New terminal at KCI airport to open soon

Artist rendering of the new, single terminal at Kansas City International Airport, set to open in March of 2023.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSNF/KODE) — Construction of a brand new $1.5 billion terminal at Kansas City International Airport is nearly finished.

Inside the skeleton of the roughly 1 million square-foot terminal, more than half of the artwork — created by multiple artists after an intensive selection process — has been installed. Two moving walkways will expedite transfers between two concourses which house a total of 39 gates.

Accessibility is a key theme in the design of the terminal. Each concourse has a restroom core that includes a water bottle station, a family restroom with an adult-sized changing table, a multi-user restroom, gendered restrooms and service animal relief areas.

The terminal will also include 10 rooms for nursing mothers and infants, a quiet room, two Delta Sky Club lounges and an aircraft cabin simulator made with the front of a scrapped Airbus A321 plane to accommodate autistic passengers who may experience negative reactions to airplane travel.

| One Cool Cave In Missouri You’re Not Allowed To Enter >

In 2017, Kansas City residents voted to go ahead with the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history, trusting in promises that the new terminal would create a much-improved passenger experience and be good for the region’s economy. Supporters said it would likely result in more flights in and out of Kansas City, including international flights.

At the time of the vote, it was apparent that the airport’s horseshoe-shaped terminals, built in 1972, were obsolete. They lack adequate space or modern security checkpoints, have limited restroom capacity, and offer few food and beverage concessions.

The new terminal will expand KCI’s passenger capacity from about 30,000 passengers a day to more than 50,000. It’s expected to officially open sometime in March. You’ll find more information on the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, HERE.

Taxed twice? What to look for on your grocery receipt with new Kansas sales tax

TOPEKA (KSNT) — If you’re seeing two lines on your grocery receipt, it’s not a mistake. Kansas shoppers are navigating changes with the new, reduced sales tax at the grocery store.

The reduced 4% state sales tax rate launched this week and only applies to certain food items. This includes basic grocery items like produce, meat, and eggs. However, non-food items, prepared foods, alcohol, and tobacco do not qualify for the reduction and are still taxed at the state’s 6.5% sales tax rate.

Washburn Economist Paul Byrne told Kansas Capitol Bureau that shoppers with a combination of these items in their cart should expect to see two lines on their receipt.

“The grocery stores are going to have two separate lines, instead of having one line where it shows your tax bill… the sales tax,” Byrne said in an interview Wednesday. “So, they’re going to have one line, which is the sales tax for the items that are not food, and they’re going to be paying the higher sales tax rate… and they’re going to have a separate line for all the food items, where the lower tax rate is going to apply.”

On Monday, some Walmart shoppers expressed concerns that they were being taxed twice by the retail giant.

According to Walmart, there were some customers who were mistakenly charged the higher, outdated rate, along with the new rate after the reduced sales tax went into effect on January 1. However, a spokeswoman for the corporation said that all stores were updated as of Monday morning, January 2.

On Jan. 1, after the reduced state sales tax rate on food items went into effect in Kansas, some customers were mistakenly charged the higher, outdated rate, along with the new rate. The issue has been resolved, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Customers seeking a refund or with questions should bring their receipt to their local Walmart store and speak to a member of management.

We can confirm all stores were updated by the morning of January 2.

Ashley Nolan, Walmart Corporate Communications

Local sales taxes on food still apply to the new, reduced sales tax rate.

That means customers will see the city and county sales taxes added to each of the tax percentages that appear on their receipts.

For example, one line on a receipt will show the normal combined sales tax rate for items that do not qualify for the reduction.

In the state’s capital Topeka, the normal combined sales tax rate is 9.15%. This includes the normal state sales tax of 6.5%, the city of Topeka tax of 1.5 %, and the Shawnee County sales tax of 1.15%.

Another line of the receipt will show the reduced combined sales tax rate, which is applied to items that do qualify for the reduction.

In Topeka, that comes out to 6.65%. This includes the new, reduced state sales tax of 4%, the city of Topeka tax of 1.5%, and the Shawnee County sales tax of 1.15%

Two things Americans love: Pizza and saving money

(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)

KSNF/KODE — New online research finds “American’s guiltiest food pleasure” by analyzing the number of Google web searches for food coupons.

DoorDash has the most sought-after food delivery coupons in America, a new study has found. It is followed by Papa Johns, Uber Eats and Pizza Hut. Five of the top 10 food spots American residents seek discounts for have pizza as their specialty. The research was carried out by CommonCentsMom.com, a US-based money wellness magazine.

