Judge Turns Down ACLU of Kansas Request to Eliminate Waiting List for Larned State Hospital
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) – A federal judge has denied a request from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas to eliminate a long wait list for Larned State Hospital. The Kansas News Service reports that the hospital is the only place in Kansas where mentally ill inmates can receive treatment to stand trial.
The ACLU of Kansas filed the 2022 case against the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which oversees the hospital. The organization wanted the judge to rule the waitlist is unconstitutional and order a plan to eliminate it. The group argues the wait keeps people who have not yet been convicted of a crime in jail for months. But the federal judge ruled a preliminary injunction was not necessary because the plaintiffs would not suffer irreparable harm. The case is expected to continue.
==========
Kansas Department of Revenue Computer System Back Online
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — The Kansas Department of Revenue says its computer system is back online Wednesday after technical issues caused delays earlier this week. The Kansas News Service reports that the state's Motor Vehicle Registration Solution (MOVRS) software system went down sometime Tuesday and held up motor vehicle title work in most counties. The issue put a halt to all new driver’s license and car tag processing for most of the day. Tag offices in Sedgwick County could not process any titles during the outage. They were still able to do renewals and refunds and issue handicap placards. It’s not clear what caused the brief shutdown. Department of Revenue officials say the system is now back online for all counties.
==========
Johnson County DA: No Charges Against Kansas Officers Who Killed Suspect in August Incident
OLATHE, Kan. (KMBC) — Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe has determined that police acted lawfully in killing a suspect who fatally shot a 29-year-old officer during an attempted arrest in a convenience store in Mission in August. The District Attorney’s report says Fairway, Kansas Officer Jonah Oswald was shot while trying to arrest auto-theft suspect 40-year-old Shannon Wayne Marshall. Marshall was then fatally shot by a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.
KMBC TV reports that the DA’s legal analysis determined that the two officers’ use of force was justified under Kansas law and that no criminal charges will be filed against either officer. The incident happened on August 6th when Lenexa police responded to a report of a stolen car near Interstate 35 and 95th Street. Police chased the suspects vehicle north on I-35 until the two suspects crashed the car and ran into a QuikTrip store at I-35 and Lamar Avenue. Officers entered the QuikTrip where they arrested a female suspect, 33-year-old Andrea Cothran.
Body camera video shows Marshall refusing to exit the gas station bathroom and surrender. As officers attempted to take him into custody, Marshall put his hand through a stall door, now holding a gun, and allegedly shot Officer Oswald. The Johnson County prosecutor said a Mission officer briefly exchanged gunfire with Marshall, and the Kansas trooper ultimately shot and killed Marshall. An autopsy determined Marshall was shot six times, and a toxicology report was positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine and norfentanyl. The report did not indicate how the decision will affect the case against the second suspect, Andrea Cothran, who is charged with first-degree murder in Oswald’s shooting.
==========
US Technology Sales to Russia Lead to Kansas Businessman's Conspiracy Plea
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal criminal charges stemming from what prosecutors described as a conspiracy to illegally export aviation-related technology to Russia, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to commit crimes against the U.S. and a single count of conspiring to illegally launder money internationally, court records show. His sentencing is set for March 21 and he could face up to 25 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Buyanovsky also agreed to allow the U.S. government to seize $450,000 in equipment and $50,000 in personal assets. The equipment was a pallet of aviation-related devices blocked from export the day before Buyanovsky was arrested in March along with business partner Douglas Edward Robertson.
Their arrests came as the U.S. ramped up sanctions and financial penalties on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Along with thousands of sanctions on people and companies, export controls were meant to limit Russia’s access to computer chips and other products needed to equip a modern military.
A Washington attorney representing Buyanovsky, Aitan D. Goelman, declined comment when reached by phone following Tuesday's hearing before U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Kansas City, Kansas.
Buyanovsky, 60, and Robertson, 56, operated the KanRus Trading Co. together. Prosecutors said the company supplied aircraft electronics to Russian companies and offered repair services for equipment used in Russian-manufactured aircraft.
Kate Brubacher, the U.S. attorney for Kansas, said in a statement that Buyanovsky and Robertson showed they “value greed and profit over freedom and justice.”
Buyanovsky is from Lawrence, Kansas, about 40 miles west of Kansas City and home to the main University of Kansas campus. Robertson, the company's vice president, is from the Kansas City suburb of Olathe.
