K-State Women Advance to Sweet 16 with Overtime Victory
UNDATED (KPR) - The Kansas State women’s basketball team has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2002. K-State defeated Kentucky in overtime, 80-79, in Lexington. In the final 16 seconds, the Kentucky Wildcats got three offensive rebounds and chances to hit the game-winning basket. But K-State held on. Head coach Jeff Mittie shares what he felt in those waning moments. "Great effort and obviously a lot of joy when that horn went off because Kentucky got the extra chances there. They just couldn’t convert," he said. Temira Poindexter, a transfer guard from Tulsa, led K-State in scoring with 24 points. After starting O-for-5 from 3-point range, she finished by making eight of 12 shots from beyond the arc.
K-State awaits the winner of the Monday's game between Mississippi State and Southern California, a No. 1 seed, in the Spokane, Washington, region.
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Washburn Ichabods Ready for Elite Eight Action
UNDATED (KPR) - The Washburn University men’s basketball team is making its first appearance in the Elite Eight of NCAA Division II since 2001. The Ichabods will face Lenoir Rhyne in the national quarterfinals Tuesday at 8:30 pm in Evansville, Indiana. (Read more.)
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Kansas Secretary of State Announces Cancer Diagnosis
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab will soon undergo surgery for cancer. Schwab says surgeons will remove a nodule in his lung that was discovered during a routine screening. He says doctors found the cancer very early and that it has not spread. WIBW TV reports that Schwab will take time to recover but will continue to serve in his elected position.
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Kansas Supreme Court Justice to Resign in July Due to ALS Diagnosis
UNDATED (KNS) – A Kansas Supreme Court justice will resign from the bench this summer because of health issues. The Kansas News Service reports that Democratic Governor Laura Kelly will pick a replacement. Justice Evelyn Wilson plans to leave the bench in July. Wilson said in a letter to the governor that she was recently diagnosed with ALS, a nervous system disease. An independent commission will nominate three candidates as a replacement, and Kelly will make the final selection. Voters will decide next year whether to approve a state constitutional amendment requiring justices to be elected.
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Governor Kelly Vetoes Bill Repealing Mailed Ballot Grace Period
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed a bill that would repeal the three-day grace period for mailed ballots. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Kelly called the bill an "attack on rural Kansans" participating in elections, and said she will reject any bill that "deprives Kansans from having their vote counted." As it stands now, the state of Kansas can tally mailed ballots that arrive up to three days after Election Day if they have a postmark showing that the Post Office received it on or before Election Day. That policy was adopted to accommodate longer wait-times for deliveries, which have not improved over the past eight years. The Legislature's bill would remove the grace period, meaning any mailed ballot must arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. House Republican leaders called Kelly's veto reckless and vowed to override it. The bill passed with a supermajority, so a veto override is possible.
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New State Budget Could Eliminate Kansas Arts Commission Funding
UNDATED (KCUR) – The Kansas Arts Commission could be on the chopping block as legislators in Topeka try to balance the state budget. KCUR reports that the Kansas State Senate has approved a proposed budget that would eliminate all the Kansas Arts Commission’s funding, compared to the 3 percent cut proposed for most other state agencies. The Commission supports artists, nonprofits and community organizations — bringing concerts, festivals and exhibits to every corner of the state. Local nonprofit ArtsKC says the cut would threaten a sector that contributes significantly to the state's economy, and impacts rural communities. The Republican-led Legislature has until March 28 to reach a deal on the budget. It will then be sent to the Governor’s office for review.
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Vaccine Advocates Alarmed at Provision Embedded in Child Care Access Bill
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas vaccine advocates say a bill aimed at improving access to child care has a provision that could lower vaccination rates. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill aims to lower fees and training requirements for child care facilities. But Rabbi Moti Rieber of Kansas Interfaith Action says lawmakers added moral and ethical opposition to the definition of religious exemptions for vaccines required at daycares. He says that will put kids at risk and potentially open the door to weaken vaccine requirements at K-12 public schools, adding that “...it lowers herd immunity. And it also affects people who might not be eligible for vaccines for health reasons or because they’re too young.” The bill received bipartisan support in the House and is now in the Kansas Senate.
