Woman Arrested in Connection with Death of KC Sports Reporter
UNDATED (KMBC) – A New Orleans-area woman has been arrested in connection with the death of Kansas City sports reporter Adan Manzano. KMBC reports that Danette Colbert of Slidell, Louisiana, has been charged with property crimes, including fraud, after she was reportedly caught using Manzano's credit card at several stores. In a news release, police said hotel security video shows Colbert with Manzano on Wednesday morning, February 5. Police said her arrest record includes allegations of drugging men, theft of currency, fraudulent use of a credit card, and other financial crimes.
(–Additional reporting–)
Arrest Made in Connection with Death of KC-Area Sports Anchor in New Orleans
UNDATED (KCUR) – Police in Louisiana announced Friday the arrest of a woman in connection with the death of a Kansas City sports anchor and reporter in New Orleans. Police in Kenner, Louisiana, announced that Danette Colbert of Slidell was arrested for robbery, and bank and computer fraud for allegedly using Adan Manzano’s credit cards. KCUR reports that the 27-year-old sports reporter for Telemundo and other Spanish language media was found dead this week in a hotel room while he was in the area covering the Super Bowl. The 48-year-old Colbert is accused of using Manzano’s credit cards. Police say she was seen on security video at Manzano’s hotel. Her arrest record includes allegations of drugging men and theft.
(–Earlier reporting–)
KC Sports Anchor Dies in New Orleans on Super Bowl Assignment
UNDATED (KMBC/TELEMUNDO/AP) – A Kansas City sports reporter has died while on assignment in New Orleans to cover the Super Bowl. KMBC reports that Adan Manzano was a sports anchor for KGKC Telemundo Kansas City and Tico Sports. He died Wednesday at the age of 27. The cause of death is under investigation by local authorities. Manzano was originally from Mexico City, moved to Topeka in 2018, and graduated from Kansas State University. According to his LinkedIn page, Manzano had been with Telemundo since 2021. In a statement, Telemundo called Manzano a "true professional and a rising star, who exemplified excellence in his work. We will deeply miss Adan and his passion for sports, and the contributions he made to the local community."
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Governor Kelly Once Again Pushes for Medicaid Expansion
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, has again introduced legislation that would expand Medicaid to an additional 150,000 Kansans. The Kansas News Service reports that the measure is unlikely to advance due to Republican opposition. It’s Kelly’s sixth year in a row pushing for Medicaid expansion as Governor, and it follows her vigorous but failed effort to pass the legislation last year. Expansion would give health coverage to tens of thousands of low-income Kansans who are not covered under current rules because they’re not children, elderly, pregnant or disabled. Republican legislative leaders have repeatedly blocked the proposal, saying it’s too expensive. Kansas is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid. A recent survey from Fort Hays State University found more than 70% of Kansans support the proposal.
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Kansas Legislators Consider Bill Exempting Tips from State Income Tax
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Food servers and other tipped workers wouldn’t have to pay state income tax on tips under a bill in the Kansas Legislature. The Kansas News Service reports that Republican lawmakers introduced the bill to align with President Donald Trump’s plan to exempt tips from federal income tax. Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson says it’s a common sense measure that won’t affect the state’s bottom line. “If the federal government takes tax off tips, how crazy would it be for us to have to then maintain their tips and then pay Kansas tax on those?” he asked. Democratic leaders in the Legislature say they’re open to the idea but say it’s not enough on its own. They’ve introduced another bill to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. It would also raise the base rate for tipped workers by about $5 an hour.
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Kansas Flags to Fly at Half-Staff to Honor Former Congresswoman Martha Keys
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Monday to mark the passing of former U.S. representative Martha Keys. Kelly released a statement saying that "As the second woman to represent Kansas in the United States Congress, Martha Keys was a trailblazer." Keys passed away in December 2024 at the age of 94.
