Wacky Kansas Weather Brings Tornado Warnings, Wildfires
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Tornado Warnings were issued for several Kansas counties Tuesday night, including Jefferson, Leavenworth and Atchsion. No injuries were reported but utility company Evergy says thousands of Kansans lost power during the storms. The forecast includes a 50% chance for more storms today (WED), followed by showers and possibly snow tonight (WED) and Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, other parts of the state have been on fire. A number of wildfires cropped up in Kansas Tuesday, fueled by high winds and low humidity. Crews battled multiple wildfires in the southwest part of the state - in Hodgeman, Kearny and Seward Counties. Other fires flared up in central and south-central Kansas - in Sedgwick, Stafford and Pawnee counties. And a wildfire in Jewell County, in north-central Kansas, caused so much smoke it temporarily closed a highway near the Nebraska border. Fire crews battled the blaze north of Burr Oak, Kansas, for several hours and into the night.
==========
UPDATE: Kansas GOP Lawmakers Pass Measure to Nullify Local 'Sanctuary' Rules
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers have passed a measure to overturn three communities’ policies that could help immigrants stay in Kansas illegally. Their action Wednesday highlighted an issue the GOP is likely to push in the governor’s race. The bill is a response to an ordinance enacted last month by Wyandotte County, a Democratic stronghold. The ordinance provides local identification cards for immigrants and other residents and declares that the county won’t help federal officials enforce immigration laws absent a threat to public safety. Lawrence and Roeland Park in northeast Kansas also have such immigration policies. Attorney General Derek Schmidt called on lawmakers to intervene. He is the presumed Republican nominee for governor.
(–Earlier Reporting–)
Kansas Legislation Aims to Ban "Sanctuary Cities"
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas legislation prohibiting so-called "Sanctuary Cities" could soon be headed to the governor's desk. The bill is aimed at blocking Kansas communities from adopting policies that make them havens for people living in this country illegally. The bill would nullify policies adopted by a handful of Kansas cities that limit police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. But it specifically targets Wyandotte County’s recently adopted “Safe and Welcoming ordinance. Judy Ancel, is part of a coalition that pushed for the ordinance. She says Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Republican lawmakers are targeting it for political reasons. “In no way does the ordinance stop the police from fighting crime, yet I hear the proponents of this bill are doing a lot of fear mongering about immigrants," she said. Ancel says undocumented people need the special ID cards authorized by the ordinance to access services. But supporters of the bill, like Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, say they want to make sure the IDs can’t be used for official purposes, like registering to vote. Schmidt says the law is needed to tighten current law so that people can’t use the special ID cards to vote illegally. “It’s an obvious loophole in the statute and we suggested fixing it and the secretary of state suggested fixing it more explicitly," he said. Schmidt is the leading Republican contender to challenge Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. Opponents of the bill say that it overrides the authority of local officials. The bill has passed the House. The Senate is expected to vote on it this week.
==========
Kansas Won't Enforce Vaccine Rule for Nursing Home Workers
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Governor Laura Kelly says Kansas won't enforce a federal mandate that nursing home workers get vaccinated against COVID-19. She acknowledged Wednesday that the mandate conflicts with a state law she signed four months ago. Kelly’s move won’t allow nursing home employees to avoid the vaccination mandate. The federal government informed the state last week that it will charge Kansas nearly $349,000 for the year to have federal teams survey nursing homes for compliance. The law enacted in November makes it easy for workers to claim a religious exemption from vaccine mandates. Meanwhile, Republican legislators want to limit the restrictions officials can impose during future outbreaks.
==========
State Inspectors Won't Enforce CMS Vaccine Mandate
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - State inspectors will not enforce federal vaccine mandates in the Kansas facilities they inspect, like nursing homes. State employees survey and accredit facilities such as nursing homes. Part of that work is ensuring staff are up to date with COVID-19 vaccine requirements, but Democratic Governor Laura Kelly says she worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to end those checks. Kelly has opposed federal vaccine mandates and worries imposing them now will intensify staffing shortages. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said last week it would cut the state’s funding for surveyors if the mandates were not enforced. But Kelly’s office says CMS will not cut funding to facilities that do not implement the mandate.
