KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jack Cooper Transport Company, LLC, notified state officials last week of its plans to lay off more than 400 people and terminate its Kansas City operations, according to a filing obtained by KSHB 41.

Last week, KSHB 41 News reported on details that the Kansas City-based company had lost a key contract to transport vehicles at several Ford assembly plants across the country, including Ford’s Claycomo Assembly Plant.

In a Jan. 6 letter to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, a company human resources representative said 129 casual yard workers, 116 drivers and 107 yard employees would lose their jobs by Feb. 2.

The company also said it planned to close its facility at 1240 Claycomo Road, which is adjacent to Ford’s Claycomo plant.

A Ford spokesperson said the company does not comment “on our contracts or relationships with individual suppliers.”

“We manage supplier relationships in line with our sourcing strategy, designed to enable us to best serve our customers,” the spokesperson said.

Jack Cooper Transport, founded in 1928, originally helped transport vehicles for General Motors at its Leeds Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Missouri.

The transport company’s website states Jack Cooper is one of the largest privately owned auto transport and specialized vehicle logistics providers in the United States.

Workers are represented by Teamsters Union Local 41.

Teamster’s Union General President Sean O’Brien said last week on social media the union would “defend our members.”

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Recognition underscores commitment to safety and clinical excellence, as demonstrated by recent long-distance transport of a special infant

LifeSave Kansas aircraft

Wichita, KS, Jan. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The LifeSave Kansas emergency air medical program is proud to announce its accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). This accreditation affirms the program’s unwavering commitment to safety and clinical excellence over its 24 years of life-saving service to the state of Kansas.

“Our LifeSave bases in Emporia, Wichita, Liberal, and Garden City were inspected and found to meet the stringent safety and quality requirements to achieve full CAMTS accreditation,” said Kandi Sagehorn, clinical director with Air Methods, the nation’s leading air medical service provider and parent company of LifeSave Kansas. “This is an exciting accomplishment, and I am proud of the LifeSave team members and leaders who continually work to ensure each base’s compliance with the accreditation standards.”

CAMTS accreditation indicates the program meets or exceeds rigorous standards for safety, patient care, and clinical quality. It also acknowledges organizations that implement best practices and work to continually improve performance.

“It highlights the dedication, expertise, and hard work of our entire team,” said Shannon Kilmartin, a flight nurse with LifeSave 21 in Emporia. “I’m thankful to everyone who works to maintain the rigorous standards required for this honor.”

One example of this commitment to excellence was seen last August when the fixed wing crew from LifeSave 15 in Wichita transported seven-month-old Hazel Randolph from her home in Bartlesville, OK to Palo Alto, CA for heart surgery.

When the Randolph family learned of Hazel’s severe congenital heart defect shortly after her birth, they were told she was an unlikely candidate for surgery, and she was put on hospice care. Undeterred by this diagnosis, Hazel’s mother, Loren Randolph, searched for options until she learned that doctors at Stanford University Medical Center had pioneered a specialized surgery to treat the condition.

The family flew on a commercial airplane to California for the surgery but had to cancel it when they contracted COVID. The family drove back home to Oklahoma knowing they had to find a safer way to get Hazel back to the surgeons at Stanford. Thankfully, an air medical flight was approved by their insurance provider, so she was safely flown to her surgery under the loving care of the LifeSave Kansas clinical crew.

Story Continues

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One man is dead in an early morning homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 12:15 a.m., officers were patrolling the area of 30th Street and Indiana when they found a vehicle stopped in the roadway facing oncoming traffic.

Officers stopped to check the vehicle and found a man inside suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

EMS was called to the scene and declared the man dead.

Police say they are working to determine what led to the shooting and are working to identify a possible person of interest.

No one is in custody at this time.

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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.