Their study analyzed the number of average monthly Google searches over the past year for coupons for food delivery services in the US. It has found that DoorDash leads among mixed food delivery services, with an average of 591,000 searches per month. Meanwhile, Papa John’s is the single most popular takeout brand that US residents seek coupons for, averaging 441,000 hits every month.

Food Delivery Brand Average Monthly Google Hits For Coupons
DoorDash 591,000
Papa John’s 441,000
Uber Eats 349,000
Pizza Hut 263,000
Subway 200,000
Grubhub 108,000
Chuck E. Cheese 99,000
Burger King 76,000
Little Caesars 68,000
Domino’s 66,000

Discount hunters in America also look to strike a bargain at Subway, which receives 200,000 coupon and promo code-related searches each month, Grubhub averages 108,000 monthly searches, and Chuck E. Cheese averages 99,000 searches per month. Three more honorable mentions entering the top 10 most Googled food delivery coupons in the US include Burger King (76,000 average monthly searches), Little Caesars (68,000), and Domino’s (66,000).

| New Year’s Superstitions That Might Be Worth Trying >

“Our research gives us an indication of America’s guiltiest pleasures in the realm of fast food. We all love some takeout every now and then and coupons shed some of that guilt off. Now that the results are in, we were surprised to find Papa John’s rank higher than collective food delivery services like Uber Eats and Grubhub. With half of the top 10 most Googled food coupons being a pizza specialist, our study reaffirms America’s favorite — the good old classic pizza slice,” said Katie Ren, founder of CommonCentsMom.

Americans are becoming less productive at work

(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)

KSNF/KODE — Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce (an American cloud-based software company), recently made waves when he told employees that the company’s newest hires aren’t being productive enough, and he wanted help figuring out why. The tech giant’s employee productivity issue is not an isolated one.

Employers are not only battling inflation and slowing growth but worker productivity that is falling at the fastest rate in four decades. This has been the first year since 1983 to include three straight quarters of year-over-year drops in average productivity per worker, according to ADP Chief Economist, Nela Richardson.

Simply put: People are working more and producing less.

| Stamps To Increase In Price >

Much of the disconnect can be traced back to a few things, including pre-pandemic events. People are tired and stressed, leading to more burnout. Without the separation of work and home forced by the pandemic, people worked more.

The skyrocketing cost of living is also taking a toll on workers. Recent data from human capital management software firm Ceridian shows that 61% of North American workers are more stressed about their finances than they were a year ago—the highest level of financial stress since 2008. The firm calculates that such widespread financial worry is leading to $664 billion in lost productivity for employers each year across North America.

Police say recent gun violence tied to Towne East Mall shooting in March

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita Police Department says a recent uptick in gang violence is connected to the March 15 shooting at Towne East Mall.

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan held a press conference Friday morning, inviting local community and religious leaders to discuss the recent increase in violence in the community.

Chief Sullivan says the vast majority of the violence is gang-related feuds, with the majority of them connected to the mall shooting that killed 14-year-old TrenJ’vious Hutton.

The chief gave a timeline of the events so far this month:

  • Dec. 10: A driveby shooting at Oliver and Kensington St involved two men shooting at each other.
  • Dec. 11: A man remains in critical condition after he was shot in the head in the 2600 block of N. Green.
  • Dec. 16: An 18-year-old man was shot in the head in the 4200 block of N. Delrose and remains in critical condition.
  • Dec. 16: In retaliation for the following shooting, there was a drive-by shooting in the 1300 block of E Kemper at the home of the shooter. Police arrested the suspect in the Delrose shooting at the home.
  • Dec. 23: In the 900 block of S Mission, four people were shot during a party. Two of them died at an apartment. Though not directly tied to gang violence, there are suspected gang connections. Police say the shooting was over a debt of just $50. Two men are facing charges.
  • Dec. 24: In the 7800 block of E. Douglas, a couple with Christmas presents in their vehicle were carjacked at gunpoint by four teens armed with handguns. Three suspects were arrested after a chase. The youngest gunman was just 13 years old. Police say that the incident was gang-related but not directly tied to feuds.
  • Dec. 25: In the 500 block of N Rock Road. Two men were shot at by another group of men in retaliation for the Dec. 16 Delrose shooting, according to police.
  • Dec. 27: Shortly before 6 a.m., a 23-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl were shot. The 13-year-old was struck 13 times. Police say this shooting stemmed from an argument.
  • Dec. 28: In the 4900 block of E. Kensington, four juveniles with gang affiliation shot at a house at least seven times. The shooting was live-streamed over social media

