Kansas

MMIP Series | KSHB 41 I-Team discovers scant interest among Kansas police in MMIP training

Published

2 months ago

May 16, 2024

MMIP Series | KSHB 41 I-Team discovers scant interest among Kansas police in MMIP training

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Over the last two years, the KSHB 41 I-Team has investigated the MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous People) crisis in our community.

It’s a national movement that highlights how Indigenous people, particularly women, face much higher rates of violence, including assault, rape, murder, and trafficking.

The I-Team covered the disappearance of Quana Big Spring, a Belton teenager, and the Independence cold case murder of Lakota Renville.

Those are two examples of how the crisis is playing out in the Kansas City area.

This is a place the public may not think is part of this nationwide epidemic.

During our investigation, we also learned Kansas lawmakers passed a bill in 2021 that offers free training to law enforcement officers on how to investigate MMIP cases, as they have certain cultural and jurisdictional aspects that set them apart.

“It was Kansas’ first step for MMIP,” Kansas Representative Christina Haswood said, a Democrat from Lawrence who co-sponsored the bill and helped it pass.

The I-Team wanted to find out just how many law enforcement agencies actually took that step.

We reached out to every one of them, more than 300 police departments and sheriff’s offices across the state. We asked how many were aware of the MMIP training and had taken the class.

The class is voluntary, not mandatory.

37 agencies responded. 27 of those were aware of the training and nine agencies had already taken it, which is 3%.

Our findings shocked and disappointed Haswood, who is one of the only Native American lawmakers in the state.

“And you said you reached out to everyone?” Haswood said when we handed her our findings. The data was compiled onto a spreadsheet.

“That really gets me fired up because we can see with your findings that there’s such a big gap of communication and education, that there’s definitely work that needs to be done,” she said.

Fighting for this training is personal to her. Many of her constituents in Lawrence are Native and represent tribal nations across the country.

“It really angers me that we come together, and we say, ‘Here are the resources that you ask [for] and can hopefully get you elevated on your knowledge,’” Haswood said. “But when it’s given voluntarily, the resources are not being used.”

Haswood says there’s a perception at the statehouse that Native Americans don’t exist. She says she has spent a lot of time explaining to other lawmakers that Native Americans don’t just live on reservations and that Native issues are still relevant today.

Another perception the I-Team noticed was multiple law enforcement agencies saying the MMIP training isn’t a high priority because they’re not close to a reservation or they don’t know of any MMIP cases.

“This is an issue that even though you might not see every day with your own eyes, it is happening, and if we continue to operate like this, when it does happen, that we don’t have a system that’s robust enough to help Indigenous peoples,” Haswood said.

Kansas is home to four tribal nations: Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, and Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska.

Although MMIP cases don’t happen as frequently in Kansas as in other part of the U.S., the issue still hits close to home for many families.

We met some of those families last spring when we visited the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation for a MMIW walk and ceremony.

“The MMIW movement is new, but the issues are not,” one speaker said.

Much of the movement focuses on Indigenous women, which is what the “W” stands for, though it was expanded to include all Indigenous people.

We talked to sisters Jessi and Rachelle Blacksmith, who run the MMIP chapter of northeast Kansas. They’re advocating for their brother, Willie Blacksmith, who was murdered in July 2022.

“We’re trying to make something good out of what happened to our brother to help others,” Rachelle said.

They learned about the state’s MMIP training and took it themselves. They say it would be beneficial to all police agencies.

“What are you supposed to do if a murder happens? This tells you what to do, this goes through the steps [of] what to do,” Jessi said.

Haswood says its about livelihoods and knowing that government systems have their back.

She hopes she can add more teeth to the training by making sure all agencies are aware of the training and set aside an hour to take it, and make it mandatory, instead of voluntary.

“I’ll continue to fight for this issue,” Haswood said.

Only one law enforcement agency, the Galena police department, out of the 325 in the state, said they’d make the training mandatory.

