KU Faces Miami in NCAA Elite Eight
CHICAGO (KPR/AP) - In the NCAA men's basketball Midwest Regional, the Kansas Jayhawks play 10th-seed Miami Hurricanes in the Elite Eight today (SUN) in Chicago. The Jayhawks are the only top-seeded team left in the tournament. The winner of today's game will advance to the Final Four in New Orleans. If KU wins, it will be Coach Bill Self's first Final four since 2018 and fourth in 19 seasons at KU.
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Lawrence Police Chief Bans No-Knock Warrants, Chokeholds
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The Lawrence Police Department is banning the use of no-knock search warrants and chokeholds. Police Chief Rich Lockhart made the announcement Saturday in a news release. Lockhart, who has been chief for two months, said that surprising occupants with no-knock warrants is not safe for officers or residents. The ban comes after meeting with community members and groups, including the NAACP Political Action Committee, as well as national news coverage of tragic events involving both practices. Lockhart said that chokeholds and no-knock warrants were not a practice of the LPD but the tactics are now banned.
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Kansas Pension System Halts Russia Investments
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Trustees who oversee the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System have voted to halt future investments in Russian assets amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that while some board members initially pushed for a full divestment, others said they would rather focus on the future and noted that KPERS’ current holdings in the country have been largely liquidated anyway. Kansas has $36 million invested in Russian equities, as of February 25. That accounts for about 0.14% of the pension fund’s total investments.
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Kansas Dad Sentenced for Killing 3-Year-Old
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A father was sentenced to 29 years for killing his 3-year-old daughter, whose body was found in a wooded area of Kansas City, Kansas, in July 2020. The Kansas City Star reports that the prison term for 30-year-old Howard Jansen III was handed down Friday during a hearing in Wyandotte County District Court. Jansen pleaded no contest last month to charges of second-degree murder, child abuse, aggravated child endangerment and interfering with a law enforcement investigation. His girlfriend, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, is serving a 31-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in November to second-degree murder and interfering with a law enforcement investigation. Police found the body of Olivia Jansen on July 10th, 2020, hours after Jansen had reported her missing.