Watch the full press conference below:

window.loadAnvato({“mcp”:”LIN”,”width”:”100%”,”height”:”100%”,”video”:”8269840″,”autoplay”:false,”expect_preroll”:true,”pInstance”:”p2″,”plugins”:{“comscore”:{“clientId”:”6036439″,”c3″:”fourstateshomepage.com”,”version”:”5.2.0″,”useDerivedMetadata”:true,”mapping”:{“c3″:”fourstateshomepage.com”,”ns_st_st”:”ksnf”,”ns_st_pu”:”Nexstar”,”ns_st_ge”:”Home,Video,News,Local,Video”,”cs_ucfr”:””}},”dfp”:{“adTagUrl”:”https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=1×1000&iu=/5678/nx.ksnf/news/local_news/landing&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vmap&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&description_url=https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/local-news/feed/&cust_params=vid%3D8269840%26pers_cid%3Dunknown%26vidcat%3D/news/local_news%26bob_ck%3D[bob_ck_val]%26d_code%3D1%26pagetype%3Dsubindex%26hlmeta%3Dlocal%20news%26aa%3Df”},”nielsen”:{“apid”:”P87BDC937-35FC-49C4-98DF-51C5AB6453D7″,”sfcode”:”dcr”,”type”:”dcr”,”apn”:”Anvato”,”environment”:”production”,”useDerivedMetadata”:true,”mapping”:{“adloadtype”:2,”adModel”:2}},”segmentCustom”:{“script”:”https://segment.psg.nexstardigital.net/anvato.js”,”writeKey”:”R3EdxCM6cumaqXRG8RNnbkgaVmCNgS7p”,”pluginsLoadingTimeout”:12}},”expectPrerollTimeout”:8,”accessKey”:”DKMpWA7bjL3dpUj0GrTlvu5w0GLQm3nv”,”token”:”eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ2aWQiOiI4MjY5ODQwIiwiaXNzIjoiREtNcFdBN2JqTDNkcFVqMEdyVGx2dTV3MEdMUW0zbnYiLCJleHAiOjE2NzI2MzEwNTd9.w4c5QQ8fWiQUhT2UsG_5BaK08NZLw6i4rQOqAK8vAk0″,”nxs”:{“mp4Url”:”https://tkx.mp.lura.live/rest/v2/mcp/video/8269840?anvack=Y5VD6EydZnxVKuv6pHqrsJgjpeAvGRwl&token=%7E5iq%2FeJsDbUS%2BNCZXZVelWbloGseZvo70MQ%3D%3D”,”enableFloatingPlayer”:true},”disableMutedAutoplay”:false,”recommendations”:false,”expectPreroll”:true,”titleVisible”:true,”pauseOnClick”:true,”trackTimePeriod”:60,”isPermutiveEnabled”:true});

Wichita police say gangs are utilizing social media to antagonize each other. Investigators are constantly monitoring local gang activity online. The department says they are currently keeping tabs on around 150 people in connection to recent gang activity.

Crash in southeast Kansas kills Oklahoma man

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Miami, Oklahoma man was killed on Thursday night after crashing into a tree in Cherokee County, Kansas.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says Asthy Zarred, 21, was driving west on Bagdad Road around 11:15 p.m. on Thursday night when he left the roadway and crashed into a tree.

Zarred was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The other passenger in the car, a 59-year-old man also from Oklahoma, was not injured.

A new year means new laws in Kansas

KANSAS — As we start another year, some states are also putting new laws into effect.

There are four new laws for the state of Kansas.

The first is the insurance licensure of pharmacy benefits managers bill. Starting today, a person cannot do business in Kansas without a valid license.

The second bill takes effect July 1st. It is the “Kansas Down Syndrome Awareness Distinctive License Bill,” which requires new license plates.

Those new plates can be issued after today

The third law takes effect today as the food sales tax will be reduced from 6.5 percent to 4 percent. That percentage will continue to drop in 2024 and 2025.

The last bill requires new types of license plates and reporting requirements for organizations sponsoring license plates.

It amends eligibility and vehicle registration laws for distinctive plates of military veterans with a disability or a person responsible for transporting a veteran with a disability.

It also creates license plates with and without the international symbol of access to physically disabled persons.

That bill takes effect July 1st, but the new plates can be issued after tomorrow.

Grand Lake pastor celebrates 90th birthday

GROVE, Okla.  – A longtime area Baptist pastor is celebrating a milestone birthday today.

The family of Rev. Gerald Dyer is hosting a 90th birthday celebration today at 2 p.m. at the Baptist Village Honey Creek Community Room in Grove.  

