Former Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop to Resign from Kansas Senate
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Republican state Senator Gene Suellentrop will resign from his seat in January. The Kansas News Service reports that it's the latest move in Suellentrop's career since the longtime Kansas Republican lawmaker stepped down from his position as state Senate majority leader last year. Suellentrop was arrested in 2021 for driving drunk and traveling the wrong way on I-70 in Topeka. He eventually pleaded no contest to charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving. Sedgwick County Republicans will choose his replacement. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that they will pick a new senator next month.
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3 Hospitalized, 15-20 Displaced in KCK Apartment Fire
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KSHB) — Three people were hospitalized and 15-20 people were displaced in an apartment fire Saturday night in Kansas City, Kansas. KSHB TV reports that fire crews responded to the blaze at around 11 pm at Rainbow Ridge Apartments, near the University of Kansas Medical Center. A total of five people were rescued from balconies at the apartment building. Of the three hospitalized victims, one was injured with severe burns and smoke inhalation in the fire. No firefighters were injured. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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Two People Dead, Another Injured in Kansas City Following Sunday Afternoon Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — Police in Kansas City are investigating after two people were killed Sunday afternoon. According to KMBC TV, officers were called to the area of 38th Street and Garfield around 2:30 pm following a report of gunfire. At the scene, officers were directed to two male shooting victims who were unresponsive in front of a residence. EMS declared the two unresponsive victims deceased. A third victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No further information was released about the victims or a possible suspect. Authorities were still working to determine the identities of the shooting victims and what led up to the shooting.
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Lansing Correctional Facility Inmate Dies
LANSING, Kan. (KPR) – An inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility, George E. Dobbs, died Saturday. Prison officials say he was found unresponsive while under observation inside the infirmary. Staff members began life-saving measures but Dobbs was pronounced dead by medical staff. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy. A preliminary assessment indicates the death was not related to COVID-19. Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is investigated by both the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The 53-year-old Dobbs was serving an 89-month sentence following convictions in Leavenworth County for the distribution of heroin and meth.
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Teen Dies Following ATV Crash in Marion County
MARION COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) - The Kansas Highway Patrol says a 16-year-old died Saturday night in an ATV crash. KWCH TV reports that Seth Mader was found around 11 pm, after driving an ATV about two miles southeast of Marion. Officials say he failed to navigate a curve and crashed into a ditch. The 16-year-old was from Hillsboro.
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3 Killed, 2 Hospitalized in Kansas Highway Crash
MARION COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) - Three people were killed Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash in Marion County. WIBW TV reports that a Dodge Grand Caravan with two occupants was traveling north on Kansas Highway 256. A Ford Taurus with three occupants was traveling west on U.S. Highway 56. The Grand Caravan pulled out in front of the Ford, causing it to strike the passenger side of the Dodge minivan. The Kansas Highway Patrol says both vehicles came to rest in the north ditch. Authorities say the driver of the Dodge Caravan, 52-year-old Charlotte Sue Cole, of Moundridge, and the passenger, 19-year-old Jessica Dawn Schmidt, of Fruitland, Idaho, were killed in the crash. One of the three occupants of the Ford Taurus, 85-year-old Wanda Richmond, of Marion, was also killed. The other two people in the vehicle were both taken to a Marion hospital. The driver, 36-year-old Rebecca Young, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is believed to have suffered minor injuries while 58-year-old Ramona Richmond, of Salina, sustained serious injuries. Authorities say all of the people involved in the crash were wearing seatbelts.
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KPR Still Seeking Kansas Statehouse Bureau Chief to Join Station's Award-Winning News Team
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Public Radio, located at the University of Kansas, is looking for a new Kansas Statehouse Bureau Chief to cover all aspects of state government in Topeka for KPR and its statewide reporting partners. This exciting position requires skill, professional experience and curiosity. To apply, log on to: https://employment.ku.edu/staff/23463BR. A review of applications began in October and will continue until a robust pool of qualified applicants is identified.
KU is an EO/AAE. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, disability, genetic information or protected Veteran status.
