Kansas Tops Nation in Economic Growth over Fall 2023
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is touting good economic news for the state. According to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the Kansas economy grew by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter of 2023. That's the fastest rate in the nation. In the 2nd quarter of this year, the state's economy grew at the second-fastest rate in the nation at 7.4%.
Kelly celebrated the news by saying "Kansas is outstripping the entire nation in economic growth and attracting business investment." Kansas ranked third in the nation for growth in personal income, with personal income growing at 4.9% over the 3rd quarter of 2023. Farming was the leading contributor to the increased earnings in Kansas.
The state's economic growth rate is measured by the change in its real gross domestic product (GDP), or the market value of goods and services produced in the state.
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Fatal Shooting of Woman in East KC Marks Deadly Milestone
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — Another homicide in Kansas City means the city has reached a deadly milestone. The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department is investigating the shooting death of a woman Tuesday night (near East 25th Street and Myrtle Avenue). The victim has been identified as 31-year-old Chelsea Williams. She died at the hospital in the hours following the shooting. Police have not released any information about the circumstances leading up to the shooting and no suspect is in custody. KMBC TV reports that Williams' death marks Kansas City's 179th homicide of 2023. That means this year is now tied with the deadliest year on record for Kansas City, which happened in 2020. The death comes with several days left in the year.
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Kansas Governor's New Medicaid Expansion Bill Includes Concessions to Appease Republicans
TOPEKA, Kan. (KC Star) — Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has revised her latest Medicaid expansion plan to include compromises intended to appease Republican lawmakers. The Kansas City Star reports that Kelly included work requirements for recipients in the latest proposal, something Republicans have requested in previous years. She also points out that the plan is “revenue neutral” and she included a clause that would halt the expansion if the federal government stops paying its share. But, Republican lawmakers say they have already read and dismissed the governor’s new plan. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover, says the policy is simply an expansion of welfare for Kansans who could be working. Kansas Republicans have long opposed any kind of Medicaid expansion and have set up obstacles to stop Kelly's expansion efforts for the past four years. Kelly estimates that expanding the federal program would give 150,000 low-income Kansans access to affordable health care.
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Kansas Auditors Don't Know How Much in Tax Breaks Has Gone to Mega Eco-Devo Projects
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — Two massive economic development projects in the state have received massive tax breaks, but state auditors say no one seems to know how much of those incentives has been used so far. Now, lawmakers are calling for economic development officials to start tracking that data.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the Legislative Division of Post Audit performed an evaluation but had little to report to lawmakers. Auditors have been looking at the new APEX program. APEX stands for "Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion." The APEX law authorized tax breaks to two mega-projects with at least $1 billion in private investment. One of those projects is the $4 billion Panasonic electric battery plant under construction in De Soto. The other is Integra, a Wichita area project with nearly $2 billion in capital investment.
Auditors recently told lawmakers that no one knows how much in tax breaks Panasonic has received so far for its battery plant. An auditor told state lawmakers this month that so far, Panasonic has only used the sales tax exemption. But no one at the Kansas Department of Commerce or the Kansas Department of Revenue knows how much the tax breaks have cost the state. Officials with the Commerce Department and the Revenue Department are trying to come up with a better process to track the incentives.
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Kansas School Puts Students to Work to Improve Behavior
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) — How to get students to pay attention and behave in class. It’s a problem as old as school itself. But one elementary school in south-central Kansas is trying something different: putting students to work as a way to improve classroom behavior. Counselors at Woodman Elementary in Wichita say many students who act up in class do it to get attention from adults. So, the school launched a program called “Meaningful Jobs,” which assigns students various tasks around the building. Counselor Shauna Barnes meets with a third-grader several times each week. The student helps her feed and care for a pet frog and goldfish in her office. “We’ve created this great relationship where, when I see him in the hallway, he wants to tell me about how hard he’s working in class, and it’s just been a very positive thing," she said. About two dozen students participate in the program. School leaders say behavior problems and visits to the principal’s office are down.
