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Category: brief

Brief: Storms Through Tonight, B-2 Footage at SOS, Endorsement Watch

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A Republican endorses an Independent candidate, rather than Republican candidate Kris Kobach for Kansas Governor.

“I made it clear when I joined Governor Colyer’s campaign that I believed Kansas needed a leader who was committed to the state,” Baccus said. “While my candidate in the primary election did not succeed, I remain committed to ensuring that Kansas has the best leaders possible.”

 

Job losses headed for Kansas City’s Sprint?

Specifically, 24,000 jobs would be gone as overlapping retail stores close for not only the Sprint and T-Mobile brands but also their pre-paid brands Boost and MetroPCS, the filing said.

An additional 4,500 headquarters jobs would disappear, it claimed, as a merged company sought to eliminate duplication at the Overland Park headquarters of Sprint and the Bellevue, Wash., headquarters of T-Mobile. Sprint has about 6,000 employees at its headquarters campus, though it had announced plans to eliminate 500 jobs there.

 

Storms in the forecast for the region through tonight. Sunny and 78 Wednesday in St. Joe.

 

In case you missed it: Video from the Sound of Speed Airshow.

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: Crashing a Town Hall, Boehner and KS Dems, Fake Meat

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A Kansas Congressional race features one candidate confronting the other at a Town Hall.

Rep. Ron Estes and Democratic challenger James Thompson traded fire Saturday when Thompson showed up at Estes’ sparsely attended Town Hall on veterans issues.

…

“You’re a hard man to find,” Thompson said, speaking from the back of the nearly-empty meeting room at the Wichita’s Advance Learning Library.

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“So this is your gimmick, to come here and ask a question (about debates) when we want to talk about serious issues here?” Estes said. “We’re having a series of debates as you know.”

 

Is the former Republican House Speaker switching teams?

In what appeared to be a bizarre coincidence, both he and former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius were spotted checking into the convention hotel at the same time Saturday evening. What’s more, it turns out the two of them actually grew up together in the same area of southern Ohio, which Boehner represented in the House from 1991 through 2015.

Boehner, of course, wasn’t there to crash the Democrats’ festivities. In a casual conversation over coffee the next morning, he explained that he’s traveling across the country in a motor coach stumping on behalf of Republican congressional candidates, and he was in Kansas for a fundraiser to benefit 1st District Rep. Roger Marshall, of Great Bend.

 

Organic farmers turn to livestock waste for fertilizer.

To comply with organic rules, some use livestock to provide natural fertilizer. Two separate studies in Iowa are trying to quantify the soil health, yield and, eventually, economic impact of grazing animals on the fields after vegetables are harvested.

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“We’re strongly committed to having livestock on our gardens as much as possible,” Quee said.

That’s because they nurture the soil with their rooting, pecking, stomping and, yes, pooping. Quee’s seen firsthand how turkey manure increases soil nitrogen — a fact supported by commercial sales of composted turkey manure as an organic-approved fertilizer.

 

Speaking of meat…or not:

A new Missouri law prevents meat-substitute brands from marketing the products as meat. Tofurky is an example of a meat substitute.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court, a coalition of groups and companies say a law approved by the Legislature in May and signed by former Gov. Eric Greitens violates the First Amendment, as well as discriminates against out-of-state manufacturers to protect Missouri meat producers.

“Americans don’t like censorship, and they don’t like the government picking winners and losers in the marketplace. We’re confident that the Court will overturn this anti-competitive and unconstitutional law,” said Bruce Friedrich, executive director of the Good Food Institute, which represents companies that produce plant-based and laboratory-grown clean meats.

The new law goes into effect Tuesday.

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: Campaign Cash and Waffle Celebrations

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Here come the campaign ads:

Just since last Monday, the Congressional Leadership Fund has spent $902,448 on the Yoder race, according to the Federal Election Commission. That money has been spent on media production and TV ad buys. That PAC is tied to Republican House leaders.

Outside Democratic groups are also investing heavily in the race. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has spent $154,595 on the Davids’ campaign in the same time period. That money was spent on TV and mailings.

