Headlines for Thursday, April 6, 2023 (2023)

3 Charged in Shooting of 3 Kansas Police Officers During Drug Probe

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Three men were charged Thursday with attempted capital murder after a shootout with Kansas City, Kansas, police officers during an attempted undercover drug buy, officials said. Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said Cornell Lance Jones Jr.; Samarion Ardel England; and Jaeveon Mitchell-Locke face possible life sentences if they are convicted. They range in age from 18 to 22.

Three officers were shot and two others were wounded by shrapnel in the shootout Wednesday in front of convenience store in Kansas City, Kansas. The three suspects were also shot. Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Karl Oakman said only one officer remained hospitalized Thursday and he was expected to be released soon. It was not clear if the suspects were hospitalized but their injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Oakman said undercover officers were trying to buy fentanyl from the defendants when the drug buy fell through. The officers who were injured responded to help arrest the men. The men are also charged with aggravated assault against an officer, aggravated child endangerment and fentanyl distribution, Dupree said. They are in custody on $250,000 bond. Dupree said three children and other adults were inside the store when the shooting occurred. None of them were injured although bullets did enter the store, he said.

(–Earlier reporting–)

KCK Police Officers, Drug Suspects Wounded in Shootout

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP/KPR) — Multiple police officers and suspects were shot Wednesday in a gun battle during an undercover fentanyl trafficking investigation in Kansas City, Kansas. All are expected to survive. KCK Police say three officers were wounded along with several suspects of the drug sting operation. Undercover investigators had previously bought fentanyl from the suspects and were trying to make another purchase but the deal fell through, and a shootout erupted between the agents and the heavily armed suspects. Police believe all the suspects are now in custody. KCK detectives have been investigating a fentanyl influx into the city for months, but the operation that resulted in the shootout began just a few days ago. The three officers were transported to the University of Kansas Health System hospital and all are in stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening.

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Kansas OKs Bill on Opting Kids out of LGBTQ-Themed Lessons

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers approved a bill Thursday aimed at helping parents opt their children out of public school lessons with LGBTQ-themed materials, as a Democratic lawmaker whose vote was crucial to banning transgender female athletes from girls' and women's sports faced calls to resign.

The Republican-controlled Kansas House voted 76-46 to approve a “parental rights” measure that would allow a parent to place their child in an alternative to a public K-12 school lesson or activity that “impairs the parent’s sincerely held beliefs, values or principles.” The GOP-dominated Senate approved the measure last week, so it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

“If there is one family who are denied their rights, we need to address it,” said Republican state Rep. Susan Estes, of Wichita.

While the measure covers lessons and materials dealing with race and possibly even evolution, it also is in line with the push by Republicans in statehouses across the U.S. to roll back LGBTQ rights, particularly transgender rights. State Rep. Heather Meyer, a Kansas City-area Democrat, called the measure a “perfect vehicle” for anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

“We can see what’s been done in other states across the country where they have used this as a vehicle to attack the LGBTQ community,” said Meyer, who is bisexual and has a 13-year-old transgender son.

The Legislature on Tuesday approved a broad bathroom bill and on Wednesday voted to override Kelly's veto of the measure on transgender athletes. Kansas is the 20th state to enact such a sports ban, and its law applies to club and school sports from kindergarten through college starting July 1.

GOP lawmakers also hoped to pass a bill Thursday that would require Kansas public schools to keep transgender girls from rooming with cisgendered girls and transgender boys, with cisgendered boys, on overnight school trips.

GOP conservatives also hadn’t given up on trying to pass a bill aimed at ending gender affirming care for minors.

Kelly vetoed a bill last year that would have made it easier for parents to try to remove classroom or library materials. Supporters of this year's bill still were short of the two-thirds majorities in both chambers necessary to override a veto.

“What we heard in committee were parents who not only went to their teacher, they went to their principal and higher up in their school district and did not have their concerns addressed,” Estes said.

Meanwhile, conservative Republicans were able to override Kelly's third veto of a bill on transgender athletes in three years because of the “yes” vote from a single Democrat, freshman Rep. Marvin Robinson, of Kansas City.

That Kansas vote came a day before President Joe Biden's administration announced a proposal to bar schools and colleges from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes but allow them to set some limits to preserve fairness.

Robinson represents a heavily Democratic district and replaced a retiring lawmaker who voted against overriding Kelly's veto in 2022. Kansas Young Democrats and the state Democratic Party's LGBTQ+ and Progressive caucuses demanded that he step down after Wednesday's vote.