==========
Kansas Law Enforcement Officers May Get More Time to Execute Search Warrants
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas lawmakers are considering giving law enforcement officers more time to execute a search warrant. It’s an alternative to legislation that would ban controversial no-knock warrants. Critics of no-knock warrants say entering a home without warning is dangerous to both police and the people inside. The Lawrence Police Department banned no-knock warrants this weekend for that reason. Lawmakers say increasing the amount of time a search warrant can be served from four days to 10 days should address those concerns. They say giving police more time will allow them to do the search in a safer way. Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner says this legislation is critical for safety. “The two most dangerous times for law enforcement is when they answer a call for domestic violence and when they go to serve a warrant," she said. But House and Senate lawmakers disagree on some technical details and will have to negotiate a final version of the plan.
==========
Legalized Sports Betting Legislation Stalls at Kansas Statehouse
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A bill that would establish sports gambling in Kansas has stalled in the Legislature. A House committee failed to advance a plan to allow the Kansas Lottery to outsource sports betting to casinos. The committee considered several changes to the bill to ease opposition. Some lawmakers opposed the idea of letting the Kansas lottery sell tickets online, which was bundled with the sports gambling plan. But removing the online lottery ticket sales would reduce the state’s projected revenue, so some lawmakers oppose taking it out. They say the sales would bring in roughly $10 million, or more than half of the bill’s total revenue. Lawmakers couldn’t come to an agreement on that issue, which stalled the bill for now.
==========
Kansas Among States Challenging CDC Transit Mask Rule
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida and 20 other states have sued to halt the federal government's pandemic requirement that people wear masks on planes, trains and other public transport. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Tampa, Florida. It contends that the mask mandate exceeds the authority of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC rule took effect February 1, 2021. It requires “the wearing of masks by people on public transportation conveyances or on the premises of transportation hubs,” according to the agency website. The rule has been relaxed somewhat but was recently extended until at least April 18 for domestic and international travel in general. The states filing the new travel mask lawsuit are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
==========
Kansas Employee Pension System Halts Investments in Russia
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 the fund's 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.
==========
GOP Leader Hopes New Map Moves Kansas School Board to the Right
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Republican legislators in Kansas are pushing a redistricting plan that the state Senate's top GOP leader hopes will move the state school board to the right. The Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would redraw the districts for the 10-member elected State Board of Education so that districts are equal after a decade of population shifts across Kansas. The 31-8 vote sends the measure to the House. Lawmakers are expected to give final approval to new lines for board districts this week. Republicans hold a 6-4 board majority, but the board is less conservative than the Legislature. Senate President Ty Masterson says more conservatives would lead to a "more vibrant" debate about education policy.
==========
GOP Defections Thwart Some Plans Favored by Kansas Conservatives
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Key conservative initiatives are likely to fail in Kansas this year because a few Republicans are breaking with the rest of the Legislature's GOP supermajorities. Republicans have failed to muster the two-thirds majorities necessary to override potential vetoes from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly on measures tightening election laws and weakening school vaccination requirements. A proposed change in the Kansas Constitution aimed at limiting future tax increases also died this week. The struggles conservatives have faced in the Legislature show that with Kelly as governor, they need the support of moderates. GOP Senators Brenda Dietrich of Topeka, John Doll of southwestern Kansas and Jeff Longbine of eastern Kansas have been key players.
==========
Anti-Transgender Speaker Causes Controversy at Washburn University
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Washburn University President Jerry Farley said he does not support the message an anti-transgender speaker is scheduled to deliver at the university on Thursday. The speaker, Michael Knowles, will give a speech titled “Banning Transgenderism” on Thursday, hosted by the school's College Republicans group. Thursday is International Transgender Day of Visibility. Farley said in an email to the campus that he supports free speech rights but Washburn does not condone Knowles's beliefs. Knowles responded with a tweet challenging Farley to show specific incidents of hate or misinformation in his speeches. A demonstration in support of Washburn's LGBTQ community is planned before Knowles's speech.
==========
After Spate of Strikes, Big Raises for Kellogg Workers
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several hundred workers at a Kellogg's plant that makes Cheez-Its won a new contract that delivers more than 15% wage increases over three years after 1,400 workers at the company's cereal plants went on strike for nearly three months last fall. The union that represents those 570 workers in Kansas City, Kansas said Wednesday that the wages and benefit improvements secured this week are the biggest ones the local union has ever seen. The deal comes as many companies are struggling to fill the more than 11 million job openings across the country and workers are demanding more after keeping plants operating throughout the pandemic.
