By CORINNE BOYER

Passenger trains will keep rolling through rural communities in Kansas, for now. But Amtrak still hasn’t committed to operating the long-distance routes that connect small towns to larger cities long-term.

Earlier this year, Congress agreed to an additional $50 million to keep the Southwest Chief, which travels from Chicago to Los Angeles with stops in several small Kansas cities, running through September.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and a handful of his senate colleagues then pressed Amtrak for answers about future plans for long-distance routes. The rail service responded with a letter this week.

CEO Richard Anderson wrote that Amtrak will not alter or truncate any long-distance routes before the end of the 2019 fiscal year. But he didn’t make any promises beyond that.

Instead, the head of the federally funded rail service pushed questions back at Congress about whether to maintain current routes or make changes.

“While we strongly believe that there is a permanent place for high-quality long-distance trains in our network,” Anderson wrote, “the time to closely examine the size and nature of that role is upon us for numerous reasons.”

Amtrak is slated to submit its proposal for reauthorization later this year.

In his letter, Anderson highlighted the increased demand for services in metropolitan areas, where the majority of its ridership occurs on short-distance routes such as the Northeast Corridor.

The long-distance routes, he wrote, ate up nearly $922 million in the 2018 fiscal year — nearly half the $1.94 billion in federal support for Amtrak’s network, while accommodating a relatively small share of passenger trips, 4.5 million rides annually.

While ridership numbers have fluctuated from year to year, Anderson noted the number of long-distance passengers fell 4 % between fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

The rail service is eyeing the development of new routes to meet demand for shorter trips in areas of the country where the population is growing.

Anderson wrote that routes connecting cities and towns within 400 miles or less are the “sweet spot” for passenger rail. He identified a number of new potential corridors, including a route between Fort Worth, Texas — now a stop along the Heartland Flyer — and Newton, Kansas, which is currently a stop along the Southwest Chief.

Moran said he expects Congress to agree to continued funding for Amtrak to support current long distances routes, but that it would be a “battle.”

“I need to make sure that Amtrak, its board of directors, its management has a commitment to long-term passenger services in places in the country in which it’s not probably ever going to be profitable,” Moran said in an interview.

The senator got some of the assurances for the continued operation of the Southwest Chief he wanted from a meeting with Anderson Wednesday.

But Moran said through a spokesperson later that while the meeting was a, “step in the right direction,” it prompted further questions. The senator is keeping holds on nominees to Amtrak’s Board of Directors while he awaits more answers.

Corinne Boyer is a reporter for the Kansas News Service.  Follow her @Corinne_Boyer or email cboyer@hppr.org

JEFFERSON CITY  (AP) — The bodies of a man and a woman were discovered Friday in a submerged vehicle near the Mississippi River in Missouri, bringing the death toll to nine from storms that have ravaged the central U.S. this week and threaten major flooding through the holiday weekend.

John Reinhardt, 20, and Caitlin Frangel, 19, both of Hazelwood, Missouri, were reported missing May 15. Their bodies were found around 4 a.m. on a flooded rural road that runs along the river at Portage Des Sioux, about 40 miles north of St. Louis.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dallas Thompson said an autopsy determined they both drowned.

“We believe they went into it in the dark, not knowing the roadway was flooded, and they were unable to get out,” Thompson said.

Heavy rain in recent weeks has spurred major flooding in several states. Flooding along the Arkansas River will threaten communities from Tulsa into western Arkansas through at least the holiday weekend, officials said Friday, as water released from an Oklahoma dam combines with additional rain in the forecast.

To control flooding in Tulsa, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Friday began increasing the amount of water being released into the river from the Keystone Dam northwest of the city of about 400,000.

“The dam is doing what it is supposed to do. It has maintained the flood to a manageable level,” U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, said following an aerial tour of the region.

The river in Tulsa was just above 22 feet (6.71 meters) Friday, four feet (1.22 meters) above flood stage, and was expected to remain at that level through Tuesday. Riverside residents were urged to leave their homes and at least one oil refinery suspended operations.

