Costs for New KU Football Stadium Renovations Expected to Increase by $113 Million
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Costs to renovate the University of Kansas football stadium and add a conference center to its north bowl are likely to be more than $100 million greater than what KU leaders expected just a year ago. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that members of the Kansas Board of Regents were told that KU now expects its first phase of renovations at KU's Memorial Stadium to cost $448 million. That's up from a $335 million project maximum that the Regents approved late last year.
The stadium renovation is a piece of a bigger project that aims to convert the area around the stadium at 11th and Mississippi streets into a new gateway district for the university. KU leaders envision the area being a hub for conferences and conventions, while also housing restaurants, retail and other uses that would appeal to visitors, residents or KU students and staff. KU officials say work is expected to be completed by August 2025.
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KDOT: Labor Shortage Will Mean Longer Times for Highway Snow Removal
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — The Kansas Department of Transportation says it will take longer to clear highways of snow and ice this winter because the agency is short on staff. The department says it's 25% short of its snowplow driver goal. That means agency managers and supervisors with proper licenses are going to be recruited to help keep Kansas roadways clear. The department is trying to hire temporary staff to meet the need. Kansans can apply for these jobs on the department’s website. The agency did say there is enough salt and sand stockpiled to maintain roads when ice and snow fall. KDOT also pre-treats roads before snow to keep them as drivable as possible.
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U.S. Census: Kansas and Missouri See Small Increase in New Residents
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) — The populations of Kansas and Missouri have remained largely steady. However, the Kansas City Star reports that the populations of both states increased slightly last year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Missouri saw an estimated 163,000 people move to the state, while Kansas gained around 94,000 new residents. Both states saw more people move in than move out. The new data comes from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
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Kansas Schools Urged to Update Employee Background Checks
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is urging school districts in Kansas to do background checks of all school employees after a recent report found most may lack a recent one. KWCH TV reports the move comes after a study by the Medicaid Inspector General that found around 31% of Kansas school employees who provide Medicaid-related services to students do not have background checks on file. The report also recommends districts confirm that all employees - regardless of role - have current background investigations on file and that legislators adopt a law that requires fingerprint-based, criminal history background investigations for all school employees on a 5-year cycle.
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Kansas Lawmakers Look to Other States for Solutions to Child Care Shortage
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas lawmakers are looking to other states to find ways to reduce the state’s child care shortage. Lawmakers heard from a Colorado agency about what that state has done to address shortages. Some solutions include reduced tuition for some child care courses or a statewide universal preschool system. Kansas Republicans tried and failed to pass looser child care regulations earlier this year to ease the shortage. Republican Senator Renee Erickson says there are several key challenges. “We know the issue, and it comes back in my mind to accessibility and affordability," she said. State legislators passed a bill earlier this year that would have increased the number of kids cared for by each adult, but the governor vetoed it over safety concerns. Lawmakers return to Topeka in January and will consider child care legislation.
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October Tax Collections Come in Below Estimates
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Total tax collections for the month of October were down. State officials say tax collections for October were around $685 million. That's about $29 million less than projected. Revenue Secretary Mark Burghart said tax refunds in October were $50 million more this year than last year, which complicated the revenue estimating process.
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Daylight Saving Time Ends This Weekend
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) – This weekend marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. Beginning at 2 am Sunday, November 5, clocks will fall back one hour. AAA Kansas spokesman Shawn Steward says the end of Daylight Saving Time will bring shorter days and longer nights. The travel and insurance company says the time change can also disturb sleep patterns and create drowsy driving conditions. AAA Kansas reminds motorists to prepare for sun glare during their Monday morning commutes and for reduced visibility on the road during their suddenly darker Monday evening commute.
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Kansas No Longer in "Exceptional" Drought
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/KPR) — For the first time since March 2022, no part of Kansas is considered in "exceptional" drought conditions. Some parts of the state received 4 to 7 inches of rain last week. While 84% of the state remains in some level of drought, much of it ranges from moderate to severe. KWCH TV reports that some parts of southeast Kansas, including Elk, Chautauqua, Wilson and Montgomery counties, remain in severe drought. At least two communities in southeast Kansas - Caney and Sedan - face an ongoing water crisis.
