Controversial Ex-Kansas Lawmaker Runs for School Board in Wyandotte County
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - A former Kansas lawmaker who has faced multiple allegations of abuse and assault is running for a school board seat in Wyandotte County. In middle school, Aaron Coleman admitted to posting a nude photo of a classmate because she did not send him more naked photos. Years later, Coleman’s ex-girlfriend said he strangled her. After that, Coleman was arrested for domestic battery for attacking his brother. He is now running for the Turner School Board in Wyandotte County. Five candidates are running for four seats, which means everyone is elected minus the person in last place. In a campaign video, Coleman said he wants to focus on bullying and student mental health. “I tried to tell people - vote, and elections have consequences. And I know change is coming," he said. Coleman spent two years in the Kansas House but lost his reelection bid last year. Coleman didn’t respond to interview requests. His campaign ads make no mention of his troubled past. “I have experience from my time in Topeka, discussing legislation, analyzing budgets and drafting policies," he said.
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De Soto Finalizes Incentive Plan for Panasonic Factory
DE SOTO, Kan. (KNS) - City council members in De Soto have finalized a plan to offer tax incentives worth $200 million for Panasonic’s new electric vehicle battery plant. The agreement requires the company to help with public infrastructure projects, like roadway improvements and a new fire station. The agreement also says Panasonic must operate the facility until 2045 and employ at least 2,500 people. De Soto Mayor Rick Walker says it’s a deal that benefits the city. “You know, it’s a big company, and we’re a little city," he said. "They could have come in and tried to, you know, bully us. And they were a good partner throughout the process and I appreciate that.” The state of Kansas offered the company $830 million in incentives to build its $4 billion plant in De Soto. Panasonic promised it would create about 4,000 new jobs. The factory is expected to open in 2025.
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Two Dead Bodies Found Inside Kansas City Apartment
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Kansas City police are investigating after two dead bodies were found inside an apartment Sunday afternoon. WDAF TV reports that officers were called to a home (at 3724 Broadway) for a welfare check after neighbors reported a bad smell coming from the apartment. Neighbors also stated they had not seen the resident in more than a week. When officers arrived, they discovered two males in advanced stages of decomposition. So far, police have been unable to determine whether foul play was involved.
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Two Critically Injured When Aircraft Crashes Near Manhattan
MANHATTAN (KSNT) — State troopers say two people are seriously injured after their aircraft crashed near Manhattan. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports the crash happened Saturday morning. KSNT reports that a Pegasus Powerchute aircraft was flying north over the city of Manhattan when the engine failed, causing the aircraft to crash. The pilot, a 70-year-old Manhattan man, was seriously injured. An 88-year-old man from Wichita was also critically injured. Both occupants were wearing seat belts during the crash. The crash victims were taken to a Manhattan hospital for treatment of their injuries.
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Small Plane Runs Out of Fuel, Crash Lands Near Iola
IOLA, Kan. (WIBW) — A small plane crashed near Iola over the weekend when the aircraft ran out of fuel. The Kansas Highway Patrol says an Oklahoma pilot was injured after his plane crashed on a rural road about 3 miles southeast of Iola Saturday night. WIBW TV reports that first responders found that the single-engine aircraft had run out of fuel on the way to the Iola Airport. The pilot, 27-year-old James V. Devers, of Oklahoma City, landed the plane on a road, but the right wing hit a tree causing the plane to veer into a ditch. Devers suffered minor injuries.
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KBI: Stanton County Standoff Ends with Suspect Shooting Himself
STANTON COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) says a 45-year-old man is believed to have shot himself during a standoff with police in Johnson City, Kansas. Authorities say a female juvenile went to the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon to report physical injuries she had received during an altercation. Deputies then went to a trailer home in Johnson City to question 45-year-old Ricky Thompson. Deputies were unable to get Thompson to come to the door but could hear him inside. KWCH TV reports that a subsequent standoff lasted for hours. Law enforcement officers eventually breached the door. Later, they found Thompson inside with what appeared to be single gunshot wound to the head. A firearm was found next to Thompson's body. The KBI says no law enforcement officers discharged their firearms during the standoff. Thompson was taken to the Stanton County Hospital where he died Sunday morning.
