Kansas Agrees to Temporary Pause in Enforcing New Law on Medication Abortions
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials have agreed not to enforce a new restriction on medication abortions for at least five weeks before a state court judge decides whether to put it on hold until he decides a lawsuit challenging it and other existing rules.
Providers and their attorneys announced the agreement Tuesday. For now, providers won't have to tell patients that they can stop a medication abortion using a regimen that providers and major medical groups consider unproven and potentially dangerous. The new rule was set to take effect July 1.
The agreement, filed Friday in Johnson County District Court in the Kansas City area, does not prevent the state from enforcing other, existing restrictions the providers have challenged, including a requirement that patients wait 24 hours after seeing a doctor in person to terminate their pregnancies. District Judge K. Christopher Jayaram has set an Aug. 8 hearing to consider whether the newest restriction or others should be blocked while the lawsuit is pending.
The providers — a clinic in the Kansas City suburbs in Johnson County operated by Planned Parenthood Great Plains and another nearby clinic and its two doctors — hope to overturn all of the state's requirements for what providers must tell patients. The information must be given to patients 24 hours in advance of their abortions, in writing and in a specific size and kind of type.
The lawsuit alleges that Kansas has a “Biased Counseling Scheme” meant to discourage patients from having abortions and to stigmatize those who do. But, for providers, the urgent task was stopping the latest requirement before it took effect, said Alice Wang, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights.
“This buys the court and it buys us some more time to litigate that in full while the status quo remains in effect,” Wang said.
For more than a decade, abortion opponents have touted a medication “reversal” regimen developed by a veteran California doctor using the hormone progesterone, long given to prevent miscarriages.
The new Kansas law was set to take effect less than a year after a decisive August 2022 statewide vote affirming abortion rights. The Republican-controlled Legislature enacted it over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto. Abortion opponents argue that the state's “Woman's Right to Know Act” requirements help patients make informed decisions and give them a source of information other than the clinics themselves. They argue that the new medication “reversal” law informs patients of an option if they're still unsure about ending their pregnancies even after taking the first dose of abortion medication.
“The new portions are only temporarily delayed during the first phase of litigation," Republican state Attorney General Kris Kobach said in a statement. "The parties have agreed that this is the most efficient way to proceed.”
The defendants in the lawsuit include Kobach; the Johnson County district attorney, and the district attorney in Sedgwick County, in the Wichita area, who could prosecute violations of the new law. Five of the state's six abortion clinics are in one of those two counties. Also sued were the chairman and top staffer of the state's medical board, which can suspend or revoke doctors' licenses for breaking state law.
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Topeka Police Investigate Three Separate Shootings, One Fatal
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) — Three separate shootings in less than four hours Sunday night and early Monday morning resulted in several injuries and Topeka’s 18th homicide of the year. WIBW TV reports that police were called Sunday night because of multiple gunshots on SW Clay Street. Responding officers found one person suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The second shooting was reported later Sunday night on SW Twilight Drive, where officers found one person dead from a gunshot wound. The third shooting was reported around 2 am Monday morning on Western Avenue. One victim at that at scene was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. None of the victims have been identified by police and no suspects are in custody. It's unclear whether any of the three shootings are related.
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Michelin Plant in Junction City Plans $100 Million Expansion
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (KPR) – Michelin plans to invest more than $100 million into its Junction City operations over the next five years. Company officials say the expansion will create 200 new jobs. The company plans to increase production capacity of Camso rubber tracks used for agricultural equipment. Camso, a brand under the Michelin Group, specializes in off-road tires, rubber tracks, and systems for material handling, construction, agriculture, and power sports industries. Kansas is home to three Michelin manufacturing plants, all specializing in agricultural applications like rubber tracks and wheels. The other two facilities are in Emporia. In the past two years, more than $20 million was invested to expand and improve the Emporia facilities.
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UPDATE: FBI Takes Lead in Investigation into Suspicious Letters
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced today (TUE) that the inquiry into around 100 suspicious letters sent to legislators and public officials has now expanded beyond Kansas. The FBI will now lead the investigation. The KBI will continue to work with all its law enforcement partners in the case. People are asked to report any letters containing an unknown white powder to the KBI at 1-800-KSCRIME or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
(–Earlier Reporting–)
Investigation Continues into Suspicious White Powder Sent to GOP Lawmakers, Officials
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/AP) — The FBI and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation are trying to determine who sent 100 letters containing suspicious white powder to lawmakers and other public officials across the state. No injuries have been reported. Preliminary tests on a sample of the mysterious substance were negative for common biological agents and dangerous toxins. So far, only Republican members of the Legislature and Attorney General Kris Kobach have received the letters.
Representative Stephen Owens, of Hesston, received one of the letters. “When you think about how many people open their mail at home at the table around their family, or their kids check the mailbox, there’s a lot of variables and a lot of things to think about," he said. "And (I think about) the number of people that could have been harmed had this individual or group actually been able to access something toxic.” Some legislators are reporting the return addresses on the letters they received were from churches in their districts. It's still unclear who sent the letters or why.