A federal grand jury indictment charged the two men with 26 criminal counts, including conspiracy, exporting controlled goods without a license, falsifying and failing to file electronic export information, and smuggling goods in violation of U.S. law. The indictment alleges that since 2020, the business partners conspired to evade U.S. export laws by concealing and misstating the true end users and destinations of their exports and by shipping equipment through third-party countries.
Robertson was scheduled to appear Wednesday morning before a different judge in Kansas City, Kansas, to enter a plea to the charges against him.
Prosecutors said he, Buyanovsky and other conspirators lied to U.S. suppliers; shipped goods through intermediary companies in Armenia, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates; filed false export forms with the U.S. government; and used foreign bank accounts outside Russia to funnel money from Russian customers to KanRus in the U.S.
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to cut off Moscow from the means to fuel its military and hold those enabling it accountable in a court of law," Assistant U.S. Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in a statement.
(– Related –)
Kansas City-Area Man Pleads Not Guilty to Criminal Charges over Aviation Exports to Russia
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas City-area man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal criminal charges accusing him of conspiring with a business partner to illegally export aviation-related technology to Russia, even after its invasion of Ukraine.
Douglas Edward Robertson's plea to 26 criminal counts came a day after his business partner, Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, pleaded guilty to two of those charges and agreed to the U.S. government's seizure of $500,000 of assets, most of them held by their company, KanRus Trading Co.
Prosecutors have alleged that KanRus supplied aircraft electronics to Russian companies and offered repair services for equipment used in Russian-manufactured aircraft. Buyanovksy, 60, was the company's founder and president, and Robertson, 56, was its vice president.
Their arrests in March came as the U.S. ramped up sanctions and financial penalties on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Along with thousands of sanctions on people and companies, export controls were designed to limit Russian access to computer chips and other products for equipping a modern military.
Branden Bell, a Kansas City, Missouri, attorney representing Robertson, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment following a court hearing Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas. The U.S. Department of Justice, which is handling questions about the case, did not immediately respond to an email.
Robertson is from the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kansas. The charges against him include conspiring to commit crimes against the U.S.; exporting controlled goods without a license; falsifying and failing to file electronic export information; illegally smuggling goods; money laundering; and conspiring to launder money internationally.
Buyanovsky is from Lawrence, about 40 miles west of Kansas City, home to the main University of Kansas campus. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty in Kansas City, Kansas, to conspiring to launder money internationally and conspiring to commit crimes against the U.S. His sentencing is scheduled for March 21, and he faces up to 25 years in prison.
The indictment against the two men alleged that since 2020, they conspired to evade U.S. export laws by concealing and misstating the true end users and destinations of their exports. Prosecutors said they shipped goods through intermediary companies in Armenia, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates and used foreign bank accounts outside Russia to funnel money from Russian customers to KanRus in the U.S.
==========
Best Chance for White Christmas in Kansas Is in Western Part of the State
UNDATED (KNS) – The best chance of a white Christmas in Kansas this year is possibly in cities like Pratt and Hays, and farther west. Matthew Sittel, the assistant state climatologist, based at Kansas State University. He says the two main forecast models are divided on just how cold western Kansas will get.
“There’s still some difference of opinion. One of the forecast models says any precipitation that falls will be rain. While another one thinks that most of it could fall as snow,” Sittel explained.
Hays and Dodge City haven’t had a white Christmas in a decade. Goodland got one last year.
==========
KCI Warns Airline Travelers to Arrive Early
UNDATED (KCUR) – Travelers flying out of the Kansas City airport over the holidays are being encouraged to arrive at least two hours before their departure. KCUR reports that Joe McBride of the Kansas City Aviation Department says he doesn’t foresee any major snarls -- so long as drivers don’t create a bottleneck by waiting for passengers at the curb.
"We just can't allow vehicles to sit there for 20 minutes because it's causing a backup for everybody else. So essentially just use communication and then time your arrival," he said.
More than 400,000 travelers are expected to pass through MCI over the course of 10 days. That number is 25% higher than in the same period last year.
==========
Lawrence Commission Approves Increased Funding for Community Shelter
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) – Lawrence city leaders voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve nearly $2.7 million in city funding for the Lawrence Community Shelter as part of an updated funding agreement for 2024. The Lawrence Journal World reports that the commission approved the funding to help provide emergency winter shelter programs and to fund operations at the new pallet home community for people experiencing homelessness.
The “Village” of small pre-fabricated cabins is under construction on Michigan Street on the northern edge of the city. About half of the money, approximately $1.5 million, is coming from the city’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act federal funding. The remainder is coming from the city's Special Alcohol Fund and General Fund. The agreement represents a substantial increase in city funding for the shelter compared to previous years when the city has provided about $296,000 for shelter operations.
