WESTMORELAND, Kan. (AP) – One person died Tuesday when a tornado ripped through the small city of Westmoreland in northeastern Kansas, destroying houses, RVs and outbuildings, authorities said.

Pottawatomie County officials said on Facebook that a tornado struck the city of about 700 people Tuesday evening, destroying 22 homes, three RVs and five outbuildings and damaging another 13 homes and one commercial building. First responders were conducting grid searches in Westmoreland to survey damage and to look for people who may have been injured.

A Pottawatomie County spokesperson confirmed the single fatality in a news release sent to media. The name of the person who died was being withheld pending family notification.

Three people also were reported injured, but none of them were critical, the county spokesperson said in a follow-up statement.

Westmoreland is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of Topeka and is the Pottawatomie County seat.

Images posted to social media showed a tornado on the ground in Westmoreland, as well as damaged homes, uprooted trees and a flipped semi.

The county spokesperson said the entire city was without power Tuesday night and county offices were running on emergency generators. The Red Cross set up a shelter at the local high school about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from town.

Tuesday’s storms came just two days after tornadoes tore through Oklahoma on Sunday, killing four people and injuring at least 100. On Friday, tornadoes twisted through Nebraska and Iowa, demolishing homes and businesses and leaving one person dead.

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TOPEKA — An investigation by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach revealed the Junction City Commission violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act by convening a closed-door meeting to discuss an economic development project that included a livestock slaughter facility on the outskirts of the city.

Public opposition to the once-confidential project, which could have forced sale of farmland for construction of roads and a traffic exit from Interstate 70, appears to have derailed the meatpacking project that was to have been built by Foote Cattle Co.

During debate on the proposal, landowner Michelle Munson filed a two-part complaint in July 2023 with the attorney general containing allegations against the city commission.

Munson, part of the Munson Angus Farms family, said the commission didn’t take steps during a public meeting nearly three years ago to approve expenditure of $5,000 used to secure a right of first refusal for the option to buy 150 acres of real estate for the project. That land on the west side of Junction City was bought by Foote Cattle, but the city had their eyes on adjacent land owned by the Munsons.

In addition, Munson asserted the commission broke the open meetings law two years ago by failing to precisely describe the subject to be discussed in an executive session. That closed session was also about the meatpacking facility project.

Amber Smith, first assistant attorney general in Kobach’s office, issued a letter to Munson’s attorney that said the “preponderance of the evidence” indicated the commission didn’t violate KOMA while considering the $5,000 option.

However, the attorney general’s office found the commission failed to follow the law in the later meeting by trying to limit public knowledge about the project.

“We have determined the commission failed to comply with the statutory requirements for recessing into executive session because its motion did not adequately describe the subject to be discussed,” Smith aid.

She said the city attorney would be informed of the investigation’s result and the commission would be urged to take remedial action to comply with KOMA.

Munson, part of a six-generation farm family in Geary County, said the process of contesting the city’s plan to convert farmland into a manufacturing hub that included an animal slaughter facility had been time consuming and difficult.

“We’re very pleased to see that the attorney general has upheld the Kansas law in terms of transparency and sunshine on the issue,” Munson said.

Allen Dinkel, city manager for Junction City, didn’t return a call Tuesday for comment about the attorney general’s response to Munson’s complaints. In previous interviews, Dinkel said the commission’s objective was to broaden the city’s tax base by creating manufacturing and trade jobs through development of land west of the city.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Every home run scored this baseball season will have more of an impact than just on the scoreboard thanks to a new partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC).

Each time a Monarchs player hits a homer, the local health insurance company will donate $50 to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM), as part of a new partnership with the reigning American Association champions.

Blue KC will also sponsor the Monarchs’ championship flag giveaway on May 24th. The flag celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Kansas City Monarchs’ winning the inaugural Negro Leagues World Series. The NLBM recently announced plans for city-wide events to take place recognizing and celebrating that baseball milestone.

“Blue KC has always been committed to supporting local organizations, and we’re proud to call them a partner for the upcoming season,” Monarchs owner Mark Brandmeyer said. “We’re looking forward to supporting the museum’s mission with every home run our club hits!”

“We place the utmost priority on supporting our local community, including the preservation of celebrating our rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of our country,” said Christina Lively, Blue KC Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “We are so excited to partner with the American Association Kansas City Monarchs and show our commitment to this instrumental piece of our City and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.”

“Thanks to Blue KC and the American Association Kansas City Monarchs for creating a fun and exciting way to celebrate the crowning achievement of the Kansas City Monarchs winning the inaugural Negro Leagues World Series a century ago while generating valuable support for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum,” said Bob Kendrick, museum president. “The Museum is the place where history touches home and needless to say, we will be cheering even more than usual every time the Monarchs hit one out of the park.”

Fans can buy tickets to the flag giveaway night at tickets.monarchsbaseball.com. The American Association Kansas City Monarchs’ home schedule starts on May 16 from Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOICATION KANSAS CITY MONARCHS:
The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League. 2024 will be their 21st season at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2020, the team partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and changed their name from the T-Bones to the Monarchs in honor of the legendary Negro League franchise that played from 1920 to 1965. This year, the Monarchs and the museum are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first Negro League World Series, won by the Monarchs in 1924.

ABOUT BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF KANSAS CITY:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Missouri and the only not-for-profit commercial health insurer in Kansas City, has been part of the Kansas City community since 1938. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City provides health coverage services to more than one million residents in the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and 30 counties in Northwest Missouri. Our mission: to provide affordable access to healthcare and to improve the health of our members. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information on the company, visit its website at BlueKC.com.

ABOUT THE NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL MUSEUM:
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America. The privately funded, 501 c3, not-for-profit organization was established in 1990 and is in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri’s Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District. The NLBM operates two blocks from the Paseo YMCA where Andrew “Rube” Foster established the Negro National League in 1920. To learn more about the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, please visit nlbm.com.