Union Members in Wichita Vote to End Strike at Spirit Aerosystems
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - Aerospace workers will return to work in Wichita. Machinists at Spirit AeroSystems voted Thursday night to accept the company’s latest contract offer and end a six-day strike. Sixty-three percent of the workers voted to approve the contract. It’s their first new contract since 2010. The strike created ripple affects through much of the nation's aviation industry. Most of the 6,000 workers are expected to return to Spirit by July 5.
(Additional reporting...)
Striking Workers at a Key Boeing Supplier Approve a New Contract and Will Return to Work Next Week
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Workers at Spirit AeroSystems have ratified a new contract and will end a brief strike that threatened to disrupt the manufacturing of airline jets at Boeing, a key customer. The International Association of Machinists said the 6,000 workers at a plant in Wichita, Kansas, will return to their jobs on Wednesday. They went on strike last weekend after voting down a previous offer. The union said late Thursday that 63% of members who voted on the new four-year contract proposal agreed to accept it. The union said it contained “significant improvements” in wages, overtime rules and prescription-drug coverage compared with the rejected offer. The company said it would begin restoring operations at the plant Friday in anticipation of resuming full production next week.
“We listened closely to our employees and brought forward a fair and competitive offer,” CEO Tom Gentile said in a statement.
Details of the contract were not disclosed. The rejected offer included average pay raises totaling 34%, more paid time off, and an increase in retirement benefits, according to the union. Spirit builds the fuselage for Boeing 737 Max jets and makes other components for airline and military planes built by Boeing, Airbus and other manufacturers. Boeing has faced supply-chain problems at Spirit and engine suppliers, and a long strike at Spirit would have made those disruptions worse. Shares of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. fell 1% in midday trading. Boeing shares were unchanged. When the strike was announced last week, shares of Boeing slid 3% and Spirit tumbled 9%.
Workers in Wichita Accept Latest Contract Offer from Spirit Aerosystems
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW/KPR) - Aerospace workers in Wichita will go back on the job. A strike at Spirit AeroSystems has ended. Workers in the Machinists Union voted Thursday to accept the company’s latest contract offer. The contract makes all weekend overtime voluntary, and makes no changes to existing health care plans. Workers will see an average annual wage increase of 5% over four years. Many workers who voted to strike last week said they rejected Spirit’s first offer due to increased health insurance costs and mandatory overtime on Saturdays. Sixty-three percent of the workers voted in favor of the contract. It’s their first new contract since 2010. The six-day strike was the first at the facility since 1995, when it was owned by Boeing. Most of the 6,000 workers are expected to return to Spirit by July 5. A prolonged strike at Spirit threatened to further disrupt supply chains in the nation's aviation industry.
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Legal Battle Looms in Kansas over Gender Listed on IDs
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A legal battle is brewing in Kansas over gender and IDs. Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says state agencies will continue to allow Kansans to change the gender listed on their birth certificates and other forms of ID. That view seems is at odds with a new state law that takes effect Saturday. The new Kansas law defines men and women as their biological sex assigned at birth. Attorney General Kris Kobach says the law prohibits gender changes on birth certificates and other forms of ID. Kelly’s administration disagrees and Kobach says he plans to take the issue to court.
(AP version)
Governor: Trans Kansans Can Keep Updating Gender on IDs
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) - Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly says the state will keep allowing residents to change official documents to reflect their gender identities. The governor issued that statement Thursday despite a new state law aimed at preventing transgender people from altering their driver’s licenses and birth certificates. Kelly says attorneys disagree with a legal opinion issued earlier this week by Republican state Attorney General Kris Kobach. Kobach vowed to take Kelly's administration to court. The new law, set to take effect Saturday, says birth certificates and driver's licenses can only list a person's biological sex assigned at birth.
(Additional reporting...)
Future of Kansas Gender ID Changes In Doubt
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas agencies will continue to allow people to change the gender listed on their birth certificates and IDs - despite a new state law. The law, taking effect Saturday, defines men and women as their biological sex assigned at birth. Attorney General Kris Kobach says that requires the state to revert gender changes some have made to the documents. Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says her administration disagrees. And the state agencies overseeing birth certificates and IDs won’t change their gender ID policies. Kobach vows to take Kelly's administration to court. Micah Kubic, director of the ACLU of Kansas, says people change their gender on IDs for many reasons - including the need to correct clerical errors. “That’s why Mr. Kobach choosing to intervene in this matter in this way, is really so disturbing and so challenging," he said. More than twice as many Kansans changed the gender listed on their birth certificates this year in advance of the new law going into effect.