City officials say the extra funding will help to hire more staff for the shelter to achieve a better staff-to-guest ratio. The funds will also be used to provide three meals per day for shelter guests and residents of the Village and for day-services for all people experiencing homelessness. City leaders say the money will also help enhance security at the Lawrence Community Shelter campus in east Lawrence and at the new pallet village. The development consists of about 50 small, pre-fabricated cabins. The city also announced plans for another 45 of the 64-square-foot pallet homes to be built sometime in 2024.
==========
Lawrence Shelter Workers Unionize and Release Bargaining Terms
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Workers at the Lawrence Community Shelter recently voted to unionize and have now announced their bargaining demands. The demands include a pay raise to $30 an hour, which is about an 85% pay raise. The Lawrence Journal World reports that the current pay rate for hourly workers is $16.25 for day staff and $17.25 for workers on the overnight shift. The workers say their demands will help improve services at the shelter and support the homeless community.
They have named their recently formed union Lawrence Community Shelter Workers United, and is part of Communications Workers of America Local 6400. That group also represents various public and private sector employees in the area, including hourly staff in the Lawrence school district. In addition, the shelter workers are seeking job security, paid time off and health care, dental and vision insurance. The staff is also demanding a higher standard of living for the shelter occupants that will include “adequate and nutritional food, funding for access to programs for residents outside of the shelter, adequate medical care, and an increase in safety measures.”
============
Douglas County Planning Commission Splits on Plan for Large Solar Facility North of Lawrence
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) — The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission split its vote four-to-four Monday night on whether to recommend a permit for development of a massive solar energy facility north of Lawrence. Commissioners heard from city officials, representatives from the energy companies involved in the project and nearly 50 citizens speaking both for and against construction of the facility. The Lawrence Times reports that the hours-long meeting continued until into early Tuesday morning. The Commission formally accepted an application for a conditional use permit for the Kansas Sky Energy Center. The region's major power supplier, Evergy, is proposing to build the facility on 1,105 acres just north of Lawrence and west of Lawrence Regional Airport. It would operate more than 237,000 solar panels to generate 159 MW of electricity. Evergy officials say that's enough energy to power several thousand homes.
Lawrence City Planner Mary Miller outlined the project and told the commission that city staff recommended approving the permit. Nearly 50 people spoke during the public comment period with about 30 of them speaking against the permit. They argued that the land the developers want to use for the solar project is valuable for agriculture, and that the massive project would interfere with food production. The commissioners also discussed possible negative impacts on traffic in the area, possible herbicide use, noise thresholds, and wildlife corridors where animals can pass through the facility. Other speakers defended the project because of concerns over the effects of climate change and the need for renewable energy sources to help relieve the climate crisis. They said the need to create large-scale solar energy projects, like the Kansas Sky Energy Center would create a more livable environment for future generations. The Douglas County Commission will make the final decision on whether to approve the project.
==========
School Districts Making Fight Against Absenteeism a Priority
UNDATED (KNS) — Some large Kansas school districts are lowering the rate of chronic absenteeism and finding ways to get students back to class. Education Commissioner Randy Watson says schools in Salina and Haysville made daily attendance a priority, after absentee rates peaked two years ago.
“We gave the data to each building principal and assistant principal and said, ‘Can we work on this? Can we call parents? Can we tell them how important it is to come to school? Can we help if they need transportation? Can we formulate a plan'?’”, he explained.
The Kansas News Service reports that in Haysville, south of Wichita, more than half of students were chronically absent during the 2021-22 school year. Now the rate is below 20% — about the state average. School officials say they hired more counselors and social workers. They also reach out to families early in the school year if students miss too many days.
==========
Mennonites Rally in Wichita for Gaza Ceasefire
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Dozens of Mennonites rallied in downtown Wichita Tuesday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Kansas News Service reports that the demonstration, held outside the offices of Republican U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, was part of a national effort to pressure politicians. Similar rallies took place in Topeka and Kansas City.
“We had a specific message as Christians to demand that we have peace," said Ann Fetters, who is with the group Mennonite Action. She added that she doesn't want her taxes funding a war she does not support. "We wanted to tell our Congressional representatives to support a ceasefire.”
