Federal Judge's Ban on Abortion Pills Could Affect Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - A federal court ruling revoking the FDA’s authorization of a key abortion drug won’t immediately shut down its use in Kansas. But the Kansas News Service reports that could change by the end of the week. A nationwide ban on the abortion pill mifepristone will take effect this Friday, unless a federal appeals court intervenes. Until then, Kansas clinics say they’ll continue prescribing the drug. But after that, it's anyone's guess. “I think nobody really knows quite what it means yet," said Attorney Teresa Woody, who has represented Kansas abortion providers. If mifepristone becomes unavailable, some clinics say they’ll pivot to a different medication abortion regimen that relies on a drug called misoprostol. Medication abortion accounts for more than two-thirds of abortions in Kansas.
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Kansas to Raise State Age for Buying Tobacco to 21 Starting July 1
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill Tuesday that will require Kansans to be 21 or older to legally buy tobacco products, starting July 1. The current age to buy cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and tobacco products is 18. The bill received bipartisan support in the Legislature in March. The federal government raised its age to buy tobacco products to 21 in 2019 and Kansas could have lost federal funds for substance abuse programs if it did not pass the bill. Kansas joins 41 other states that have increased the age to 21. Public health officials argue that raising the age to purchase tobacco products will reduce their use and result in lower health care costs.
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Bodies of Missing KC Musician, Son Recovered from Arkansas Lake
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP/KPR) — Authorities say the bodies of a Kansas City area musician and his son have been recovered from an Arkansas lake more than three weeks after the two went missing during a kayaking trip. Lt. Shannon Jenkins, of the Benton County Sheriff's Office, said Sunday that the bodies had been identified as those of 47-year-old Chuck Morris and his 20-year-old son, Charley Morris. The two men had last been seen on March 16 while on a kayaking trip to Beaver Lake in Arkansas. Chuck Morris was a percussionist who for more than two decades had been a member of the instrumental jam band Lotus.
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that a search crew found their bodies over the weekend while searching the lake with an underwater drone. The band Lotus posted a statement from the Morris family on its Facebook page saying relatives had spoken with Arkansas authorities and were told the men drowned. A Facebook statement from the band said proceeds from upcoming concerts in Denver; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Port Chester, New York, will go to benefit the Morris family. "Thank you all for the outpouring of support from around the world — we feel it and love you just as much," the band posted.
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KHP Identifies Topeka Woman Killed on I-35 in KCK
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Topeka woman has died after being hit by a semi-truck while walking along I-35 in Kansas City early Monday morning. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 30-year-old Jacqueline Kirwan, of Topeka, was hit by the truck just before 3:30 am. WIBW TV reports that emergency crews were called to the area of Cambridge Circle and southbound I-35 in Wyandotte County with reports of a vehicle-pedestrian crash. Responding officers found a U.S. Postal Service semi-truck had been headed south on the interstate. KHP says it does not know why Kirwan had been walking on the interstate.
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Governor Taking Part in Groundbreaking of Kansas Railroad Improvement Project
HUGOTON, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is heading to southwest Kansas this week to celebrate an upcoming railroad improvement project. The governor will be in Hugoton Wednesday morning for a groundbreaking ceremony, where she's expected to deliver brief remarks.
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Kansas City Gears Up to Host NFL, 300,000 People Expected
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NBC) - Kansas City expects about 300,000 fans when it hosts the NFL draft later this month. NBC News reports that favorable weather conditions could push the number even higher, possibly challenging the record of 600,000 in Nashville from 2019. The outdoor event runs from April 27 to 29. Forbes.com predicts the three-day event is expected to have a $100 million impact on the city, from hotels to restaurants to the various other ways money changes hands. Organizers say the NFL draft is probably the largest sporting event Kansas City has ever hosted. Six years ago during the NZFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected a young quarterback named Patrick Mahomes.
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Douglas County DA Asking College Students to Join Sexual Assault Task Force
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) - The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office is accepting applications from area college students to take part in a new sexual assault task force. The Lawrence Journal World reports that the new task force will help the DA’s office improve sexual assault education and prevention efforts. Two students will be selected from each of three area schools: the University of Kansas, Haskell Indian Nations University and Baker University. The office is currently accepting applications for the task force for the 2023-2024 school year. Interested students should contact the Douglas County DA's Office
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Wildfire Training Underway in Kansas
SCOTT COUNTY, Kan. (HPPR/KNS) - April is typically the windiest month in Kansas, and that can make this the toughest time of the year for wildland firefighters. But real-world training efforts are helping more firefighters get prepared. There’s not much firefighters can do to limit the spring winds that make this time of year so dangerous for wildfires in western Kansas. But training the next generation of firefighters about taking proactive steps, such as removing dry brush with chainsaws and clearing land with prescribed fires, can limit the damage wildfires inflict.