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ATF Offers Reward for Information About KCK Gun Store Heist
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KSHB) — The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a thief who used a stolen vehicle to smash his way into a gun store and steal firearms. KSHB TV reports that the break-in happened October 24 at Frontier Justice, a firearms retailer in Kansas City, Kansas. The business is a federally licensed firearms dealer and operates under the authority of the ATF. The bureau says the thief used a stolen, black Kia Soul to ram through the front doors and, investigators say, the same thief tried to break into the Bass Pro Shop store in KCK on the same night, but failed to get inside. The stolen Kia Soul was later found. Anyone with information about this theft should contact ATF at 800-ATF-GUNS (800-283-4867). All tips are kept confidential.
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Kansas Water Office Announces Drought Mitigation Funds
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) — Kansas will receive millions of dollars to fund projects addressing drought-related issues. The Kansas Water Office announced that $85 million will go to water projects over the next five years through the launch of the Technical Assistance Fund Grants and Water Projects Fund Grants programs. Both provide funds for up-front technical aid and on-the-ground actions needed to address water quantity and quality issues statewide. WIBW-TV reports that the grants were made possible through a bipartisan bill from the 2023 legislative session that increased funds for the State Water Plan Fund and established the two programs. Those eligible to apply for the funds include municipalities with an approved water conservation plan and special districts related to water organized under state law.
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Kansas Creek Befouled by Oil Spill Flowing Normally Again
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Kan. (KNS) - A Kansas creek that was soiled by the Keystone Pipeline’s biggest ever oil spill is now flowing normally once again. Nearly 600,000 gallons of tar sands oil spewed out the Keystone in north-central Kansas last December. Workers isolated several miles of Mill Creek to trap the oil and clean it up. They temporarily re-routed the creek using over-ground hoses. The US Environmental Protection Agency says the creek bed passed inspections this month and workers restored normal water flow. State and federal officials will monitor the area for five years or as long as needed to make sure vegetation is restored. For the Kansas News Service, I’m Celia Llopis-Jepsen.
(AP version)
EPA and TC Energy: Cleanup Complete at Site of Keystone Pipeline Oil Spill in Northern Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) — The operator of the Keystone pipeline system and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency say that the company has finished cleaning up a massive December 2022 oil spill in northeast Kansas. Canada-based TC Energy and the EPA's regional office announced Tuesday that the creek affected by the spill in Washington County is flowing naturally again. The company promised to continue monitoring the site, and the EPA said Kansas' environmental agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to inspect the area, possibly for years. The spill of 13,000 barrels of crude oil was the largest onshore spill in nearly nine years. The pipeline carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast.
The Canada-based company and the EPA's regional office announced Tuesday that berms that had diverted the creek around the spill site had been removed. The EPA said Kansas' environmental agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also will continue to inspect the area for the next five years or "until it is determined that monitoring is no longer needed."
The spill dumped nearly thousands of barrels of crude oil into the creek as it ran through a rural pasture. The oil was recovered by mid-May, the company has said. The company said that it has started "demobilization" at the site and, "expect to complete these activities by year end." The pipeline carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast.
The company reported in February that a faulty weld in a a pipe bend caused a crack that grew over time under stress. An engineering consultant firm's report for U.S. pipeline regulators that became public in May cited pipeline design issues, lapses by its operators and problems caused during pipeline construction as factors in the spill. The consultants' report said the bend had been "overstressed" since its installation in December 2010, likely because construction activity itself altered the land around the pipe. It was the largest onshore spill in nearly nine years.
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Kansas Pediatricians: Pregnant Women Should Get RSV Shot
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - Kansas doctors say it’s particularly important for pregnant women to get vaccinated against the illness RSV amid a national shortage of shots for infants. RSV is most dangerous to kids and older adults. Getting vaccinated during pregnancy transfers protection to babies before they’re born. Dr. Gretchen Homan (HOH-man) is president of the Kansas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She says most babies who get RSV don’t need hospitalization, but it’s still hard for parents to care for them. “They can be sick for weeks at a time with terrible congestion, needing suctioning from their noses and having difficulty coordinating their ability to drink," she said. "But parents are doing this at home and it takes a ton of effort.” Pediatricians celebrated the release of RSV immunizations this year, but high demand and high costs are complicating the rollout. The shortage is not impacting shots for pregnant women and adults 60 and older.