Both Marshall and Moran have both voiced support for Israel following the October 7th attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis. Since then, Israel’s military response has resulted in the death of more than 19,000 Gazans, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
==========
New Kansas License Plate Design Winner Announced
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Governor Laura Kelly on Monday announced the new Kansas standard license plate design. After a week-long voting process, Kansans chose a design featuring the Kansas Statehouse dome within a cutout of the state and a yellow, white, and blue gradient background. It received over 140,000, or 53%, of the total votes out of the nearly 270,000 votes received from Kansans in all 105 counties.
(–Additional reporting–)
Kansans Choose New License Plate Design
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas residents have settled on a new license plate design after Governor Laura Kelly put the options up for a vote. The Kansas News Service reports that the new license plate’s background is a gradient of blue, white and yellow. It’s designed to resemble the shape of the state and features the Kansas Statehouse dome in the bottom left. After a design released in November faced backlash from the public, Kelly unveiled five license plate designs for Kansans to vote on. The winning design received 53% of the vote, while the initial failed design received only 5%. A release from the Governor’s office says this is the first time the state allowed public input on the standard tag.
==========
Overland Park Man Arrested for Robbing Prairie Village Bank
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) — An Overland Park man is in custody accused of robbing the Great Southern Bank in Prairie Village at gunpoint in October and stealing more than $11,000. Federal prosecutors have charged 46-year-old Cesar Serrano with one count of bank robbery for the October 16 heist. KSHB TV reports that surveillance video captured Serrano walking into the bank wearing all-dark clothing and allegedly pointing a gun at a victim. Investigators say he then ordered a bank employee to fill a bag with only large bills. Serrano fled the bank with the money. It was later determined he had gotten away with more than $11,000. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby business and observed Serrano leaving in a gold SUV. During the investigation, detectives learned that employees had reported suspicious activity from the same man. Police used that information to obtain a warrant to search Serrano's home where they found $10,739 in cash, a handgun, a BB gun, and clothing that matched the worn by the suspect during the robbery. Detectives say Serrano admitted to robbing the bank and said he recently lost his job and needed the money for upcoming medical bills. He also told investigators that he used the BB gun to rob the bank, not the handgun.
==========
Kansas High School Coach Arrested After Allegations of Crimes Involving Minors
ALMA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Kansas high school wrestling coach has been arrested following multiple accusations of crimes against children. The Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office was called to the USD 329 district office Monday. The Sheriff’s Office said that evidence had been obtained on the scene which led to the arrest of 30-year-old Tyler Douglass, of Alma. WIBW TV reports that he was taken into custody and booked into the Wabaunsee County Jail on charges of contributing to a child’s misconduct and furnishing alcohol to minors. Douglass had been coaching at Wabaunsee High School since Dec. 2021. Anyone with information about the incident should report what they know to the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office at 785-765-3323.
==========
Canadian Company Announces Major Sustainable Aviation Fuel Refinery Plant in Southeast Kansas
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (Montgomery County Chronicle) — A Canadian company has confirmed that it will invest millions in southeastern Kansas. The Montgomery County Chronicle reports that Azure Sustainable Fuels, based in Calgary, Alberta, will spend $900 million to build a refinery and provide clean-burning fuel for the aviation industry. The plant will be built south of Cherryvale in Montgomery County.
The Azure refinery will use soybean oil, processed from a neighboring soybean processing plant, as a primary feed stock in the production of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. The global aviation industry has set a target date of 2030 to decarbonize its fuel emissions — shifting from traditional, crude oil-based fuel to sustainable aviation fuel.
Once completed, the plant is expected to have more than 150 employees. Construction is slated to begin in early 2025. The facility is currently expected to begin fuel production in 2027.
==========
Former Kansas City Chiefs Ed Budde Dies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KNS) — Former offensive lineman Ed Budde of the Kansas City Chiefs has died at the age of 83. Budde was a starter on the Chiefs’ first Super Bowl championship team in 1970. He spent his entire 14-year professional career with the Chiefs. After retiring in 1976, he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 1983. Budde was a leader on the Chiefs teams that won AFL titles in 1966 and ’69, and then beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. His son, Brad Budde, was an All-American offensive lineman at Southern California before he was drafted by the Chiefs in 1980. They remain the only father-son pair to be first-round picks by the same NFL franchise. Ed Budde was a Michigan native and earned first-team All-America honors at Michigan State in 1962. Budde and his wife Carolyn lived in Overland Park.
==========
Hunter Renfroe and Kansas City Royals Finalize $13 Million, 2-Year Contract
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hunter Renfroe and the Kansas City Royals finalized a $13 million, two-year contract Tuesday, filling the biggest offensive hole for a club that has spent heavily in free agency in an attempt to go from worst to first in the AL Central.
