Man Suspected in Wichita Murder Case Arrested After Standoff in Lawrence
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — A Lawrence man suspected in a Wichita homicide surrendered to police Wednesday afternoon after an hours-long standoff just west of the University of Kansas campus. The Lawrence Journal World reports that 63-year-old Kevin L. Harris has been charged with first-degree murder in Sedgwick County in connection with the Monday death of Jose Lumbreras in Wichita. Lawrence Police say they were alerted that the suspect was at the Meadowbrook Apartments complex on Bob Billings Parkway. When it became clear that the man, who was believed to be armed, was not going to come out, officers began evacuating the building. Negotiators convinced Harris to allow another person in the apartment to leave before he finally surrendered around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon. Harris has since been turned over to Wichita police.
==========
Authorities Name BTK Serial Killer as Prime Suspect in Two Unsolved Cases
UNDATED (AP) — Authorities say Wichita's BTK serial killer is the prime suspect in at least two unsolved cases, including one in Oklahoma that led authorities to dig this week near Dennis Rader's former property in Park City, Kansas, just north of Wichita. Oklahoma authorities say that the investigation into whether Rader was responsible for additional crimes started with the re-examination of the 1976 disappearance of teenager Cynthia Kinney in Pawhuska, a small town on the Osage Nation reservation in northern Oklahoma. The case was reopened in December. Investigators are also re-examining the death of 22-year-old Shawna Beth Garber, whose body was discovered in December 1990 in McDonald County, in southwest Missouri.
(Additional reporting...)
Authorities Suspect BTK Killer Involved in Cold Case Murders
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) — Oklahoma authorities say items of interest were uncovered during a search this week at the former home of serial killer Dennis Rader in a suburb of Wichita. The Osage County, Oklahoma, Sheriff’s Office searched a vacant lot in Park City where Rader's home used to stand. Detectives say Rader could be tied to the disappearance of an Oklahoma teenager in 1976 and the 1990 murder of a Missouri woman. Authorities would not disclose what items were found in Park City. They say the evidence will be examined to determine whether it’s connected to ongoing cases. Rader was known as the BTK serial killer, who terrorized the city of Wichita for decades. He pleaded guilty to 10 murders that took place in and around Wichita between 1974 and 1991.
==========
Kansas Lawmakers Discuss Guidelines for State Agency Use of AI
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) — Kansas lawmakers are taking steps to gain control over how artificial intelligence is used in the state government. Kansas officials are embracing AI but maintaining that security is the top priority. WIBW TV reports that the Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy outlines how state agencies and state employees can use AI without threatening security. The state’s Information Technology Office says the policy recommends using artificial intelligence as a guide, rather than a sole source of factual information. It includes a number of guidelines and best practices. For example, state employees cannot use AI to impersonate anyone. The state’s tech experts are telling policy makers that AI can increase the productivity and efficiency of certain jobs but they emphasize that artificial intelligence is not a threat to any human jobs.
==========
Two Kansas Lawmakers Push for New Search Warrant Laws
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Two Kansas Democrats say they'll introduce legislation next session designed to make it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to get a search warrant. The move comes in the wake of the police raid on a small-town newspaper in Marion County. House Minority Leader Vic Miller and Representative Jason Probst say they'll propose a bill in January that would require search warrants to be approved by a district court judge and not simply by a magistrate.“It’s a recognition that when you are talking about district judges, we’re talking about people with a stronger background in these kind of decisions," he said. It was a magistrate judge that allowed police to raid the Marion County Record, seizing cell phones and computers. “I think the central idea is to slow down law enforcement from being able to get a warrant and then move immediately into searching and seizing property without judicial review," Probst said. Miller and Probst say their proposal may not be the ultimate solution, but they hope it will start a larger conversation.
==========
Area Employers Make Forbes List of Best Places to Work in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) — Topeka area employers like the Auburn-Washburn school district and Reser’s Fine Foods - as well as the University of Kansas Health System and Kansas State University - have made the Forbes list of best places to work in Kansas. Forbes picked the Auburn-Washburn school district as the 13th best employer in Kansas with at least 500 employees. WIBW TV reports that Forbes partnered with an organization called Statista to survey 70,000 workers with a minimum of 500 employees in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. to come up with the list.