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Real Estate Industry Facing Pushback to Longstanding Rules Setting Agent Commissions on Home Sales
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A series of court challenges are seeking to upend longstanding real estate industry practices that determine the commissions agents receive on the sale of a home — and who foots the bill. One case ended Tuesday with a federal jury in Missouri ordering the National Association of Realtors and some of the nation's biggest real estate brokerages to pay almost $1.8 billion in damages after finding that they artificially inflated agent commissions. At least two other court cases are pending. At issue: whether home sellers should be forced to pay the commission for the buyer's agent in order to have their home listed on the widely used Multiple Listings Service.
The verdict stated that the defendants "conspired to require home sellers to pay the broker representing the buyer of their homes in violation of federal antitrust law." If treble damages — which allows plaintiffs to potentially receive up to three times actual or compensatory damages — are awarded, then the defendants may have to pay more than $5 billion. "This matter is not close to being final as we will appeal the jury's verdict," Mantill Williams, a spokesman for the NAR, said in a statement. "In the interim, we will ask the court to reduce the damages awarded by the jury." Williams said it will likely be several years before the case is resolved.
But already the NAR and several real estate brokerages are facing another lawsuit over agent commission rules. Fresh off winning the verdict in the 2019 case, the lawyers filed a new class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri by three different home sellers. It names the trade association and seven brokerage companies, including Redfin Corp., Weichert Realtors and Compass Inc.
The focus of the lawsuits is an NAR rule that requires that home sellers pay not only a commission on the sale of their home to their listing agent, but also cover the commission for the agent representing the homebuyer as a condition of being able to put their property on the Multiple Listings Service, where a majority of U.S. homes are listed for sale.
"Defendants' conspiracy forces home sellers to pay a cost that, in a competitive market and were it not for defendants' anticompetitive restraint, would be paid by the buyer," the plaintiffs argued in the lawsuit filed Tuesday. Plaintiffs claim that the NAR requirement effectively keeps commissions for a homebuyer's agent artificially high.
If NAR's "Mandatory Offer of Compensation Rule" were not in place, then homebuyers would foot the bill for their agent's commission, which would open the door for competition — and lower commissions — among agents vying to represent a homebuyer, the plaintiffs contend. The NAR argues that the practice of listing brokers making offers of compensation to buyer brokers is best for consumers. "It gives the greatest number of buyers a chance to afford a home and professional representation, while also giving sellers access to the greatest number of buyers," Williams said.
As home prices have soared in recent years, pushing the national median sales price to $394,300 as of September, so have agents' commissions. "Today, what effectively happens is the buyer agent's commissions are added to the sale price of the house, inflating the sale price," said Stephen Brobeck, senior fellow at the Consumer Federation of America. "If sellers no longer had to pay the buyer agents, there wouldn't be that inflation and buyers could negotiate the commission down and they would end up paying less money."
Typically, the home seller pays their listing agent, who then splits the commission with the buyer's agent according to the NAR rules. Traditionally, that works out to a 5% to 6% commission split roughly evenly between the buyer's and seller's agents.
The 2019 lawsuit originally also included Anywhere Real Estate Inc. and Re/Max, but the two companies reached a settlement agreement, which included Anywhere paying $83.5 million, Re/Max paying $55 million, and the pair agreeing to pull back on their relationships with NAR.