Logan Branam is one of more than two dozen Hutchinson Community College fire science students who participated in a recent Kansas Forest Service training at Lake Scott. He says this hands-on experience is preparing him for his summer job on a wildland fire crew. “This is way different. I feel like I've learned more here in the past few days than I do in classrooms," he said. The event also trained personnel from local fire departments in western and central Kansas and from the National Guard.
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Officials Try to Save Southeast Kansas Hospital
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) - Seven Kansas hospitals have closed since 2010 and another 50 are currently at risk of closing. One of those – S-C-K Health, in Arkansas – is hoping to survive by taking advantage of new federal rules that allow it to scale back services. Rural hospitals need Medicare and Medicaid dollars to survive, which means they must follow federal rules. Until now, that meant maintaining a certain number of in-patient beds. But changes recently approved by Congress could change that. Now, struggling rural hospitals could get additional federal dollars by agreeing to provide primarily emergency and out-patient services. S-C-K Health CEO Jeff Bowman says becoming what’s called a Rural Emergency Hospital is the path to survival. “We lost almost $3.2 million last year," he said. "So, we knew we had to look at this for the future of our hospital.” Ark City residents expressed concerns at a recent community meeting. But most said they could support the changes if they’re necessary to save their hospital.
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Kansas Man Convicted of Murder in Child's Malnutrition Death
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been convicted of murder after his 2-year-old daughter died of malnutrition while he was passed out for days from intoxication, prosecutors said.
Jeffrey J. Exon was convicted Monday in the death of Aurora Exon at their home in Topeka, The Topeka Capital Journal reported.
Investigators found that Exon would not feed or attend to his children for days because of his addiction issues, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said in a news release Tuesday.
Exon's 6-year-old son, who was 4 when his sister died, testified at trial that his dad locked them in their rooms for several days without food while he “slept,” Kagay said.
Jeffrey Exon called authorities to the home on Jan. 5, 2021, when Aurora was found dead. Five empty liquor bottles were found in his bedroom, investigators said.
Exon was convicted of aggravated child endangerment, first-degree murder in the commission of a felony, reckless but unintentional second-degree murder and failure by a parent to report the death of a child.
Seonaid Nichols, the children's mother, said she agreed to give James Exon custody of the children because her living conditions didn't allow her to take care of them.
Exon is scheduled to be sentenced July 28.
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Former Kansas Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Sex Assaults
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas police officer has pleaded guilty to a series of sexual assaults that prosecutors say occurred when he stopped his victims claiming to want to question them about drugs.
Todd W. Allen entered the guilty pleas Monday to 12 felony sex charges and five breach of privacy charges under a plea deal in which he must serve at least 20 years in prison and no more than 23 1/2 years, The Hutchinson News reported.
Allen is free on $250,000 bond and must wear an ankle monitor while he awaits sentencing in May, the report said. It said he waived his right to a jury trial and must registered as a sex offender as part of the plea deal.
Allen was arrested in August 2022 and originally charged with 17 felonies, including rape, sexual battery and indecent liberties with a child between the ages of 14 or 15, according to authorities. The assaults occurred between 2012 and 2018, while Allen was a Hutchinson police officer.
He also was charged with five misdemeanors of breach of privacy, which occurred after he resigned from the police force in 2019 and became a security guard at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.
Court documents say there were 10 sexual assault victims.
Prosecutors said most of the victims were in cars with a friend, brother or boyfriend when Allen would ask the females to get out of the car. The assaults occurred while Allen questioned the victims about drugs, they said.
Allen was caught after he was seen on a citizen’s security tape looking over a fence. He had looked into windows on several prior occasions, according to court records.
Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton said Allen was not on duty during the sexual assaults.
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Woman Charged After Flight Diverted to Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A woman is facing federal charges after she allegedly created a disturbance that forced a fight to be diverted to Kansas City. Federal prosecutors say 32-year-old Chloe DaSilva is charged with interfering with a flight attendant. DaSilva was a passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight from San Francisco to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Friday. Court documents say passengers told investigators that DaSilva, whose hometown was not available, became abusive toward a flight attendant and threatened to kill him. She was eventually was restrained with zip ties. The pilot told investigators he decided to divert the plane to Kansas City International Airport out of concern for the passengers' safety.