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State of Kansas Trying to Stop Ford County Plastics Lawsuit
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – The state of Kansas is trying to stop a western Kansas county from suing several big oil companies over the damage caused by plastics. The Kansas News Service reports that late last year, Ford County in southwest Kansas sued major oil companies like ExxonMobil for allegedly harming cities due to plastics. In its lawsuit, the county says plastics companies knew recycling would not work, but promoted plastics anyway, leading to high costs for rural landfills. But Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, says in a release that the county is pushing an anti-oil agenda from “left-wing environmentalist attorneys.” He wants the class allegations dismissed because he says Ford County does not have the legal authority for this kind of case.
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Former KC Chiefs Defensive End Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame
NEW ORLEANS (KPR) – Jared Allen, the former defensive end who played the first four years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Allen kicked off his rookie season with the Chiefs with nine sacks. The bulk of his career took place in Minnesota after the Chiefs traded him. Allen will be one of four in the Class of 2025 to be inducted in August. Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a released statement that the Hunt family is thrilled. Former Chiefs left tackle Jim Tyrer was a seniors finalist, but was not selected for the Hall of Fame.
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Bill Would Require Local Law Enforcement Agencies to Assist in Federal Immigration Crackdowns
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Your local sheriff or police department in Kansas could lose state funding if it doesn't assist federal immigration crackdowns. Some local authorities already share information and conduct operations with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The Kansas News service reports that this bill would deny state funding from law enforcement agencies who don’t assist deportation efforts. Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, says the bill would pull local law enforcement agencies from their core responsibilities. “They're not stopping traffic deaths. They’re not investigating burglaries and shoplifting...instead, they have their time, energy, effort and resource diverted into creating an environment of fear,” he warned. Republican state Senator Mike Thompson, who introduced the bill, could not be reached for comment.
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Kansas Farmers Worry About Fallout from Potential Tariffs
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas farmers might be the first to feel the effects of tariffs if they are imposed at the federal level on big agricultural trading partners Canada and Mexico. The Kansas News Service reports that trade discussions this week have made some farmers nervous. Farming in Kansas is not cheap, and officials say there’s a chance it’s about to become more expensive. The Trump administration announced, and then paused, tariffs on Canada and Mexico. This could increase the price of things that Kansas farmers import, like fertilizer and farming equipment. Nick Levendofsky, director of the Kansas Farmers Union, says farmers take the hardest hit in the crossfire of trade discussions. “The cost of our chemicals, seed, fertilizer, fuel, equipment, all of those things, repairs, are at all time highs. So farmers are struggling and they need certainty,” he explained. Levendofsky says farmers are also still operating under an outdated farm bill from 2018.
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Ex-USAID Worker from KC Says Closing Agency Will Hurt U.S. Abroad
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – President Donald Trump is closing the U.S. Agency for International Development. A Kansas man who spent parts of five decades with the organization tells KMUW that a shutdown of the agency will hurt the U.S. abroad. Mark Wentling grew up in Udall but spent most of his life in Africa. He worked for USAID to provide food, health care and education in several countries there. Wentling says the work helps support the U.S. policy objectives around the world. “You know, foreign assistance, Foreign aid and foreign policy is all intertwined. And you know, the foreign assistance supports our foreign policy. If we're taking out the foreign aid, what kind of foreign policy do we have?” he asks. Wentling graduated from Wichita State University in 1970. He was inducted this week into the school’s Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.
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School Lunch Subsidy Advances in Kansas Legislature
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers have advanced a measure that could help more low-income families pay for school meals. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly wants the state to subsidize the family co-pay on reduced-price meals at school. A House committee voted to add $2 million to the education budget to finance the measure. That’s less than the $5 million the governor had recommended. Republican Rep. Scott Hill opposed the budget item. He says he struggled to pay lunch bills for his children, but it’s a parent’s responsibility. “And there’s no way I was not going to provide food for my kids, and allow the state to feed my kids,” he said. About 36,000 Kansas children are eligible for reduced-price meals. The cost to the family is about $400 per child each year.
Supporters say appropriation should pay for the first year of the program. Democratic Representative Valdenia Winn says the proposal is similar to the state buying fuel for school buses. “Gasoline takes the kid to school," she said. "Food provides the nourishment for this child to think and to learn.”
Conservative Republicans who voted against the measure say the co-pay amount families pay for school meals is already reasonable. They also say parents - not the government - should be responsible for feeding children.
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