Several agencies said they’d take it or would consider taking it after we reached out.

The Gardner police department took the training the day we called.

During our investigation, we contacted Salina police about the training and a 2019 MMIP case in their jurisdiction. We later received a call from one of the department’s detectives, who told us he spent four hours investigating that 2019 case after we reached out. He discovered the missing man was an unclaimed body in Columbia, Missouri.

Although it’s a sad ending, the man’s daughter, who had spent years contacting morgues across the country, told us she was grateful to have closure and finally know what happened to her dad.

We shared that story with Haswood, who said the training is “literally helping people.”

Anyone can take the online training by going to the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center page.

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Kansas

Rebuilding Kansas State football’s offensive line is not as daunting as it might appear

Published

1 hour ago

July 7, 2024

Press Room

Rebuilding Kansas State football’s offensive line is not as daunting as it might appear

MANHATTAN — Chris Klieman was the first to admit that rebuilding Kansas State football’s offensive line after two years of stability left him a bit apprehensive.

But replacing four of five starters, including a two-time All-American and a second-round NFL Draft pick, might not be quite as daunting as one might suspect. For one thing, the group of returning players are not nearly as inexperienced or untested as such a turnover would suggest.

“Yeah, you lose that many starters, there is some anxiety a little bit,” Klieman said back in May, a month after the conclusion of spring practice. “But we’ve got a lot of guys that have started a lot of games for us and a lot of guys that have been in our system for an awful long time that they just need game reps.

“And so, our nonconference schedule, which would include a couple of really tough games, we’re going to put them under fire right away. I’m excited about the offensive line, but we’re going to play more guys.”

Kansas State football All-American Cooper Beebe not picky about where Cowboys use him

All-America guard Cooper Beebe has moved onto the Dallas Cowboys and left tackle KT Leveston was selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Rams. Christian Duffie was a three-year starter at right tackle and Hayden Gillum held down the center position for the past two seasons.

That leaves senior right guard Hadley Panzer as the lone full-time returning starter, and he will either move to left guard or center in 2024. But don’t forget that senior Carver Willis started the first seven games last year at right tackle while Duffie recovered from an offseason injury, and sixth-year super-senior Taylor Poitier was a regular in the rotation at right guard.

In fact, Poitier beat out Panzer for the starting right guard spot before suffering a second straight season-ending injury in the 2022 opener.

Also, don’t forget that new offensive coordinator Conor Riley is one of the most respected offensive line coaches in the business and has consistently delivered under similar circumstances.

Kansas State football adds offensive line transfer and 2024 high school receiver

Transfer Easton Kilty provides immediate help

Despite a promising group of replacements waiting in the wings, K-State turned to the transfer portal for reinforcements and landed a proven veteran in North Dakota’s Easton Kilty.

Kilty played every position but center for the Fighting Hawks and started every game last year at left tackle, where he projects for the Wildcats.

Who will be the offensive line starters in 2024?

The only wild card it would appear, is Panzer. Assuming Kilty opens at left tackle, Willis at right tackle and Poitier at right guard, where he spent most of the spring, Panzer will determine who is the fifth starter.

If Panzer is the center, look for junior Andrew Leingang to be the left guard. If Panzer is the left guard, junior Sam Hecht will start at center.

In his May interview, Klieman said the initial plan is for Panzer to be the left guard and Hecht the center, with Leingang serving as a backup at both guard and tackle.

Wildcats will rely on depth and versatility

A hallmark of Riley’s offensive linemen is versatility. Especially in the spring, he likes to have his players practice at multiple positions.

Leingang and Panzer both could see action in more than one spot. Another possibility to back up Hecht at center is sophomore Michael Capria. Other veterans who could vie for playing time are John Pastore, Drake Bequeaith, Alex Key, and Devin Vass.

“There’s just a lot of different people that can help us there,” Klieman said. “So, we’re just going to see how it shakes out in the fall.”

