Kansas

'It's our job to respond': Kansas Citians collect nearly 100,000 water bottles for Hurricane Helene victims

Published

1 year ago

October 22, 2024

'It's our job to respond': Kansas Citians collect nearly 100,000 water bottles for Hurricane Helene victims

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nearly 100,000 bottles of water are on the way from Kansas City to those impacted by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca said he organized the effort to collect water across multiple locations in Kansas City.

The Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department, International Association of Firefighters Local 42, Harvesters Community Food Network and Teamsters helped make it possible.

“You just can’t understand until you’re there and you see the devastation in person,” said Zach Alden, with Teamsters Local 41.

KSHB 41

Alden and other drivers loaded up the water at Harvesters to take it straight to North Carolina.

“It’s ongoing,” he said. “It’s not over in two weeks. It’s not over in three weeks. It’s a continual process.”

Elizabeth Keever, Harvesters’ chief resources officer, said the food bank’s reach extends beyond Kansas City.

“As a food bank, it’s our job to respond when there’s a crisis, and we know that if that ever happened to us, we would have food banks and neighbors across the country who would be there for us,” she said.

Alden said when he hits the road, there will be one thing guiding him.

“No political party should be involved, no thoughts. It’s just about doing the right thing,” he said.

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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.

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Kansas

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography

Published

12 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A former Kansas wrestling coach was charged with creating child sexual abuse materials by secretly recording minors showering during an athletic competition.

According to court documents, 37-year-old Ryan Brungardt of Salina is charged with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography.

Brungardt is a former employee at Lakewood Middle School and former wrestling coach for Salina Central High School.

Brungardt is accused of using a cellphone to record three minors while they showered in a locker room during the Tournament of Champions, a wrestling tournament was held at Newton High in January 2024.

Brungardt made his initial court appearance for the criminal complaint on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooks G. Severson.

A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday

Investigators are in the process of reviewing additional seized cellphone videos in this case that are suspected to have been recorded at wrestling meets in Newton, Hays, Garden City and Salina during the 2023-2024 wrestling season.

Anyone who believes they witnessed crimes or any suspicious activity at these events is asked to contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 600-8790 or report at www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

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