The House Majority PAC, tied to Democratic House leaders, has spent $23,730 buy online ads.

 

“We are right in the center of agriculture country, and we are within 300 miles of six land-grant universities, which produce the students that could fill these jobs. They are graduate-level jobs and many of them are PhDs dealing with agriculture, economics and research,” Hartzler said. “And that is what our land-grant universities specialize in, and they often administer the grants from these agencies that deal with research in various areas.”

 

The University is not currently considering banning Greek life, according to director of news and media relations Erinn Barcomb-Peterson. However, the environment that incited a temporary freeze on social activities in March for all fraternities affiliated with the Inter-Fraternity Council remains “an area of significant concern to the health and safety of our students,” Chancellor Douglas Girod said.

While most controversies revolve around fraternities, sororities have suffered too. Increased anxiety about social stereotypes have left some women skeptical about the process.

 

Want to celebrate National Waffle Day, but don’t want the calories? KDOT has your solution.

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: MO Investigates Clergy, KS Medicaid Expansion, Drought Conditions

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Advocates requested Missouri and Kansas investigate abuse in the church. Missouri is moving forward with the idea.

Hawley said on Thursday that while prosecuting and subpoena authority rested with local law enforcement, his office would still investigate alleged crimes, publish a public report and refer credible cases to local prosecutors.

 

“This is huge,” she said. “This is the governor’s task force.”

The Legislature voted in 2017 to broaden eligibility for Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act, but that measure was vetoed by then-Gov. Sam Brownback. His replacement, Colyer, has maintained opposition to adding thousands of Kansans to Medicaid despite an obligation of the federal government to pay at least 90 percent of the cost of expansion.

 

Echoes from the Cold War:

“Nine long-range messages of mass death and destruction, pre-addressed to enemies of the United States, Monday were pronounced ready for use almost instantaneously if needed,” said the article by reporter Saralena Sherman. “They are the nine Atlas missiles poised on launching pads in the Topeka Forbes Air Force Base area prepared to carry their nuclear warheads to pre-determined targets on a ‘one-shot basis.’ “

 

 

Weather stuff:

Meanwhile, thunderstorms in the forecast through tonight. Low 90-degree temps tomorrow through the weekend.

 

Finally, a dog to brighten the day:

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: Liquor Delivery, Kobach and Trump, Heat and Rain Coming

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The Kansas GOP nominee for Governor continues to support President Trump.

“The Manafort conviction has nothing to do with Russian collusion and illustrates how the special counsel has gotten off track from the original purpose of the investigation,” Kobach said.

Did an Independent candidate for Governor hit a serious roadblock?

“It’s unlikely a court would say that a processing glitch by the county would be enough to disqualify a candidate that otherwise got the signatures,” said University of Kansas law professor Richard Levy.

Other accusations give analysts more pause. One claims a person gathering signatures for the campaign has a felony conviction, making the person ineligible for that work. Though he is only responsible for 323 of the signatures, the letter says there are “at least three examples of questionable signature gatherers.” The letter also points out suspicious timelines associated with some affidavits.

 

Seatbelt safety continues to dominate concerns when it comes to traffic safety.

 

The forecast has rain and heat on the way.

A Flood Warning is in effect until Saturday.

Fall is one month away. This tweet from last night:

 

Do you tip your liquor delivery person?

“This will not allow for drones to come and drop alcohol on your front porch, as much as some people might like that,” Justus said. “This will not be a situation where non-humans deliver alcohol to you.”

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: Feds on Duck Boats, Republican Gov Endorsement Warning

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Will Republicans endorse a Democrat for Governor of Kansas because of Kris Kobach?

Hineman warned that support for independent candidate Greg Orman or Democratic nominee Sen. Laura Kelly “could well be a career-ending move for anyone who chose to do so.”

“Please do not do it!” Hineman said. “ Your own vote is of course your own. But do not endorse, do not publicly support, do not join a ‘Republicans for..’ group, and do not write a check. Any of those actions are very inappropriate for a Republican office-holder. I fear there would be serious repercussions.”

 

The crisis pushed Marshal Ulrich from the business. He sold most of his farm equipment in 1985 and worked as a grade school custodian in Kansas for 25 years after that.

