Kansas
Kansas City boat racers turn viral crash into funds for St. Jude, local charities
KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.
—
A Kansas City racing team’s dramatic boat flip that sent them airborne more than 40 feet has gone viral online, but there’s more to the story than just the crash.
The team behind the boat has a unique mission: raising money for charity with their racing wins.
Brothers Ryan and Noah Olah of Freedom One Racing in Kansas City have a different approach to boat racing than most competitors.
KSHB 41
“Race teams don’t give all their winnings away, and they have all these big-name sponsors, we aren’t like that,” Noah Olah said.
The viral crash happened during a recent boat race in Lake Havasu, Arizona, when their boat hit record-breaking speeds before catching air.
“The GoPro recorded 210 mph,” Noah Olah said.
Freedom One Racing
The boat flew, flipped and crashed. Miraculously, everyone involved walked away without serious injuries.
“Thank God they got out, police and divers were there within 20 seconds helping them out,” Noah Olah said.
Kansas City boat racers turn viral crash into funds for St. Jude, local charities
Despite the dramatic crash, the team actually won the race in spectacular fashion.
“We literally landed on the finish line, upside down and backwards, so it was definitely a wild way to win, and everyone at the event couldn’t believe that’s how it worked out,” Ryan Olah said.
The brothers explained that their privately funded boat was designed with a specific purpose beyond just racing.
“The whole reason behind the boat was to set records and gain traction,” Ryan Olah said.
Freedom One Racing
Any winnings the team receives go directly to charity.
“To be honest, if we went 280 MPH, we would have never gotten the notoriety we have now,” Ryan Olah said. “We raised over $11,000 for the local Kiwanis club in Lake Havasu, and we gave our $7,500 winning to Desert Storm charity.”
Since the video went viral, even more donations have come in, which the team says will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Freedom One Racing
“Really, we had a goal of $5,000 and no pun intended, but we really blew that goal out of the water, it was amazing!” Ryan Olah said.
The team hopes to repair their boat and return to competition at the Lake of the Ozarks in August.
“Everyone’s in great spirits, we’re joking around about it, thankfully they walked away…the catchphrases that are coming out of this deal are amazing, one of them is…sometimes that’s how we like to park that thing and that’s straight from the drivers,” Ryan Olah said.
—
Kansas
Kansas City, Missouri, police searching for 30-year-old missing man
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is asking for the public’s help locating a missing man.
Jacob Phillips, 30, was last talked to around 10:17 p.m. Wednesday.
Phillips is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel-colored eyes, according to KCPD.
Police said his family is concerned for his well-being.
If anyone sees Phillips, they are urged to call the KCPD Missing Persons Unit at 816-234-5043 or 911.
—
Kansas
Kansas State freshman Jack Fleischaker, 19, dies after falling from fraternity house window
A Kansas State University freshman died after he fell from a fraternity house window — just weeks away from the end of the semester.
Jack Fleischaker, 19, plunged from a second-floor window at the Sigma Chi house on the Manhattan, Kan., campus around 3:15 a.m. on April 25.
He was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, but died three days later, according to the Riley County Police Department.
Police are investigating exactly how the fatal fall unfolded, but said foul play is not suspected.
“RCPD extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and the K-State community during this very tragic time,” the department said in a statement to People.
The fraternity said Fleischaker’s death appears to be accidental.
“This was a heartbreaking accident, and there is no indication that anyone is at fault,” Sigma Chi International Fraternity spokesperson Michael Church said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jack’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. We are actively supporting the chapter with mental health and wellness resources and are grateful for the assistance provided by Kansas State University’s administration as well.”
Fleischaker, from Overland Park, Kan., was studying accounting and finance and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, according to his LinkedIn and Instagram profiles.
As police continue to investigate, Kansas State University said it is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The university has offered support to the family and has also offered assistance and student support resources to the fraternity members,” spokesperson Michelle Geering said in a statement to the Kansas City Star.
“We are reviewing available information to determine the next steps in accordance with our policies and procedures.”
The horrifying incident comes four years after Sigma Chi’s University of Kansas chapter was shut down by its national organization in 2022 over hazing violations and lying about it.
There have been no recent hazing reports involving the Kansas State chapter, according to the Kansas City Star.
Friends and family are reeling from the sudden loss.
“This is a tragic accident that nobody anticipated,” family pastor and friend Gar Demo told KMBC.
“Every trajectory in their life has changed in an instant,” he added.
Demo said the family has faced devastating loss before. Fleischaker’s sister Natalie died 13 years ago from a brain tumor.
“[The family] went through the incredible pain of losing a child then, and I think they’re asking the question,” Demo said.
“All of us who know them are asking, why did this happen? How could this happen to this family?”
“I think to walk with them again in a different kind of situation but still to lose another child is just not something I have a playbook for,” he said.
“But we walk with our faith and we walk there and we show our strength with them and surround them with the love that we can share.”
In the days after the fall, hundreds gathered at the hospital to say their goodbyes, according to KAKE News.
Fleischaker was an organ donor and is expected to help save lives.
Kansas
Kansas Supreme Court affirms conviction in Wichita teen’s 2021 murder
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A man had his conviction in the 2021 killing of a Wichita teen upheld by the Kansas Supreme Court on Friday.
In a unanimous opinion, the court says that there was plenty of evidence to convict Tyler Kelly and that he had a fair trial.
Kelly was found guilty by a Sedgwick County jury in 2023 of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary and aggravated assault in the July 17, 2021, shooting death of 16-year-old Joseph Florence. Court records show Kelly and a 16-year-old broke into Florence’s home to confront him over a girl.
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years for first-degree murder. He also got 43 months for aggravated burglary and 13 months for aggravated assault.
The judge ordered that he serve the 25 years, plus the additional 56 months before he could be considered for parole.
Kelly appealed his conviction. He argued there was not enough evidence to prove he entered Florence’s home illegally or intended to commit a crime, and he made claims of multiple incidents of prosecutorial error. He also argued that the jury should have been given use-of-force instructions to support his self-defense claim.
In an opinion written by Justice Larkin Walsh, the court says there is more than sufficient evidence that Kelly entered the home illegally with intent to assault Florence. The justices determined that Kelly received a fair trial that was free from prosecutorial error.
“We are pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision to affirm these convictions,” the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “This ruling brings a final measure of justice to the victims and their families, and it validates the hard work of our prosecutors and local law enforcement in securing this conviction.”
Kelly is currently housed in the Hutchinson Correctional Facility with an earliest possible release date of May 1, 2048, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
-
Kansas4 minutes agoKansas City, Missouri, police searching for 30-year-old missing man
-
Kentucky10 minutes agoAnna Nicole Smith’s lookalike daughter turns heads in dramatic new look at Kentucky Derby as stars take over
-
Louisiana16 minutes agoAbortion pill dispute returns to Supreme Court
-
Maine22 minutes agoMaine fishermen’s bodies are breaking down. Where’s the help? | Opinion
-
Maryland28 minutes ago7 Delightful Towns to Visit in Maryland
-
Michigan34 minutes agoUCLA baseball scores four runs late for win over Michigan State
-
Massachusetts40 minutes agoThese 9 Towns in Massachusetts Have Beautiful Architecture
-
Minnesota46 minutes agoKids in Need Foundation provides $1 million in school supplies to Minnesota teachers