Legal Battle Ahead for Kansans Hoping to Change Gender Listed on Birth Certificates, Driver's Licenses
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A legal battle is brewing in Kansas over gender and IDs. Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says state agencies will continue to allow Kansans to change the gender listed on their birth certificates and other forms of ID. That's in contrast with a new state law that takes effect Saturday. The new Kansas law defines men and women as their biological sex assigned at birth. Attorney General Kris Kobach says that prohibits gender changes on birth certificates and IDs. But Kelly’s administration disagrees and says it won’t change its policies. Kobach says he plans to take the issue to court. Micah Kubic is director of the ACLU of Kansas. He says Kobach’s opinion and the new law conflict with a federal court order allowing transgender people to change their IDs. "(This) requires the state to make changes as folks ask them to, to bring it into alignment with who they are," he said. More than twice as many Kansans changed the gender on their birth certificates this year in advance of the law going into effect.
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Kansas Senator Applauds SCOTUS Decision Striking Down Biden's Plan to Forgive Student Loans
Washington, D.C. (KPR) - The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness proposal. Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall praised the decision. "(The) student loan scheme was nothing more than a kickback to the president's far-left political base from the very beginning. If you take out a loan you are expected to pay it back, it's that simple. It is not fair to force hard working Americans to pay off debts that are not theirs,” Marshall said. The student loan forgiveness plan was expected to cost taxpayers about $400 billion. The high court ruled against the plan on a 6-3 vote. In June, Marshall voted to overturn the student loan bailout. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) blocking the loan forgiveness plan passed the Senate with bipartisan support.
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Huge Marijuana Operation Seized by KBI agents in Southeast Kansas
BOURBON COUNTY (KSNT) – Authorities say an extensive outdoor marijuana grow operation has been seized in southeast Kansas. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office received information on a possible illegal marijuana grow operation on June 27. The operation was located near the town of Bronson. Officers raided the rural site Thursday morning and secured the area.
KSNT reports that an unknown subject fled the scene and was unable to be located. In total, more than 1,300 marijuana plants were seized along with camping gear, firearms, a vehicle and growing paraphernalia. The bust netted marijuana with an estimated street value of $1.7 million.
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Wichita State University Reacts to U.S. High Court's Ruling Against Affirmative Action
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against affirmative action in college admissions. At least one Kansas university says the court’s decision won’t hamper its own diversity efforts. Wichita State University wants to become an official Hispanic Serving Institution by the end of this decade. That’s a federal designation meaning at least a quarter of students identify as Hispanic. Last fall, the campus was 16% Hispanic. A spokeswoman for Wichita State says the Supreme Court’s ruling won’t affect that goal. The university’s approach is inclusive of everyone, she says, including Hispanic students. Most Kansas colleges aren’t selective enough to be impacted by the ruling, but consequences could be wider. Experts say the decision could affect diversity programs and scholarships intended to bring in students of color.
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Survey Reveals Why Kansas Is Losing Foster Parents
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Former foster parents in Kansas say they felt neglected by the state. And that's what led hundreds of them to let their foster parent licenses expire. A foster care oversight agency found that hundreds of former foster parents say they suffered from a lack of support, poor communication and inadequate training. Shawn Wilson fostered one child. She was considering taking in more, but she was so frustrated by the lack of support she gave up. “There is no help. People are done dealing with this system that is so broken, and it's a repeat over and over and over," she said. Wilson spent months asking for help for a child and never got it. Former foster parents also had similar complaints, like struggling to get mental health care. Kansas has lost 500 foster homes between July 2019 and June 2022. Shawn Wilson fostered a child once, but she doesn’t plan on doing it again. “When we first started we were like, ‘Okay, you know, maybe we could do this.’ After we were in this system, it was like one and done, I will never do this again," she said. State lawmakers hope the survey will help them find solutions to the foster parent shortage.
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Governor Declares Preemptive Wildfire Emergency in Ford County
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has declared a disaster emergency in Ford County due to potential wildfires in southwest Kansas. The declaration allows the state to preposition fire-fighting assets in the area and respond faster to any fires that may begin. "Conditions across Kansas are prime for wildland fires with areas experiencing hot, dry conditions," Kelly said. "It's especially important when using fireworks that you are diligent about making sure they have been extinguished before disposing of them. A single spark is enough to touch off a fire that could have devastating consequences," she said.