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

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Motorcycle driver falls 35 feet off Kansas City highway that is under construction

Published

8 hours ago

July 6, 2024

Press Room

Motorcycle driver falls 35 feet off Kansas City highway that is under construction

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A motorcycle driver is fighting for their life after they fell 35 feet into a railyard below a Kansas City, Mo., highway that is under construction.

The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department says that just after 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, emergency crews were called to the area of northbound Highway 169 and Highway 9 with reports of a single-vehicle crash.

When first responders arrived, they said they found a blue Kawasaki motorcycle had been headed north on 169 Highway, however, the driver had been speeding too fast to maintain control around the curve just before the Highway 9 exit.

KCPD noted that the roadway in the area is under construction and has been reduced to a single lane, the right lane, while the left lane is closed with cones. The driver went straight through the curve and hit a concrete jersey barrier.

Emergency crews said that after the driver hit the barrier, the motorcycle’s momentum kept the pair going north, bouncing off the barrier before the driver was ejected and fell 35 feet below on railroad grounds, but not the tracks.

KCPD said a Union Pacific train had been passing through the area when the operator saw the driver fall. The train was able to stop while the conductor called 911. The driver was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Scouting Sporting Kansas City 🔎

Published

15 hours ago

July 6, 2024

Press Room

Behind Enemy Lines: Scouting Sporting Kansas City 🔎

Photo via FC Dallas

FC Dallas embarks on a unique proposition over the coming days: being on the road against Sporting Kansas City twice at the same venue within four days. The two sides will play at Children’s Mercy Park in MLS regular-season play on Sunday night before a rematch in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Key Player: Daniel Salloi

Salloi has been dealing with injuries, but he’s always been a terror for FC Dallas to contain. Over the years, he’s accounted for eight goals and two assists against FC Dallas, including SKC’s first goal in 2023 in their 2-1 loss at Toyota Stadium.

Key Matchup: Erik Thommy vs Sam Junqua/Marco Farfan

The DP for Sporting has four goals and three assists on the season. He and Johnny Russell will likely rotate along the wings a bit, but either way, you can expect their attack to largely run through Thommy.

Availability Report:

Suspended: none
Out: Logan Ndenbe (knee)
Questionable: Robert Castellanos (ankle), Daniel Salloi (ankle), Remi Walter (knee)
On Loan: none
International duty: Felipe Hernández

Last year against SKC: The clubs split their season series last year with both teams winning their home games. FCD came from behind to beat SKC 2-1 in the first meeting at Toyota Stadium before SKC picked up a 2-1 win over FCD in the lone meeting at Children’s Mercy Park.

At home against FCD: After struggling at the SKC venue for several years, Dallas has finally found some positive results in the last few seasons there. Sporting has won just one of their last seven vs. FCD at Children’s Mercy Park.

Recent form: The struggles have been real for SKC in 2024, in their last ten games they’ve gone 2-8-0 (2-3-0 in their last five).

Potential Lineup:

Peter Vermes has stuck with his 4-3-3 formation for another season.

Melia, Pierre, Rosero, Voloder, Leibold; Rodriguez, Radoja, Thommy; Russell, Agada, Salloi

Stay aggressive: It will be hard not to overplay their hands in the first game before the important USOC game on Wednesday, but when we’ve seen FCD at their best this season, it has been due to a higher press and aggressive play from the attack. On Thursday night against Portland, the times when FC Dallas was most dangerous were their forced turnovers in the Timbers’ defensive end. SKC is leaky in the back and could give up easy attempts if FC Dallas puts on the pressure.
Keep feeding Musa in the box: I probably sound like a broken record at this point on this item, but it really is that simple. Musa has ten goals on the season, and lately a lot of that has to do with finding him in space, with the ball at his feet in the penalty area. The Croatian knows how to handle the rest from there.
Limit stupid mistakes in the back: Sporting is going to still press a bit, that has always been a trait of a Vermes’ team. Dallas will want to limit their errors in the back and avoid their slow build up play that we’ve seen them struggle through at times this season.

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