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Lesbian student’s courage prevails over bigotry by Kansas middle school principal and bus driver
TOPEKA — Kristi Gadino didn’t appear to be bothered by the “shockingly profane” language used by middle school students on her bus. An investigator who reviewed video of a Jan. 27 bus ride home from North Lyon County Elementary School wrote in her report that boys and girls could be heard saying “gay-assed motherf***er,” “jerk […]
Kansas A.G. subpoenas reporter’s notes from book on wrongful murder conviction
TOPEKA — The Kansas Attorney General’s Office issued a subpoena commanding a journalist to turn over information he gathered while writing a book and news stories about a Jefferson County man who served 16 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. After Kansas Reflector published this story, the attorney general’s office filed a […]
Kansas D.A. refuses to prosecute violations of new law that halted voter registration drives
TOPEKA — Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez says she won’t prosecute anyone under a new state law that caused nonprofits to halt voter registration efforts at the start of July. The legislation’s sweeping reforms include a provision that makes it illegal for individuals to engage in conduct that would cause someone to believe they […]
Kansas governor: ‘We’re trying everything we can’ to get people vaccinated from COVID-19
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday reaffirmed the state’s commitment to convincing the unvaccinated half of the state’s population to get a life-saving shot. Only 51.4% of eligible Kansans — those ages 12 and above — are fully vaccinated from COVID-19, despite the widespread availability of three safe and effective vaccines and the emergence […]
Haven school board candidate lured into sharing racist ideology with teenage anti-fascists
TOPEKA — Reno County resident Josh Wells describes himself as the leader of a Proud Boys group, promotes an all-white nation state, and peddles false conspiracy theories about the financial plot behind COVID-19 and how police instigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The owner of Wells Home Repair is also a candidate […]
Kansas judge strikes down law providing speedy challenge to mask mandates in schools
TOPEKA — The Legislature’s attempt to promote “legal anarchy” in response to COVID-19 precautions in public schools is unconstitutional, a Johnson County District Court judge ruled Thursday. District Judge David Hauber also determined the entirety of Senate Bill 40 is unenforceable, effectively wiping out a Republican-led charge to restrict the governor’s oversight of emergencies. The decision […]
Kansas judge to decide whether secretary of state can hide public records by altering software
TOPEKA — An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas says the state’s open records law might as well not exist if Secretary of State Scott Schwab is allowed to keep public information hidden by reconfiguring software. Attorney Josh Pierson argued Wednesday in Shawnee County District Court for the release of provisional ballot […]
April storms in Kansas caused $22.6 million in damage
The tornados, powerful winds and hail during the April storm season in Kansas caused $22.6 million in damage, the state insurance department said Tuesday. The estimated cost is based on 2,295 claims in 95 of the state’s 105 counties. During the April 2020 storm season, 6,341 claims totaled $21.2 million. “We all know Kansas weather […]
CDC finds E. coli in water samples from Goddard park
Water samples from a Goddard splash pad linked to widespread illness contained E. coli, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Friday. KDHE began investigating the Tanganyika Wildlife Park after learning June 18 that numerous visitors to the park’s splash pad had reported being sick. Some cases required hospital attention. Water samples collected by […]
Kansas groups halt voter registration drives to avoid being jailed under new law
TOPEKA — The League of Women Voters of Kansas and other nonprofits are suspending voter registration drives for fear of criminal prosecution under a new state law. The groups filed a lawsuit over new election-related restrictions enacted by the Legislature this session, and a judge has yet to act on a request for a temporary […]
Sexual predator escapes custody from Kansas mental ward
TOPEKA — State authorities are searching for a man who escaped custody Wednesday from a sexual predator program at the state psychiatric facility in Larned. Surveillance video shows John Colt, 42, at 7 a.m. walked away from Larned State Hospital after shaving his beard, changing his hair and using a fraudulent ID badge to get […]
Kansas officials urge vaccination as concerns intensify over Delta variant
TOPEKA — Kansas officials are pleading with residents to get a COVID-19 vaccine and protect themselves from the dangerous Delta variant sweeping through the Midwest. The variant appears to be far more contagious than any other strain to emerge since the start of the pandemic. The original virus and its mutations have killed 5,150 Kansans […]