Lawsuits Filed in Missouri Amtrak Derailment
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The first lawsuits have been filed following an Amtrak train collision and derailment in rural Missouri that killed four people and injured up to 150 others. Janet Williams of Dubuque, Iowa, filed a federal lawsuit Friday naming Amtrak, BNSF Railway, and MS Contracting, the employer of the dump truck driver that collided with the train. The complaint alleges negligent design of the railroad crossing, and says the train was packed with too many riders. The Kansas City Star reports that Amtrak and BNSF sued MS Contracting Thursday, saying the train was "clearly visible." Truck driver Billy Barton II died in the collision, along with three passengers. Barton's widow sued Chariton County and a BNSF official on Thursday.
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Kansas Supreme Court Overturns Walmart Tax Decision
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Supreme Court has issued a blow to big box retailers trying to lower their property taxes. The court reversed an earlier ruling that found Johnson County overtaxed Walmart properties by tens of millions of dollars. Friday's decision centers around the "dark store" theory, that big box store properties should be valued as if they were vacant buildings, rather than operating businesses. Walmart made that argument before the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals. The Kansas Supreme Court Friday said the board wrongly ruled in the company's favor and did not fully consider evidence from Johnson County on how to value Walmart's property. The court sent the case back to the board to reconsider, and the board could rule in Walmart's favor again.
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KCK, Wyandotte County Settle for $12.5 Million in Wrongful Conviction Case
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) - A wrongfully convicted man will receive a $12.5 million settlement with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The settlement was approved this week after Lamonte McIntyre served more than 24 years in prison for a double homicide in 1994. KCUR reports that McIntyre had originally sought $93 million in the civil lawsuit; his mother had sought $30 million.