Robinson also supported the parents' rights measure. Kansas House Democratic Leader Vic Miller said he would be “pleased” if Robinson resigned.

“Right now, he’s voting more with the other party than he is with ours," Miller said. “He ran as a Democrat, but he doesn’t seem to be serving as a Democrat.”

Robinson told a conservative Kansas City radio talk show Thursday morning that he thought he was “on the same page” as Kelly because of a television commercial she aired during her reelection campaign. In that ad, Kelly looked into the camera and said: “Of course men should not play girls’ sports. OK, we all agree there.”

At the time, Republicans accused Kelly of lying about her record. LGBTQ-rights advocates interpreted her comment as saying men playing girl's sports wasn't an issue because transgender girls and women are female.

Robinson told The Associated Press that no one in the Democratic Party told him last year that he was expected to vote against bills on transgender athletes. He also said a female Democratic colleague that he declined to name “told me I should die.”

He rejected criticism that his vote is "hurting people’s kids.”

“Who could mistreat and look down on anybody?” he said. “You know, everybody is God’s creation.”

He told the radio host that friends told him: “Man, you're up there with a bunch of demons.”

Meyer said “absolutely none" of Robinson's fellow Democrats would have told him after the vote that he should die.

“We care about mental health and we care about our colleagues, even if we disagree,” Meyer said.

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Kansas Lawmakers Look to COVID-19 Money to Boost Funding for Special Education

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas lawmakers want to use federal COVID-19 relief money to increase funding for special education. A legislative conference committee has proposed boosting special ed funding by about $72 million this year. It’s part of a larger bill that would let families use state tax dollars to pay for private schools. Republican Senator Molly Baumgardner says the revised legislation uses pandemic relief dollars to make up for shortfalls. “It’s taking federal money to backfill, if you will, what the federal government is not providing in special education that they are obligated to provide," she said. By law, Kansas is supposed to fund 92% of special education costs that are not covered by federal funds. It is currently funded at only 76%. Federal relief money earmarked for schools will expire in the fall of 2024.

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Kansas City-Area Students Walk Out, Demand Stricter Gun Laws

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (WDAF) — Hundreds of Kansas City-area students participated in a nationwide school walkout day Wednesday, a week after a deadly mass school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooting at a Christian school in Nashville left three students and three adults dead before police killed the shooter. WDAF TV reports that students who rallied at Shawnee Mission East High School demanded stricter gun laws. There were also walkouts at North Kansas City High School and Cross Roads Preparatory Academy. Some students wore orange, the color of gun violence prevention. Others held signs. Nationally, critics say tighter gun laws won’t prevent school shootings. Instead, they point to a need for better intervention for those with mental health concerns.

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Thousands of Kansans Prepare to Lose Medicaid Coverage

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Thousands of Kansans could lose their Medicaid coverage because of pandemic-era rules ending. The state is starting a 12-month process of reviewing all Medicaid recipients to check if they still qualify. Elizabeth Keever is the chief development officer at Heartland Community Health Center in Lawrence. Keever says Douglas County, where the center is located, has had a roughly 50% increase in Medicaid enrollment and increased demand for services. “It's really unfortunate to be faced with an opportunity where people are finally seeking those health care services that they were putting off during the pandemic, and now just to lose their potential coverage," she said. People removed from Medicaid can look for insurance through the federal marketplace, which can provide subsidized coverage plans.

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KU Coach Bill Self Addresses Health Concerns in Press Conference

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - University of Kansas basketball coach Bill Self has personally addressed his health for the first time since suffering what he calls “an episode.” A heart-related issue sidelined the coach during the Jayhawks postseason. Despite rumors of a possible retirement, Self says he’s not going anywhere. "The one thing I can tell you without question: I missed my job. I love my job and I want to do my job for a long time," he said during a Wednesday news conference. Before the Big 12 tournament, Self says he had some tightness in his chest and balance issues and checked into the hospital the day before KU played its first game. KU clarified it was not a heart attack, but Self later revealed that he had two stents placed to ease artery blockage. Self says he expects to conduct his routine coaching duties without limitations.