Rev. Dyer was born on Dec. 31, 1932, in Broken Arrow.  He later served in the Korean Conflict from 1953 to 1955 and was stationed in Alabama where he was called to preach. Rev. Dyer answered the call and moved to Inola where he founded Gregory Baptist Church.  

In 1959, he married Barbara, and during his 29 years of pastoral ministry, he pastored eight churches in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

“He is an encourager,” said John Crowley, a retired Baptist minister. “He is a solid believer that cares for people.”

Prior to his retirement in 1999, Dyer worked as Director of Missions for the Northeast Baptist Association for 15 years. He served as interim pastor at seven area Baptist churches and was a mentor to many pastors and church leaders since retiring.

The couple has three sons, Steve, Danny and Marty, seven grandchildren, and a multitude of great-grandchildren. 

Cards and well wishes can be sent to Gerald Dyer at 153 Ingram Rd, Grove, OK 74344.

Top 10 political moments in Kansas in 2022

TOPEKA, (KSNT) — 2022 was a year packed with historic political moments in Kansas. That includes a Primary vote on abortion rights that garnered national attention and a Midterm Election that put Democrats and Republicans to the test.

Here are 10 of the top political moments in the state in 2022.

Kansans uphold abortion rights

Abortion took center stage this year, after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Kansas was the first state to hold a critical vote, deciding the future of abortion rights.

Nearly 60% of Kansas voters voted to reject a constitutional amendment on the Primary ballot, which would have given lawmakers the power to potentially pass more restrictions or limits on the procedure.

After backlash from supporters of the amendment and a last-minute recount, the Primary vote count was confirmed, upholding the constitutional right to abortion in the state.

Another amendment: Sheriffs fight back

Long-winded and sometimes confusing ballot questions didn’t end in the Primary. Amendments appearing on the November ballot also had some voters wondering what their vote actually meant.

One of the amendments, which passed this year, was HCR 5022. It came down to who has the power to push an elected sheriff out of office, and, if local counties can choose to have a sheriff at all.

Riley County is the only county in the state without a sheriff, after consolidating with the city of Manhattan to have one law enforcement agency – Riley County Police. In the state’s other 104 counties – sheriff’s are elected by the people.

The amendment prevents counties from completely eliminating or merging their sheriff’s office with another law enforcement agency, like a local police department. It also prevents local prosecutors from ousting a sheriff, leaving the process to the Attorney General’s Office or a public vote. A majority of Kansas voters approved the amendment in November.

Kelly-Schmidt State Fair Debate

The battle for the next Kansas Governor came to a head at the first debate of the election season.

Democratic incumbent Laura Kelly faced off with Republican nominee Derek Schmidt at the Kansas State Fair, proving to be one of the most heated exchanges between the two candidates.

Schmidt slammed Kelly over her handling of the pandemic, and the status of the state’s economy. However, Kelly fired back, touting a list of accomplishments, which included receiving “trophy after trophy” for economic development.

Kelly’s rebuttal ended in applause, after she asked Schmidt about his opinion on Sam Brownback’s leadership, hinting at a failed tax experiment. She delivered, what later became, a notorious tagline.

Political mud-slinging, drag shows, trans athletes and more

Political mud-slinging is sometimes thrown in the mix, during an election year, and the 2022 Midterm was not an exception.

Campaigns and political parties found new ways to take jabs at the opposing side, using creative political ads.

Democrats took aim at Republican gubernatorial nominee Derek Schmidt, launching an interactive website ahead of the Primary. The party doubled down on their push to tie both figures to the shortfalls of former Governor Sam Brownback’s administration, citing his failed tax experiment.

National and state GOP groups also attacked democratic Governor Laura Kelly for refusing to pass a bill banning transgender athletes from women sports. The Governor later released an ad, saying that “men should not play girls sports,” which some Republicans pointed to as a sign that the governor was backtracking her prior stance and lying about her record.

Toward the end of the campaign season, Schmidt held a press conference accusing the Governor’s administration of sponsoring drag shows with taxpayer dollars. The Governor, her administration and her campaign said the claims were “not true.”

Kelly wins Re-election, Kobach makes comeback

After a whirlwind election season, there were some surprise wins from some highly contentious races in the state. Republican Kris Kobach made a political comeback, securing a seat as the next Attorney General.

Democratic incumbent Laura Kelly also won a second term, defeating Republican Derek Schmidt in a tight race.

Both Kobach and Kelly narrowly defeated their opponents. However, the margin was even larger for one of the most watched Congressional races in the state.