The Forbes list of the best places to work in Kansas includes:
The University of Kansas Health System
Garmin
K-State
Olathe Public Schools
Blue Valley Schools
Cargill
Pfizer
Textron
Bank of America
Marriott International
Reser’s Fine Foods
JM Smucker
Auburn-Washburn USD 437
Shawnee Mission Schools
FedEx
U.S. Department of Agriculture
T-Mobile
Netsmart
Amazon
UPS
Quest Diagnostics
Maximus
UnitedHealth Group
Target
BNSF Railway
Stormont Vail Health
Allied Universal
University of Kansas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
YRC Worldwide
A handful of Kansas companies, including Bartlett & West, which is headquartered in Topeka, made the Forbes list of the nation’s best small employers.
For the full list, click here.
==========
Vandals Cause $50,000 in Damage to KC Shelter that Houses Homeless Mothers, Children
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — Vandals caused thousands of dollars in damage to a Kansas City shelter hoping to help homeless mothers and their children. KCTV reports that Healing House staff and volunteers found the damage at Erin’s House last week. (Erin’s House is located near East 7th Street and Benton Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri.) The house is dedicated to Erin Langhofer. She was shot and killed by stray gunfire in the Crossroads District in 2019. According to the organization, Langhofer’s parents are longtime volunteers for Healing House. The organization said vandals ripped out electrical wiring and plumbing that crews had just installed. The vandals also took the coil from the new HVAC system. Healing House officials say the damage will cost at least $50,000 to replace and repair. Crews had been working on the house for several months and hoped to open it by late fall. That opening is now in question because of the vandalism. Healing House is accepting donations to help cover the cost of repairs.
==========
KC Nursing Home Evacuated Due to HVAC Failure
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — A broken air conditioner led to the evacuation of a nursing home in Kansas City Tuesday. The Kansas City Fire Department says crews avacuated 117 patients from Parkview Healthcare (located at 128 North Hardesty) and relocated them to other local nursing homes via city buses. WDAF TV reports that seven of the patients had COVID-19 and were taken to area hospitals. No other illnesses or heat-related issues were reported. It's unclear what led to the HVAC failure or when repairs might be completed. The Kansas City area remains under an Excessive Heat Warning this week.
(-Related-)
HVAC Issues Force Kansas Schools to Cancel Classes
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — One school in Wichita and another in McPherson called off classes this week due to HVAC systems breaking down. The school closures affected about 1,300 students. Wichita’s Horace Mann Magnet School and McPherson High School both had to cancel classes Tuesday because of broken air conditioners. KSNW TV reports that Wichita area heating and air companies have been receiving a couple hundred calls a day for AC repairs.
==========
Kansas Judge Seals Court Documents in Car Chase that Ended in Officer's Shooting Death
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas judge is sealing some court documents in a case against a Tennessee woman who is charged with murder after a car chase ended in a gas station shootout that left a police officer and another suspect dead. Johnson County Judge Michael P. Joyce ruled Wednesday that the probable cause affidavits explaining the allegations against Andrea Rene Cothran, 32, of Goodlettsville, would not be released. The Associated Press had filed a formal request seeking them. In addition to first-degree murder, Cothran also is charged with reckless driving, felony theft, fleeing law enforcement and aggravated battery in connection with the Aug. 6 car chase that ended in a shootout at a QuikTrip store in Mission, Kansas.
The gunfire left Officer Jonah Oswald of the Fairway Police Department and car chase suspect Shannon Wayne Marshall dead. Police said previously that Cothran was a passenger in the fleeing vehicle.
While the state allows probable cause statements to be released, it includes exceptions when they can be withheld. Joyce wrote in his ruling that prosecutors made a good case that the documents did not need to be released because doing so could jeopardize the case and interfere with the investigation or prosecution. Cothran’s attorney, Joel Rook, did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
==========
More Parents Rights Legislation Expected Next Session in Topeka
WICHITA, Kan. (KWUM/KNS) — Conservative lawmakers in Kansas want to give parents more control over what’s taught in public schools. A new report by the free-speech group PEN America finds state lawmakers across the country introduced nearly 400 parents’ rights bills since January of 2021. Missouri led the nation with 31 proposals. Kansas lawmakers have floated seven bills and passed one, which Democratic Governor Laura Kelly vetoed earlier this year.
