WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Nine of 44 immigrant children placed under the care of a Kansas nonprofit working under contract with the federal government were separated from their parents at the border, a state agency said Monday.

The Kansas Department for Children and Families said in a news release that a staff member on Friday visited the non-profit called The Villages Inc. at the request of Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer. The inspection looked at four group homes outside of Topeka operated by The Villages.

The DCF said that of the 44 children in placement, nine were separated from their parents and the rest were unaccompanied minors.

“I am pleased that the President is taking steps to address the separation of families. Our hope and expectation is that these children will be reunited with their families in the near future,” Colyer said in a statement.

Officials at the Villages said plans are in place to meet the physical health, mental health and educational needs of the children, DCF said. The agency’s secretary, Gina Meier-Hummel, plans a follow-up meeting later this week.

Earlier Monday, former U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom, a Democrat, said he had assembled a team of 10 lawyers to provide legal services to the children. Meier-Hummel, her deputy and Kansas House Minority Leader Jim Ward, a Democrat, also are expected to be part of the meeting, along with a representative from The Villages.

“What we are trying to do is trying to get the kids that we have here in Kansas legal representation so that we can work to get them reintegrated with their parents and make sure they do not fall through the cracks,” Ward said.

Some of the children may already have lawyers representing them, he said. Nine of the children are under the age of 12.

The usual turnaround for the placement of immigrant children who stay at The Villages is 30 to 35 days, but they are not sure what the turnaround will be for those children who were separated from their parents when they came into the country, Grissom said.

“Our position is Kansans have a responsibility when these children are brought in to care for them and to address concerns of reintegration, and I certainly believe child welfare is a state matter,” Ward said. “I went through the whole Constitution several times, I don’t remember any section where the framers enumerated the right for the federal government to do child care. Now, of course, their argument is this doesn’t fall into child care. It falls under immigration, which is foreign affairs.”

KANSAS CITY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a June 22 Amber Alert.

Police reported Monday that Anthony King is in custody and has been charged with 1st degree robbery, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm in this incident, according to a media release.

On Friday authorities issued an Amber Alert for 15-year-old Brajaean Sledge. She was reported missing after her grandfather was found shot.

Just before 6:00p.m. Saturday, Brajaean Sledge walked into to a Kansas City Missouri Police Station and identified herself to authorities and the Amber Alert was canceled.  Police released no additional details Monday.

JACKSON COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Monday in Jackson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 PT Cruiser driven by Helen L. Nolan, 80, Topeka, was eastbound on 190th Road. The driver attempted to cross U.S. 75, failed to yield.  a southbound Kenworth semi driven by Steven W. Akin, 55, St. Marys, struck the PT Cruiser.

Nolan was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics.

Akin was not injured.  Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The chairman of a Missouri House panel investigating former Gov. Eric Greitens says the committee no longer has authority to act now Greitens has resigned.

Instead, Republican Chairman Jay Barnes in a Monday letter said he’ll file a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission against Greitens’ campaign and a nonprofit that promoted his agenda.

The House committee was investigating allegations of personal and political misconduct against Greitens. Barnes says they turned up enough evidence to recommend his impeachment, but Greitens resigned on his own June 1.

Attorney Catherine Hanaway in a Monday statement said the ethics commission, attorney general and federal authorities have known about allegations against Greitens for a long time. But she says they haven’t filed any criminal charges against the campaign or nonprofit, A New Missouri.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Champion Tree program is celebrating a half-century of tracking Missouri’s biggest known trees.

There are more than 130 species on the list, ranging from a scarlet oak stretching 15 stories tall to a winged sumac with a trunk just over three inches in diameter. While Missouri’s champions might not compare to the giant redwoods out west, they include trees that are remarkable examples of the state’s natural landscape.

In 1968, MDC first released a list of the biggest known trees throughout the state. The goal was to find the biggest specimens of Missouri’s native trees, share them with the public, and encourage the hunt to continue.

“For 50 years, our Champion Tree Program has provided a showcase for some of Missouri’s most impressive trees,” said Missouri State Forester Lisa Allen. “Our champion trees can be found all over the state, in our backyards and farms, city parks, state parks, and conservation areas.”

These big trees represent the great diversity of Missouri’s trees. The state’s biggest known sassafras resides in a city park in Monett. The current champion flowering dogwood, Missouri’s official state tree, is on private property in Mississippi County. Many mid-Missourians are familiar with the centuries-old bur oak in McBaine, which has maintained its champion status for years. Among the many beautiful trees at Big Oak Tree State Park near East Prairie are three champions – the pumpkin ash, persimmon, and sweetgum.

“It might surprise you to know that none of the original trees listed in 1968 are still designated as champion trees,” said Allen. “In fact, the list changes frequently, because people are finding new champions all the time. There are champions out there waiting to be discovered.”

To celebrate the anniversary of the Missouri Champion Tree Program, MDC encourages Missourians to get outside this summer and discover big trees. Most champion trees are on private property, but MDC has assembled a list of 38 champion trees located on public land for adventure seekers to visit. That list is available at www.mdc.mo.gov/championtrees and includes a story map with photos.