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Check Your Tickets: Nearly $100 Million in Kansas Lottery Winnings Remain Unclaimed
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Nearly $100 million in lottery winnings remain unclaimed in Kansas. KSNT reports that millions of dollars worth of lottery winnings lay unclaimed and time is running out to redeem the winning tickets. According to Kansas Lottery officials, the unclaimed prizes range from a few thousand dollars to one ticket worth millions. Some prizes remain unclaimed nearly a year after they were won. A recent Powerball jackpot prize of nearly $93 million, which was won on November 19, also remains unclaimed. Excluding the unclaimed Powerball jackpot win, $592,998 in various prizes are up for grabs across every part of the state. Winners have 365 days to claim their cash before the money is returned to the prize fund to be used for future prizes.
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Kansas Court Order Allows for Telemedicine Abortions
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - A Kansas court decision last week will allow abortion clinics in the state to provide medication abortions through telemedicine. On Wednesday, a Shawnee County District Court judge stopped the enforcement of legislation that prohibited doctors from prescribing abortion pills via telemedicine. The state law passed in 2011 required doctors to have a physical presence when initially administering medication to induce an abortion. KWCH TV reports that the FDA-approved medication abortion is a two-pill process that can be used up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. The temporary injunction is a win for abortion rights supporters in the state. Data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) shows last year, medication abortion accounted for 68% of abortions in Kansas. The latest order doesn’t settle the law, as the case is still pending in Shawnee District Court.
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Kansas City Chiefs Slog Their Way Past L.A. Rams for 26-10 Victory
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 320 yards and a touchdown, Isiah Pacheco also ran for a score, and the Kansas City Chiefs slogged their way to a 26-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The Rams were playing without quarterback Matthew Stafford, who remained in the concussion protocol. Bryce Perkins got his first career start and finished with 100 yards passing along with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Rams have lost five straight and fell to 3-8, matching the 1987 Giants for the worst start through 11 games by a defending Super Bowl champion.
At 9-and-3, the Chiefs still have the best record in the AFC. But their next match is a road game at Cincinnati against the Bengals, the team that beat Kansas City in last season’s AFC Championship game.
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Kansas Volleyball Team Makes the NCAA Tournament
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Pairings for the NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament were announced Sunday and the Kansas Jayhawks are in the field. KU plays Thursday in Lincoln, Nebraska, against the University of Miami. The match will start at 4:30 pm.
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K-State Parting Ways with Longtime Volleyball Coach
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University has decided to part way with volleyball coach Suzie Fritz after 22 years. The school announced Sunday that Fritz would not return next year despite having a 393-263 overall record and leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament 13 times as head coach. K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said he appreciates Fritz's leadership and what she did to advance the program. Fritz won more games than any other K-State volleyball coach. But her teams have struggled in recent years and recorded only 15 wins in each of the past two seasons.
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No. 15 K-State Pounds Kansas to Earn Big 12 Title Shot
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Will Howard threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns, Deuce Vaughn ran for 147 yards and a score, and No. 15 Kansas State routed Kansas 47-27 on Saturday night to earn a shot at payback against TCU in the Big 12 championship game. The Wildcats blew a 28-10 lead in a 38-28 loss to the Horned Frogs during the regular season. The rematch will be played December 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a College Football Playoff spot likely on the line for TCU.
Devin Neal had two touchdown runs for the Jayhawks, who despite losing to Kansas State for the 14th consecutive time will be playing in their first bowl game since 2008.
K-State coach Chris Klieman didn't want to back into the Big 12 title game by having Texas lose to Baylor. He wanted his Wildcats to earn their spot in Arlington. So, after the Longhorns took care of business a day earlier, the No. 15 Wildcats stepped onto the field Saturday night and demolished their biggest rival.
It will be the first time the Wildcats play in the Big 12 title game, which went on hiatus from 2010-17, since toppling then-No. 1 Oklahoma in 2003 during Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder's first tenure. The Horned Frogs were beaten by the Sooners in their only previous appearance in the 2017 championship game.
The Wildcats have a week to prepare for TCU, while Kansas awaits its bowl destination.
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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. And follow KPR News on Twitter.