Two-thirds of lawmakers would have to vote for future tax increases to put them on the books. If they make it through the Legislature, the proposed constitutional changes will appear on the August primary ballot.
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Kansas Lawmakers Move to Block Bans on Plastic Bags and Straws
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas lawmakers are moving to block local governments from banning plastic bags, straws and other items. The Kansas House gave initial approval to a bill Tuesday limiting those local actions. Lawmakers are pursuing the idea because some local governments were considering bans on plastic bags and other items. Republican Representative Pat Proctor owns a restaurant and says telling businesses what bags they can use is government overreach. He also says this will drive up costs. "Every commodity has doubled in price. You are pricing restaurants out of business," he said. Critics of the legislation say these decisions should be left up to local governments. They also argue single-use plastic items are harmful to the environment. A similar plan has already passed the Senate.
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Kansas Senate Approves Parental Control Bill
TOPEKA, Kan (KNS) — The Kansas Senate has approved a bill to give parents more control over what their children are taught in public schools. The bill requires school districts to share all teaching materials with parents, and establish procedures for addressing their complaints. Opponents say the goal is actually to stop teachers from addressing difficult but important topics, particularly race, gender, and sexuality. The bill now goes to the Kansas House, which has been considering a similar but more restrictive measure. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has criticized the bill, but stopped short of saying she'll veto it.
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Trans Athletes Ban Wins Veto-Proof Majority in Kansas Senate
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans in the Kansas Senate have approved a ban on transgender athletes in girl's and women's school sports with enough votes to override an expected veto from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. The 27-12 vote Tuesday sent the measure to the House. Conservatives had exactly the two-thirds majority they would need for a veto override. LGBTQ-rights advocates argue that the bill represents discrimination and targets transgender youth already vulnerable to bullying and suicide. Supporters of the bill argue they're protecting fair competition and preserving college scholarship opportunities for girls and women. Eleven states have bans, but Republican governors in Indiana and Utah vetoed measures this week.
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Kansas House Wants Age Limit for Tobacco, Vaping Set at 21
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House has passed a Republican bill that would increase the age to purchase or possess cigarettes and tobacco products from 18 to 21. The GOP-controlled House voted 79-43 for the bill Wednesday. The legislation also applies to electronic cigarettes and vaping products, and would prohibit them in school buildings. It would also make purchasing any tobacco or vaping product a misdemeanor that can be punished with a $200 fine for those under 21. Federal law in 2019 changed to prohibit those under 21 from legally buying cigarettes, cigars or any other tobacco products in the United States.
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GOP Push Against Ballot Drop Boxes Hits Rural Places, Too
LECOMPTON, Kan. (AP) — As Republicans question the security of ballot drop boxes, plenty of places stand to lose them, including small communities in Republican-leaning Kansas. A proposal under consideration Wednesday in the GOP-controlled Kansas Senate would cut the number of drop boxes statewide by more than 40% from the 2020 elections. The proposal likely would hit small towns on the outskirts of more populated places and some villages dotting rural vistas. Nineteen counties with fewer than 5,000 registered voters had two more more boxes in 2020. Under the bill, 48 of the state’s counties would have to cut back on their drop boxes. They would lose 80 of the 191 boxes deployed two years ago.
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Kansas Researcher Accused of Secret China Work Goes to Trial
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Federal prosecutors told jurors that a Kansas researcher illegally kept his work with a Chinese university secret, while the defense contends contends he was merely “moonlighting.” The conflicting portrayals came during opening statements Tuesday in the trial of Feng “Franklin” Tao in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, on charges of wire and program fraud He is accused of not disclosing on conflict-of-interest forms the work he was allegedly doing for China while employed at the University of Kansas — something federal prosecutors have portrayed as a scheme to defraud the university, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.
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Arrests Made in Shooting Death of Man Outside Haysville Home
HAYSVILLLE, Kan. (AP) — The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office says two Wichita men have been arrested in the February shooting death of another man whose body was found outside a suburban Wichita home. The sheriff's office said Wednesday in a news release that 27-year-old Jim Sanchez and 25-year-old Justinlee Welch, were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree murder, robbery and kidnapping. The pair are suspected in the shooting death of 23-year-old Vennie Kongvongsay, whose body was found by deputies on Feb. 10 outside a Haysville home.
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Dodge City Bishop Resumes Duties After Abuse Investigation
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City will resume his duties after an investigation into sexual abuse allegations. Bishop John Brungardt voluntarily stepped down after the allegation was lodged last year. The Kansas City Star reports that Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann said Wednesday the Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the allegations and prosecutors chose not to file charges. He says church authorities also investigated and determined the evidence did not support the allegations. An allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was filed against Brungardt in February 2021. Naumann said Brungardt consistently denied the allegations and cooperated with the investigations.