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Kansas Foster Care Contractor Implements New Overnight Stay Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas foster care contractor Cornerstones of Care hasn’t had a child spend a night in an office since January. But 17 kids have spent a night in a new short-term shelter. Eliminating overnight office stays is a priority for every foster care agency in Kansas. But lawmakers and advocates say an agency eliminating office stays just to put kids in a shelter is not much of an improvement. But foster care agency Cornerstones of Care disagrees. They say their shelter has playgrounds, libraries and a chapel. Rachel Spaethe is the executive director of Kansas programs and services at Cornerstones. She previously told lawmakers that her agency has stopped taking people to the office but does acknowledge nightly stays are a problem. “While they are not in the office, they may be in a one-night placement. We got to fix that," she said. In the first six months of 2023, 17 kids spent a night at a shelter run by Cornerstones. Last year, 30 kids spent a night in Cornerstones office.
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Kansas School District Moves to 4-Day Weeks Due to Water Shortage
CANEY, Kan. (KAKE) — At the end of this month, students in the Caney Valley school district will go to a four-day school week in order to combat the Montgomery County community's ongoing water crisis. In a news release posted on the district's Facebook page, the district says they are one of the largest consumers of water in the city, and the moves are intended to limit water usage. KAKE TV reports that students will not have school on Mondays. In addition, locker room showers will be turned off, and the district will be utilizing trailers with sealed doors on campus, and port-a-potties at athletic events. The district is also considering a modified sports schedule for the remainder of the semester to limit home events.
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Mother Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Now-Closed Christian Boarding School in Missouri
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A mother is suing a shuttered Christian boarding school in Missouri, blaming her son's death on a gang rape and other abuse he endured there. Agape Boarding School has been subjected to a wave of litigation as a series of abuse allegations emerged, but the case filed this month and amended Monday in federal court by Kathleen Britt is believed to be the first wrongful death suit. The suit said that mental health problems plagued Britt's son, Jason Britt, after he left the private school, where several staffers subsequently were charged. The suit said he lifted weights obsessively and ingested copious steroids so he would become so strong that he never would be victimized again. He grew so despondent that he wrote a suicide note. But heart and kidney failure were what claimed his life in February 2022. "The saddest part of his case is he finally found a cause to live when the circumstances of his choices ended up killing him," said attorney Rebecca Randles. "It is one of those completely devastatingly sad situations."
Among those named in the suit are the school, a company that transported students there, and Cedar County Sheriff James McCrary. Agape's attorney and the sheriff didn't immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment. Jason Britt's parents turned to Agape because they were worried about his slipping grades and partying. In 2010, the then-16-year-old was awoken in the middle of the night while staying with his girlfriend. The men who transported him to Agape zip tied his hands and told him he had been given up for adoption, the suit said.
Instead of the counseling his parents were promised, the school was "a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion," the suit said. Upon arriving, his head was shaved. And when he tried to write to his family about what was happening, he was punished. The maltreatment culminated in him being gang raped, the suit said. The suit said the sheriff's department knew of reports of abuse at Agape and a sister boarding school. But despite those reports, deputies routinely returned runaways to their schools without effectively investigating or reporting concerns to state welfare workers.
Some of the sheriff's department staff also worked at the school, the suit said. When Jason Britt's mother visited, she was alarmed by her son's demeanor and took him home, the suit said. The family learned he had been abused at the school, but they were ignored by Cedar County authorities, the lawsuit said. Anxious and withdrawn, he finished high school online and grew obsessed with weight lifting. "The steroids, testosterone, high blood pressure and anxiety coupled with the drug addiction were the mechanism of his death; the cause of his death was the abuse at Agape," the suit said.
More than a dozen other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school. When the facility shut down in January, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The school's former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.
Former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called "seizure boy" because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.
In 2021, Agape's longtime doctor, David Smock, was charged with child sex crimes and five employees were charged with low-level abuse counts. Then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt's office contended that 22 workers should have been charged, and with more serious crimes. But in Missouri, only the local prosecutor can file charges, and Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither has said no additional employees would be charged.