Much of the state remains under drought conditions. There are increased dangers of wildfire due to ignition sources from overheating farm equipment, grilling and fireworks. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management is monitoring and will provide assistance as requested. Kansas Forest Service coordinated resources to provide aerial fire suppression support. They also deployed a district fire management officer to Ford County.
(-Related-)
Central US Is Now Getting Worst of the Drought: Corn Crops Stressed, Rivers Running Low
ST. LOUIS (AP) - The middle of the country remains extraordinarily dry. Crops are stressed, rivers are running low, and cities and towns are anxiously hoping for a break in the weather. Experts say it's the worst drought in the central U.S. since at least 2012. On Mike Shane’s farm in Illinois, corn should be standing 10 feet tall by now. It’s barely to his waist. Reduced corn yields won’t necessarily mean higher costs for consumers because much of it is used for feed, ethanol or is exported. The real impact is on the farmers, whose cost-per-acre is the same regardless of how much they produce.
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Kansas Residents Resist Solar Project Plan Near Cheyenne Bottoms
GREAT BEND, Kan. (KPR) - Green energy keeps growing. In Kansas, plans continue to pop up for even more wind and solar projects. But some residents in central Kansas have put one solar idea on hold. A Spanish company hopes to build a massive solar farm south of the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge near Great Bend. In May, the Barton County Commission put a moratorium on all solar farm projects. Commissioners say they want to weigh the pros and cons of the project. Many residents and bird watchers say the 2.5 square-mile solar farm would disrupt wildlife, including the flight patterns of migratory birds that use the refuge to rest and feed every year.
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Resident Sues City of Ottawa over Beekeeping Rules
OTTAWA, Kan. (KNS) - A Kansas town is asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit over its rules that hamstring beekeepers. Ottawa doesn’t let backyard beekeepers sell honey. So, a resident hoping to do so sued. Her attorney, Sam MacRoberts, is with the Kansas Justice Institute, which tackles examples of what the group calls government overreach. “Can cities regulate out of existence, home-based businesses for no good reason? And from our perspective, the Kansas Constitution says that cities cannot do that," he said. The group has successfully challenged laws restricting raw milk farmers and other small businesses. Ottawa says the resident should pursue city code changes out of court.
The lawsuit, filed by Ellen Finnerty, says Ottawa is overstepping its authority by not letting backyard beekeepers sell their honey. Finnerty took beekeeping classes to supplement the income she earns working long shifts in a warehouse. “Let me tell you - when you work, clocking in at 5am, and then you’re willing to take a night class - there’s a lot of dedication and expense moving towards that," she said. (Read more.)
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Bonner Springs Police Help Kangaroo
BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas City area police took a young kangaroo into custody this week. Police believe the young marsupial was hit by a driver on an interstate highway after escaping from its owner. Officers from the Bonner Springs and Edwardsville police departments found the injured kangaroo hiding in tall grass near Interstate 435 and Kansas Highway 32 in Kansas City, Kansas, Wednesday night. The owner said the kangaroo, named Star, jumped out of the window of his car. Officers transported the animal to the police station and gave it a bed to sleep in overnight. Edwardsville police said Thursday morning they located the owners. Officials said the kangaroo escaped from a mobile petting zoo.
While rare in the Kansas City area, this isn’t the first time police have responded to a roaming exotic animal. In 2021, a camel that escaped from a live nativity scene roamed loose for hours before Bonner Springs officers captured it.
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USGA's Adaptive Open Event Coming to Newton in 2024
UNDATED (KPR) - The U.S. Golf Association has announced that a national championship will be held in Kansas next year. The Adaptive Open tournament will take place in Newton. The Adaptive Open is for professional and amateur golfers - men and women - who are physically impaired. Not just any physically-impaired golfer can play. They must qualify through the USGA’s rules that follow the same criteria as the Paralympics. They must also be active enough in the game to maintain a handicap that’s close to playing at a championship level. The tournament will be played in July 2024 at the Sand Creek Station course in Newton. This year’s U.S. Adaptive Open takes place next month in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
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Royals Owner Envisions New Stadium by 2027 or 2028 Season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Kansas City Royals hope to settle on the location for a new ballpark by the end of the summer, and owner John Sherman envisions the club playing in a new stadium by the 2027 or 2028 season. The long-preferred site is near downtown Kansas City, but a competing offer from neighboring Clay County is also under consideration. Sherman hopes the public extends a sales tax that would generate about $350 million for the project, which could total $2 billion. The team has called Kauffman Stadium home since 1973, but the stadium is becoming antiquated and falling into disrepair.
