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Activist: Repeat caller weaponized Topeka police against autistic child
TOPEKA — An activist supporting a child with autism who was handcuffed and thrown to the ground by a Topeka police officer says the department is allowing residents to weaponize officers against minorities. The 14-year-old boy’s family and supporters are calling for increased accountability for those who file false reports or claims and that the […]
Kansas small businesses still in need after depletion of CARES Act aid
TOPEKA — Thousands of Kansas small businesses lack desperately needed support after fewer than a third of those seeking federal relief funds were awarded grants for critical pandemic costs. Nearly 6,000 businesses applied for help, but the Kansas Department of Commerce was only able to award grants to 1,900 before the $32.5 million allotted ran […]
Support for at-risk Kansas children bogged down by overworked employees, lack of services
TOPEKA — During his time serving as a Sedgwick County judge in juvenile court, Kevin Smith saw an overworked and exhausted foster care system leave Kansas children at risk of being harmed. Smith spent five years as a judge in juvenile court, where at any one time he had between 350 and 400 open child […]
Kansas election offices dealing with influx of provisional ballots from early voters
TOPEKA — Kansas election officials and activists are concerned with the high number of people who requested mail ballots showing up at polling places to cast in-person ballots instead. These voters are directed to fill out a provisional ballot, which complicates the process for election workers who are already overwhelmed with unprecedented early turnout and […]
Hoyt council president blasts Jackson County’s ‘insulting’ use of CARES Act funds
TOPEKA — A small-town leader blasted the Jackson County Commission for its decision to use pandemic relief funding on “pet projects,” including the remodel of the county attorney’s office, rather than urgent needs in county municipalities. The county received $2.9 million in CARES Act funding to be spent on unbudgeted expenditures incurred because of COVID-19, […]
Mental health expert: Vulnerability, inconvenience drive refusal to wear mask
TOPEKA — A leading mental health expert at the University of Kansas Health System says the psychology behind whether people choose to wear a mask boils down to two key factors — inconvenience and vulnerability. Lauren Lucht, executive director for behavioral and mental health, said vulnerability often triggers defense mechanisms in people to convince themselves […]
Hospital staffing and capacity a concern for Kansas communities as COVID-19 multiplies
TOPEKA — Concerns are growing about adequate staffing levels and bed capacity at Kansas hospitals and nursing homes strained by rising COVID-19 cases. Hospitals in southeast Kansas already are struggling with capacity issues. Ascension Via Christi Hospital announced this week it would implement its surge plan and cease all elective surgeries because of a spike […]
Republicans stress need to put ‘Kansas common sense’ in D.C. in 2nd District race
TOPEKA — U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy campaigned Tuesday in Topeka for State Treasurer Jake LaTurner and urged voters to consider the significant political divide between opponents Kansas’ 2nd District race. McCarthy, a California Republican who made multiple stops in Kansas this week, said there may be no greater difference in policy in any […]
Cutting correctional costs in Kansas begins with supervision revocations, recidivism
Amid a budget shortfall, consultants recommend Kansas address education and training shortcomings of inmates to cut parole revocation and recidivism rates.
Kansas world language programs rife with linguistic discrimination
TOPEKA — In a decade of work in multilingual education, Jacqueline Rodriguez has seen students learning English as a second language treated as if knowing their first language is a disadvantage. Rodriguez was appointed this summer as director of ESOL and migrant programs for Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools. Her district serves 44% English learner […]
Kansas ERs burdened by worsening mental health crisis, overflow from state hospitals
TOPEKA — Emergency rooms across Kansas are seeing an increase in people with behavioral and mental health issues seeking care amid the pandemic, and the medical facilities lack necessary resources or staff dedicated to serving these patients. Many of them are awaiting an open bed at Osawatomie State Hospital or Larned State Hospital, both inpatient […]
Black Lives Matter casts doubt on independence of Topeka’s police auditor
TOPEKA — Leaders of Black Lives Matter Topeka say the city’s police department must shift its focus to correcting unjust policing systems and practices to achieve meaningful reform. More than 50 people gathered Tuesday evening in front of the Statehouse before marching in near silence to City Hall, where they called for increased accountability from […]