The letters were sent to legislators at their homes. Many of the letters included a return address of either Kansas City or Topeka. Other agencies involved in the investigation include the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of the State Fire Marshal and local police and fire departments.
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Wichita Man Arrested, Accused of Sneaking into Hospital, Sexually Assaulting 3 Patients
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a man suspected of sexually assaulting three patients after sneaking into a Wichita hospital, then fighting with security guards who tried to apprehend him. The Wichita Eagle reports that police were called around 2 am Thursday to Ascension Via Christi St. Francis. A police spokesperson says two hospital security guards were battered before police got there. The 28-year-old suspect is jailed now on $250,000 bond. Hospital officials declined to comment. Police say the suspect was not a patient or employee at the hospital. It remains unclear how the man got into the hospital.
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Trial Begins for Man Accused of Fatally Shooting Missouri Officer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) — A trial is underway in Independence, Missouri, for a man accused of shooting and killing a Clinton, Missouri, police officer. Prosecutors say Ian McCarthy shot and killed Gary Michael during a traffic stop in August 2017. KSHB TV reports that McCarthy was arrested after a two day manhunt and charged with first-degree murder. Henry County’s prosecutor says his office will seek the death penalty. The trial is being held at the Jackson County Courthouse in Independence. Clinton, is in Henry County, Missouri, about 75 miles southeast of Kansas City.
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Water Conservation Urged as Midwest Drought Persists
LINCOLN, Neb. (HPM) — Sprinklers and hoses are in overdrive across parts of the Midwest as the drought rages on and people try to keep their lawns looking green. Some cities are putting conservation measures in place to keep their water supplies from running out. Dry weather, high temperatures and a lack of rainfall across parts of Nebraska have caused a spike in water demand from city residents. Steve Owen is the superintendent of water production for the City of Lincoln, Nebraska. He says the city has recently asked residents to cut back on watering their lawns. “When there’s less water in the river, there’s less water in the aquifer for us to draw from," he said. If weather conditions don’t improve, Owen says the city will have to put mandatory water restrictions in place. Storm Lake, Iowa and Wentzville, Missouri, have also declared voluntary water measures.
(Additional reporting...)
Midwestern Cities Urge Water Conservation as Drought Persists in Many Areas
UNDATED (HPM) — Temperatures are heating up and drought across parts of the Midwest is only getting worse. Areas of Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Iowa remain in extreme drought, while many other parts of the Midwest and Plains states are facing moderate drought. In Missouri, more than 90% of counties are experiencing drought conditions, causing some cities to ask residents to do their part to conserve water during the dry summer. Susan Spiegel, director of public works for the City of Wentzville, Missouri, says the city has implemented a voluntary water conservation plan for the first time and hopes it helps prepare them for the hotter months ahead. “Right now we're just trying to get things as balanced as we can to get people ready for the possibility that we might have to mandate very limited water use," he said. Other cities throughout the region have also either started or are considering voluntary water conservation efforts due to the drought.
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Kansas Wants Public's Help in Restricting Invasive Pear Trees
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas may restrict the planting of ornamental pear trees that experts say wreak havoc on the environment. The Kansas Department of Agriculture put out a public call for ideas to stop the trees that are banned in some states but remain for sale in Kansas. Biologists like Matt Garrett, with Johnson County Park and Recreation , would welcome restrictions. “I was just out in the field this morning in a large prairie that was burned late last year. And many of the pear trees that we had burned to the ground are already knee to thigh high," he said. That means workers have to go back and poison every tree individually to kill them, which is time-consuming.
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Supreme Court Turns Away Veterans Seeking Disability Benefits over 1966 Hydrogen Bomb Accident
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal on behalf of some U.S. veterans who want disability benefits because they were exposed to radiation while responding to a Cold War-era hydrogen bomb accident in Spain. The justices not did comment in turning away an appeal from Victor Skaar, an Air Force veteran in his mid-80s. Skaar, of Nixa, Missouri, filed class-action claims seeking benefits for him and others who say they became ill from exposure to radiation during the recovery and cleanup of the undetonated bombs at the accident site in Palomares, a village in southern Spain, in 1966.
A federal appeals court rejected the class-action claims. The Supreme Court's action leaves that ruling in place.
The Justice Department, arguing against high-court review, noted that Congress last year enacted legislation that expands eligibility for benefits for many Palomares veterans. But the department also acknowledged that Skaar is not covered by the legislation.
Skaar's lawyers told the Supreme Court that he suffers from leukopenia, described as a condition that can be caused by exposure to radiation. Skaar also has had skin cancer, now in remission, the lawyers wrote in a court filing. He was among 1,400 U.S. service members who were sent to Palomares to help clean up what has been called the worst radiation accident in U.S. history.
On January 17, 1966, a U.S. B-52 bomber and a refueling plane crashed into each other during a refueling operation in the skies above Palomares, killing seven of 11 crew members but no one on the ground. At the time, the U.S. was keeping nuclear-armed warplanes in the air near the border with the Soviet Union. The midair collision resulted in the release of four U.S. hydrogen bombs. None of the bombs exploded, but the plutonium-filled detonators on two went off, scattering 7 pounds of highly radioactive plutonium 239 across the landscape.
