Kansas

Missouri again votes to increase Kansas City police funding

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2024

Missouri again votes to increase Kansas City police funding

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Voters across Missouri are once again deciding on a big funding issue for the police department in Kansas City.

It’s Amendment 4. Voters decided on it two years ago. But in April, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered the state to run the vote again following a lawsuit form Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

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Amendment 4 passed pretty overwhelmingly two years ago and amendment supporters seemed confident it would again.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled after the vote back in 2022 the ballot measure was misleading because it said it wouldn’t increase city spending. Now it says it could cost the city up to $38 million a year but also points out the city is already funding the department at what that new minimum level would be of 25% instead of 20.

Lucas has previously said the amendment hurts the city’s ability to work with police on creative solutions and is against anything that means more state control of local policing.

The Missouri lawmaker who first proposed the amendment in 2022 after the city had been looking to move millions in police funding into other crime prevention programs argues Kansas City has local control with KC residents on the police board.

“What the mayor wants is political control of the police department to rest within City Hall and I think the last thing we need is a bunch of woke politicians in City Hall defunding our police department. So I’m comfortable with the structure we have right now and I hope we keep it into the future,” said Missouri Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville).

See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri

Other than the mayor, the board of police commissioners positions are selected by the governor.

Another vocal opponent of the amendment Tuesday has been MORE2, saying they aren’t against police funding, but against people who don’t live here deciding how the city should spend its money.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.

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Kansas

Where to watch Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 30

Published

2 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

Where to watch Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 30

The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

The MLB action continues on Saturday as the Kansas City Royals visit the Texas Rangers.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers?

First pitch between the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 30.

How to watch Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers on Saturday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for May 30 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.

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Kansas

Kansas man sentenced to 4 years in connection with 13-year-old Linn County boy’s death

Published

12 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Kansas man sentenced to 4 years in connection with 13-year-old Linn County boy’s death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Bates County Circuit Court judge Friday sentenced a Linn County, Kansas, man in connection with the December 2025 death of Airen Andula, 13.

Damon Leonard, 47, was sentenced to four years in prison for abandonment of a corpse, according to court records.

He pleaded guilty to the charge of abandoning a corpse on May 22.

Andula disappeared from his Pleasanton, Kansas, home on Dec. 21, 2025. A day later, law enforcement found the boy’s body in a ravine in Bates County, Missouri. He had died from multiple dog bite injuries.

Police were led to the boy’s body after a phone call from Leonard.

Court documents said Leonard “admitted that he transported the deceased child from Kansas to Missouri and left the body in the bottom of the creek” before he returned home.

KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva spoke with Andula’s family earlier this week — after the guilty plea and ahead of Friday’s sentencing.

His family shared that the guilty plea brought a small sense of justice, but it didn’t do much to ease the pain of their loss.

READ MORE | Family of Airen Andula speaks out ahead of sentencing

“We’re missing our kid every day of our lives,” the boy’s father Charles Andula told Silva.

Leonard received credit for time served of 158 days in his sentence, per court records.

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Kansas

Gas, diesel fuel prices down over past week across nation, Kansas

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Gas, diesel fuel prices down over past week across nation, Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – It may not seem like a lot of relief, but gas and diesel prices have declined over the past week.

Friday morning’s national average for a gallon of unleaded gas was $4.39, according to the Automobile Association of America.

That’s down three cents from $4.42 on Thursday; down 16 cents from a week ago; but was up 17 cents from $4.22 a month ago and up $.23 from $3.16 a year ago.

Gas and diesel fuel prices are down this week in Kansas and across the nation, according to the American Automobile Association.(KALB)

In Kansas, AAA says, unleaded gas on Friday was averaging $3.96 a gallon — down four cents from $4.00 on Thursday; down 13 cents from $3.96 a week ago; but up 26 cents from $3.70 a month ago; and up $1.07 over $2.89 a year ago.

Diesel fuel also was dropping in price. AAA says Friday’s national average for a gallon of diesel was $5.52 a gallon — down three cents from $5.55 on Thursday; down 12 cents from $5.64 a week a go; but up six cents from $5.46 a month ago and up $1.98 from $3.54 a year ago.

Kansas diesel fuel prices, according to AAA, checked in at an average of $4.98 on Friday. That’s five cents below $5.03 on Thursday; down 16 cents from $5.14 a week ago; but up 24 cents over $4.74 a month ago; and up $1.72 from $3.26 a year ago.

In Topeka, GasBuddy.com on Friday morning showed unleaded gas prices ranging between $3.77 and $4.09 in Topeka, with diesel fuel going for between $4.94 and $5.29 a gallon.

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