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Time Running Out for Passage of Annual Farm Bill
UNDATED (HPM) — Lawmakers in Washington D.C. have a little more than two months to pass the 2023 Farm Bill. But the legislation is facing challenges beyond an upcoming deadline. The legislation governs a litany of nationwide agricultural and food programs. The newest version of this bill must pass by the end of the year. However, at the moment, that’s a daunting task. The U.S. House is without a Speaker and cannot conduct any business. Additionally, lawmakers will again work through preventing a shutdown in mid-November. Speaking after a roundtable in Missouri about the farm bill, Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt said the Senate hasn’t been proactive enough with appropriations bills. “Mark my words, we're gonna get to November 17. And Chuck Schumer is going to say, here is a massive omnibus bill that you don't have time to read, take it or leave it. And if you don't support it, you're for a government shutdown," he said. It's ridiculous.” Sen. John Boozman, who also attended the roundtable, says he’s interested in extending the deadline to pass the Farm Bill.
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Kansas Businessman Charged in $1 Million Kickback Scheme Involving Nuclear Weapons Components
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR/ KC Star) — An indictment unsealed in Kansas City, Kansas, last week charges two businessmen for an alleged scheme to fraudulently steer and award contracts for work on nuclear weapons manufacturing projects. According to court documents, 67-year-old Michael Clinesmith, of Kansas, allegedly solicited and received kickbacks and bribes from 43-year-old Richard Mueller, of Missouri, in exchange for steering contracts from Clinesmith’s employer to Mueller’s company. Clinesmith allegedly used his position to steer contracts to Mueller’s company. In exchange, Mueller paid him over $1 million. The indictment also alleges that Mueller lied to federal agents. Clinesmith and Mueller are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other crimes. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. (Read more in the Kansas City Star.)
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Three Topeka Residents Charged in Money Lending Business Robbery
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Three Topeka residents have been charged in connection with a robbery at money lending business called LendNation. The business provides loans to customers. Federal prosecutors say the store manager, 32-year-old Aaron Fish, along with two others - 47-year-old Mejia J. Pattillo and 32-year-old Katelyn Nichole North - are charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. The FBI and the Topeka Police Department are investigating.
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KCI Airport Has Busiest September Ever
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Kansas City International Airport and it’s passengers have set a new record for the month of September. WDAF TV reports that the airport had the busiest September in it’s 50 year history. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says KCI had nearly 992,000 passengers arrive and depart from the airport in September. It’s a 13% percent increase from September of last year. The new airport opened in February.
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Will Wyandotte County and KCK Change Its Unified Form of Government?
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KC Star) — After nearly three decades, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, may decide to change its consolidated government structure. The Kansas City Star reports that the mayors of KCK, Edwardsville and Bonner Springs have announced plans to create a task force to listen to resident concerns about the Unified Government, which is now $1 billion in debt. The mayors were not specific about what changes they hope to see. Since KCK and Wyandotte County’s governments unified in 1997, the county went from being known for its political corruption to one with attractions like the Kansas Speedway and the Village West shopping area.
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Kansas Water Office Water Invest in Water Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Water Office has announced plans to invest at least $1.5 million to implement the Kansas Water Plan. Governor Laura Kelly says the five-year plan is a blueprint to ensure a reliable, quality water supply. It includes conserving the Ogallala Aquifer, improving state water quality, and reducing vulnerability to extreme water events. The Kansas Water Plan Partnership Initiative will invest resources from the fund into projects centered on the guiding principles outlined in the 2022 State Water Plan.
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Kansas Wildlife Officials Hosts Cooking Competition of Invasive Species
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) — Kansans can share their best recipes for eating invasive species at a new cooking competition organized by state wildlife officials. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is holding its first-ever cooking competition next month in Lawrence. People can show off their best recipes for the foods they’ve foraged, fished and hunted. One category encourages people to cook up and serve the invasive species that are competing with native plants and animals in Kansas rivers, prairies and woods. The state wildlife department also offers occasional workshops across Kansas teaching people to identify these plants and animals, like white perch, and cook them. The event will take place at the Baker University Wetlands Discovery Center on November 19. Enter the competition by registering at KSOutdoors.com.