The power-hitting outfielder, who turns 32 next month, will get a $5.5 million salary from Kansas City for the upcoming season. Renfroe's deal also includes a $7.5 million player option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout.
“They talent they've brought through the minor leagues and who they have in the major leagues right now is pretty spectacular,” Renfroe said, “and the guys they added this offseason made it a no-brainer for me. The way the Central is now, there is no doubt that we can contend in it.”
The Royals lost 106 games last season, when injuries punched holes in their lineup and their pitching staff was among the worst in baseball. General manager J.J. Picollo has spent heavily over the past few weeks in an attempt to build depth and remake both their rotation and the bullpen, landing a pair of starters along with some impact relievers.
The Royals signed right-hander Seth Lugo to a $45 million, three-year deal and fellow starter Michael Wacha to a $32 million, two-year pact, which filled two glaring holes in the rotation. They also signed left-hander Will Smith to a $5 million contract to close out games, and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton to a $4 million deal to hold onto leads.
Utility man Garrett Hampson was added for $2 million, and the Royals swung trades with Atlanta to land right-handed reliever Nick Anderson and right-handed starter Kyle Wright, who will be ready in 2025 after rehabbing from shoulder surgery.
“When we left Nashville (and the winter meetings), I'll say there was some disappointment because I didn't feel like we were making headway like we wanted to,” Picollo said. “But we look up 10 days after the winter meetings end, and you look at our team now versus 10 days ago — it's vastly different. It's a much deeper team. It's a more experienced team.”
Renfroe has primarily played right field, but he also can play center field and first base. He hit .233 with 20 homers and 60 RBIs this past season, when a hot start turned into a tough finish, while splitting time with the Angels and Reds.
He has a career .239 average with 177 homers and 454 RBIs in eight big league seasons, including time with San Diego (2016-19), Tampa Bay (2020), Boston (2021) and Milwaukee (2022). He also has 65 outfield assists.
“He's going to be a run-producer,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro, who was on the Rays staff when Renfroe played for Tampa Bay. “He's going to try to execute every time he gets up there. That's one of the things Hunter won't say about himself, but he is one of the most competitive guys I've ever been around.”
The Royals designated right-hander Max Castillo for assignment to create space for Renfroe on the 40-man roster.
Castillo was acquired from Toronto on Aug. 2, 2022, along with infielder Samad Taylor in the trade that sent second baseman and outfielder Whit Merrifield to the Blue Jays. The 24-year-old Castillo was 0-3 with a 6.69 ERA in four starts and eight relief appearances with the Royals, including 0-1 with a 4.43 ERA in seven relief outings this year.
==========
Chiefs Put Struggling Wide Receiver Skyy Moore on Injured Reserve with Knee Problem
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs placed wide receiver Skyy Moore on injured reserve Monday, ending what had been a disappointing second season for the 2022 second-round draft pick.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said earlier in the day that Moore had some swelling in his knee, which caused him to play limited snaps during Sunday's 27-17 win in New England. But in the time that he was on the field, Moore once again fumbled the ball away after a catch, only to be bailed out by a defensive holding penalty that gave Kansas City the ball back.
The Chiefs, who improved to 9-5 with the win over the Patriots, were hopeful that Moore could improve upon a rookie season in which he caught 22 passes for 250 yards but began to show promise late in the season and into the playoffs.
Instead, Moore caught just 21 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown while ceding playing time to other wide receivers.
The Chiefs have struggled to get consistent production from their pass-catchers all season, although rookie Rashee Rice has emerged as a potential star. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has had crucial dropped passes and has failed to produce a return on the $11 million he is making this season, while Kadarius Toney continues to make costly mental mistakes in games.
The latest involving Toney, whose offside penalty cost the Chiefs a go-ahead TD the prior week against Buffalo, came when his dropped pass was intercepted by the Patriots on Sunday. The same thing happened to him in Week 1 against Detroit.
Reid said that Richie James, who has been excellent as a punt returner, could see more playing time at wide receiver after playing just a couple of snaps in New England. The Chiefs also get Justyn Ross off the exempt list this week; he had been there after a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy, and he could take Moore's place on the 53-man roster.
“We’ll have to see on Ross just to where that goes,” Reid said. "I’ll get with (General Manager Brett) Veach today, and we’ll go through all of that. Richie, though, has got to play more than two snaps, so that’s my responsibility on that. I didn’t have him in on enough stuff. He’s a good football player, though.”
The Chiefs play the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday. They are two games back of Baltimore for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
==========
This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. This ad-free news summary is made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.