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Two Dead in Lyon County Crash

EMPORIA (KSNT) – Two people are dead after a crash in Lyon County near Emporia Wednesday night. The Kansas Highway Patrol says troopers were called to the scene of a fatal crash just after 6 pm on U.S. Highway 50, west of Emporia. KSNT reports that two people were killed and a child was taken to a nearby hospital. The Highway Patrol says a semi truck crossed the center line, striking a Subaru SUV. The SUV then struck another semi truck head-on. The fatality victims have been identified as 29 year old Ryan Miller, of Independence, and 32 year old Jacob Suenram, of Lawrence.

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Families Plead with Kansas Lawmakers to Legalize Fentanyl Test Strips

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The number of drug overdoses in Kansas nearly doubled between 2019 and 2021, according to data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The powerful drug fentanyl is one of the reasons for the increase. A family from Olathe is asking state lawmakers to legalize fentanyl testing strips after previous proposals failed to advance. Crystal Tucker spoke at an event urging lawmakers to legalize the strips so people can find out if fentanyl has been added to other drugs. She says her son Lance died because he took a pill laced with fentanyl. “Would you want them to be able to have the ability to know that that pill was safe? Or do you want them to continue to play Russian roulette because that’s what it is?" she said. The House passed legislation to legalize the test strips, but the Senate later removed that from the bill. It’s currently in a conference committee being debated.

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KC Police: Human Remains Identified as Woman Not Seen Since May 2022

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) - Kansas City police say human remains found this past weekend have been identified as a 22-year-old woman who was last seen in Kansas City in May of 2022. WDAF TV reports that police officers responded to an area (of 95th and Blue River Road) Saturday in regard to the discovery of human remains. Those remains have now been identified as belonging to Abbi Schaeffer, who has been missing for nearly a year. The cause and manner of her death remain under investigation.

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Most of Kansas Seeing Low to Moderate Rates of New COVID-19 Cases

GREAT BEND, Kan. (Great Bend Tribune) - Statewide, the number of new COVID-19 cases and related deaths continues to drop, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). All but 14 Kansas counties had low or moderate new case rates for the week starting March 25 and ending March 31. For the weekly cumulative incidence rate, also known as the weekly new case rate, the most recent five days are not included as data is expected to be incomplete. The KDHE releases a weekly COVID-19 overview every Wednesday. The Great Bend Tribune reports that as of April 5, there were 1,006 new cases and 19 new deaths reported statewide since March 29. According to KDHE data, only four Kansas counties had a “high” new case rate of COVID-19: Rice, Clark, Marion and Chautauqua.

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Missouri Tornado Kills Multiple People, Sows Destruction

GLEN ALLEN, Mo. (AP) — A large tornado tore through southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least five people and causing widespread destruction as a broad swath of the Midwest and South kept a wary eye out for further storms that could spawn additional twisters and hail.

Wednesday's severe weather was the third in a series of massive storms over the last two weeks that have spawned dozens of tornadoes, mainly in the South and Midwest, killing at least 63 people. Just last weekend, confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states laid waste to neighborhoods across a broad swath of the country. The Missouri tornado touched down around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and moved through a rural area of Bollinger County, about 50 miles south of St. Louis. Trees were uprooted and homes turned into piles of splinters.

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Too Windy to Learn? Some Western Kansas Schools Closed this Week Due to High Winds

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW/KPR) — Numerous schools in southwest Kansas called off classes part of this week due to high winds. KSNW TV reports that public school districts in Morton, Stanton, Seward and Grant counties decided to cancel classes and other activities Tuesday. School officials said the move was a safety measure because the forecast predicted extremely high winds and blowing dust. More windy weather is expected the rest of the week. The ongoing drought in southwest Kansas has contributed to recent, massive dust storms reminiscent of the "Dirty Thirties." In the 1930s, this part of southwest Kansas was known as the Dust Bowl.

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Kansas House Reverses Vote, Approves State-Run Presidential Primaries

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas House lawmakers reversed their previous vote Tuesday and approved a plan to create state-run presidential primaries next year. House members used a procedural move to reconsider the bill and send it to the governor. The bill allows the Republican and Democratic parties to replace their party-run nomination procedures with a primary that uses the state voting system. Some Republican lawmakers rejected the plan a day earlier over the $5 million cost to the state. But Republican Rep. Susan Estes says election officials could lower the price tag by consolidating polling places. Supporters of the plan contend that a state-run election would be more convenient for voters and would increase voter turnout.

