Kansas

Representative Davids, Kansas school leaders discuss “fentanyl crisis” ahead of school year

Published

2 years ago

August 2, 2023

Press Room

Representative Davids, Kansas school leaders discuss “fentanyl crisis” ahead of school year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As families prepare to send kids back to school, districts and area leaders are focused on fentanyl.

Last year, Ethan Everly, a sophomore at Oak Park High School, died after taking a pill that was laced with fentanyl.

Unfortunately, Ethan is not the only teen who has died in our community, from a fentanyl overdose.

Schools across our area, including Kearney High School and Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, have Narcan on hand to stop a potential overdose.

However, leaders say the solutions can’t stop there.

They met Tuesday to discuss solutions for the upcoming school year.

“This isn’t about punishment, this is about how do we keep kids safe, how do we keep parents safe,” said Kansas Representative Sharice Davids.

She met with other leaders at Shawnee Mission West Tuesday.

“How do we get to people earlier? How do we make sure people understand what the dangers are and how we can help each other? Too many of us have lost somebody. Too many of us have had to figure out how to help our friends or loved ones who are dealing with this,” Rep. Davids said.

That includes parents like Libby Davis who lost her son Cooper in August of 2021 to the drug.

“Our 16-year-old son Cooper, he and 3 friends decided to share 2 pills that they thought were prescription Percocet pills and they were not and Cooper did not survive that day. He had taken half of a fake pill and it ended his life,” Davis said. “We have pretty much been on a mission since day 1 to make sure that Cooper’s death is not in vain and that something good comes out of our loss.”

Libby says she’s happy to see leaders trying to keep kids safe, but the conversations about the dangers of fentanyl start at home.

“I want it to be dinner conversations a lot so that they, those teenagers never forget when they go out and don’t get lost in the heat of the moment and just remember the lethality of what’s out there,” Davis said.

Congresswoman Sharice Davids agrees.

“Young people who think they are taking something that is not fentanyl and then they end up dying,” said Rep. Davids.

However, as the school year quickly approaches leaders and Libby Davis say they are happy to see educators working to keep kids safe.

“For these teenagers, we have to keep it top of mind. Their brains are still developing,” said Davis.

“We’re just trying to save lives here,” said Rep. Davids.

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Kansas

Crash in Kansas City hospitalizes 6 with minor injuries

Published

15 hours ago

June 5, 2025

Press Room

Crash in Kansas City hospitalizes 6 with minor injuries

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A multi-vehicle crash in Kansas City Thursday morning resulted in minor injuries for six people.

The Kansas City Fire Department said it happened on Linwood Boulevard in the area of Bruce R. Watkins Drive.

The crash occurred just after 8 a.m. and resulted in six people being transported for evaluation, with four of those patients being children, KCTV said.

No serious injuries were reported.

KCFD said the scene has been cleared and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department is investigating the crash.

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Kansas

Kansas Men’s Basketball Unveils Challenging Non-Conference Slate

Published

1 day ago

June 4, 2025

Press Room

Kansas Men’s Basketball Unveils Challenging Non-Conference Slate

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Highlighted by a marquee home matchup with UConn, a trip to North Carolina, and an appearance at Madison Square Garden against Duke, Kansas men’s basketball on Wednesday announced its loaded non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Additionally, KU will also face power conference foes Missouri and NC State and three more top programs in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.

Kansas will host a total of 16 games inside historic Allen Fieldhouse in 2025-26, including six non-conference matchups (Green Bay, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Princeton, UConn, Towson, and Davidson). Season ticket renewal information for the 2025-26 season is available online by clicking here or by getting in touch with your account representative. Those interested in purchasing new season tickets can fill out a form here to be contacted by a ticket representative.

“Once again, we have a non-conference schedule that should be one of the most challenging non-conference schedules that anyone will play,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “We have a home game against UConn in early December, away matchups at North Carolina and NC State, and neutral games with Duke in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden, the three games at the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, and another with Missouri in Kansas City. Those, along with the Big 12 competition, make this a very tough and demanding schedule. Our non-conference slate should certainly prepare us for what will be considered another great Big 12 season.”