(–Additional Reporting –)
Woman Charged After Flight Diverted to Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ABC) -- A woman has been charged in federal court after prosecutors said she caused a disturbance that forced a flight to be diverted to Kansas City International Airport. Federal prosecutors say 32-year-old Chloe DaSilva has been charged with one count of interfering with a flight attendant. ABC News reports that DaSilva was on board an Alaska Airlines Flight that took off from San Francisco International early Friday bound for Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Several passengers said DaSilva became abusive toward a flight attendant and threatened to kill him. She eventually was restrained with zip ties. The pilot told investigators he decided to divert the flight to Kansas City out of concern for the safety of the passengers. On Monday, prosecutors asked a federal judge to continue to detain DaSilva pending a detention hearing, which has not been scheduled.
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State Budget Winners and Losers - So Far
TOPEKA, Kan. (LJW) — The Kansas Legislature signed off on a new state budget last week that reallocates unspent federal economic stimulus funds to help communities with infrastructure projects. The budget bill also pumps $100 million more into the state’s rainy-day account and supports construction of a joint university health science center in Wichita. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the budget bill did not include funding for state employee raises nor expansion of Medicaid. Forty states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid services, while Kansas stands among 10 states that declined to do so since the Affordable Care Act was implemented nearly a decade ago. All four states surrounding Kansas have taken that step.
The salary issue and other loose ends of the budget would be addressed by the Republican-led Legislature and Democratic Governor Laura Kelly later this month after financial analysts craft revised state tax revenue forecasts.
Rep. John Alcala, D-Topeka, said he was disturbed this budget didn’t set aside appropriations for state employee pay raises. He said it was disheartening the Senate was considering legislation to give statewide officeholders raises but the chamber had yet to take up compensation for state employees receiving more modest wages.
The budget allocated $142 million in ARPA funding toward construction of a health science center in Wichita through a project linking Wichita State University and University of Kansas. The facility is expected to cost in the neighborhood of $300 million.
More than $60 million was set aside to benefit Kansas nursing homes, which struggled through the pandemic and increasingly are in jeopardy of closing. (Read more.)
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Provision in New State Budget Creates Questions About Future of KU’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs
TOPEKA, Kan. (LJW) - A budget bill passed by Kansas lawmakers last week creates new questions about how University of Kansas officials will address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the budget bill approved by lawmakers includes language that would prohibit KU and other state universities from spending state tax dollars on diversity and equity-related issues. The language doesn’t specifically bar KU from operating its Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, but it does put limits on how KU officials can interact with individuals on the issues of diversity and equity. The bill’s language prohibits the spending of state dollars to get people to “endorse or oppose any ideology, including the ideology of diversity, equity or inclusion.” A spokeswoman said KU was still trying to determine the effects of the legislation. The budget bill has not yet become law. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly could use her line-item veto power to remove the provision from the budget bill. However, the Republican-controlled Legislature also could attempt to override any veto.
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Kansas Man Sentenced in Capitol Riot 'Ridiculously Ashamed'
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Kansas City, Kansas, contractor said he was “ridiculously ashamed” before he was sentenced Monday to four months of incarceration for joining a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan also ordered 48-year-old Kasey Hopkins to pay $500 restitution in a video conference hearing. His incarceration will be followed by 24 months of probation. Hopkins acknowledged during the hearing that he was sent to prison in 2002 for a rape conviction. He said that after getting out, he tried to make amends and started a business. But on January 6, 2021, Hopkins breached the Capitol twice and entered a senator’s private office, where he took pictures of rioters ransacking the room. “I’m ridiculously ashamed to be here right now,” he said, adding that “the mob mentality is a very, very real thing.”
Chutkan praised Hopkins for undergoing “personal transformation," but she said his involvement in the riot “boggled my mind.” Court documents said that Hopkins proposed “forming a group of ‘Proud Felons for Trump’ when he heard the Proud Boys might not accept men with felony convictions.” Hopkins initially was charged with four misdemeanors, but prosecutors dropped three of them in exchange for him pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. About 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes in the riot that temporarily halted the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory and left dozens of police officers injured.
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Billionaires Like Bill Gates Are Quietly Amassing Farmland; What Could This Mean for The Future of Agriculture?