Some of the proposals require teachers to post class materials online. Others make it easier for parents to object to certain books and have them removed from school libraries. Nadine Farid Johnson, with PEN America, says more teachers and librarians worry that their lessons will run up against opposition. “There really is a movement to censor the freedom to learn and to read in schools," she said. "But it’s really becoming more multi-faceted, which is why it’s concerning.” Supporters of the bills argue that parents' rights need to be outlined in state law.
==========
Kansas Soybean Crops Stressed by Dangerous Heat, Lack of Rain
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) — The recent and dangerous heatwave has become concerning for Kansas farmers. KWCH TV reports that triple-digit temperatures have been stressing soybean crops (as well as the state's residents). Like most crops, soybeans across the state are also in need of some rain.
Gordon Stands grows soybeans in Butler County. He says soybeans thrive in 85-degree heat, but anything over that, they get stressed. And with recent temperatures above 100 degrees, the crop gets really stressed.
==========
Inmates Death at Missouri Prison Is the Third this Month, Eighth this Year
LICKING, Mo. (AP) — An investigation continues into the death of a Missouri prison inmate — the third inmate to die at the same lockup this month and the eighth this year. Michael Hudson died Tuesday at a hospital after falling ill at the South Central Correctional Center in the town of Licking. Hudson was serving a life sentence for murder and other crimes in St. Louis. Texas County Coroner Marie Lasater says an autopsy performed Thursday showed that Hudson had intestinal bleeding and gastritis, but it wasn't clear if that was the cause of death. Toxicology results will take about three weeks. Drugs have been factors in three of the eight deaths. "Natural causes" were blamed in four others.
Missouri, like much of the central U.S., has been in the midst of extreme heat in late August, but corrections department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said heat was not believed to be a factor in any of the deaths. Officials say most prisoner deaths listed as natural causes are typically from cancer or heart disease.
==========
Topeka Leaders Discuss Proposals for Dealing with Homelessness
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) — The city of Topeka is looking for ways to address its growing homeless problem. During its Tuesday meeting, the city council listened to proposed amendments to the local camping ordinance. Some of the proposals include a ban on camping in neighborhoods, limiting camping hours and restricting the number of days a person can camp in a given area. WIBW TV reports that another proposal suggests banning all camping within a certain distance of trails and sidewalks.
==========
Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems Find New Manufacturing Issue Affecting 737 Max Airliner
UNDATED (AP) — Boeing and a key supplier say that a new manufacturing flaw could delay deliveries of the 737 Max, Boeing’s best-selling plane.
Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems said they discovered improperly drilled fastener holes in the aft pressure bulkhead — which maintains pressure when planes are at cruising altitude – on the fuselages of some models of the 737 Max. Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit said late Wednesday because it uses multiple suppliers, only some units are impacted and it will continue to deliver fuselages to Boeing. Boeing said the issue does not affect safety of flight, and 737 Max planes already in service can keep flying.
“This issue will impact near-term 737 deliveries as we conduct inspections to determine the number of airplanes affected, and complete required rework on those airplanes,” Boeing said in a statement. “We continue to deliver 737s that are not affected.”
Aircraft manufacturers have wrestled with supply issues in recent years. Spirit AeroSystems builds the fuselage for Boeing’s 737 Max narrowbody jet and substantial sections of aircraft bodies in other Boeing models. The company builds components for Airbus aircraft as well. The flaw, in which some fastener holes were found to be elongated, is a setback in Boeing's plan to deliver 400 to 450 Max jets this year, and “some downward revision seems likely,” said Cowen aerospace analyst Cai von Rumohr. The analyst said that Boeing has delivered only 17 737s in August, compared with 32 in July. Boeing gets about 60% of the plane's purchase price upon delivery, so every delay of 10 deliveries pushes back cash flow by about $300 million — plus the cost of inspections and remedial work — von Rumohr said.
In April, Boeing cautioned that production and delivery of a “significant number” of its 737 Max planes could be delayed because of questions about Spirit AeroSystems' work on the fuselages. All Max planes were grounded worldwide for nearly two years after a pair of deadly crashes, and production flaws halted deliveries of the larger 787 jetliner several times in the past three years.