“If there’s not a champion tree near you, spending time around big trees is as easy as visiting a local conservation area or your city park,” said Allen. “Getting outside is a great opportunity to explore, but it’s also a great way to relax, unwind, and enjoy Missouri’s trees and forests.”

MDC uses a nationally-determined formula to measure champion trees, which assigns a point value to determine rank. Points are determined by a tree’s height, crown spread, and trunk size. The formula adds the circumference in inches (measured from 4.5 feet from the ground) to the height in feet to one-fourth of the average crown spread.

– MDC Press Release –

By SOPHIA TULP, Kansas News Service

Kansas received a passing grade for its highways  when the state’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers released its latest “infrastructure report card.”

However, the engineers also warned that sweeping cuts to Kansas Department of Transportation funding are still causing roadways to suffer.

Kansas earned a C on the report card, which ranks the quality of state infrastructure in nine categories, such as bridges, roads, energy and drinking water. This is up from a C- in 2013, the last time the Kansas ASCE chapter released a report card. And while some areas, such as levees and bridges, increased in quality roads went down.

Over several years, lawmakers have diverted more than $2 billion from KDOT to fill deep holes in the Kansas budget. The cuts dipped into funds for T-WORKS — a 10-year, $8 billion program for projects to preserve and update highway infrastructure across the state.

The state has been addressing its backlog of projects. As of now, 23 highway projects costing $600 million are still delayed, down from as many as 50 in 2017. This comes as the Kansas legislature recently approved the creation of a highway task force that will examine the impact of the cuts, among other things.

When cuts were proposed in 2016, then-Gov. Sam Brownback and KDOT Secretary Richard Carlson said the state’s history of investing in its highway system would keep at bay the effects of a few years of reduced maintenance. But both the report card and stakeholders say otherwise.

Michael White, executive director of the Kansas Contractors Association, said that not investing in regular maintenance will end up costing more in the long run, as invisible damage beneath the surface builds up. He says that damage is happening now.

One road that some Kansans point to as particularly dangerous is Highway 177 that runs through the Flint Hills from El Dorado to Manhattan. The narrow highway has been the scene of multiple rollover accidents, and was supposed to get a safety upgrade under T-WORKS. But, the funding cuts landed this project on the list of those suspended.

Outside of roads, the report also indicated that some dams in Kansas are especially at risk to be dangerous. Just under 500 of the state’s 6,400 dams were classified as a potential high or significant hazard, meaning if they failed it could cause “significant loss of life and property.”

“I would caution folks not to get too overly excited about the report because there’s still a lot of work to be done with roads,” White said. “When you don’t maintain the surface like you need to because of lack of funding … ultimately (you’re) spending more dollars to replace roads that you wouldn’t have if you’d just preserved it.”

He added that the state needs about $400 million for annual maintenance to preserve the system, but current funding is still falling short of that mark, even though the legislature has restored some funding. The 2019 fiscal year’s budget contains $59 million more than last year’s, which only allocated $44 million toward annual maintenance.

Sheryl Gallagher, president of Kansas’ ASCE, says the state’s highways were once among the best in the nation. Now, she says, roadways are an area of “particular concern” in Kansas. She urged lawmakers to find a way to channel funds back into T-WORKS to follow through on projects.

Laurie Arellano, director of communications for KDOT, pointed to the funding increase and the task force as a path forward for improving the roads. She said the funds will help KDOT move beyond preservation and toward modernization and expansion projects.

Each state’s ASCE chapter releases report cards, which are then compiled into an overall grade for the nation at the end of the year. Missouri’s report card was released in April, giving the state a C-minus grade overall grade and a D-plus for roads specifically.

Sophia Tulp is a KCUR news intern in conjunction with The Kansas News Service. Follow her on Twitter @sophia_tulp.

TOPEKA – The application fee for a Kansas concealed carry license will be reduced effective July 1, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Under the terms of the budget for state fiscal year 2019 passed earlier this year by the Kansas Legislature, the application fee will be lowered from $132.50 to $112. The reduced rate applies to applications received by sheriff’s offices between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019. Applicants should submit their applications with one check for $79.50 payable to the Office of the Attorney General and one check for $32.50 payable to the sheriff of the applicant’s county of residence.

The cost for license renewals remains unchanged at $25.

An updated application form reflecting the new fee structure is available here.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Hundreds have rallied in Kansas City against separating immigrant parents from their children.

The Sunday rally at the County Club Plaza was one of many around the country. Mayor Sly James joined the rally, calling on the crowd to seize the issue as Kansas City’s cause, against immorality and inhumanity, in defense of “liberty and justice . . . for all.”

Some in the crowd waved signs reading, “Free the children.”

Forty-two-year-old Fabiola Cruz stepped forward when the call went out for testimonies. The Kansas Citian from Tijuana, Mexico, said she called on friends, texting for them to join her, but they feared retribution against themselves, or members of their families. She says the situation is “hurting our families.”