UNDATED (AP) - No, Bill Gates does not own 80% of all U.S. farmland. The billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft founder recently cleared the air on his 11th Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit. In response to a question, "Why are you buying up so much farmland, do you think this is a problem with billionaire wealth and how much you can disproportionately acquire?" Bill Gates responded, "My investment team bought the farmland. (But,) It is less than .1% of all U.S. farmland because the ownership is so diverse. We invest in the farms to raise productivity. Some are near cities and might end up having other uses." The purchase of over two thousand acres of prime North Dakota farmland by a group connected to Bill Gates has evoked strong feelings regarding laws from the Great Depression era created to safeguard family farms and has raised questions about the billionaire's motives.
Farmland as an Investment
Farmland investing has a long history of producing stable returns. The returns are due to increasing farmland values and the profit from the cash crops.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City published its report titled "Growth in Farmland Values Slows Amid Higher Interest Rates." The report highlights that farm real estate values increased considerably in 2022 but showed signs of softening during the final months of 2022 as interest rates rose sharply.
Elevated commodity prices continued to support profit opportunities for many producers across the farm sector, but concerns about operating expenses, higher interest rates, and intense drought persisted.
According to the USDA, inflation-adjusted net farm income is forecast to be $167.3 billion in 2022. It represents an 8.3-percent increase from 2021 and the highest level since 1973.
The global population has been increasing, and the demand for food has been steadily growing. A meta-analysis of projected global food demand by Nature indicates the total global food demand is expected to increase by 35% to 56% between 2010 and 2050. It will have a significant impact on agricultural markets. Farmers worldwide need to boost crop production somehow by expanding the amount of farmland devoted to agriculture or by increasing productivity on existing agricultural properties.
Currently, investors are attracted to farmland due to its low correlation with the stock market's volatility. This makes it an exceptional tool for diversifying portfolios.
Farmers have pricing power for their crops. Food is not a discretionary item on any budget. Farmland increases in value when agricultural products increase since the underlying land becomes more valuable. It makes farmland well-suited to retain value over time, even during recessions or inflationary environments.
The Lure of Alternative Assets
Billionaires and high-net-worth endowment funds have always diversified their investments from stocks and bonds into alternative assets.
Although Bill Gates is the largest private farmland owner in the U.S., other billionaires are also landowners. The billionaire media mogul Ted Turner owns 2 million acres, while Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has amassed 420,000 acres. In a 2014 letter to investors, Warren Buffet described farmland as an investment with "no downside and potentially substantial upside." Large institutional investors have favored farmland for a long time. The top U.S. university endowment funds have invested billions in cropland and other real estate investments.
The tax exemptions granted to pension funds and endowments in the United States undoubtedly bolster the financialization of farmland.
Federal tax regulations stipulate that most private foundations must spend a minimum of 5 percent of their net assets annually to maintain their tax-exempt status. Universities are excluded from this mandate, and their investments' income does not face the 15 percent federal capital gains tax.
Examining The Impact of Financialization on Agriculture
The way farmland is utilized as a part of the multi-billion-dollar portfolios for wealthy institutions and billionaires should not be overlooked. Not only does it signify an ever-growing concentration of wealth at the top, but this especially holds tremendous relevance due to controlling a vital food source.
As early as 1980, concerns over the implications for American agriculture due to the investment of pension funds in farmland led to U.S. Senate hearings. Senator Gaylord Nelson worried about the escalating price of farmland, making it almost impossible to start farming.
He said, "We will then replace the system of dispersed ownership of farmland by those who till the soil and plan to hand it on to their children with ownership by investors, speculators, and institutions interested in maximizing their economic gain."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture granted funds to Madeleine Fairbairn for studying "farmland financialization."
Her research concluded that land allows institutional investors to diversify their risk while earning a respectable profit. However, to the small farmers, it's their very livelihood. The land is essential to farmers, indigenous peoples, and rural communities - it provides them with food security, pride, and cultural identity.
Although Bill Gates does not own 80% of the American farmland, the high ownership level raises concern. With time, as more and more investors regard farmland as a regular financial asset class, the price of farmland might fluctuate dramatically. We cannot allow these precious resources to become tools in an investment arsenal; used by wealthy institutions without a thought for those whose lives depend upon it.
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Walmart Announces Installation of More EV Charging Stations
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Kansans will soon find more electric vehicle charging stations across the state. WIBW TV reports that all Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in Kansas will soon add more EV charging stations. Electric vehicle ownership in the U.S. has increased every year as the vehicles become less expensive. Walmart officials say their stores currently offer about 1,300 charging stations at 280 locations.