==========
Woman Gets Probation for DUI Crash that Killed 5-Year-Old
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas woman who pleaded guilty to being drunk when she caused a crash that killed her 5-year-old daughter has been sentenced to three years' probation. KSNW TV reports that Nory Lam was sentenced last week after pleading guilty in January to involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence. Police investigators say Lam was behind the wheel of her sport utility vehicle around 3 am on March 7, 2021, when she went off the road and crashed. Arriving deputies found her holding 5-year-old daughter Aleah Reyes in her lap in the backseat. The girl died at the scene. Investigators say Lam told a deputy she had consumed several shots of tequila at a party before the crash.
==========
Lawrence Starbucks Employees Consider Unionization
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - A Starbucks in Lawrence is the latest location of the national coffee chain where baristas are announcing an effort to unionize. Korbin Hogan, a shift manager at the 23rd Street shop, says their workload has been increasing, and he feels that employees have lost their voice in the company. “We’re contributing to making lives better for people around us and then like people on a national level too, I think," he said. Since December, more than 150 Starbucks locations have filed for union elections, including four in the Kansas City area.
==========
Kansas City Police to Pay $325,000 to Teen After Arrest
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City teenager will receive a $325,000 settlement in an excessive force lawsuit filed against police after his arrest in October 2019. The Kansas City Star reports the teenager, who is Black, alleged in his lawsuit that he was punched more than 10 times and hit with a stun gun by three white officers while he was waiting for friends after a homecoming dance. The lawsuit said the 17-year-old had not committed any traffic violations. He was never charged with a crime. The Kansas City Police Department has paid out $1.3 million for the three incidents involving Black teenagers this year.
==========
Bible to Remain in Derby Schools Following Challenge
DERBY, Kan. (KNS) - A Kansas school district has decided not to remove the Bible from libraries or classrooms. A Derby resident asked the district’s library committee to review the Bible after the group voted last month to remove “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” from a list of approved class materials. Derby High School offers a “Bible as Literature” elective. The challenge pointed to portions of the Bible that deal with rape, incest and other mature themes. Committee member Kristin Sen says removing the novel last month may have been a mistake because lots of books have mature content. “It seems like one person initiated this whole process, and now here we are. And like you said, it’s a slidey slope. Where does it end?” District officials say their legal team has cautioned against labeling books as explicit or asking parents to pre-approve them.
==========
Flamingo that Escaped Kansas Zoo in 2005 Spotted in Texas
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Wildlife officials say one of two flamingos that escaped from a Kansas zoo during a storm 17 years ago has been spotted on the coast of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife officials confirmed Tuesday that the African flamingo, known as No. 492 because of the number on its leg band, was seen near Port Lavaca, Texas. An environmental activist shot video March 10 that featured the bird with the leg band visible. The bird and another flamingo had not yet had their wings clipped when they escaped from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita in June 2005.. The other flamingo was never seen again, but 492 has been spotted in Wisconsin, Louisiana and Texas.
==========
Could the Kansas City Chiefs Move to Kansas?
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) - Could the Kansas City Chiefs move to Kansas? The Chiefs are reportedly considering sites for a new stadium in the Sunflower State, but officials on the Missouri side of the state line are saying, “not so fast.” The idea was first reported by Kevin Clark, who covers the NFL for The Ringer. It apparently came from Chiefs president Mark Donovan, who is in Florida for annual NFL owners’ meetings. According to Clark, Donovan said real estate developers have pitched the team on options for a stadium in Kansas. The Chiefs lease at the Truman Sports complex in Jackson County doesn’t expire until 2031. Jackson County Executive Frank White said in a statement that he looks forward to making sure the team stays in Jackson County for, quote, decades to come. Arrowhead Stadium has been home to the Chiefs since 1972. Donovan’s comments come as the Royals have been considering a downtown stadium.
==========
Jayhawks Prepare for Final Four in New Orleans
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Jayhawks are headed to the Final Four in New Orleans and are now focused on their next opponent, the Villanova Wildcats. The two teams meet in the first national semifinal game this Saturday. Villanova has been responsible for KU’s biggest heartbreaks in recent years. But Jayhawk coach Bill Self says he likes the makeup of his team in this year’s matchup. "They do play for eachother and when we play the way that I think that we're capable of playing, I have total faith that we can play very well," he said. In their last postseason meeting, Villanova beat KU at the 2018 Final Four. Two years before that, the Wildcats dashed KU’s hopes of reaching the Final Four after winning a region final in Louisville.
==========
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!