Kansas COVID-19 Infection Rate Exceeds National Average
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) - The majority of people in Kansas have now had COVID-19. That's according to a new federal estimate. More than 62% of Kansans had COVID-19 at least once, as of the end of February. That’s according to estimates based on testing for antibodies in blood samples which were collected for lab work. The federal data, which were updated last week, show Kansas is slightly higher than the 58% national average infection rate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that the testing did not determine the amount of antibodies in the blood samples, so the data should not be used to estimate how many people currently have immunity to the virus.
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Douglas County Sees Spike in COVID Cases
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - Douglas County has seen an uptick in COVID cases in recent weeks. The Kansas News Service reports that Douglas is one of three Kansas counties with high COVID transmission right now. New cases have jumped tenfold since late March. The local health department urges people with underlying conditions to be cautious, even though hospitalization numbers remain low. It comes weeks after the Jayhawks NCAA championship victory sparked large celebrations. But a county health department official says the increase could be linked to other factors, too, such as spring break and the highly transmissible COVID variants currently circulating.
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Some Rural Areas Near Kansas Tornado Had No Emergency Siren Coverage
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Some residents in rural Sedgwick County did not hear sirens going off before an EF-3 tornado struck the Wichita area one week ago. While most attention after last Friday's tornado centered on the heavily populated Wichita suburb of Andover, rural areas also suffered significant damage. Several homes were damaged and two people were injured in a rural neighborhood called Gypsum Township less than a mile outside Wichita city limits. Sedgwick County officials acknowledge many residents in rural areas might not have heard tornado sirens that are often miles away. They say several factors go into where the sirens are placed and it is not realistic to expect that all rural areas will be covered by tornado sirens.
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Kansas Senator Roger Marshall Calls for LGBTQ Advisories on TV
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas is calling on regulators to update ratings for TV shows so parents can shield their children from LGBTQ characters. Marshall and four other Republican senators from North Dakota, Utah, Indiana and Montana said the use of LGBTQ characters in television is harmful to children and erodes parental rights. The letter to the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board specifically pointed to a Disney executive who said she wanted to have more LGBTQ characters in stories. The senators compared sexual orientation and gender identity to sexual content that children should not see. Critics say the Republican senators are using the issue as another attack against the LGBTQ community in the, ongoing, “culture wars.” The TV Parental Guidelines are a rating system meant to help parents decide what programming is appropriate for their children.
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Kansas Legislature Gives More Money to Public Defenders but Board Says More Help Needed
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Low-income Kansans charged with crimes could have better access to legal defense after the state Legislature gave public defenders more money. But the Kansas News Service reports the request for more staffing in public defender offices was not approved. State lawmakers approved around $7 million in pay raises for attorneys and public defenders who work with the Board of Indigents Defense Services. That money will boost morale, attract new staff and help retain qualified employees, public defenders say. Executive director of the board, Heather Cessna, welcomes the money but wishes more was done. She wants to hire more public defenders and says past attempts to do so have not been successful enough. “Not having counsel to provide that representation is, you know, is a failing of our constitutional obligation," she said. Cessna says the state is taking a step in the right direction, but it will take years to adequately address shortages in the public defense system. ( Read more.)
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Foster Child Found Dead in Kansas City, Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) -A Kansas foster child was found dead in Kansas City, Kansas, days after running away from state custody. Fifteen-year-old Ace Scott ran away from state foster care contractor Cornerstones of Care in mid-April. The Kansas City Star reported that the teen was admitted to the hospital before running away and had run away before. The Kansas News Service had requested documents relating to the boy, but those requests were denied because there is an ongoing police investigation. Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard called the death a tragedy. Howard says in a statement that the department is working to improve its systems to prevent future problems.
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Experts: Bird Flu Danger Abates in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas bird lovers have less to fear about the spread of avian flu than people in other states. The chance of transmission of the disease to humans is considered very low and, experts say, many of the wild birds carrying the virus have already migrated out of the state. Some states have recommended people stop using bird baths and feeders because they can help spread the virus that has devastated the poultry industry. But in Kansas, bird experts suggest regular cleaning is enough to control flu and other diseases. Audubon of Kansas says avian flu has mostly been seen among waterfowl that have already left the state. The Kansas Department of Agriculture reported six outbreaks of bird flu, with the most recent occurring in late April.