Homebuyers and sellers aren't likely to see any immediate change in the way agent commissions for homes listed on the MLS are handled, as the NAR has vowed to appeal Tuesday's verdict. However, the industry will be watching for what the court will do next now that the jury has spoken. "What's critical is how far the court orders the industry to restructure their compensation and offers," Brobeck said. "The real solution is for buyers to be able to finance the buyer-agent commissions as part of their mortgages. ... But there are regulatory barriers to that occurring right now - regulatory barriers that are strongly supported by the industry. "
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Cover Crops Help the Climate and Environment But Most Farmers Say No. Many Fear Losing Money
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Cover crops top the list of tasks U.S. farmers are told will build healthy soil, help the environment and fight climate change. Yet after years of incentives and encouragement, Midwest farmers planted cover crops on only about 7% of their land in 2021. Many worry the practice will hurt their bottom line. A study last year indicates they could be right. Researchers who used satellite data to examine over 90,000 fields in six Corn Belt states found cover crops can reduce yields of cash crops. The smaller the yield, the less money farmers make. Cover crops are plants grown on farmland that otherwise would be bare. They stabilize soil, reduce fertilizer runoff, store carbon in plant roots and potentially add nutrients to the dirt.
"I don't want to abandon it, but as far as just going whole-hog with planting cover crops, that's a tough thing for me to do," said Illinois farmer Doug Downs, who plants cover crops only on a sliver of his land in a relatively flat region of east-central Illinois. Cover crops are plants grown on farmland that otherwise would be bare. While crops like corn and soybeans are growing or soon after harvest, farmers can sow species such as rye or red clover that will grow through winter and into spring. The practice is key to government efforts to sequester carbon in farmland to help reduce climate change, since there's general agreement planting the right off-season crops can pull carbon from the air and keep it underground in plant roots.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture promotes cover crops through several programs, starting with $44 million in payments during the 2023 fiscal year from the agency's Natural Resources Conservation Service for over 4,700 contracts to plant them on more than 850,000 acres. Additional funding was available for conservation practices, including cover crops, through the Inflation Reduction Act. Another program provided $100 million in extra benefits through federal crop insurance coverage to farmers who plant cover crops. There's heightened interest in cover crops for carbon storage, though the effectiveness depends on the soil, plant variety, temperature and other factors.
The National Resource Defense Council has put so much stock in cover crops that it recently launched a social media campaign with Nick Offerman, featuring the Parks and Recreation TV show actor buried in dirt while promoting the practice. The environmental group has encouraged Congress to give farmers more lucrative financial incentives to plant the crops. The NRDC points to studies that have found cover crops don't necessarily reduce cash crop yields and can boost growth. And Lara Bryant, the group's deputy director of water and agriculture, notes that while the overall percentage of farmers planting cover crops is small, acreage increased by 50% to about 5% of U.S. cropland from 2012 to 2017, the most recent year USDA data is available.
However, the 2022 satellite study found yields declined by an average of 5.5% on corn fields where cover crops were used for three or more years. For soybean fields, the decline was 3.5%. The declines varied depending on factors such as cover crop type, soil moisture and soil quality. "I was surprised it was so negative," said David Lobell, a Stanford University agricultural ecologist who worked on the study published in the journal Global Change Biology with researchers from Illinois and North Carolina. "We rechecked everything and were a little bit surprised." The study found that rye, the most frequently used cover crop, is especially prone to reducing yields, Lobell said. Rye is less expensive than many cover crops and grows well in many kinds of soil.
The study examined farm fields in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio, using satellite images. Lobell said details from an individual field are less precise than on-the-ground study, but by examining thousands of fields, researchers can reach accurate conclusions.
The researchers said farmers need more technical help choosing and maintaining cover crops as well as more government or food industry payments to offset potential yield losses. The federal government and at least 22 states provide financial incentives to farmers — and food companies such as General Mills and PepsiCo pay more to farmers who plant cover crops.
J. Arbuckle, a professor in Iowa State University's sustainable agriculture program, said it's important to be open with farmers about possible yield reductions and how they can be mitigated over longer periods, such as six or seven years.
Even then, Arbuckle said, it can be hard to convince farmers to give cover crops a try because, despite the significant environmental benefits, a small drop in cash crop yield can mean a big cost. "Even a one bushel hit, if you're talking about a bushel an acre over a thousand acres, that's a lot of money," he said.