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Spirit AeroSystems Workers May Go on Strike
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) — Nearly 8,000 workers at Spirit AeroSystems could go on strike this week, based on the results of a contract vote. Workers will vote on Spirit’s final contract offer Wednesday, three days before their current contract expires. They haven’t had a new contract in 13 years. Spirit’s offer includes a 34% increase in pay over four years, reduced mandatory overtime, and a $7,500-dollar ratification bonus. If they reject the contract, the workers will vote a second time on whether or not to strike. They need a two-thirds majority to move forward with the strike. If workers reject the contract but vote not to strike, Spirit’s contract offer will go into place. Workers at the plant last went on strike in 1995, when the company was still owned by Boeing.
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Union Workers at Kaufman Stadium File Complaint Against KC Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — The union representing nearly 500 workers at Kauffman Stadium has filed a complaint against the Kansas City Royals. KCTV reports that the Service Employees International Union accuses the Royals of intimidating workers and negotiating in bad faith. The union includes ushers, parking lot attendants, and ticket sellers. The Royals issued a statement saying that they "remain committed to negotiating in good faith" with the union. Bargaining efforts resume next week on a contract for the next three years.
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Wichita Area Nurses Will Go on One Day Strike
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) — Nurses at St. Francis and St. Joseph hospitals in Wichita will go on strike for one day later this month. The strike comes as some nurses say Ascension Via Christi has dismissed some of their key contract proposals, including safe staffing levels and nurse recruitment and retention. National Nurses United represents more than 650 nurses at St. Francis and 300 at St. Joseph. The union says the one day strike on June 27 marks the first nurses strike in Kansas history. Ascension says it has a contingency plan to keep its hospitals open and prevent disruptions to service. It’s standard practice for nurses to provide a 10-day notice before striking. Nurses will also strike June 27 at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas. Contract negotiations began four months ago at St. Francis and last month at St. Joseph.
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Evergy Slashes Planned Renewable Energy Projects, Proposes More Natural Gas
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — The state's largest electric utility has drastically scaled back its plans to add more clean energy over the next decade and will keep open its oldest coal plant for years longer. The Kansas Reflector reports that two years ago, Evergy announced plans to retire the Lawrence Energy Center by the end of this year and add 700 megawatts of solar power by the end of 2024. Now, it doesn’t plan to add any solar power until 2026 and will keep the Lawrence coal plant open until 2028. Evergy revealed the plans in filings with regulators. The Sierra Club, a major environmental nonprofit, decried the change. Nancy Muma, a volunteer with the Wakarusa Group of the organization, said it was “maddening” that Evergy delayed retiring the Lawrence plant.
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Driver Charged in Deadly Kansas Crash After Police Tried to Stop Him for Speeding
MERRIAM, Kan. (AP) — A 24-year-old man has been charged with causing a deadly crash in suburban Kansas City after police tried to stop him for speeding. Uconn Coleman, of Grain Valley, Missouri, is jailed on $500,000 bond on charges that include first-degree murder, eluding police and driving under the influence. Police in Merriam say the crash happened early Thursday morning when an officer tried to pull over a speeding driver. Police say the officer didn't initiate a pursuit before the driver crashed into another vehicle that was stopped at an intersection. The driver of the stopped vehicle, 19-year-old Benjamin Klecza, was taken to the hospital where he later died.
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Kansas Gets Grant for High-Speed Internet Expansion
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas has won a $43 million federal grant to expand internet speeds in remote and underserved communities. The money will build an almost 700-mile-long fiber optic cable, which will connect Liberal, Garden City, Pittsburg and Overland Park, among other cities. The cable could connect 27,000 more homes to high-speed internet. The $43 million grant comes just days after Kansas got a $50 million loan to also expand broadband access in the southeast part of the state. A study from the University of Kansas found that only 44% of the state has adequate broadband coverage.
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Horton Man Dies After Jumping from Moving Vehicle
BROWN COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) — A Horton man is dead after jumping from a moving vehicle on U.S. Highway 73. The Kansas Highway Patrol says that an SUV, driven by 24-year-old Azaria Rickery, of Stockton, was driving southbound Friday night when the front seat passenger, 33-year-old Kylee Dixon, of Horton, intentionally jumped out of the vehicle while it was in motion. Dixon was pronounced dead at the scene. WIBW TV reports that Rickery was wearing her seatbelt and was not injured.
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Group Opposes Plan to Locate New Dollar Store in Central Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — A Topeka group says it opposes plans to locate a new dollar store in a part of town without a grocery store. Group members say the discount stores are making Kansas food deserts worse. There’s been a push to build a grocery store in central Topeka since one closed in 2016, but that hasn’t happened yet. And now, a new Dollar Tree store could spring up first. That troubles Topeka resident Michael Bell. He says dollar stores don’t sell quality foods like fresh produce and make it harder for a grocery store to survive long term. “They'll siphon that money off of the grocery stores, thereby making it that much harder for the grocery stores to succeed," he said. Bell says this is a statewide issue that's particularly worse in rural areas. Some cities are reluctant to stand in the way of private business decisions, but Bell wants cities to think more critically about what businesses come into town.
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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.