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Southeast Kansas County to Change Diversion Program Eligibility
COFFEYVILLE, Kan (KNS) - Montgomery County, in southeast Kansas, will change how it offers diversion to people arrested for crimes. The move comes after allegations that the county was not giving people a chance to use the programs. A lawsuit filed in 2017 by the ACLU said Montgomery County, home of Independence and Coffeyville, was not giving people adequate access to diversion programs. Some people did not even know the options existed. A diversion agreement gives someone an alternative to jail or prison. It’s used when someone is facing criminal charges but is offered treatment, counseling or other services. The county will now post diversion materials online, create a new policy and make it easier for low-income Kansas to use the programs
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Some Kansas School Districts Cutting Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - Some school districts in Kansas are planning to cut jobs because of enrollment losses tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Enrollment is down more than 15,000 students statewide. Federal COVID relief helped districts cover shortfalls during the pandemic. Now, longer-term student losses will mean less state funding. Susan Willis is budget director for Wichita schools. She says the district needs to cut programs and leave some teaching vacancies unfilled. "We will have to start to reduce the budget footprint because the student footprint is down," she said. Similar cuts have been proposed in Olathe, Blue Valley and Lawrence.
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Shawnee County Sheriff's Office Raids Shops Selling THC, Seizes Products
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Law enforcement officers have been carrying out raids in Topeka on shops selling cannabis products. The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office won’t answer questions about how many stores it has raided, on what dates or how much it seized. Cannabis advocacy groups in Topeka say officers seized goods from several sellers on April 20 — a date celebrated by cannabis enthusiasts — and April 28, and continued their campaign over the past few days. The move frustrates advocates holding out hope that the Kansas Legislature will take final steps later this month to seal a deal that would legalize medical marijuana. The raids also frustrate advocates because some cannabis products already count as legal under state law. ( Read more.)
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Kansans Will Vote in November on Constitutional Amendment About Abortion
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansans will vote on a constitutional amendment this fall that could protect or limit abortion access in the state. The U.S Supreme Court appears ready to strike down protections at the federal level and send the issue back to voters in individual states. Many anti-abortion groups are focusing on the upcoming vote in Kansas. A state supreme court ruling currently guarantees access to abortions, which mean the procedure would remain legal even if federal protections are removed. However, abortion protections would likely vanish at the state level if the amendment is approved in November. Such a vote would not immediately make abortions illegal, but the state Legislature could approve stricter laws. Proposed legislation banning abortions has already been introduced. Danielle Underwood, with Kansans for Life, says the state doesn’t do enough to regulate abortion providers. “If Kansans want to stop this, they must vote yes (on the amendment)." Abortion providers maintain the procedure is already regulated in Kansas and is a critical health care service people need. ( Read more.)
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In Abortion Fight, Conservatives Push to End All Exceptions
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Rape, incest and the health of the fetus or mother were once accepted reasons to obtain an abortion in even the most conservative Republican-led states. But now roughly 20 states have abortion bans in the works without some of those exceptions. The shift comes as the Supreme Court is expected to overturn the nationwide right to abortion this summer. Troy Newman with the national anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, says exceptions for rape and incest and to protect a pregnant woman's life were only included in previous legislation to appease centrists.
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Ex-Kansas Police Officer to Face New Manslaughter Trial
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas police officer accused of shooting a man to death five years ago while on duty will face a new trial next month after his first trial ended in mistrial. Prosecutors tell the Kansas City Star that Matthew Harrington's new trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge will begin June 6. Last month, a mistrial was declared in his first trial after a jury in Leavenworth could not reach a unanimous verdict. Harrington is charged in the July 2017 shooting of 47-year-old Antonio Garcia Jr. as Garcia sat inside a vehicle in Leavenworth. Prosecutors say Garcia had a knife but didn't threaten Harrington. Harrington was fired from the Leavenworth force after a department investigation found he had violated policies on use of deadly force.
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Suspect in High-Speed Chase Fatally Shot by Kansas City Police, Trooper
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities in Kansas City say a man suspected of leading police on a chase over two states has been fatally shot by officers. Police in Kansas City, Missouri, say the shooting happened late Tuesday near Platte City after officers in Kansas City, Kansas, attempted to stop a car driven by a man as part of a homicide investigation. The man was identified Wednesday as 26-year-old Mekiah Harris, of Kansas City, Kansas. He was a suspect in a shooting death on Sunday in Kansas City, Kansas. Police say Harris sped off, leading to a chase into Missouri. He was eventually shot by officers in a wooded area south of Platte City.