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Big 12 Action Features Bedlam, K-State at Texas and KU at Iowa State
UNDATED (AP) — The Big 12 enters November with five teams tied for the conference lead. That group will be cut by at least two Saturday after games matching co-leaders. Tenth-ranked Oklahoma plays at Oklahoma State in the last scheduled Bedlam series game. The SEC-bound Sooners are coming off a loss at Kansas while the Cowboys have a four-game winning streak. In the other matchup of co-leaders, No. 25 Kansas State is at seventh-ranked Texas. The defending Big 12 champion Wildcats have outscored their opponents 82-3 the last two weeks. Iowa State, the other team that is 4-1 in conference play, hosts Kansas.
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 10 Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1 Big 12, No. 9 CFP) at Oklahoma State (6-2, 4-1). The last scheduled Bedlam series game could be for much more than long-lasting bragging rights since the rivals go into the final month of the regular season as part of a five-way tie for the conference lead. The Sooners, who are going next season to the Southeastern Conference, are coming off a loss last week at Kansas. Oklahoma State has a four-game winning streak.
BEST MATCHUP
No. 25 Kansas State (6-2, 4-1) at No. 7 Texas (7-1, 4-1, No. 7 CFP) in another matchup of teams that are part of that five-way tie atop the Big 12 standings. The defending Big 12 champion Wildcats are coming off a 41-0 win over Houston a week after beating TCU 41-3 in a rematch of last year's title game. K-State is second in the Big 12 averaging 37.4 points per game, and Texas is fourth at 34.5 points a game. They are also the top two scoring defenses: Kansas State has allowed 127 points (15.9 per game), just ahead of Texas at 128 (16.0 ppg). Texas has won six in a row in the series.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Iowa State (5-3, 4-1), the fifth team tied atop the Big 12 standings, hosts Kansas on Saturday. The Cyclones will be trying to get to 5-1 in conference play for the second time in four seasons after never doing that before. Kansas safety Kenny Logan Jr. had 10 tackles in the win over Oklahoma. That pushed his career total to 346, the most for an active FBS safety and one short of LeRoy Irvin's school record for a defensive back set from 1976-79.
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No. 22 Jayhawks Head to Iowa State Looking for Consecutive Big 12 Wins
(UNDATED) — No. 22 Kansas goes for back-to-back Big 12 wins on Saturday night when it visits Iowa State. The Jayhawks are coming off a 38-33 victory over then-No. 6 Oklahoma. A win over the Cyclones would give Kansas consecutive conference wins for the first time since 2008. Iowa State is in a five-way tie for first place in the Big 12 after being picked to finish 10th in the preseason media poll. KU coach Lance Leipold has provided no clarity on his quarterback situation. Jason Bean has started the past four games in place of the injured Jalon Daniels. Kansas just knocked off its highest-ranked opponent in 15 years, became bowl-eligible a second straight year for only the second time in program history and is in a fifth AP Top 25 over two seasons after not appearing in the rankings since 2009.
The Jayhawks would add another item to third-year coach Lance Leipold's resume if they beat Iowa State on the road Saturday night. It would mark the first time they've won consecutive Big 12 games since 2008. "We need to play better after some of these big wins," Leipold said. "We have an opportunity where you have to go on the road, play a first-place team. A lot of things are in front of us down the stretch here. Are we just satisfied with bowl eligibility or do we want to be a team that continues to take steps?"
KU QUARTERBACK
Leipold provided no clarity to KU's quarterback situation earlier this week. Jason Bean has started the past four games and six of the eight in place of Jalon Daniels, who has had a back injury. Leipold said Daniels, who dressed for the Oklahoma game but didn't play, would be the starter if he's healthy.
JAYHAWKS' 1-2 PUNCH
Kansas' Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw are the top running back tandem in the Power Five with a combined 1,259 yards. Neal has 786 yards and seven touchdowns on 115 attempts and Hishaw has 488 yards and eight touchdowns on 80 carries.
AMES IS NO BREEZE
Kansas hasn't won in Ames since 2008 or beaten the Cyclones in consecutive years since winning five in a row from 2005-09. The Jayhawks are 22-26-3 all-time in Ames.
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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.