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Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Reported in Kansas, Iowa
UNDATED (HPM) - A fatal disease affecting rabbits is spreading throughout the Midwest, with cases in Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Harvest Public Media reports there is a vaccine that can protect domestic rabbits. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease, or RHDV2, is a highly transmissible virus affecting both wild and domestic rabbits. It was first identified in wild rabbits in the southwest in 2020. According to Dr. Anthony Pliny, a veterinarian in Phoenix, the vast number of rabbits infected will die. The virus will in the later stages induce a state where uncontrolled or unstoppable, bleeding occurs, and that will lead to death. RHDV2 is not known to affect people or other animals. Those with rabbits can contact their local veterinarian for more information.
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Kansas Set to Receive Federal Money to Clean Up Three Superfund Sites
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - Kansas will receive $38 million from the federal infrastructure law to clean up three Superfund sites around the state. Superfund sites are contaminated by chemicals that are toxic to humans and the environment. The federal government has identified at least 17 in Kansas. One of the sites that will receive money is at 57th and Broadway, near Park City. A plume of contaminated groundwater from the site is stretching toward a well where Park City and Bel Aire get water. Brandi Bailey is council member for Park City. "The groundwater contamination plume is heading towards our largest and most critical water (supply). This treatment facility will ensure the continued use of the well," she said. The federal money will go toward a new groundwater cleaning facility. The site is contaminated with tetrachloroethene, a dry-cleaning fluid that can be a health hazard.
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Vanished KC Woman Whose Remains Were Found by Woods Had Ties to FBI Drug Probe
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - Kansas City authorities believe 22-year-old Abbi Schaeffer may have been killed because she was preparing to give the FBI information about a fentanyl drug ring. On April 1, after months of searching for her, authorities discovered her abandoned body near hiking trails in south Kansas City. Since her remains were discovered, homicide detectives have been leading a death investigation. The Kansas City Star reports that two months before Schaeffer went missing, Joseph Burgess, a former boyfriend of hers, was one of four men arrested in an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy that the federal government says began in 2019. Prosecutors alleged at the time that Burgess and the other defendants were responsible for selling a fatal dose to a 17-year-old girl. Burgess, who has pleaded not guilty, was charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute. (Read more.)
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78-Year-Old Bank Heist Suspect: 'I Didn't Mean to Scare You'
HARRISONVILLE, Mo. (AP) — A 78-year-old woman with two past bank robbery convictions faces new charges after authorities allege she handed a teller a note that said "I didn't mean to scare you" during a recent Missouri heist. The Kansas City Star reports that Bonnie Gooch is jailed on $25,000 bond after she was charged with one count of stealing or attempting to steal from a financial institution in the holdup Wednesday in Pleasant Hill. No attorney is listed for her in online court records. She also was convicted of robbing a California bank in 1977 and one in the Kansas City suburb of Lee's Summit in 2020.
Her probation in the second heist ended in November 2021. Court documents filed in Cass County in the latest case said the robbery note demanded "13,000 small bills," adding "thank you sorry I didn't mean to scare you." Surveillance video also captured her banging on the counter, asking the teller to hurry, Cass County prosecutors said. She smelled strongly of alcohol when officers stopped her less than 2 miles away, with cash scattered on the car's floorboard, prosecutors added. "It's just sad," Pleasant Hill Police Chief Tommy Wright said, adding that the suspect had no diagnosed ailments.
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Crackdown on Shoplifting Leads to 16 Arrests in Lenexa
LENEXA, Kan. (KMBC) - Police in Lenexa say 16 people have been arrested following a nearly week-long crackdown on retail theft. The suspects include people who face arrest warrants in other states as well as a woman wanted by federal immigration authorities. The investigation also resulted in the recovery of stolen weapons. KMBC TV reports that the focus of the sting was at retail stores in the area near 95th and Quivira. Lenexa police help a similar sting operation last December and plan to conduct more sting operations in the future.
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Overland Park Ranked Healthiest City in Kansas
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Shawnee Mission Post) - Overland Park has been named the healthiest city in Kansas, according to new rankings by the personal finance website WalletHub. The Shawnee Mission Post reports that Overland Park wa the only city in Kansas to make it into the top 150. The city ranked 32nd overall in WalletHub’s “2023 Healthiest & Unhealthiest Cities in America” list, which compared more than 180 of the largest cities across the country. WalletHub used 43 health-related categories to rank cities.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.