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UMKC to Pay Ex-Professor Fired Amid Business School Scandal
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri-Kansas City has agreed to pay a former professor $625,000 to settle a whistleblower lawsuit. The Kansas City Star reports the payment will settle a lawsuit against the school brought by former UMKC professor Richard Arend. The university also issued a statement with Arend giving him credit for bringing to light that the business school knowingly submitted false data to the Princeton Review, which then ranked UMKC higher than it deserved. In 2015, auditors found that officials with the Henry W. Bloch School of Management used false data when applying for rankings. Days later, the Princeton Review stripped the school's Top 25 our rankings issued in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
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Couple's Death in Topeka Ruled a Murder-Suicide
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Jackson County say the deaths of a man and woman were the result of a murder-suicide. The bodies of Linda Marie Vidosh-Zempel and John Alfred Zempel, both 68, were found in a Topeka home Monday evening. Sheriff Tim Morse says investigators believe Linda Vidosh-Zempel shot her husband during the day Monday and then called 911 to report her husband was dead. Morse said deputies arriving at the house saw a woman inside with a gun and then heard gunshots. Morse said authorities believe Vidosh-Zempel had mental health issues in recent years.
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Woman, 2 Dogs Found Dead in Rural Kansas Home; Man Arrested
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say the live-in boyfriend of a woman found shot to death, along with her two dogs, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The Saline County Sheriff's Office says deputies were called Monday evening to the home just a couple of miles south of Salina to check on the well-being of a person there and found 50-year-old Laurie Leanne Likins and two dogs dead. All had been shot. Deputies arrested 55-year-old Brent Allen Spainhour, who also lived at the home. He was being held without bail in the Saline County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and animal cruelty.
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Missouri Man Drowns at Pleasant Hill City Lake
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a Pleasant Hill man who fell from a boat on a city lake over the weekend drowned. Television station KSHB reports that the incident happened late Sunday morning. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says 67-year-old Michael Hamilton fell from a boat he was aboard into Pleasant Hill City Lake, just southeast of Kansas City. Investigators say bystanders tried to rescue the man and eventually pulled him from the water, but too late to save him. Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say he was not wearing a life jacket.
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Missouri Senate Candidate Eric Greitens Faces Calls to End U.S. Senate Bid
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A bipartisan group of elected officials and campaign rivals are urging Missouri's former Governor Eric Greitens to end his bid for U.S. Senate following claims that he physically abused his ex-wife and child. Rival Republican U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler on Monday called on Greitens to drop out of the race and “get professional help.” U.S. Senator Josh Hawley says people who hit women and children belong in handcuffs, not the U.S. Senate. Greitens' ex-wife accused him of abuse in an affidavit filed Monday as part of a child custody case. Eric Greitens called the allegations “completely fabricated” and “baseless.”
(Related and additional reporting...)
Accusations Against Eric Greitens Revive GOP Worries About Senate Bids
WASHINGTON (AP) — Accusations that Missouri Senate Republican candidate Eric Greitens physically assaulted members of his family have added fresh urgency to a GOP push to ensure the party doesn’t nominate candidates who are so damaged that they put otherwise safe seats in play. Greitens has so far ignored calls to end his campaign. But the accusations serve as a reminder that Greitens is at least the third statewide Republican this cycle to face accusations of domestic violence. Republicans are well positioned to retake the Senate majority, but that could be at risk if GOP voters rally around candidates who may be toxic in a general election campaign.
Ex-Wife Accuses Top Missouri GOP Senate Candidate of Abuse
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The ex-wife of Missouri GOP Senate candidate Eric Greitens has accused him of physical abuse. That's according to an affidavit filed Monday in the former couple's child custody case in Missouri. Sheena Greitens also alleges in the affidavit that Greitens showed “unstable and coercive behavior” in the months leading up to his 2018 resignation as Missouri's governor following a sex scandal. She alleges that associates at one point took steps to limit his access to firearms. In an emailed statement, Greitens' called the allegations “completely fabricated” and “baseless.”
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U.S. Senators from Kansas Return After European Visit and Urge More Help for Ukraine's Military
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers, including both U.S. senators from Kansas, has returned from visiting eastern Europe. U.S. Senator Roger Marshall joined a group of senators including fellow Kansas Senator Jerry Moran during a trip to Poland and Germany to gain insight on the Ukrainian crisis. Marshall said he visited a refugee camp in Poland that is sheltering about 1 million refugees from Ukraine. Poland has accepted more than 2 million people fleeing war since Russia's February 24 invasion. Marshall says he also visited with several Kansas military members stationed in the area. The seven-member delegation was led by Congressman Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts. Members of the U.S. delegation say there is no room for peace talks over Ukraine as long as there is a "hot war." In addition to Marshall and Moran, the group included lawmakers from Massachusetts, Texas, South Carolina, Maine and Tennessee.
