Andover Tornado Rates EF-3, 3 Students Killed in Crash
WICHITA, Kan. (KPR/AP) — The National Weather Service has rated Friday's tornado in Andover as an EF-3, with estimated 165 mile per hour winds and a path length of more than 12 miles. Emergency crews are continuing to assess the widespread damage from the tornado that swept through Sedgwick and Butler counties, with hundreds of homes and buildings damaged or destroyed, several people injured, and initially more than 15,000 people without power. There were no fatalities or critical injuries from the twister itself, but three University of Oklahoma meteorology students traveling back from storm-chasing in Kansas were killed in a crash Friday evening. The Andover Public School district announced that Prairie View Elementary School will remain closed for the rest of the year after sustaining heavy damage in the storm. Governor Laura Kelly traveled to the area Saturday, and met with first responders, city and county officials, and families affected by the tornado. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has released preliminary information about several other tornadoes that swept across Kansas Friday. Marion County saw four tornadoes Friday, two of which briefly touched down. The National Weather Service also confirmed EF-1 tornadoes in Butler and Dickinson counties.
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Priest to Return to Topeka Parish, No Charges Filed
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A priest who was accused of sexual abuse of a minor will return to his parish in Topeka after prosecutors decided not to file charges against him. Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas announced Friday that Rev. John Pilcher will resume his duties as pastor of Mater Dei Parish immediately. Pilcher was on a leave of absence since September after the allegations were made against him. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the allegations and Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced this week that he would not file charges. The archdiocese also investigated the allegations. Naumann said Friday he had “full confidence” in Pilcher.
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KCK Police: 3 Killed, 3 Injured in Overnight Shootings
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Three people were killed and three others injured in a two shootings in Kansas City, Kansas, Saturday night. The Kansas City Star reports that the KCK Police Department's Major Case Unit is investigating both shootings, which mark the 13th, 14th, and 15th homicides of the year. No information about the victims or possible suspects has been released.
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Headcounts, Budgets Down at Public Schools
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Public school systems are beginning to feel the pinch from enrollment losses tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Funding for schools is driven partly by student headcounts, and emergency provisions in many states allowed them to maintain funding at pre-pandemic levels. But like the billions of dollars of federal relief money that have helped schools weather the crisis, those measures were not meant to last forever. A school system in suburban Kansas City is eliminating over 100 jobs, including kindergarten aides and library clerks. Oakland, California, is closing seven schools. Other districts around the country are merging classrooms, selling buildings and leaving teaching positions unfilled.