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KU Overcomes Flags to Beat UNLV 49-36 in Guaranteed Rate Bowl
PHOENIX (AP) — Jason Bean threw for 449 yards and all six of his touchdown passes to two receivers, and penalty-plagued Kansas outlasted UNLV 49-36 in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. The Jayhawks were flagged 18 times for 210 yards, including four personal fouls. They made up for it with an explosive offense that produced 591 total yards at Chase Field, home of baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. Luke Grimm had four catches for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Lawrence Arnold added six catches for 132 yards and three more scores. UNLV's Jayden Maiava threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.
Kansas was one of Power Five football's worst teams not that long ago, going through two full seasons with one combined win. The Jayhawks began rebuilding in coach Lance Leipold's first season, went to a bowl game a year ago and now have a large trophy to take back home with them to Lawrence.
Jason Bean threw for 449 yards and all six of his touchdown passes to two receivers, and penalty-plagued Kansas outlasted UNLV 49-36 in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday night. "I said it one time and I kind of chuckle, that we can be in the conversation for a conference championship," Leipold said. "I never would have thought I would have said that that quick at Kansas." The Jayhawks (9-4) tried to make things hard on themselves Tuesday. Ranked 14th nationally for fewest penalties with 55 during the regular season, Kansas was flagged 18 times for 210 yards, including four personal fouls.
The Jayhawks made up for it with an explosive offense that produced 591 total yards at Chase Field, home of baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. Luke Grimm had four catches for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Lawrence Arnold added six catches for 132 yards and three more scores, giving Kansas two receivers with three touchdowns in a game for the first time in program history. Bean finished 19 of 28 and overcame two interceptions in the third quarter to lead Kansas to its first postseason win since the 2008 Insight Bowl, also in Phoenix. "That's an example of this whole season," said Bean, who took over as Kansas' starter when Jalon Daniels went out with a back injury three games into the season. "We've had our ups and downs and that's just a credit to our attitude to stay kind of even keel."
Jayden Maiava threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter to rally UNLV (9-5) nearly all the way back from a 21-point deficit early in the second. He added a 50-yard touchdown pass to Senika McKie and finished 24 of 35 for 291 yards with two interceptions.
The Rebels just couldn't stop Kansas and came up short in their first bowl game since 2014. A tough ending to coach Barry Odom's first season, but UNLV finished with its most wins since the Randall Cunningham team went 11-2 in 1984.
"I thought the progress that the program made was substantial from where we started back when we got the job and started working together," Odom said.
UNLV got off to a fast start, moving quickly down the field for Maiava's 3-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Davis.
Bean took over from there, hitting Grimm on touchdowns of 6 and 60 yards, and a 15-yarder to Arnold. Devin Neal's 1-yard run put Kansas up 28-10 at halftime. Maiava rallied UNLV to 28-24 with a pair of TD passes, but Kansas kept scoring. Bean hit Arnold on touchdown passes of 40 and 56 yards, then put the Jayhawks up 49-30 with a 43-yard TD to Grimm. "We tried a little bit of everything," Odom said. "Any good defense, the number of explosive plays, the lower the number is the better you're going to be as a defense. It sounds easy, but it's hard to do."
THE TAKEAWAY
Kansas: The Jayhawks picked a bad time to become undisciplined, but got away with it because of their explosive offense.
UNLV: The Rebels managed to climb most of the way out of the big early hole, but never could catch the Jayhawks and remained winless in bowl games since 2000.
UP NEXT
Kansas: Neal announced before the game that he will return for another season, and the Jayhawks' defensive front is loaded with underclassmen on the two-deep roster. Kansas had the No. 44 recruiting class in the early signing period.
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Kansas State, NC State Excited for Chance to Finish on Winning Note in Pop-Tarts Bowl
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — No. 19 North Carolina State and Kansas State completed strong seasons this year to earn a trip to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, however both teams now find themselves entering the showcase game without key players who are sitting out either to prepare for the NFL Draft or because they have entered the transfer portal. Still, the Wolfpack and Wildcats are excited to be in Orlando and looking forward to finishing on a winning note. North Carolina State takes a 9-3 record into Thursday's game and has a chance to finish with at least 10 wins for only the second time in program history. Kansas State is 8-4.
