When Will the Rain Stop? Likely Thursday and Friday
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - After a steady dose of rain and thunderstorms, eastern Kansas may catch a sunny and dry break Thursday and Friday. The National Weather Service says there's a 70% chance of showers and storms today (WED), which could produce additional heavy rainfall. But sunshine and dry conditions are forecast for eastern Kansas Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, a number of flood warnings and watches remain in effect for eastern Kansas.
- FLOOD WARNING for Stranger Creek at Easton affecting Leavenworth and Atchison counties, extended through Thursday afternoon
- FLOOD WARNING for the Marais Des Cygnes River near La Cygne and Trading Post affecting Linn County and for the Marais Des Cygnes River near Osawatomie affecting Miami County
- FLOOD WARNING for the Neosho River near Chanute, Erie, Parsons and Oswego, affecting Allen County and several others in southeast Kansas, through Thursday afternoon
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Despite Recent Rains, USDA Says Kansas Wheat Still Hurt by Drought
UNDATED (KPR) - Despite recent rains, more than one-third of the Kansas winter wheat crop is being significantly affected by drought. USDA’s crop progress and condition report says only 28% of the state's winter wheat is rated in good-to-excellent condition.
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U.N. Warns of Coming Famine Due to War in Ukraine and Weather Woes Across the Wheat Belt
UNDATED (Reuters) - The United Nations has warned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine could throw millions of people into famine and take years to resolve. The war has affected several commodities, including grains, oils, fuel and fertilizer. The Reuters news service reports that the ongoing war has exacerbated concerns about the global food supply. Washington has been calling on U.S. farmers to seed more winter wheat this autumn, and the government said it would allow planting on some environmentally sensitive land beginning this fall. But analysts say the drought and costly farm inputs could limit production. There are two wheat crops in the United States: spring wheat planted now, and winter wheat planted in autumn that will be harvested soon. Both are in trouble. The problems with the spring wheat planting faced by farmers come after drought hit the winter wheat crop in Kansas, the top growing state. The U.S. winter wheat harvest potential in Kansas has fallen by more than 25% due to severe drought. Kansas farmers may abandon thousands of acres of wheat in fields this year, instead of paying to harvest the drought-scorched grain.
Meanwhile, soggy spring weather in states like North Dakota has all but ensured that the northern U.S. Plains breadbasket will not produce a bumper crop this year. In the southern U.S. Plains, winter wheat farmers have received very little rain and are concerned about the size of their harvest - or if the shriveled plants will simply need to be plowed under. A private group touring wheat fields in Kansas in mid-May forecast its harvest would shrink by 28% this year and more fields than normal may go unharvested due to drought damage. About 6% of the state's planted acres would be abandoned, according to the latest USDA estimates. But given the drought damage, Kansas State University wheat agronomist Romulo Lollato thinks the abandonment rate will be higher. "I would not be surprised if 8%, 9%, 10%" of planted acres are abandoned this year, Lollato said. In neighboring Colorado, abandonment could top 30%. U.S. wheat output has been on a longer-term decline as farmers favored corn and soybean production, which are more lucrative due to demand from biofuels producers.
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Schmidt Picks U.S. Senator Roger Marshall's Aide for Kansas Governor Ticket
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Presumed Republican nominee Derek Schmidt has chosen a staffer for one of Kansas' two U.S. senators as his running mate in the governor's race. Schmidt filed the necessary paperwork Wednesday to get him and Katie Sawyer on the ballot in the August 2 primary. He faces no GOP opposition to his bid to unseat Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. Sawyer is a 38-year-old McPherson resident. She is state director for U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and worked on Marshall’s congressional staff before his election to the Senate in 2020. Schmidt said he expects Sawyer to be a key adviser if he’s elected by helping him stay informed of people’s views.
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Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach Running for Attorney General
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) - Former Secretary of State Kris Kobach is now running for the office of Kansas Attorney General. The Kansas Reflector reports that Kobach filed to run for the office Tuesday. He joins two others seeking the GOP nomination in the August 2nd primary. The other two Republican candidates are state Senator Kellie Warren and former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi. The lone Democrat running for A-G is attorney Chris Mann. The office is open because the current Attorney General, Derek Schmidt, is seeking the governor's office. In recent years, Kobach has been an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate and for Kansas governor.
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Opioid Deaths Skyrocket in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Opioid deaths have skyrocketed in Kansas in recent years. The Kansas News Service reports that tracking drug deaths alone may not be enough to monitor the problem. Knowing the number of people who died from opioids is an important statistic. But Frances McGaffey with the Pew Charitable Trusts says states also need to track things like what medication people are taking and for how long. “Overdose deaths tell us the severity of the opioid crisis, but they don't tell us how to prevent those deaths in the first place," she said. Kentucky, for instance, recently looked at what medication people were taking and realized not enough people had access to treatment. Kentucky is working to reduce barriers to medication, McGaffey says, which is an issue the state would not have discovered without richer data.
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KHP Assisted More than 800 Motorists over Memorial Day Holiday Reporting Period
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Two motorists were killed on Kansas roads over the long holiday weekend. The Highway Patrol says state troopers worked two fatality accidents that claimed two lives - one, a DUI-related crash and another, non-DUI-related crash. The Highway Patrol assisted 811 motorists during the holiday reporting period, which ran from last Friday evening through Monday night.
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Man Found Guilty of Killing Woman He Was Accused of Stalking
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Missouri man has been convicted of killing a woman he was accused of stalking and faces life in prison when he's sentenced in October. The Kansas City Star reports that a Johnson County jury found 44-year-old Clyde James Barnes Jr., of Kansas City, guilty Tuesday of first-degree murder and other counts in the July 2020 killing of 42-year-old Jessica Smith in her Olathe home. Barnes was also found guilty of aggravated burglary, unlawful tampering with electronic monitoring, criminal threat and violation of a protection order. Olathe police who were responding to a burglary call at Smith's home found her body inside and arrested Barnes hours later. At the time, Barnes was out on bond for a stalking charge involving Smith, but the charge was later dismissed.
