Kansas
Kansas attorney general concludes Junction City Commission broke open meeting law • Kansas Reflector
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
Kansas Abortion Script Violates Providers’ Rights, Lawsuit Says
A new Kansas law that requires abortion providers to ask patients why they want to end their pregnancies is unconstitutional, a proposed amended complaint filed in a state trial court says.
Hodes & Nauser MDs PA, Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and others asked the Kansas District Court, Johnson County, on Monday to allow them to update a 2023 complaint that challenged the state’s Womens’ Right to Know Act as unconstitutional. The new modified complaint seeks to halt the state’s enforcement of a state-scripted “reason mandate,” enacted in late April over a veto by Gov. Laura Kelly (D). …
Kansas
Cleanup to continue for days after powerful winds slam Kansas towns
HALSTEAD, Kan. (KWCH) – Powerful winds hit Kansas hard Sunday evening with widespread reports of damage from trashcans tossed in Hutchinson to a shed crumbling like a tin can and being thrown into a utility pole in the Russell area and a fallen tree smashing a teen’s pickup in Halstead.
The storms produced a pair of EF1 tornadoes near Russell and Wilson in Russell and Ellsworth counties. As the storms moved east, a tornado warning was issued for Harvey County, including Halstead. As the approximate 90-mph winds reached the small city, trees were uprooted, and power lines and street signs toppled.
Dustin Thurston was inside with his children when a tree fell onto the Halstead family’s home.
“As soon as I got to the front room, back door blew off the hinges, front blew open, then the tree fell on the house. Just a big ol’ boom,” Thurston said.
Susan Ross was outside and made it into the basement in time.
“It almost felt like our roof was lifting off our house,” she said.
As the tornado sirens sounded in Halstead, people said the roar of the wind drowned them out.
“It was really bad, I almost could not hear the sirens,” said Halstead resident Delia Stewart.
The cleanup started early and will continue for days. But the Halstead community is rallying together for each other.
Sunday night, some wondered if extensive damage in Harvey County was the result of a tornado. The NWS clarified that what hit Burrton, Halstead and Newton was “a severe straight-line wind event called a Derecho” which produced winds up to 90 mph.
Copyright 2024 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Kansas
Kansas continues facing severe storm season
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – According to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, Kansas has seen at least 63 tornados this year and there is plenty of severe storm season left for the number to increase.
Northeast Kansas has seen several tornados this 2024 severe storm season causing serious damage and even death.
Meteorologist Sarah Teefey with the National Weather Servicve of Topeka said a series of systems happen to be hitting Kansas at the right times.
“There are several factors that we look at to determine whether or not we’re expecting severe weather. Timing can be a big part of that, typically we have the most instability during the afternoon,” said Teefey. “The placement of storm systems as well can make a big difference — the closer we are to some of the stronger forcing or some of the better wind fields, then we have a better chance for severe weather.”
While the storms have brought rain, it hasn’t doused the drought affecting areas of the state.
“Sometimes we see a lot of rain all at once, and that can help a little bit, but if we dry out for a while we can flip back into a drought kind of pattern,” said Teefey. “We do still see at least a moderate drought happening across portions of the state. Outside of the Topeka area in Central KS they still have a severe drought for portions of of the state.”
Teefey said stay vigilant and prepared because this year is hitting hard.
“One big difference that we’ve noticed this year compared to other years is just how many systems we have coming through and how frequently we’re seeing that,” said Teefey. “Again with the timing, we have the good chance for severe weather especially when we get fronts in here in the afternoon, we get instability build, south winds to draw in moisture — it’s just been a very active pattern to give us more active weather this year.”
Stay informed on the latest severe weather updates in your area on air and online.
Copyright 2024 WIBW. All rights reserved.
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