“The most disturbing thing that I’ve heard in the last 24 hours from our first responders are reports of parents letting their kids play in the river,” said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. “If you’re a parent that’s letting your kid play in this river right now, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

Meanwhile, Arkansas officials braced for record flooding as the water moves downstream.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson ordered the state’s National Guard to station high-water rescue teams in the western part of the state by Saturday and the Corps of Engineers warned residents to stay off the river throughout the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

“We hope people are getting to safer areas now,” said Aric Mitchell with the Fort Smith, Arkansas, police department.

The Arkansas River is expected to reach 41 feet (12.5 meters) by Sunday near Fort Smith, which is the state’s second-largest city with nearly 89,000 residents. That’s nearly 20 feet (6 meters) above flood stage and 3 feet (0.9 meters) above the record of 38.1 feet (11.61 meters) set in 1945.

“Nearby business, residences could be flooded … it’s going to be a mess,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Pete Snyder. “We’ve not seen it get this high before. It’s a different situation than we’ve ever seen.”

The concerns in Oklahoma and Arkansas follow days of severe storms that exacerbated spring flooding throughout the Midwest and spawned dozens of tornadoes.

More rain is likely through the weekend from western Texas through Illinois, according to weather service meteorologist Matt Mosier with the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

On Friday, floodwaters from the Missouri River topped a levee at Jefferson City and shut down some streets around the state Capitol as residents worked to clean up from one of the twisters, which cut a 3-mile-long path through the city earlier this week.

Jefferson City’s airport already had been evacuated, but other residents and workers drove precariously through flooded roads to escape the rising waters. The Capitol building sits on a bluff on the south side of the river and is not in danger of flooding.

The tornado had also damaged the Missouri headquarters for the Special Olympics, prompting the organization Friday to cancel its summer games.

HASTINGS, Neb — Crews have contained a large fire at a Hastings, Nebraska fertilizer plant and are investigating the cause.

Just after 11:45 p.m. on Thursday, fire crews responded to a reported structure fire at CPI Elevator in the area of Showboat and 6 Hwy near Hastings, according to media release from police.

Crews arrived in less than five minutes to find the facility was fully engulfed in fire.

The blaze forced authorities to close U.S. Highway 6, but the road was reopened early Friday.

Due to building collapse and other structural hazards, the fire has not been able to be fully extinguished. This will cause smoke in the area possibly through the weekend.

Authorities urged residents to keep their windows closed and turn off air conditioners if they have health conditions that could be exasperated by smoke.

The smoke should be considered no more hazardous than smoke from an outside burn, however residents should be prepared to take certain precautions should wind cause smoke in your neighborhood.

Precautions would include washing any exposed surfaces with soap and water, and keeping doors and windows shut until the smoke subsides. Individuals with a predisposition to respiratory and breathing problems may find the smoke to be irritating, and should be prepared to wear a dust mask or relocate until the smoke subsides. If you think you are experiencing a medical emergency, do not hesitate to call 911 for assistance.

No injuries were reported and the extent of damages to the plant weren’t clear. Hastings is located approximately 150 miles north of Salina.

By JIM MCLEAN

Overflowing rivers and reservoirs across Kansas are already producing significant flooding, particularly in the southeast corner of the state.

But, forecasters say, things could get much worse over the next several days as slow-moving thunderstorms develop over central and northeast Kansas.

The storms, he said, could produce flooding in northeast Kansas similar to that generated by up to 20 inches of rain that fell over portions of southeast Kansas in recent days, sending the Neosho, Verdigris and Marmaton rivers over their banks.

That’s well above the region’s average rainfall for the entire month of May of about five inches.

“Many of these areas are seeing an entire month’s worth of rain in one night,” Omitt said.

Omitt joined Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and the heads of several state agencies Thursday to brief reporters on disaster relief efforts already underway and warn that more creeks, rivers and reservoirs could soon be spilling over their banks.

“We’ve got to be vigilant, we’ve got to make safety a priority,” Kelly said, noting that she has issued disaster declarations for 42 of the state’s 105 counties since the end of April.

Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the commander of the Kansas National Guard and the state’s emergency management director, said Kansans should prepare for what he calls “a multi-hazard event” – meaning more heavy rain and the increased possibility of tornadoes and other types of severe weather.

Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli of the Kansas National Guard warns about possible flooding on the way in the state.

CREDIT JIM MCLEAN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

“It really creates a very dangerous situation,” Tafanelli said.

At a minimum, Tafanelli said, Kansans should factor the warnings into their plans for the Memorial Day weekend. That starts, he said, with checking to see whether rains have forced the closure of roads or state parks.

• Thes Kansas Department of Transportation website has latest information on road closures.
• The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism has the latest on flood alerts in state parks.

The recent death of a motorist who drove into water rushing over a roadway near Emporia should serve as a warning to all travelers, said Larry Thompson of the Kansas Department of Transportation.

“We’re urging drivers to pay attention when they’re out there,” Thompson said. “Don’t drive into flowing water, don’t drive around the barricades.”
Drivers who spot water overtopping a roadway, Thompson said, should call 911 to report it.

The Kansas Department of Children and Families is overseeing shelters for Kansans forced out of their homes by flooding, The Department of Health and Environment is preparing for possible weather-related health threats. In particular, heavy rain and flooding could sharply increase the number of disease-carrying insects.

“With water everywhere and warm temperatures, we will see ticks and mosquitos flourish,” said KDHE Secretary Lee Norman.

“So, once the water starts receding, it will be really important for people to drain out any standing water,” he said.

The forecast for continued heavy rain and severe weather runs through early next week, Omitt said.

“Probably through about Tuesday before the pattern breaks down,” he said, “we get this stuff to start moving and get we get some drier weather.”

Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks or email jim (at) kcur (dot) org.

JEFFERSON CITY(AP) — The Latest on tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest (all times local):

Floodwaters from the Missouri River have topped a levee at Jefferson City and shut down some streets around the state Capitol as residents continue cleaning up from a powerful tornado.

The flooding Friday had been forecast following heavy rain throughout the Midwest earlier in the week. Yet it still caught some people by surprise, as it came on a hot sunny day. The city’s airport had already been evacuated, but other residents and workers drove precariously through flooded roads in north Jefferson City to escape the rising waters.

The Capitol building sits on a bluff on the south side of the river and is not in danger of flooding.

The tornado that struck just before midnight Wednesday also spared the Capitol but tore a three-mile path through the city.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ request to return to active duty with the Navy has been approved, but he will not serve again as an elite Navy SEAL.

Greitens will be assigned to the Navy Operation Support Center in St. Louis as a general unrestricted line officer, which usually involves performing general office jobs, Navy Personnel Command spokeswoman Cmdr. Karin Burzynski said.

Greitens, 45, resigned as governor in June 2018 amid allegations of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations. He made his former status as a Navy SEAL a cornerstone of his gubernatorial campaign and tenure as governor.

The news that Greitens is returning to the Navy was criticized by some who said it sent the wrong message while the military is grappling with an increase in sexual assaults, The Kansas City Star reported .

Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who has pushed Congress to combat sexual assault in the military, said it is “beyond pathetic” that the Navy would even consider allowing Greitens to return to active service.

“He should be court-martialed,” said Speier, who is chairwoman of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee. “Retaining him sends a horrible signal about what the Navy values and its unwillingness to hold officers accountable.”

A spokesman for the Navy Reserve said the Navy is committed to addressing sexual misconduct.

“Sexual assault and sexual harassment are toxic threats that harm us all. Sexual assault and harassment are not tolerated in the Navy,” said Capt. Christopher Scholl.

Greitens, who has not commented to the media since his resignation, was put on inactive status with the Standby Reserve in 2017. He applied for a transfer to selected reserves in April 2019 and late Wednesday the Navy confirmed he was approved to return to active status.

However, during any reactivation process to the Navy Selected Reserves, each community the applicant applies to or could potentially return — such as, in Greitens’ case, the Special Warfare community — conducts its own review. In Greitens’ case, the Special Warfare community determined that he would not be able to return, an official said. The Navy didn’t provide a reason for that decision.

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