Kelly Denies Carr Brothers Clemency

Panasonic Starts Battery Production in De Soto

Advance Voting Opens for Kansas Primary

Textron Expands Wichita Flight-Test Hangar

Ex-Jayhawk Vick Faces Attempted Murder Charge

Kelly Denies Carr Brothers Clemency

TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly on July 14 denied clemency to Reginald and Jonathan Carr, who have been on Kansas' death row since the December 2000 Wichita massacre, in which they robbed, terrorized, sexually assaulted and shot five friends, killing four. Kelly, a Democrat, called capital punishment impractical and burdensome and said life without parole makes more sense, but she concluded the death penalty was justified by the brothers' acts of torture and murder. The same day, Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty Chair Donna Schneweis and other faith leaders delivered a petition signed by 50 clergy members urging Kelly to commute all death sentences. Eight of the nine people on Kansas' death row sought clemency in May, and Kelly has also denied serial killer John Robinson's request. Kansas reinstated capital punishment in 1994 but has not carried out an execution since 1965, so the decision keeps the brothers' cases eligible for possible execution while intensifying debate over a penalty Kansas rarely uses.

KWCH · WIBW · KSNT · Kansas Reflector

Panasonic Starts Battery Production in De Soto

DE SOTO, Kan. — Panasonic Energy announced July 14 that it had begun mass production of lithium-ion 2170 battery cells at its Johnson County factory, and Gov. Laura Kelly proclaimed Panasonic Day across Kansas. The roughly 4.7 million-square-foot plant represents about $4 billion in investment, making it the largest economic development project in state history, and is designed for annual capacity of about 32 gigawatt-hours to supply electric-vehicle manufacturers across North America. Panasonic says the facility will create up to 4,000 direct jobs and roughly 8,000 total jobs when suppliers and related businesses are included. Construction is underway on a second wing, where the first two production lines are scheduled to operate in 2027. Kansas landed the plant in 2022 with one of its largest incentive packages in hopes of anchoring a manufacturing corridor in the Kansas City suburbs, and the production launch marks a milestone after construction and hiring delays.

Panasonic · FOX4 News · Kansas Reflector · KCLY Radio

Advance Voting Opens for Kansas Primary

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas counties could begin mailing advance ballots and opening in-person early voting July 15 for the Aug. 4 primary, one day after the voter registration deadline. Kansas voters need no excuse to vote by mail, but they must apply for a ballot in each election, county election officers must receive applications by July 28, and in-person advance voting schedules vary by county. The primary includes a crowded open-seat race to succeed term-limited Gov. Laura Kelly, as well as contests for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, attorney general, secretary of state, insurance commissioner, state treasurer and legislative seats. Kansans also will consider a proposed constitutional amendment in the same election cycle that would change how the state selects Supreme Court justices. Because Republicans hold two-thirds supermajorities in the Legislature, the primaries are expected to decide many races in safe districts, making the start of voting a key stage in a rare election year with nearly every statewide office on the ballot.

KNSS · KCTV5 · KSN · Kansas Secretary of State

Textron Expands Wichita Flight-Test Hangar

WICHITA, Kan. — Textron Aviation completed a 57,000-square-foot expansion of the flight-test hangar at its east Wichita campus this summer, adding six bays to meet growing aircraft demand. The project is aimed largely at the Cessna SkyCourier, a twin-engine utility turboprop used for cargo and passenger routes, while also supporting flight testing and entry-into-service work for the new Beechcraft Denali single-engine turboprop. The space allows test crews to run several aircraft and test profiles at once and return planes to service faster as the company's order backlog grows. Textron Aviation, parent of the Cessna and Beechcraft brands, is one of the city's largest employers in a metropolitan area known as the Air Capital of the World. The investment signals continued confidence in an aerospace sector that anchors the Kansas economy and provides skilled, high-wage jobs as the industry competes for workers and races to fill orders.

AIN · AVweb · Aerospace Manufacturing and Design

Ex-Jayhawk Vick Faces Attempted Murder Charge

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Lagerald Vick, 29, a former University of Kansas shooting guard, was charged in mid-July with attempted first-degree murder and using a firearm in a dangerous felony after a shooting at a Fourth of July party in his hometown of Memphis. Investigators allege Vick argued with a man around 10:50 p.m. July 4, followed him as he tried to walk away and fired one shot into his lower back; the man survived and identified Vick as the shooter. A judge set Vick's bond at $1.5 million, and Memphis authorities are handling the case. Vick played at Kansas from 2015 to 2019, contributed to the Jayhawks' 2018 Final Four team and ended his professional career in 2024. The case has drawn attention across Kansas because of the basketball program's prominence and Vick's former role, although the alleged crime occurred outside the state.

KCTV5 · FOX4 News · ESPN

Sources

1. KWCH / WIBW / KSNT / Kansas Reflector
2. Panasonic / FOX4 News / Kansas Reflector / KCLY Radio
3. KNSS / KCTV5 / KSN / Kansas Secretary of State
4. AIN / AVweb / Aerospace Manufacturing and Design
5. KCTV5 / FOX4 News / ESPN

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