“I hated to give it up. It was a dream, you know, to make farming my career, but it just didn’t work out that way,” he said.

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“Once this trade war ends, how do you regain trust? … How do you rebuild the agreements that were thrown away? That’s the difficult issue,” Penner said.

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“The impacts here are not short-term,” he said. “They very likely will be long term, and there’s probably things that may come out of this that we don’t even know and can’t think through right now. And that’s what bothers me.”

Alana Miller, a Coast Guard spokeswoman:

“We identified stuff that could point to some sort of criminal activity,” said “And we are not in the business of criminal investigations.”

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Don Ledford, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office:

“What I can say is that the Department of Justice policy is that we don’t comment on investigations,” Ledford said. “We don’t even confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.”

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It isn’t known what the focus of the criminal investigation is, but there is a federal law regarding negligence or misconduct when operating a vessel.

According to that law: “Every captain, engineer, pilot, or other person employed on any steamboat or vessel, by whose misconduct, negligence, or inattention to his duties on such vessel the life of any person is destroyed … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.”

 

Priest sex abuse victims demand that Missouri and Kansas officials conduct a comprehensive investigation into clergy misconduct and cover-ups similar to the one that revealed widespread problems in Pennsylvania.

Randles said the findings of the Pennsylvania investigation were “shocking” and led her to sit down to try to figure out how many priests in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas had been similarly abusive. She came up with 230 names. But she said only a handful of priests have been charged and one bishop punished.

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: McCaskill Questions for Court Nominee, Rain Totals, Record-Low Temps

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Claire McCaskill prepares to meet the Supreme Court nominee.

McCaskill said the high court’s 2010 Citizens United decision has led to a flood of spending from outside groups, ones that may spend tens of millions of dollars ahead of the November midterm, when she is up for re-election.

“It’s absolutely out of control. I’ve said many times, if Missourians knew who was paying for the ads against me, they would like the enemies I’ve made,” McCaskill told reporters earlier this month. “And it doesn’t matter if it’s for me or against me, if you don’t know who’s paying for it, you shouldn’t pay any attention to it.”

McCaskill said she also wants to know where Kavanaugh, an appeals court judge in Washington, D.C., stands on the federal health care law, specifically whether certain provisions should be overturned in the courts or in Congress.

Speaking of campaign finance:

In the race for a Senate seat in Platte and Buchanan counties, Missouri Senate Conservatives Fund spent $490,000 over the campaign’s final month to assist the eventual winner, Tony Luetkemeyer.

Luetkemeyer and his opponent, Harry Roberts, combined to spend $432,000 during the same period.

 

We received much-needed rain yesterday into today.

Low temps accompanied the rainfall.

The National Weather Service predicts 71 for today’s high in St. Joe.

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: St. Joe Crime Strike, Super PAC Ramps Up in Kansas, Drought Worsens

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A big crime crackdown occurred in St. Joe Thursday. Law enforcement agencies were out in striking numbers.

64 Citations issued 35 warning citations 9 Warrant arrests 6 Felony arrests (New Cases) 2 DWIs 1 Driving while suspended

 

A Republican super PAC sends workers to two Kansas congressional districts. The Congressional Leadership Fund recently set up offices in Kansas’ 2nd District and 3rd District.

In the 2nd District, Democrat Paul Davis faces Steve Watkins, a GOP newcomer. In the 3rd District, Rep. Kevin Yoder is facing Democratic newcomer Sharice Davids.

 

Senator Roy Blunt says half of rural Missouri lacks high-speed internet.

 

A Missouri woman who is charged with killing her 5-year-old daughter and critically injuring her 1-year-old son by intentionally driving into the Kansas River told authorities she wanted to die and didn’t want anyone else to have her children, according to court records.

The probable cause affidavit says she told police she had been voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital for several hours on Aug. 2, one day before she plunged into the river in downtown Lawrence, about 160 miles west of her hometown of Columbia, Missouri.

 

Drought conditions persist.