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Possible Overturning of Roe v. Wade Sends Abortion Fight Back to States
UNDATED (AP) – If the U.S. Supreme Court follows through on overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, it would quickly split the country into states with abortion access and those that outlaw it. Democrats have vowed to fight the possible removal of abortion rights that have been in place for nearly a half-century, while Republicans cheered the draft opinion and condemned the extremely rare leak that allowed it to be reported by Politico on Monday. About half of U.S. states are expected to ban abortion if Roe falls and 13 states have so-called trigger laws that would immediately ban abortion if it is overturned.
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Oklahoma Joins Texas in Offering Glimpse of "Post-Roe" World
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma has joined Texas this week with new abortion restrictions. The new law signed Tuesday by Oklahoma's governor offers a preview of what abortion care might look like if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized the procedure nationwide. Abortion providers across the country have been bracing for the possibility that the high court’s new conservative majority might further restrict abortion. That has has especially been the case in Oklahoma, where lawmakers have passed a half-dozen anti-abortion measures this year. The new Oklahoma law prohibits doctors from performing an abortion after fetal activity is detected in the embryo. Experts say that is after about six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant.
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Missouri Set to Ban Most Abortions if Roe Ruling Falls
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is slated to ban most abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court undoes Roe v. Wade. Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Tuesday said he will take immediate action to allow an abortion ban to take effect if the landmark ruling is overturned, as a draft opinion leaked late Monday suggests. Missouri's GOP-led Legislature passed the abortion ban in in 2019 in hopes that the 1973 ruling would later be tossed out. Abortions would only be allowed to save the life of the mother. Anyone who performs an unlawful abortion would face 5 to 15 years in prison.
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Execution of Missouri Man Just the 5th in U.S. this Year
BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri man who killed a couple during a robbery at their rural home nearly 26 years ago has been put to death, even as another state has halted executions that have become increasingly uncommon in the U.S. Carman Deck was executed Tuesday at the state prison in Bonne Terre. So far this year, two people have been executed in Oklahoma and one each in Texas and Alabama. On Monday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee paused executions to enable a review of lethal injection procedures after a testing oversight forced the state to call off an execution last month.
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Rural Communities Often Miss Out on Federal Help
HAYS, Kan. (KNS) - Rural communities in Kansas and across the Midwest often do not have enough staff and expertise to take advantage of federal funding for infrastructure projects. As a result, more money gets funneled to affluent areas that don’t need it as much. A new Headwaters Economics report says many rural Kansas communities struggle to compete for their share of government grants. Part of the problem is population loss, which over the decades has shrunk small towns and their tax bases. But Headwaters Director Patty Hernandez says many rural Kansas governments are also missing zoning officials and grant writers. It all adds up to a barrier that blocks small towns from getting money that’s intended to help them. “Money is going primarily to larger, wealthier communities. And we should be getting help to the places that need it most," she said. Hernandez says one thing that would help is simplifying the applications communities need to fill out to get government money.
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Some Hope Next Farm Bill Includes Funding for Climate Change
URBANA, Ill. - (HPM) - The federal farm bill, which funds food and agricultural programs every five years, is set to expire next year and some hope the next bill will bolster climate change mitigation programs. The bill includes funding for things like nutrition assistance programs and crop insurance but it also provides cost-share programs for farmers to adopt more climate-friendly practices on their farms. President Biden’s Build Back Better plan included billions of dollars of funding for farmers to help mitigate climate change but that funding was pulled off the table when the Senate voted against the bill. Now, some legislators are trying to figure out how to fund more conservation programs for agriculture and they see the 2023 Farm Bill as an opportunity to secure that funding.
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Missouri Senate on Track to Pass Voter Photo ID Requirement
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri senators are slated to pass a bill requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. Republicans and Democrats compromised on the legislation late Tuesday after adding an amendment to allow two weeks of no-excuse absentee voting. Voters could cast ballots up to two weeks prior to the date of an election. Currently, voters need to cite an excuse for why they won't be able to vote in-person on Election Day. The primary bill would require voters to show government-issued photo identification to cast ballots. Voters who don't bring valid IDs could cast provisional ballots.
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Wichita State Fires Director of Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) - Wichita State has fired its athletic director following the departure of several men’s basketball players. KMUW Radio reports that Darron Boatright was head of the university’s athletic department for six years. The university did not give a specific reason for his firing – but President Rick Muma said in a statement that there were significant, ongoing concerns he believed could not be addressed. Several Shocker men’s basketball players have left the program in recent weeks, with some media reports citing lack of name, image and likeness deals. Boatright was also head of the department during coach Gregg Marshall’s departure and the university’s transition into the American Athletic Conference in 2017. Senior Associate Athletic Director Sarah Adams has been appointed interim director while the university hires a firm to conduct a search.
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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!