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Prosecutor: Ex-Police Chief Who Quit in Excessive Force Case Gets Prison Term for Attacking Ex-Wife
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A prosecutor says a former Missouri police chief who resigned amid accusations he assaulted a father who tried to drown a young daughter in 2018 has now been sentenced to prison for attacking his ex-wife in a separate domestic dispute. The Kansas City Star reports former Greenwood chief Greg Hallgrimson was sentenced Friday to 18 years in prison in a case in which a prosecutor says Hallgrimson knocked his ex-wife unconscious. Hallgrimson resigned in 2019 as chief of Greenwood, southeast of Kansas City. He had pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of the father in the earlier case, drawing probation from a federal judge.
Hallgrimson was chief of the Greenwood Police Department when a man walked into the department in December 2018 and said he had just tried to drown his daughter in a retention pond. Hallgrimson and another officer rushed to the icy pond and pulled the unconscious child out of the water. She was rushed to a hospital, where she was treated for severe hypothermia. But prosecutors said that upon completing the rescue mission, Hallgrimson threw the father to the ground back at a police station and punched him in the face.
Hallgrimson was placed on administrative leave shortly after he was accused of assault and resigned in May 2019. Greenwood is about 20 miles southeast of Kansas City. A federal judge subsequently sentenced Hallgrimson, who pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of the father, to five years of probation. After Hallgrimson was indicted on a charge of violating the father's civil rights but before he was sentenced to probation in that case, he hit his wife so hard that she was knocked unconscious, according to authorities. The ex-wife was worried for her safety and initially told doctors the she broke her nose and fractured her eye socket falling down some stairs, the prosecutor said. Police began investigating about 17 months later. Defense attorneys for Hallgrimson had argued that Hallgrimson was not the initial aggressor because he was slapped first. In a statement Friday, Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said the sentence "sent an unmistakable message today that victims of domestic abuse will be heard and supported" in Clay County where the case was prosecuted.
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Chiefs Wide Receiver Justyn Ross Arrested in Suburban Kansas City
SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross was arrested Monday in suburban Kansas City and is accused of causing criminal damage of more than $25,000. That's according to a booking report from the sheriff's office in Johnson County. The report does not provide any details or indicate whether bond was set. The Chiefs said they were aware of the arrest but declined to comment. The 23-year-old Ross has appeared in all seven games with three catches for 34 yards this season. He spent all of last season on injured reserve after having foot surgery.
The 23-year-old Ross, who originally signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, missed all of last season following surgery. Ross helped Clemson win the college football national championship in 2018, when he caught 46 passes for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman. He was nearly as productive as a sophomore before missing his entire junior year, when he was found to have a congenital fusion condition in his neck and spinal area that required career-threatening surgery. Even though Ross returned in 2021 to catch 47 passes for 524 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers, few NFL teams were willing to clear him medically to play. The Chiefs were among those that were willing to give him a chance.
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Kansas City Chiefs Defeat L.A. Chargers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — The Kansas City Chiefs improved their record to 6-1 after a 31-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes, including one to tight end Travis Kelce just before halftime. Mahomes also connected with running back Isiah Pacheco in the fourth quarter to seal the win. "Obviously, there’s going to be a big dose of Trav, the player that he is," Mahomes said. "But if we want to continue to get to that next step of an offense and a team, we’re going to have to get other guys to make plays when it counts." The Chiefs won’t have another game at Arrowhead Stadium until November 20, a Monday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Next Sunday, the Chiefs will play the Broncos at Denver.
(Additional reporting...)
Mahomes Throws for 424 Yards and 4 TDs as Chiefs Beat Chargers 31-17
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns, Travis Kelce caught 12 passes for 179 yards and a score, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 31-17. The Chiefs won their sixth straight to take a three-game lead in the loss column in the AFC West. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco also had touchdown catches for Kansas City. Justin Herbert threw for 259 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Los Angeles, but he also was under constant pressure from the league's No. 2 scoring defense.
If anybody should know how to stop Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, it should probably be the Los Angeles Chargers and the rest of the AFC West, who get two cracks at beating the Kansas City Chiefs every season. The familiarity hasn't seemed to help. The Chiefs have seized command of a division they have won seven straight years. Mahomes also improved to 29-3 against teams from the AFC West, which Kansas City already leads by three games just seven weeks into the season.
UP NEXT
Chiefs: Visit the Broncos next Sunday.
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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.