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Scrap Metal Dealers Could Face Penalties for Catalytic Converter Purchases

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Scrap metal dealers could soon face criminal penalties for buying stolen catalytic converters. Lawmakers have approved legislation aimed at curbing the rampant theft of the auto parts, sending the bill to the governor for consideration. Dustin Fussell, with the Wichita Police Department, says these thefts are popular because thieves can make thousands of dollars selling a few parts. There are also plenty of cars to target. “These things are easy to steal. It’s quick. I’ve seen people in videos steal these things in 60 seconds.” The changes would require scrap metal dealers to gather information about people selling catalytic converters. Fussell says catalytic converter thefts are on the rise because scrap metal prices are increasing. “This is a pretty lucrative market," he said. "It has actually been talked about as the modern day gold rush.” Fussell said scrap metal dealers could pay up to $1,000 per catalytic converter.

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Kansas Bill Encourages Water Conservation in Western Kansas

HAYS, Kan. (KNS/HPPR) - Water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer continue to drop in western Kansas. But until recently, state leaders have been reluctant to intervene to limit how much water farmers can use to irrigate their crops. The Kansas News Service reportsthat state lawmakers have now approved a measure that pushes groundwater districts to reduce water usage in the areas with the most severe aquifer depletion. Kansas State University professor Matthew Sanderson believes some long-held attitudes about water in Kansas might be changing. “I feel like the culture is shifting towards a culture of conservation now," he said. "I think the real question is, is there enough time?” Water geologists say the goal should be to stabilize the aquifer's levels over the next 20 years.

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Kansas Supreme Court Dismisses Emporia State Professors’ Request to Intervene in Firings

TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — The Kansas Supreme Court has dismissed a request by former Emporia State University professors to intervene in their dismissals from the school. The Kansas Reflector reports that the 33 faculty members who were fired by the university in September were allowed to file appeals, but they were not allowed to ask why they were terminated, examine recommendations resulting in the termination, or call witnesses to testify before the appeals officer. Before dismissing the request to intervene in the firings, the Supreme Court asked ESU and the Board of Regents to respond to complaints with the appeals process itself. Anthony Powell, solicitor general for the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, wrote the response. Powell argued there was no reason for the Supreme Court to get involved, in part, because “this is not a case of statewide importance.” The firings were justified, he wrote, because of the university’s financial condition, including an operating deficit of $5.6 million in 2023. The professors should await a ruling by appeals officers, Powell said. If they don’t like the outcome, they could pursue litigation at the district court level.

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Pear Tree Removal Program Ratchets up in Northeast Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KNS) — A program to replace invasive ornamental pear trees with native trees is expanding in northeast Kansas. If you’re noticing lots of trees covered in white flowers this spring, most of them are highly invasive ornamental pears. Tree experts say the invasive trees are ruining Kansas and Missouri woodlands and prairies and contributing to declining bird and insect numbers. In April and May, homeowners in the Topeka and Kansas City areas who kill ornamental pear trees can get professional help picking out a free replacement tree. The group Deep Roots KC, is a non-profit collective working to increase native plant landscapes. Deep Roots is giving free native trees to homeowners who kill the invasive pear trees. The group says the native trees will help bees, birds and butterflies. Deep Roots KC says it plans to expand the program west to other parts of Kansas in coming years. Homeowners can visit the Deep Roots website to participate

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Nearly 100 Head of Cattle Missing from Northwest Kansas Ranch

SHERIDAN COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW/KPR) — Nearly 100 head of cattle are missing in northwest Kansas. The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in locating the livestock that went missing from a ranch south of Hoxie. KSNW TV reports that the 80 missing cattle are described as black and a mixture of fall steers and heifers. The sheriff is working with the Livestock/Brand Investigation Unit of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office to recover the cattle. On its Facebook page, the sheriff's office also mentioned a possible reward for information on the presumably stolen cattle. Anyone with information on the missing cattle is asked to call (785) 675-3481.

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UConn-Kansas Highlights Big East-Big 12 Slate Next Season

UNDATED (AP) – The past two national champions will meet when Connecticut visits Kansas as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle next season. The announcement of the fifth year in the scheduling alliance comes four days after the Huskies beat San Diego State for the NCAA Tournament title. Kansas, the 2022 champ, lost in the second round in a record 33rd consecutive tournament appearance. The Huskies-Jayhawks meeting highlights the Dec. 1 slate of games. Texas and Oklahoma are part of the schedule in their final Big 12 season before joining the Southeastern Conference.

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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 followKPR News on Twitter.