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Rallies Held for USPS in Kansas and Missouri
UNDATED (KCUR) – The National Association of Letter Carriers held rallies around the U.S. Sunday, including at branches in Kansas and Missouri. The union is protesting reports that the Trump administration wants to fold the United States Postal Service under the Department of Commerce. Union president Brian Renfroe told KCUR Radio that would be bad for all Americans. “Regardless of who anyone voted for in the election in November, regardless of what their political views may be, what they did not vote for was dismantling the postal services,” he added. Renfroe’s organization represents more than 295,000 active and retired postal workers in the U.S. They’re among the latest postal workers to push back against privatization.
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Kidnapping Suspect Arrested, Child Rescued
UNDATED (KPR) - We're learning more about the Kansas Highway Patrol's rescue of a 6-year-old child who had been kidnapped. Over the weekend, state troopers announced that an SUV was stopped for a traffic violation in February where officers discovered the passenger had an outstanding warrant for kidnapping a 6-year-old girl about a month earlier. A child matching her description was in the vehicle with two men, both in their 60s. The girl was safely rescued and the men taken into custody. Troopers say the driver has a criminal history that includes homicide.
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10 Kansans Test Positive for Measles So Far this Year
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - State health officials say 10 Kansans have now tested positive for measles in western Kansas. There are confirmed measles cases located in three southwest Kansas counties. Eight of the cases occurred this month. Dr. Dana Hawkinson, with the University of Kansas Health System says the virus is highly contagious. It can linger in the air for up to two hours. He says in serious cases, measles can cause hospitalization, lasting complications or even death. “In the Texas outbreak, with 300 or so cases, we’ve already seen two deaths," he said. "So, this can be a very devastating disease.” Hawkinson says measles cases will likely continue to rise in Kansas because of declining vaccination rates. He urges people to fully vaccinate their children.
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Scientists Raise Alarm Due to Drop in Butterfly Population
UNDATED (KNS) - Butterfly populations are falling in the Midwest and across the Great Plains. The biggest analysis so far of butterfly population data from across the country finds that the insects are struggling. And this includes most species that live in the Midwest, and the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. The number of commonly seen species in these regions has dropped. The study in the journal Science says butterflies are suffering because of pesticides and climate change. And it says restoring native plants wherever possible would help - even scattered patches of habitat in hedgerows, roadsides and backyards.
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Hundreds of Tires Pulled from Kansas River Near De Soto
DE SOTO, Kan. (KNS) - Volunteers have hauled several hundred more tires out of the Kansas River near De Soto. Over the past decade, the Nonprofit group "Friends of the Kaw" has pulled about 4,000 tires out of the river. Llynnann Luellen helps with the Kansas River cleanups. She digs under the tires and pops them out of sandbars one by one. “The first time that I felt a tire pop out - on my first river cleanup - it was just so satisfying to be like, ‘I’m the one that got that tire out. That tire is not there anymore," she said. Local firefighters, construction companies and others also pitch in during the cleanups. Most of the tires are decades old. They date back to a time when landowners tied them to the river bank to fight erosion. The strategy didn’t work. And storms washed thousands of tires into waterways like the Kansas River.
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Pawnee County Feedlot Plans Draw Opposition
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Some Kansans are pushing back against a proposed mega-feedlot in Pawnee County. The critics say the large feedlots harm rural communities in central Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that the part of Kansas including Pawnee County produces a fourth of the country’s beef. It’s spotted with feedlots, cattle ranches, and crop farms growing feed. The proposed feedlot would hold 88,000 heads of cattle. But Pawnee County residents say it would come with environmental concerns. Like groundwater depletion to grow the food for cattle. And polluting the drinking water with nitrates and livestock antibiotics. Supporters say the new feedlot will bring economic growth. Local resident Merrill Cauble says he’s not convinced. “They don't buy no fuel here. They don't buy no tires here locally, if they can save a penny a bushel on corn, they're going to do it," he said. Cauble and other residents plan to meet with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to discuss their concerns.
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