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Kansas lawmakers press nursing board after nurses say clerical errors left them jobless

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Kansas lawmakers press nursing board after nurses say clerical errors left them jobless


WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Kansas lawmakers pressed the State Board of Nursing on Monday to overhaul its rules and practices after hearing testimony from dozens of nurses who say the board’s system is failing them.

Nurses told the select committee that simple mistakes, like clicking the wrong box on a renewal application or missing a deadline by a few days, have led to serious consequences. Many said they were labeled with “unprofessional conduct” and pressured into signing consent agreements, which function like guilty pleas. Those records make it difficult for nurses to find work, even though the errors were often clerical.

Lawmakers questioned board leaders about creating a grace period for license renewals, but the board did not commit to that change. Republican Rep. Sean Tarwater went further, threatening to withhold funds from the board unless it rewrites its rules and regulations.

Committee chair Rep. Kristey Williams, a Republican from Augusta, stopped short of supporting defunding. Instead, she suggested using a select fund to reimburse nurses in cases where penalties were unfair.

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“I’m in favor of a complete overhaul,” Williams said. “I’m in favor of making necessary changes in statute.”

The Kansas State Board of Nursing operates as an independent board, where it creates its own rules and regulations. Williams said she wants the board to revise its own rules while the Legislature establishes guardrails, such as a renewal grace period.

During the select committee hearing on Monday, the State Board of Nursing said that it had begun alerting nurses by email that their licenses need to be renewed.

Related Story

  • Kansas nurse says board punished her for free speech, now she’s fighting back

The Kansas State Board of Nursing has not yet responded to a request for comment.

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Kansas felon sold meth to undercover officer multiple times

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Kansas felon sold meth to undercover officer multiple times


Fleming photo KDOC

WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer, according to the United State’s Attorney.

According to court documents, Wayne F. Fleming, 41, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.

In May 2021, Fleming sold drugs multiple times to an undercover officer with the Wichita Police Department. Testing by the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center showed the total amount Fleming sold to the officer to be more than 200 grams of pure methamphetamine. 

“Mr. Fleming was federally indicted in 2021, but before a plea agreement was reached, Mr. Fleming went to state prison to serve time for offenses unrelated to the federal case,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “The Department of Justice doesn’t forget. Not long after his release from a state prison, Mr. Fleming is now an inmate in a federal prison.”

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The Wichita Police Department investigated the case.



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Extra slice, extra time: Kansas inmate’s pizza grab lands him 16 more months in prison

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Extra slice, extra time: Kansas inmate’s pizza grab lands him 16 more months in prison


LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCTV) – A Kansas inmate will spend more time behind bars after a dispute over an extra slice of pizza turned physical.

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson announced on Wednesday, March 25, that Wyatt C. Parnell, 42, an inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 16 additional months.

Prosecutors indicated that the sentence is the result of an attempt to assault a corrections officer during a December 2019 dining hall confrontation.

What Happened

Court records noted that the incident happened around 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2019 – the day after Christmas – in the facility’s maximum-security dining room.

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According to prosecutors, Parnell entered the dining hall, picked up a dinner tray and grabbed an extra slice of pizza from a separate tray.

A corrections officer repeatedly ordered him to put the tray down and leave the area; however, court documents revealed that Parnell refused.

Wyatt C. Parnell, 42(Kansas Department of Corrections)

When the officer moved to retrieve the tray and again ordered Parnell to leave, prosecutors said he yanked the tray away and threw it on the floor.

Parnell then tried to push past the officer to reach the serving line for another tray, according to court records.

The officer reported that they attempted to detain Parnell, but he resisted, leading to a physical fight.

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The Charges & Sentence

Court records indicated that Parnell pleaded no contest to attempted aggravated battery. His new sentence will run consecutively – meaning it is added to the sentence he is already serving.

“Correctional facilities rely on order and compliance to maintain safety for both staff and inmates,” Thompson said. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of disregarding lawful commands and engaging in behavior that puts others at risk.”

Parnell’s Criminal History

Corrections records show that Parnell was already serving time for:

  • Kidnapping
  • Aggravated battery
  • Two counts of criminal threat

Prison records also show a lengthy disciplinary history, including violations for:

  • Contraband possession
  • Fighting
  • Threats
  • Lewd acts
  • Entering restricted areas

Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.



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Kansas firefighters rescue chubby cat trapped in massive recliner while trying to hide from the vet

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Kansas firefighters rescue chubby cat trapped in massive recliner while trying to hide from the vet


This cat was feeling stuck.

A fat cat was nearly devoured by an unforgiving reclining chair as it desperately tried to evade its owner and got stuck ahead of an annual visit to the vet — forcing rescuing firefighters to destroy the lounger.

The Garfield lookalike summoned all its strength to avoid its owner ahead of a trip to the veterinarian on Saturday, when it somehow managed to wedge itself in the metal base of a mechanical recliner — which was full of sharp springs and hinges, photos shared by the Overland Park Police Department show.

Kansas firefighters pried a cat out of a reclincer chair. Overland Park Police/Instagram

It appeared to be mewling for help while one firefighter cradled its hind legs and another tended to one front paw. The pussycat then clung to the metal grate with its other paw, not daring to take its beady eyes off a screwdriver in the firefighter’s hand.

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The cat’s pudgy belly, jutted out as the recliner’s leg threatened to crush its chest.

Firefighters had to saw the chair in half to free the feline with assistance from animal control.

Police assured that, once the cat was safe, it “arrived to the vet for its annual checkup.”

Feline fanatics weren’t surprised by the orange cat’s brainless bolt for freedom.


Firefighters rescuing an orange and white cat from under a recliner.
Firefighters had to destroy the lounger to save the cat. Overland Park Police/Instagram

“Glad the kitty was safe!!! They will do anything to avoid a visit to the vet!!!!” one woman commented on the police department’s Instagram post.

“Anyone who has an orange cat knows this is just standard #oneorangebraincell life,” another added.

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“RIP mechanical recliner,” one user mourned.

In 2024, a 38-pound rescue cat named Crumbs got stuck in a shoe rack while trying to break out of fat camp.

In the viral snapshot of Crumbs’ ignominy, it laid face-down in a blue Croc shoe while its bulbous belly hung between the slots in the rack.





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