Kansas will open the season at ACC foe Louisville in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 24, at the KFC Yum! Center. KU will then host Fort Hays State in an exhibition contest on Tuesday, Oct. 28, in Allen Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks will open regular season play on Monday, Nov. 3, against Green Bay. Four days later, Kansas will play at fellow blue blood North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 7. This will be the third meeting between the two schools since 2022, with KU claiming the last two contests – 72-69 in the 2022 NCAA title game and 92-89 in Allen Fieldhouse last November.

KU then returns home for a pair of contests against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Nov. 11, and Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Kansas and Duke will square off in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18, in New York City at historic Madison Square Garden. Since 2020, KU has won its last five Champions Classic contests. In fact, beginning in 2016, KU has won eight of its last nine Champions Classic battles.

Kansas will make its debut in the Players Era, Nov. 24-27, in Las Vegas. KU will play three games in the event, with details and opponents for the Players Era to be announced later.

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Kansas returns home to host UConn for the second time in the past three seasons. These two powers have won three of the last four NCAA National Championships, with KU in 2022 and UConn in 2023 and 2024.

In the last meeting, then-No. 5 Kansas defeated then-No. 4 UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas will face Border Showdown foe Missouri on Sunday, Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and will then travel to NC State on Saturday, Dec. 13, in a return game from last season where KU defeated NC State, 75-60, on Dec. 14, in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas closes out non-conference play hosting Towson on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and Davidson on Monday, Dec. 22.

Specific dates and times for the Big 12’s 18-game league schedule, along with television details will be announced later. The Big 12 Championship will be March 10-14 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday set for March 15.

In 2024-25, Kansas ranked 12th in NCAA Division I in strength of schedule, marking the 18th time under head coach Bill Self that the Jayhawks have recorded a top 20 toughest schedule in the nation, with 14 of those in the top 10, and 10 in the top three.

Kansas Men’s Basketball 2025-26 Schedule (Home games in ALL CAPS; Times and TV to be announced later)

Oct. 24 (Fri.) – at Louisville (Exhibition)

Oct. 28 (Tue.) – FORT HAYS STATE (EXHIBITION)

Nov. 3 (Mon.) – GREEN BAY

Nov. 7 (Fri.) – at North Carolina

Nov. 11 (Tue.) – TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI

Nov. 15 (Sat.) – PRINCETON

Nov. 18 (Tue.) – vs. Duke (Champions Classic, New York City)

Nov. 24-27 (Mon.-Thurs.) – at Players Era (Las Vegas)

Dec. 2 (Tue.) – CONNECTICUT

Dec. 7 (Sun.) – vs. Missouri (Kansas City, Mo.)

Dec. 13 (Sat.) – at NC State

Dec. 16 (Tue.) – TOWSON

Dec. 22 (Mon.) – DAVIDSON

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Kansas

Kansas Basketball Schedules Home-and-Home Exhibition with Louisville

Published

2 days ago

June 4, 2025

Press Room

Kansas Basketball Schedules Home-and-Home Exhibition with Louisville

The Kansas Jayhawks will hit the road to face Louisville in an exhibition game prior to the start of the 2025-26 college basketball season on Friday, Oct. 24.

The news was announced Tuesday as KU’s schedule for the upcoming year begins to take shape. As part of the agreement, Louisville will travel to Lawrence for a return exhibition matchup prior to the 2026-27 season.

This will be the first time these two teams have faced off since KU traveled to Louisville in January 1993. The first meeting took place in February 1959 when KU lost in Louisville by a score of 82-74. However, KU has won four of the past five matchups and currently owns a 6-5 all-time record against the Cardinals.

Louisville experienced a remarkable turnaround this past season under head coach Pat Kelsey. Prior to his arrival, Louisville had gone a combined 12-52 in two seasons under former head coach and player Kenny Payne.

In Kelsey’s first year at the helm, he guided the Cardinals to an 18-2 ACC record (27-8 overall). The team finished the year ranked No. 10 in the country, according to the Associated Press, and Kelsey was named ACC Coach of the Year.

The exhibition will likely be KU fans’ first chance at getting a glimpse of ballyhooed freshman Darryn Peterson before the Jayhawks host one of their usual in-state Division II opponents for an exhibition inside Allen Fieldhouse prior to facing Green Bay to officially kick off the season on Nov. 4.

It’s unclear if the proceeds from the exhibition versus Louisville will go to any charity or Name, Image, and Likeness funds like some exhibitions have in the past. Tipoff time, television/streaming details, and ticket information are also still to be determined.

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