Shares of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. were down 14% in afternoon trading Thursday, while Arlington, Virginia-based Boeing Co.'s stock slipped more than 3%.
==========
State Examines Problems that Led to Medicaid Dis-enrollment
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas officials say they’re working to address problems that led to a high number of residents being kicked off Medicaid rolls because of paperwork issues. After a three-year pause on Medicaid dis-enrollments was lifted this spring, some Kansans lost coverage due to slow mail and long wait times on the telephone. Tanya Palmer, with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), told lawmakers about some of the challenges. “It caused some members to not be able to return their renewal form by the deadline for reasons outside of their control," she said. Palmer says the department increased staffing and reduced its average call hold time from 43 minutes in April to 10 minutes in August. The agency says 78,000 Kansans lost Medicaid coverage between May and July and about 60,000 of those dis-enrollments were due to paperwork issues. A majority of those who lost coverage were children.
==========
Farm State Lawmakers Consider Right to Repair Laws
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (HPM) — Several states introduced right-to-repair legislation this year. That’s the movement to give farmers the ability to fix highly technical parts on their equipment. Harvest Public Media reports that so far, Colorado has been the only state to pass such legislation. Michigan is the only state in the Midwest that still has agriculture “right to repair” bills moving through their legislature. Bills in Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota died in committees. Willie Cade is a regional director for The Repair Association, a group that advocates for manufacturers to hand over tools and software to farmers and independent mechanics. He says lawmakers have been hesitant to advance right-to-repair bills because of opposition. "There is a significant amount of pressure that is brought to bear by manufacturers," he said. The American Farm Bureau Federation has signed pacts with five farm equipment manufacturers they say enhance pathways for fast equipment repairs. But those agreements also mean the Farm Bureau does not support state regulations.
==========
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Not Hiding Favoritism for Teams Staying in League
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark isn't hiding his favoritism for teams that will be staying in the conference. Yormark said Wednesday that he plans to be at 11th-ranked Texas' final regular-season game as a Big 12 member when it hosts Texas Tech the night after Thanksgiving. The commissioner had a message for second-year Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire. “Coach, I’m not going to put any pressure on you, but I’m going to be in Austin for Thanksgiving,” Yormark said as he addressed the Red Raider Club kickoff luncheon. “And you better take care of business like you did right here in Lubbock last year.”
The Red Raiders were 8-5 last season in McGuire’s debut and had their first winning record (5-4) in conference play since 2009. They beat both Texas and Oklahoma in the same season for the first time, both in overtime at home. The Longhorns and Oklahoma are going into their final Big 12 season before moving next year to the Southeastern Conference. When they announced two summers ago they were leaving, it was anticipated that they could remain through the 2024-25 academic year, coinciding with the league's current media rights deal. But things have worked out for them to go after this season, amid other changes. “Candidly, we were able to get Texas and Oklahoma out a year early. That was a big deal for us, and I think all of you,” Yormark said, drawing applause from Tech fans.
There will be 14 teams in the Big 12 this season, with BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF coming in before Texas and Oklahoma switch leagues. The Big 12 will grow to 16 teams next year with the additions of current Pac-12 teams Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
“We went through a ton of modeling, different scenarios over the last year. We had a mission and a vision and we ultimately realized it,” Yormark said of expansion. “We got lucky because in life you need to get lucky, and we did. But the dream scenario was to go to 16, and we did.”
==========
New Royals Ballpark Will No Longer Carry Kauffman Name
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) — When the Kansas City Royals move into a new stadium in a few years, baseball fans will no longer be able to say they are going to a game at the “K”. For the first 20 years of its existence, starting in 1973, Kauffman Stadium was known simply as Royals Stadium. The stadium, which has been the home of the Royals for 50 years was renamed in 1993 in honor of the team’s founder, Ewing Kauffman. KSHB TV reports when a new stadium is built, it will not keep the old stadium’s name. The current plans for a new stadium refer to it as Royals Park. The Royals presented renderings this week for the two proposed sites for the new ballpark. One is located in downtown Kansas City, the other possible site lies in North Kansas City. The club plans to announce its preferred site by the end of next month and hopes to have a new stadium ready for Opening Day in 2028.
==========
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. You can also follow KPR News on Twitter.