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Man Charged with Shooting Disc Golf Player in KC Park
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Authorities say a 21-year-old man has been charged with two felonies after shooting at a group of Frisbee golf players in a Kansas City park, wounding one of them. The Jackson County, Missouri, Prosecutor's office says the Kansas City man faces one count of first-degree assault and a count of armed criminal action. He remains in jail. The shooting took place Saturday afternoon at Kessler Park. One man was wounded in the back and transported to a local hospital.
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Three Indicted in Kansas City for Large-Scale Meth Conspiracy
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) – Three people have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Kansas City for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine. The charges follow the seizure of approximately 29 pounds of methamphetamine, as well as firearms and $57,000 in cash in southwest Missouri. The defendants are charged in a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury Wednesday. The charges contained in the indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Federal prosecutors identify the defendants as 44-year-old Brian E. Hall, of Aurora, Missouri, as well as 28-year-old Jacqueline Aldrete Bojorquez and 37-year-old Jeffrey L. Hughley, whose addresses are unknown. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team and the sheriff's offices of bother Barry County and Stone County, Missouri. ( Read more.)
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Mother Accused of Decapitating Son Found Unfit for Trial
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City woman accused of decapitating her 6-year-old son has been found mentally unfit to stand trial. The Kansas City Star reports that a judge last week placed 35-year-old Tasha Haefs in the custody of the Missouri Department of Mental Health after finding her incompetent to stand trial. Haefs had been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Karvel Stevens. Officers in February found the boy and a family dog decapitated. Police went to the home after a woman believed to be Haefs called and said the devil was trying to attack her. Haefs’ family members say she had struggled for years with drug addiction, depression, severe trauma and hallucinations. A message seeking comment was left Wednesday for Haefs’ public defender.
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Witness Claims KC Police Shot Unarmed Woman; Cops Say She Had a Weapon
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Did Kansas City police shoot an unarmed, pregnant woman? That's the question many are asking in the wake of a video taken by a woman and shared on social media. Four Kansas City police officers responded to a suspected carjacking Friday night. KCTV News reports that investigation led to an officer-involved shooting of a woman at a Dollar General Store near 6th and Prospect. The shooting has become the subject of a social media video and a dispute, as at least one eyewitness claims the woman shot by police was unarmed. Police say otherwise. Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Andy Bell says the initial investigation indicates the woman shot by police was armed with a handgun. Bell notes that officer-involved shootings take weeks, if not months, to fully investigate before final conclusions can be reached. ( Read more.)
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Advocates Seek New Policies After Topeka Homeless Camp Razed
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The recent bulldozing of a camp for homeless people in Topeka has advocates arguing that the city should adopt more liberal policies modeled after ones in Kansas City. The Kansas City Star reports that social worker Russell Burton and other advocates hope to raise the issue at the Topeka City Council's meeting June 7. Burton wants the city to require outreach workers to visit before a camp is bulldozed and to remain until city workers leave. He also wants to require the city to store people's personal items for 60 days. The city razed the homeless encampment May 10.
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Lack of Cooperation Hinders Wichita Police Investigation into Fatal Shooting at Graduation Party
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Authorities in Wichita continue to investigate a shooting at a high school graduation party that left two teenagers dead. One of the victims died from a gunshot wound. The other victim was hit by a vehicle while fleeing the scene. Police say the events unfolded after an argument Saturday night between two groups. Investigators say a lack of cooperation among witnesses has made it difficult to determine the details of the case. The shooting victim, a 17-year-old Wichita boy, was taken to a nearby a hospital where he died. A 15-year-old girl fleeing the scene of the shooting was struck by a car. She later died at a hospital. The 18-year-old driver fled the scene and was later arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run.
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Kansas to Spend Millions on New Train Projects
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas is pumping millions of dollars into railway projects to increase transport capacity in rural areas. Governor Laura Kelly’s administration announced more than $11 million for 17 railway projects as part of a program created in 2019. The money will largely flow to parts of western and southern Kansas, to help companies such as short-line railroads and shippers. Kansas grants partial funding to help them complete projects such as laying new track, replacing railway switches and upgrading bridges.
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Sunflower Summer Program Enters Second Year
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - Kansas kids can get free admission to more than 85 educational activities this summer - things like museums, zoos and science centers. It's the second year for the summer initiative, called the Sunflower Summer Program. The program uses federal COVID-relief funds to pay for admission to dozens of Kansas attractions, like Exploration Place in Wichita and the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays. Children ages 4 to 18 can get free tickets, along with two parents or guardians. The program is run through a smart phone app. Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson says the goal is to keep students learning over the summer. “Why are we doing it? Because we want families and kids to enjoy Kansas and learn," he said. "That’s the combination that we think is so important.” The program runs through mid-August. (More information at SunflowerSummer.org.)
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Steamboat Arabia Museum Considers Moving from Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) - One of the top tourist attractions in Kansas City could be leaving town. The owner of the Steamboat Arabia Museum - Bob Hawley - is looking at a new city for his sunken riverboat collection. It could be headed to a new home, across the state of Missouri, in St. Charles. Hawley says the current museum is not large enough. He also wants to dig up another steamboat - located about 90 miles east of Kansas City - and display them both. Hawley expects to have a final decision on a move within six months. The Steamboat Arabia museum will remain at its current location -- in City Market -- until its lease expires in 2026.
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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.