When it comes to college bowl games these days, storylines often are as much about who's not playing rather than who actually is going to be on the field. With many stars choosing to opt out of postseason trips in favor of entering the transfer portal or preparing for the NFL draft, matchups like Thursday's Pop-Tarts Bowl between No. 19 North Carolina State and Kansas State essentially become showcases for younger players and those older ones relishing an opportunity to take the field one more time. "I am going to enjoy one last ride with my teammates," Kansas State All-American guard Cooper Beebe said. "There is a lot to enjoy and I'm excited to see a lot of these young guys step out for the first time and see what they can do."
The Wildcats (8-4) will be missing several key players, including quarterback Will Howard, who entered the transfer portal. They will also be without second-leading rusher Treshaun Ward and safety Kobe Savage. That leaves freshman quarterback Avery Johnson to lead the Wildcats against a North Carolina State defense that will be without All-American linebacker Payton Wilson, who opted out to begin preparing for the NFL draft. Johnson appeared in seven games during the regular season, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for six more. "I've always had the greatest confidence in myself to just be able to go out there and do what I'm capable of doing," Johnson said. "I have a great support system around me. The team believes in me, the coaches believe in me and it ultimately makes my job easier."
NC State (9-3) will also be integrating several new players into the starting lineup because of absences. The Wolfpack will miss Wilson, who was the team's leading tackler as well as ACC defensive player of the year, however there's still plenty of motivation for NC State to finish strong Thursday with the prospect of a rare 10-win season on the line.
"It's important to me," Wolfpack quarterback Brennan Armstrong said. "I think that's where it starts. Each person has to look at how important it is to them and take it out on the field."
CHANCE FOR HISTORY
NC State has just one 10-win season in its program history. The Wolfpack went 11-3 in 2002, including a victory in the Gator Bowl. The Wolfpack won five straight games down the stretch to get into position to finish with double-digit wins. They won two of those games largely without Armstrong in the lineup. NC State, which is appearing in a bowl game for the third time in four seasons, is seeking its first postseason win since 2017.
NEW PLAYCALLER
Kansas State will play its first game under interim offensive coordinator Conor Riley, who was promoted from offensive line coach after Collin Klein departed for Texas A&M earlier this month. Players are excited for Riley to get the opportunity to lead the offense, noting the enthusiasm and fire the coach is known for instilling among the team's linemen. Senior Hayden Gillum joked that one of the benefits of the promotion is the linemen won't have to hear Riley yelling on the sideline Thursday because the interim coordinator will move upstairs to work from the coaching booth.
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KU Athletics Spent More than $10 Million on Outside Legal Fees Defending NCAA Infractions Case
LAWRENCE, Kan. (TCJ) — The University of Kansas men's basketball program was hit with lighter penalties than many expected in its NCAA infractions case. But the case still came with a cost. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that KU Athletics spent more than $10 million in outside legal fees over the past five fiscal years. That's according to documents obtained by Capital-Journal through a public records request. Four law firms were paid by KU for work on the school’s defense in the case. The $10 million is an estimate provided by KU’s public records office.
KU's infractions case had its origins in a federal investigation. The NCAA alleged that a KU player was given improper payments by someone associated with Adidas. KU officials said they didn't know about the payments, but didn't dispute the allegation either.
Meanwhile, in November, Kansas Athletics and KU Coach Bill Self agreed to an amended employment agreement. The contract consists of a five-year rolling term. According to a USA Today report, the contract will pay Self $9.44 million for the current season. That amount includes a $1 million siging bonus.
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Kansas Chamber of Commerce Poll: Businesses Want Lower Taxes, Less Regulation
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — The Kansas Chamber of Commerce says lowering taxes is the top — and fastest-growing — concern among business leaders who responded to its recent poll. The annual survey commissioned by the pro-business lobbying group polled 300 business leaders in the state. Three-fourths said lowering taxes would help the state’s economy and 45% said lowering taxes on businesses would boost profitability more than other changes. Reducing costs for health care and energy - and decreasing government regulations - also remained top priorities. The greatest labor force concern was a lack of soft skills among workers.