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Police Investigate Shooting Death of Woman in Overland Park
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - Police in Overland Park are investigating the shooting death of a woman over the weekend. Police say the shooting was reported around 6 am Sunday at a house in the Kansas City suburb. Police say that officers arrived at the home to find that the woman had been taken by family members to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police later identified the woman killed as Cheryl Holloman, of Wichita. Television station WDAF reports that the shooting happened during a party as a house that was being rented out to guests. Police say a person of interest in the shooting was taken into custody for questioning.
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Wichita Woman Pleads Guilty to Running over, Shooting Man
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old Wichita woman will be sentenced May 9 after she pleaded guilty to running over a bicyclist with her car and shooting him. The Sedgwick County district attorney's office said Charity Blackmon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Blackmon was originally charged with first-degree murder. KSNW-TV reports 54-year-old Merrill Rabus was riding his bike in northeast Wichita in March 2021 when Blackmon hit him and then got out of her van and shot him. She left the scene but was followed by witnesses and was arrested.
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Wichita Police Investigate Racist Memes Allegedly Shared Among Officers
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - The City of Wichita is investigating its police department after media reports of law enforcement officers sharing racist memes online. City Manager Robert Layton says his office is conducting an investigation into the Wichita Police officers who were involved and whether the appropriate disciplinary actions were taken. A white officer who shared a racist meme about George Floyd’s murder last year still works for the department, according to the Wichita Eagle. Layton also says his office will have an outside group review department policies and culture over the next two weeks. “It’s not just this incident but it’s also to make sure we have the trust of the public in terms of the work of the department,"he said. Layton says he was not made aware of the situation until late last month.
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KC Sends Tyreek Hill to Miami for Picks; WR Gets Record Deal
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have traded wide receiver Tyreek Hill to Miami for a package of draft picks and the Dolphins are giving the three-time All-Pro a $120 million, four-year contract extension. The Chiefs will get the Dolphins’ first- and second-round picks and their fourth-rounder in this year’s draft, and fourth- and sixth-round picks next year. Hill’s agent said the extension from Miami includes $72.2 million guaranteed. The value surpasses the five-year contract that Davante Adams signed with Las Vegas, which includes $67.5 million guaranteed.
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Athletes Who Transferred from KU Team Could Meet in NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — There will be quite a reunion at the Sweet 16 in Chicago this week. It perfectly demonstrates the transient nature of college basketball these days. Two former players for top-seeded Kansas, Charlie Moore at Miami and Tristan Enaruna at Iowa State, will be playing each other. The winner could potentially face the Jayhawks in the Elite Eight. Kansas guard Jalen Coleman-Lands could be playing the Cyclones, his own former team. They are just a few of the many players in the Sweet 16 whose previous teams are also playing in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
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Fortunate Friars Living in Moment with Top Seed Kansas Next
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Providence was trailed by a national narrative entering the NCAA Tournament, that despite earning the Midwest Region’s fourth seed, it had been more lucky than good this season because of an 11-2 record in games decided by five points or less. The Friars used that as fuel as they held off South Dakota State and then blew past Richmond to advance to their first Sweet 16 since 1997. But despite limiting its first two opponents to just 54 points per game, Providence finds itself as an underdog against top seed Kansas.
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Royals Agree with Mondesi, O'Hearn to Avoid Arbitration
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals agreed to a $3 million contract with shortstop Adalberto Mondesi and a $1.3 million deal with first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, avoiding arbitration with both of the players before Tuesday’s deadline for teams and players to submit numbers. The 26-year-old Mondesi has been a dynamic player when he’s been healthy. But he has only played more than 100 games in a season once in six seasons, and he hit just .230 with six homers and 15 steals while limited to 35 games last season. O’Hearn got a significant bump from the $570,500 he made last season, even though he hit just .225 with nine homers and 29 RBIs in 84 games.
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Chiefs Bring Back DT Derrick Nnadi with Deal for Next Season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs agreed with defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi on a contract for next season, adding to the continuity on the defensive line that came with restructuring the contract of pass rusher Frank Clark. The contract with the 25-year-old Nnadi was announced Monday by his representatives at SportsTrust Advisors. Nnadi was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2018 draft and has been a dependable part of three AFC championship teams and another that was beaten in the conference title game this past season.
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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!