(Additional reporting...)
Royals Owner John Sherman Envisions New Stadium by 2027 or 2028 Season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals hope to settle on the location for a new ballpark by the end of the summer, and owner John Sherman said Thursday that he envisions the club playing in a new stadium by the 2027 or 2028 season. The long-preferred site is near downtown Kansas City, where the park would be the centerpiece of a redevelopment project that links the eastern part of the metro to the vibrant area near T-Mobile Center. The location would keep the club in Jackson County, though far from the current Kauffman Stadium, and continue a trend of using sports to spearhead urban renewal. But complicating matters has been a competing bid from Clay County, which sits across the Missouri River from downtown Kansas City. There is more space available for a ballpark village, much like the entertainment district that has sprung up around Truist Park in Atlanta, and that could help the small-market organization generate much-needed long-term revenue.
“We've always said ‘downtown or near downtown,'” said Sherman, who purchased the club in November 2019 from the late David Glass. “It's a highly motivated and creative bunch (in Clay County), but we've been partners with Jackson County and in Kansas City for 52 years. We value that relationship. We want them to give us their best shot, and we're going to give them our best shot to do it there. But I think we should be clear that there is certainly an alternative to that area.”
The decision, like most when it comes to building stadiums, could come down to finances. The Royals have shared the Truman Sports Complex with the Kansas City Chiefs dating to the construction of both Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium. Part of the current lease agreement calls for a 3/8-cent sales tax that goes toward the upkeep of both facilities, and that in turn has allowed each to far outlive other stadiums built during the same era. Sherman said the Royals want that sales tax to continue — it would likely be on the ballot in the spring — with the roughly $350 million that it produces in public funding shifted toward the construction of a new stadium.
“Ownership will take the rest,” Sherman said. “It's a $2 billion project, probably more when you think of infrastructure.”
The Royals also have been in constant communication with the Chiefs, who are going through their own rounds of feasibility studies for Arrowhead Stadium. Like the Royals, their lease expires in 2030-31, and the Chiefs are trying to decide whether the stadium can undergo additional renovations or whether an entirely new stadium should be built. The Royals quickly dismissed more renovations to Kauffman Stadium, where the concrete is beginning to show irreparable. It remains widely regarded as one of the most picturesque in baseball, but it also has grown antiquated when it comes to premium offerings that generate the sort of revenue that is necessary for teams to compete these days.
“We knew when we bought this team we were approaching the end of a lease with Jackson County. We knew we were in an aging building,” Sherman said. “This is the most important thing we'll have the opportunity to do while we have the privilege of being stewards of this franchise. This will be the largest private-public partnership in the history of Kansas City. It has a massive and immediate community impact, and economic impact. That's why we have a great sense of urgency of getting on with it.”
Sherman did acknowledge the awkward timing of the project. The Royals are languishing in last place in the AL Central, and are having one of the worst seasons in franchise history, which makes asking for public money a difficult proposition. But he also doesn't want the Royals to follow in the footsteps of the Athletics, who called Kansas City home before their move to Oakland. The A's tried for decades to get a new ballpark built in the Bay Area, but they are now going through the relocation application process with MLB that could result in the team building a new ballpark in Las Vegas.
“I have about 30 letters on my desk asking to vote ‘no’ on the transfer of the A's to Las Vegas. That's a process that drug on a long time, and people waited,” Sherman said. “We're at warp speed compared to how long these complicated projects usually take. We are down to two sites. We're going to be ready to have that down to one by the end of the summer.”
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AL West-Leading Rangers Acquire Closer Aroldis Chapman in Trade With Royals
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have acquired Aroldis Chapman in a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The move adds a once-dominant closer to the AL West leaders as they chase their first division title in seven years. The 35-year-old Chapman wasn’t of much use to the last-place Royals, where the left-hander landed this season after a six-year stint with the New York Yankees. Just before that, he split 2016 between the Yankees and Cubs, helping Chicago win its first World Series championship in 108 years. Kansas City gets left-hander Cole Ragans and minor league outfielder Roni Cabrera in the deal.
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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.