KS - February 17 2025

1. Arctic Storm to Blast Kansas with Heavy Snow, Dangerous Wind Chills
2. KBI to Work with ICE on Immigration Enforcement
3. Kansas Proposes Rural Attorney Training Program Amid Lawyer Shortage
4. Kansas GOP Poised for Override of Gender Medicine Ban Veto
5. Salina Man Arrested in Double Homicide
Sports

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1. Arctic Storm to Blast Kansas with Heavy Snow, Dangerous Wind Chills

A powerful winter storm system will bring heavy snowfall and dangerous Arctic temperatures across Kansas beginning tonight and continuing through Tuesday evening, with the National Weather Service issuing winter storm and extreme cold warnings for much of the state. Snow will spread east across Kansas starting late tonight, dropping 2 to 4 inches by Tuesday morning in central regions, before expanding southward with the heaviest amounts of 5 to 8 inches likely along and east of I-135 in southeastern Kansas, where localized amounts could exceed 8 to 10 inches. Dangerous Arctic air will drive wind chills to 25 below zero in central Kansas tonight, with bitter conditions persisting through Thursday or Friday and morning wind chills potentially reaching 20 to 30 degrees below zero, prompting officials to strongly discourage travel as gusty northeast winds create poor visibility in blowing and drifting snow.  

Article Source: NWS

2. KBI to Work with ICE on Immigration Enforcement

Kansas’ attorney general and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) have signed a deal to assist federal immigration forces in the Sunflower State. Danedri Herbert with the Kansas Office of the Attorney General said in a press release on Monday, Feb. 17, that Attorney General Kris Kobach and the KBI have signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It will allow KBI agents to work alongside Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to remove immigrants who are residing in Kansas illegally. A limited number of KBI agents will receive ICE training that authorizes the agents to arrest immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, serve and execute warrants for some immigration violations and issue immigration detainers, according to the press release. Herbert said a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes states and political subdivisions of a state to enter into agreements like this.

Article Source: KSN

3. Kansas Proposes Rural Attorney Training Program Amid Lawyer Shortage

Rural parts of Kansas are seeing the impact of not enough lawyers, and there’s concern it could worsen. Of the nearly 7,000 lawyers who work in the Sunflower State, nearly 80% are concentrated in urban areas. Kansas lawmakers are proposing a bill that would establish a training program for attorneys in rural areas akin to those for doctors and veterinarians. The program would also provide financial assistance of up to $20,000 dollars a year. Anne Marie Yatsula, a KU law student who was involved with the rural justice initiative committee, says for students like her, working in rural Kansas isn’t economically beneficial when they can work in urban areas for higher pay, especially after leaving law school with a lot of debt. The state estimates the program would cost about $600,000 for the first year and grow as the program expands to accept more attorneys.

Article Source: KWCH

4. Kansas GOP Poised for Override of Gender Medicine Ban Veto

Kansas Republican lawmakers are expected to quickly attempt an override of Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a ban on youth gender medicine the week of Feb. 17. It was the first bill that state lawmakers sent to the governor this year, passing it out of both chambers with supermajority support Jan. 31 and presenting it to the governor Feb. 5. She vetoed it eight days later. The bill is a priority for Republicans, who have passed some version of a ban on youth gender medicine in the past two sessions. Those attempts ended up passing both chambers with supermajority support, but a few defectors have derailed override attempts. But this year, Republicans have been more confident that it will pass while Democrats aren't confident that they will be able to block it.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

5. Salina Man Arrested in Double Homicide

A 35-year-old Kansas man was arrested Sunday in the double homicide of two women in Salina. The suspect, who lives in Salina, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated domestic battery, aggravated kidnapping and property damage, a Salina Police Department news release states. The arrest comes after two women were found dead at a home Sunday evening. SPD officers were sent at 5:33 p.m. to a home in the 700 block of Vassar Drive for a domestic disturbance call. Police arrived and found two women deceased in the driveway, SPD Cpt. James Feldman said.

Article Source: Wichita Eagle

Sports

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder

• February 8: Thunder 125 - Grizzlies 112
• February 10: Thunder 137 - Pelicans 101
• February 12: Thunder 115 - Heat 101
• February 13: Thunder 101 - Timberwolves 116

NCAA Men's Basketball: Kansas Jayhawks (#23 AP Poll)

• February 8: Jayhawks 73 - Wildcats 81
• February 11: Jayhawks 71 - Colorado 59
• February 15: Jayhawks 67 - Utah 74

NCAA Men's Basketball: Kansas State Wildcats

• February 8: Wildcats 81 - #16 KU 73
• February 11: Wildcats 73 - #13 Arizona 70
• February 15: Wildcats 65 - BYU 80

NCAA Men's Basketball: Wichita State Shockers

• February 9: Shockers 75 - South Florida 70
• February 12: Shockers 69 - UTSA 64
• February 16: Shockers 84 - #14 Memphis 79

Article Source: AP

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Sources

1. NWS

2. https://www.ksn.com/news/state-regional/ice-signs-deal-with-top-kansas-law-enforcement-agencies/amp/

3. https://www.kwch.com/2025/02/16/kansas-lawmakers-propose-program-address-rural-lawyer-shortage/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=organicclicks&tbref=hp

4. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2025/02/17/kansas-lawmakers-said-they-will-likely-soon-override-trans-bill-veto/78619170007/

5. https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article300463659.html

6. https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll