LANSING, Kan. — An official says dozens of inmates at the Lansing Correctional Facility in Kansas rampaged through offices, breaking windows and setting small fires for several hours. Prison spokesman Randy Bowman says the disturbance started about 3 p.m. Thursday in medium-security cell house C when several inmates refused to return to their cells. He says in an email cited by NBC News that by 1 a.m. Friday all inmates were secured. No injuries were reported. Staff members escaped the cell house safely after the disturbance began. Bowman says it’s unclear what started the riot, which initially appeared to involve…
Author: KMAN Staff
Mission, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Saturday on Gov. Laura Kelly’s lawsuit against legislative leaders who overturned her executive order banning religious services of more than 10 attendees during the coronavirus pandemic. The Democratic governor filed the lawsuit Thursday after a Republican-dominated legislative panel overturned her order. Kelly and the panel generally agree that worshipers should stay home and watch livestreamed religious services during the pandemic, but they disagree on whether the state has the constitutional authority to order it. Kelly pointed to three religious gatherings that led to outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease…
TOPEKA, Kan. — Police have announced several arrests in the shooting death last week of a 28-year-old man in central Topeka. Police say 22-year-old James Boatwright and 26-year-old Davontra Alston were arrested Wednesday after officers served search warrants in the case. They have been charged with first-degree murder in the Saturday night shooting death of D’Angelo Payne. A third man, 21-year-old Jeffrey Walters, was arrested on suspicion of weapon and drug counts in the case. Police have said officers were called Saturday night to the scene of a crash and found Payne dead of gunshot wounds at the scene.
WICHITA, Kan. — A civil rights group asked the Kansas Supreme Court to immediately release prisoners who have preexisting medical conditions that make them vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas filed on Thursday the class action petition on behalf of seven inmates housed at Lansing Correctional Facility, the Ellsworth Correctional Facility and the Topeka Correctional Facility. They are seeking an expedited hearing before the state’s highest court on the request by the named plaintiffs and other inmates in a similar situation. The Kansas Department of Corrections says it would comment later on the filing.
MISSION, Kan. — A coronavirus faceoff over church services in Kansas just days before Easter weekend is pitting the state’s Republican Legislature against its Democratic governor, and they both generally agree people should stay home to worship. At issue is whether the state has the constitutional authority to order it. A panel of legislative leaders on Wednesday overturned Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order banning religious and funeral services with more than 10 people amid COVID-19 outbreak. Kelly said Wednesday that the backlash was about politics, calling the vote “shockingly irresponsible.” Kelly said three religious gatherings had led to COVID-19 outbreaks.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Police in suburban Kansas City are searching for a suspect after finding a man shot to death in Overland Park overnight. Police say officers were called around 9 p.m. Wednesday to an area near the Johnson County Central Resource Library for reports of a shooting. Arriving officers found a 30-year-old man dead in a parking lot near the library. Police identified the victim as Micah Babick of Prairie Village. No arrests have been announced. Police say a red vehicle linked to the shooting left the crime scene. It was driven by a man in his 20s…
Ascension Via Christi Dr. Matt Floersch joined KMAN in the 7 a.m. hour to provide our daily COVID-19 update.
Riley County EMS will be holding an audit for their employees who hold outside jobs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was made to protect both EMS employees and the public, and affects both part time and full time employees. EMS positions are high risk during the pandemic since they are responding to these calls and getting up close with patients. They have the potential to spread the disease to both co-workers and members of the public if they work another job. EMS Director David Adams will audit those employers and see how well they are following guidelines…
Keep Teaching With in-person classes being cancelled for the rest of the school year, K-State has taken steps to make the transition to remote classes easier for higher-education professional. The Keep Teaching program allows university staff to share information and tools for implementing a successful online-teaching experience. While K-State has a Keep Teaching program for its own employees to use, Katie Linder, the K-State Global Campus executive director for program development, says there is another program available to professionals from several institutions. She says Keep Teaching began as an effort to promote continued education during times of disruption. To access…