AP Kansas

By JOHN HANNA AP Political Writer TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly is calling for another freeze in tuition at Kansas colleges. Her State of the State address Tuesday evening to a joint session of the Legislature also portrayed Kansas as booming economically and previewed what are likely to be major themes in her

By SIMMI BUTTAR AP Pro Football Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Green Bay Packers finished the regular season with the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the top spot in the final AP Pro32 poll. The Packers earned all 12 first-place votes for 384 points. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remained at No. 2

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is taking its first major action to address toxic wastewater from coal-burning power plants, ordering utilities to stop dumping waste into unlined storage ponds and speed up plans to close leaking or otherwise dangerous coal ash sites. The EPA says plants in four

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly raised more cash last year, spent more money and entered this year with more funds than her presumed Republican opponent ahead of a tough reelection race in Kansas. Campaign finance reports filed Monday by the campaigns for Kelly and Attorney General Derek Schmidt suggest their contest could

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, angrily accused a senator Tuesday of making false accusations that are leading to threats against him. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has repeatedly said Fauci lies about the pandemic and in a hearing Tuesday also claimed that he tried to discredit

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita school board meeting was canceled when new members refused to wear masks and elected officials in the Topeka area rejected a plea from health officials to mandate them. Even as a surge in COVID-19 cases has strained hospitals and sent absences soaring in school districts, most of the state

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Mexican forward Alan Pulido needs knee surgery and will miss Sporting Kansas City’s entire 2022 Major League Soccer season. The team says Pulido will have surgery on Monday in Los Angeles. Expected recovery time is nine months to a year. Pulido had eight goals in 21 league games last year

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 7-year-old boy was killed and two others were injured in a Topeka house fire. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that heavy smoke was pouring from the home when firefighters arrived Monday morning. Alan Stahl, of the Topeka Fire Department, said crews had been advised that there might be trapped

LARNED, Kan. (AP) — Authorities investigating a triple homicide in central Kansas have determined that a man fatally shot his estranged wife and his 12-year-old son before killing himself. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that 44-year-old Jon Smith arrived at Shala Smith’s Larned home around 3 a.m. Saturday and entered

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer Defense has been a big factor in the Big 12 Conference’s standing with five AP Top 25 teams. The league’s five ranked teams includes top-ranked Baylor. The Bears have won 21 straight games dating to last year’s run to the NCAA championship. The league also has five of the

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two people are in custody after a car allegedly drove at a Kansas deputy who responded by firing into the vehicle. No one was hurt in the incident that happened Sunday evening in Wichita. Police say a Sedgwick County deputy responded to a theft report at a business and found the

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 7-year-old Topeka boy has died after fire broke out at a home. Firefighters were called just before 7 a.m. Monday and were told residents were possibly trapped. A news release from the fire department says crews searched the home despite heavy fire and smoke coming from the first floor. A

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to two years of probation for her role in the insurrection at the Capitol. Esther Schwemmer of Leavenworth also must perform community service and pay $500 in restitution for damage to the Capitol building. The Kansas City Star reports that the sentence was handed

By JOHN HANNA and ANDY TSUBASA FIELD Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers have kicked off their annual session, and tax cuts are expected to be a big issue because the state is flush with cash. The session that opened Monday also is shadowed by redistricting, election-year politics and COVID-19. Both the Republican-led

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Employee absences fueled by a surge in COVID-19 cases are straining Kansas hospitals, schools and emergency services and raising questions about whether some court trials might need to be delayed. In the Wichita school district, more than three times as many students and seven times as

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Plans are underway to connect a Civil War-era commercial port on the Missouri river and a Kansas City, Kansas, park where Lewis and Clark once camped. KCUR reports that the proposed Northeast Kansas City, Kansas, Heritage Trail came to life when the Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group partnered with the Unified

LARNED, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are investigating after two adults and a 12-year-old boy were found shot to death in Kansas. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that a man discovered the bodies Saturday night in a Larned home. A coroner pronounced 44-year-old Shala Smith, 12-year-old Carver Smith and 44-year-old Jon

By JOHN HANNA and ANDY TSUBASA FIELD Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are opening an annual session shadowed by redistricting, election-year politics and COVID-19. Tax cuts are expected to be a big issue in the session that begins Monday because the state is flush with cash and both the Republican-led Legislature and

By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer The AFC playoffs will be running through Music City with the Tennessee Titans likely having Derrick Henry back for their first game this postseason. The Tennessee Titans clinched their first No. 1 seed since 2008 and third overall. They needed only a win Sunday. The Titans made

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 39-year-old woman was in critical condition Sunday after being shot outside a party in Wichita and then hit by a car. Wichita police said the shooting was reported shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday in the 2200 block of East 12th Street. Officer Trevor Macy said in a statement that the