Democratic U.S. Representative Sharice Davids defeated Republican Amanda Adkins by nearly 12 percentage points, despite having to campaign in a new congressional district.

Based on the 2022 Midterm results, some political experts argue that the state may be leaning more “purple” than “red.”

Sports betting legalized, wrapped in controversy

Kansas took a monumental step to legalize sports betting, and rushed to get the system up and running within just a few months.

However, a New York Times Investigation released in November shined a light on how sports betting legislation in the state was passed. The investigation indicated that lawmakers may have been influenced by sports gambling lobbyists to pass a plan that may not be in the best interest of the state.

The state cut from sports betting is set at 10% under the current plan, generating far less revenue than states like New York, which have set their tax cut at 51%.

There have been discussions from some state leaders to revisit the plan, and determine whether the state got a good deal.

Medical marijuana comeback

Kansas lawmakers could take a major step toward marijuana reform in 2023.

Democrats and Republicans formed a special committee to work on a medical marijuana bill ahead of the 2023 legislative session.

While the bill has passed the House chamber in the past, Republican Senate President Ty Masterson has said that medical marijuana is not a legislative priority.

Senator Rob Olson, who is spearheading efforts to draft the bill, said he [doesn’t know] where the bill will end up, but he does intend to introduce a plan.

DCF backlash grows

The Kansas Department of Children and Families has been in the spotlight after several complaints from foster care families.

One of the incidents involving a foster family in Gardner, prompted lawmakers in the state’s Child Welfare committee to hold a press conference, decrying “lies” and “inconsistencies” with the state’s foster care system.

The controversy surrounded the Gardner family’s ongoing battle with Cornerstones of Care, a non-profit organization in the Kansas City area.

Nicole and John Dehaven, who are contracted as foster parents through Cornerstones of Care, recounted the roadblocks they’ve encountered in trying to adopt their three-year-old foster daughter, who has been with them since within days of her birth.

The DeHaven’s daughter is part of a sibling set of eight.

In an interview with Kansas Capitol Bureau, another foster parent, Jackie Schooler from Tonganoxie, came forward with similar complaints. Schooler detailed her struggles with advocating for her foster children, who are also part of the sibling set.

Suellentrop steps down 

Kansas Senator Gene Suellentrop, who made headlines, after being caught speeding down the wrong side of the highway in 2021, will not be returning to the Legislature in 2023.

The Republican from Wichita was sentenced to serve 2 days in jail and 12 months of probation for a DUI and reckless driving, but was released early, according to records obtained by Kansas Capitol Bureau.

In November, Suellentrop, who has served in the Senate since 2017, notified Senate Leadership in an email about his plans to leave office on January 2, 2023, a spokesman for Leadership confirmed.

KHP lawsuits, Gov. stands by Leader 

Multiple lawsuits against the Kansas Highway Patrol moved forward earlier this year. Former troopers broke their silence, after claiming that they were wrongfully fired from the agency.

Sean McCauley, an attorney who represented a couple of troopers, who filed lawsuits claiming retaliation from the department, said it’s been a “common theme” in prior cases, where troopers “speak out” against Superintendent Colonel Herman Jones.

The Kansas State Troopers Association has called for Governor Laura Kelly to remove Colonel Herman Jones from his leadership position.

However, in an exclusive television interview with Kansas Capitol Bureau, Kelly defended Jones’ position as Superintendent.

Grocery tax cut will start soon in Kansas, here's when

KANSAS (KSNT) – The food sales tax for Kansas will be dropping significantly at the beginning of 2023, giving local residents more money in pocket.

Currently Kansas has the second highest sales tax rate on food in the entire country at 6.5%. House Bill 2106 is set to eliminate that state sales tax on groceries by 2025.

On Jan. 1, 2023 the Kansas food sales tax will drop to 4% and in 2024 it will drop again to 2%. Washburn Economy professor Paul Byrne told 27 News that the reduction is a win-win for Kansans.

“It will certainly help the grocery store industry,” said Byrne. “People will buy more in that industry so that industry will be better. To the extent where people don’t buy more food that’ll be a little more dollars in their pocket.”

The foods that do qualify for the tax reduction are basic grocery items including:

  • Foods that qualify
    • Milk
    • Eggs
    • Bread
    • Meat
    • Bottled Water
    • Soft drinks
    • Candy
    • Dietary supplements
  • Foods that do not qualify
    • Alcohol
    • Tobacco
    • Prepared foods

Local sales taxes like city and county tax will still apply at the grocery store.