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: Greitens Drama Continues, McCaskill-Hawley Tweet Battle, Storm Chances for Tonight

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A tossup in the race for Kansas Governor?

Kobach’s victory in the primary, combined with state Sen. Laura Kelly’s win in the Democratic primary and the likely entry of independent candidate Greg Orman, sets up a three-way race for the governor’s office.

That prompted the nonpartisan Cook’s Political Report on Wednesday to move the race from the “likely Republican” column to a toss-up.

“But, Kobach’s victory isn’t necessarily good news as most GOP strategists consider him to be a flawed nominee. As a result, the race moves to the Toss Up,” the political handicapping website reported Wednesday.

Looking back at the primary result:

By early evening, Colyer was ready to concede, his hopes of winning the GOP nomination for Kansas governor dead. At 7:30 p.m., he quit the race before all the votes had been counted.

Despite the narrow margin, Colyer’s team determined that it had become mathematically impossible for him to pull ahead, according to six Colyer associates who spoke on condition of anonymity.

An official close to Colyer said “the plan (earlier on Tuesday) had been to announce a recount given that the margin was so close” but that “after the Johnson County numbers came in it was clear that the numbers just were not in our favor.”

 

Claire McCaskill and Josh Hawley fight on Twitter:

 

Greitens drama continues.

A special prosecutor will investigate allegations that a lawyer for the ex-husband of the woman who had an affair with former Gov. Eric Greitens violated a gag order.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison said Tuesday that the prosecutor will investigate a “charge of indirect criminal contempt” against Albert Watkins.

In June, Burlison threatened to fine or jail Watkins over a news release and a 20-minute impromptu April news conference after leaving a hearing at which a lawyer for Greitens revealed that Watkins had received two $50,000 cash payments.

Watkins says he’s “respectful of the court’s decision.”

 

No more smoking on campus at KU:

Although smoking is banned at the University, individuals can still smoke in their cars on campus, Jameson said. There are no guidelines for whether or not windows must be closed.

Oszlanczi said she expects the change to be difficult for all students, but specifically those who come from a place where tobacco use is more accepted.

“For someone that’s specifically coming from a culture that allows tobacco use and it’s very common to smoke and they’re not regulated that much, they’ll probably feel a bit forced to quit,” she said. “But after a while, if they see there are resources available for them, I think that maybe it can encourage them to try to quit smoking.”

 

Kansas Senator on the Supreme Court nominee:

 

Lack of vaccinations lead to outbreak:

Officials linked the outbreak to an amusement park in California, where it is thought that a traveler from overseas brought it to the U.S.

Measles is an airborne virus that spreads through coughing and sneezing.

Symptoms of the virus show up in 10 to 14 days and last seven to 10 days. Some symptoms are a high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that typically starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

 

 

KDOT goes for bad joke of the day for safety:

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brief: Kobach Gets GOP Nom, Snowplows Plow Pipes

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Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer will endorse Kris Kobach after he conceded in a surprise Tuesday night announcement a week after their neck-and-neck finish threatened to send the race to a recount.

The President endorsed Kobach in the primary.

Some insight into the race as it now stands:

A poll by Remington Research Group published in July indicated that a Kelly-Orman-Kobach race would put Kelly and Kobach in a statistical tie — 36 percent for Kelly and 35 percent for Kobach. Orman fetched 12 percent of the vote in the poll, leaving 17 percent undecided.

Kelly said on Tuesday evening that Kansas families suffered under former Gov. Sam Brownback, who left office earlier this year for a position in President Donald Trump’s administration. The state senator form Topeka slammed Kobach for his pledge to return to what she called Brownback’s failed policies and Kobach’s extreme partisanship and self-promotion.

Kobach, currently the secretary of state, is promising to push for lower income and sales tax rates and tighter controls on local property taxes a year after bipartisan supermajorities in the state Legislature rolled back past income tax cuts championed by Brownback.

 

Fort Riley soldiers showed up at Chiefs training camp in St. Joe.

 

Cooling down:

 

MoDOT snowplows got a summer workout on I-35 near Kearney, Missouri Tuesday.

 

The Brief is a daily roundup from St. Joe Post and around the web. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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