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Chiefs Lament Same Mistakes Against Raiders that Have Been Their Downfall All Season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs were left to lament the same mistakes that have been their downfall all season after a 20-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday. There were the two turnovers that the Raiders returned for touchdowns, more offensive penalties that have cost them wins this season, and more dropped passes and missed assignments. The Chiefs wasted a chance to wrap up their eighth consecutive AFC West championship, along with any hope of earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Now, they have to take care of the Bengals on New Year's Eve before a regular-season finale against the Chargers in Los Angeles.
Andy Reid stepped to the podium and once again took the blame for the ineptitude of the Kansas City Chiefs offense.
Patrick Mahomes followed him and once again insisted that all the Chiefs were lacking was consistency. After another dismal offensive performance in a 20-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, the two followed the same script they had after four previous losses in their past eight games. And for good reason, because precisely the same problems that have dragged down the Chiefs all season showed up on Christmas Day. They had a pair of turnovers, one of them a fumble returned for a touchdown and the other an interception taken back for a score, representing the only two touchdowns that the Raiders scored on the entire soggy afternoon. The Chiefs are now minus-10 in turnover differential this season.
They had more penalties, including another offensive offside penalty on a wide receiver — this time Marquez Valdes-Scantling, though it was declined because the Raiders sacked Mahomes anyway. It was that same rare call against Kadarius Toney a couple of weeks earlier that negated a go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes of a loss to Buffalo. There were more dropped passes, too, including one by Valdes-Scantling and another by sure-handed tight end Travis Kelce, even though their two most egregious offenders when it comes to drops — Toney and Skyy Moore — are now on injured reserve. "Yeah, we're just off a tick and again that's my responsibility," Reid said afterward, "to make sure I give them the right stuff to work with in the run game and pass game. That's what's got to take place."
Or, as Mahomes put it: "All you can do is just move on, learn from your mistakes, get better and, I mean, I still believe that we can go do what we want to do. It's just how can we correct it as quickly as possible."
Time is running out.
The Chiefs (9-6) only have games left against the Bengals on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium and the following week against the Chargers in Los Angeles. They've already squandered their chance of securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and they must get a win or some help just to wrap up their eighth consecutive West Division championship. "I've been on a team that won the Super Bowl as a wild-card team. You just have to get in," Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson said. "I know people around here are accustomed to all the home playoff games and the first-round bye, but I don't care if it's easy. Nothing this whole second half of the season has been easy. Just give us a chance to play and let's do our thing."
WHAT'S WORKING
The Chiefs defense held the Raiders to two field goals Monday. Hard to fault that side of the ball for only the fifth loss by Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium in which the opposing offense failed to score a touchdown.
WHAT NEEDS WORK
The Chiefs' pass catchers struggled to get open, dropped the ball when they did, and were penalized plenty — Kelce had offensive pass interference called against him. The running game managed 85 yards. But the newest problem was the offensive line. The Chiefs invested heavily in free agency and draft capital to build a front to protect Mahomes, yet he was sacked four times and hit 10 on Monday.
STOCK UP
WR Richie James, who has played primarily on special teams, had three catches for 54 yards as he got more offensive snaps with Toney and Moore on IR. James will need to become a bigger part of the offense going forward.
STOCK DOWN
LT Wanya Morris, who had played well as a rookie in place of injured veteran Donovan Smith, was overmatched by the Raiders' defensive front. Morris needed constant help against Maxx Crosby, allowing Malcolm Koonce to pile up three sacks.
INJURIES
Running back Isiah Pacheco, in his first game back from shoulder surgery, landed in the concussion protocol, and right guard Trey Smith left with a calf injury. Defensive back L'Jarius Sneed and safety Mike Edwards also left at various points against the Raiders but were able to finish the game.
KEY NUMBERS
0 — Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell did not complete a pass after the first quarter yet led his team to victory. It was the first time since 2000 that an NFL team won without a completion over the final three quarters.
NEXT STEPS
The Chiefs play the Bengals on New Year's Eve with another chance to clinch the division.
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