Tag: Kansas

Topeka man arrested in U.S. Capitol riot case

William Pope of Topeka, Kansas, was arrested Friday morning on charges related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

According to an FBI spokesman, Pope was arrested on charges of obstruction or impeding any official proceeding; civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a capitol building; impeding passage through the capitol grounds of buildings; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building.

Pope was taken into custody without incident, according to authorities.

According to reports, he is a former Topeka City Council candidate. (See Kansas Reflector story at https://kansasreflector.com/2021/02/12/former-topeka-city-council-candidate-faces-federal-charges-from-violence-at-u-s-capitol/.)

The FBI also stated Friday that two Springfield, Missouri men, Michael Aaron Quick and Stephen Brian Quick, surrendered on their own to FBI agents. There were warrants on them issued by the U.S. District of Columbia Court related to the violence on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Michael Aaron Quick was arrested on federal charges of restricted buildings or grounds, unlawful activities on capitol grounds, disorderly conduct; parading and demonstrating in the capitol building.

Stephen Brian Quick was arrested on federal charges of restricted buildings or grounds; unlawful activities on capitol grounds; disorderly conduct; parading and demonstrating in the capitol building.

Kansas amends contract with major foster care provider after financial mismanagement

by Nomin Ujiyediin, Kansas News Service

Saint Francis Ministries is required to submit a business plan to the state by March 1 and will need to share other financial information on a regular basis.
One of the largest private foster care agencies in Kansas has signed a new deal with the state drawn up in the wake of reports of cash shortages and elaborate spending.

The contract amendment requires that Saint Francis Ministries give the Department for Children and Families a new business plan by March 1. The nonprofit will have to report specific information about its income and costs, said DCF secretary Laura Howard.

“We’re in continuous contact with the new CEO and the board,” Howard said. “We’re paying very, very close attention both on the services side and on the financial side.”

Saint Francis has recently been the subject of a series of controversies, most prominently reported by news website the Kansas Reflector. A whistleblower complaint contending mismanagement of funds and data led to the departure of two of the organization’s top executives last year. DCF also received complaints that Saint Francis had been falsifying records. The agency hired an independent firm to audit the organization in early 2020.

More recently, the Reflector reported on a complaint filed with DCF that an unnamed Saint Francis employee allegedly sexually assaulted a foster child. And the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services entered into an emergency contract with Saint Francis last month after the organization said it was short on money to provide required services.

The new agreement between Kansas and Saint Francis addresses the organization’s financial issues. Both parties signed the contract on Monday. It takes effect immediately.

The contract also requires Saint Francis to submit a plan for how it will use any extra money to improve foster care services. The organization will have to return any unused funds to the state. From now on, all future monthly payments from DCF to Saint Francis will be reduced by the amount of unspent money from prior months. Saint Francis must also participate in monthly phone calls with DCF about recovering lost data.

The penalty for not meeting these standards could be up to a 5% reduction in administrative payments from DCF to Saint Francis.

“We are pleased to work with the state of Kansas to adhere to any requirements that they have,” said interim CEO William Clark in an emailed statement. “Saint Francis Ministries wants to be a good partner, and we appreciate their support during recent difficult months.”

Nomin Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas News Service. You can email her at nomin (at) kcur (dot) org and follow her on Twitter @NominUJ.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.
See more at https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-02-03/kansas-amends-contract-with-major-foster-care-provider-after-financial-mismanagement.

State tax collections up for January

State tax collections in January showed an increase of almost 10 percent, according to Kansas officials.

The state showed an increase of $795.8 million in total taxes collected in January, about 9.7 percent more than January of fiscal year 2020, according to a spokesman.

It was a 12.8 percent, or $90.2 million, increase from the estimate, officials stated.

“While these numbers look promising, my administration will continue to take a close look at all tax legislation that may come to my desk and keep an eye on the fluctuation of the national economy,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a news release. “As I’ve said before, we must continue to promote fiscally-responsible practices that will ensure our state will not only recover from the COVID-19 pandemic but continue to grow.”

Corporate income tax collections were 29.9%, or $6.4 million, more than last fiscal year with $27.7 million collected for the month. That is an 84.9%, or $12.7 million, gain, according to officials.

Individual income tax collections were $457.9 million. That is $57.9 million, or 14.5%, more than the estimate and $49.2 million, or 12.0%, more than the previous January, according to a spokesman.

The individual income tax category is slightly higher for the end of the month due to the Internal Revenue Service’s delay in processing of tax returns to Feb. 12, 2021. Due to that delay, the state cannot begin to process returns and issue refund checks until that time, a spokesman stated.

Retail sales tax collections were $3.8 million, or 1.7%, more than the same month of last fiscal year with $224.6 million collected. That is $9.6 million, or 4.5%, more than the estimate.

Wyandotte County reported a drop of 1.7 percent in retail sales tax collections for January 2021 as compared to January 2020, according to figures from the Kansas Department of Revenue.

For the July to January fiscal year to date, Wyandotte County is about 2.8 percent behind the same period in 2020, according to KDOR figures. (See https://www.ksrevenue.org/prsalesreports.html#city)

Kansas City, Kansas, is showing similar figures, about a 1.3 percent drop in retail sales tax collections for January 2021 as compared to January 2020, according to the KDOR figures, and a 2.5 percent drop for the July to January fiscal year to date.

Compensating use tax collections for the entire state were $64.6 million for January; a $9.6 million increase from the estimate. Those collections are 22.9% or $12.0 million, more than last January.

To see more data about state revenue figures, visit https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/07_January_Revenue_FY2021_02-01-2021_Final.pdf.