Kansas Judge Blocks Abortion Restrictions
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - A Kansas judge has temporarily blocked several abortion restrictions that doctors say are unconstitutional. People seeking abortions in Kansas will no longer have to print and sign a consent form 24 hours before their appointment… and won’t have to wait 30 minutes after meeting with a doctor before receiving an abortion. The judge also blocked state-mandated counseling that contained the disproven claim that abortion increases the risk of developing breast cancer. Those restrictions constitute a “thinly-veiled effort to stigmatize the procedure and instill fear in patients that are contemplating abortion,” the judge wrote. The temporary block will be in place until a June hearing on the constitutionality of those restrictions.
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Report: Number of Abortions Increases After Dobbs Decision
UNDATED (Side Effects Public Media) - One year after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion and sent the question back to the states, the number of legal abortions actually increased nationwide. That’s according to a new report by the Society of Family Planning called the WeCount report. It found that abortions increased in states where the procedure remains legal. Kansas saw about 5,000 more abortions after the Dobbs decision. More people traveled to Kansas to access abortions from neighboring states where the procedure is banned. The WeCount report tracked abortions across the country from July 2022 to June 2023. The report found almost 115,000 fewer legal abortions took place in states with near or total abortion bans. But that was met by an increase of legal abortions in states where the service remains legal. Researchers suggest this slight increase in numbers is due to more assistance for people seeking out of state abortions. They also suggest that new clinics opening up in states where abortion is legal and expanded access to telehealth services are behind the national increase. The report does not capture abortions that happen outside of the U.S. health care system -- where people may order pills online from overseas pharmacies.
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Kansas Governor Takes Medicaid Expansion Issue Straight to Voters
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/KNS) - Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly is once again pushing for Medicaid expansion in the next legislative session. She's hoping next year’s election will be the key to passing her proposal. All 165 Kansas lawmakers are up for reelection next November. Kelly is aggressively touring the state this fall asking voters to pressure Republican leaders to allow a vote on expansion or face the consequences at the ballot box. “It’s very clear to me now that while there are a number of rank-and-file legislators who would like to support Medicaid expansion, they’re not being given that opportunity by their leadership," Kelly said. A recent survey shows that Kansans overwhelmingly approve of Medicaid expansion including more than half of Republicans. “Kansans want this, and I think that if we do not get it done this next legislative session it will be the number one issue going into the November 2024 elections," Kelly said. Medicaid expansion faces a tough challenge as Republican leaders have indicated they will once again block the legislation from moving forward. Opponents say expansion is too costly and maintain the health coverage plan shouldn’t be used to benefit able-bodied Kansans. (Read more.)
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Suspect in Dodge City Fatal Bar Shooting Arrested in Oklahoma
DODGE CITY, Kan. (KPR) – A suspect has been arrested in Oklahoma following a shooting in Dodge City that left two men dead and two others injured. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says the shooting took place early Sunday morning at Central Station Bar and Grill on Wyatt Earp Blvd. The Dodge City Police Department and Ford County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and found four men suffering from gunshot wounds. The suspected shooter, a 36-year-old man, allegedly used a handgun to shoot and kill a 29-year-old man who was pronounced dead at the scene. The KBI says he fired additional rounds that struck three additional men and then fled the area.
Three shooting victims were taken to an area hospital, where a 28-year-old man was pronounced dead. A 40-year-old man was flown to a Wichita hospital with life-threatening injuries. A 27-year-old man was treated and released. The suspect was later apprehended in Beaver County, Oklahoma. He was arrested without incident. Formal charges against him are pending.
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Docking State Office Building Rubble Dumped into the Kansas River
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Truckloads of concrete, metal rods and other construction debris have been dumped into and along the Kansas River. The construction debris is from the state’s teardown of the Docking state office building. The federal government says the project is out of compliance. KSNT investigated the dumping and reported the dump site, which is located east of Topeka in Jefferson County. KSNT reports that it contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about its concerns and the dumping came to a quick halt. It remains unclear whether the demolition company or one of its subcontractors is responsible for the dumping. Several state agencies have been made aware of the dumping, including the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Department of Administration.
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Flags Remain at Half-Staff to Honor Maine Shooting Victims
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Flags across Kansas remain at half-staff. Governor Laura Kelly directed flags to be lowered on Friday in honor of the victims of the shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Flags will remain at half-staff until sundown this (MON) evening. In making the announcement, Kelly said "the State of Kansas stands in solidarity with Maine and mourns the victims who lost their lives to this senseless act of violence."
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Kansas Cold Weather Rule Takes Effect November 1
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The Cold Weather Rule in Kansas begins on Wednesday (Nov. 1). It will remain in effect through March 31. The rule prevents utility companies from disconnecting a Kansas customer’s natural gas or electric service during periods of extreme cold over the winter months. Under the Cold Weather Rule, utility companies cannot disconnect a customer’s service when the local temperatures drop below 35 degrees within 48 hours. The rule also requires utility companies to offer a 12-month payment plan to allow consumers to maintain or re-establish service. Any residential customer with a past due balance will qualify for payment arrangements. It's the customer’s responsibility to contact the gas or electric company to make those arrangements. The Cold Weather Rule, implemented by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) in 1983, applies only to residential customers of electric and natural gas utility companies. More information about the Cold Weather Rule is available on the KCC's website.
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Despite Drought, Pumpkin Crop Doing Alright
UNDATED (HPM) - despite drought conditions in parts of the country, pumpkin farmers have been bringing in their harvest just in time for Halloween. Among the top pumpkin-producing states, drought conditions were most severe in Texas, where they reduced yields, according to Texas A&M’s extension service. In Michigan, drought conditions were brief and mild. But farmer Mike Houghtaling said his pumpkin crop was still smaller than usual. “We had a drought in May and June, and a flood in July and August," he said. "It’s probably the worst conditions you can have.” Illinois, the nation’s top pumpkin producer, also saw drought conditions. But University of Illinois crop sciences professor Mohammad Babadoost says the big Libby’s pumpkin cannery in central Illinois was reporting above-average yields.
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EPA Report: Kansas Needs to Change Crop Mix
MANHATTAN, Kan. (HPM) - A new report from the Environmental Defense Fund says that the types of crops grown in Kansas would need to change by 2050 due to climate change. Using climate models, the study found that corn, soybeans and wheat will become unsustainable in Kansas due to higher temperatures and water scarcity. It also found that increasing oat, millet, sorghum and rye acreage would reduce crop water use by 12%. Kansas State farming systems professor, Ignacio Ciampitti, says there is a lot of ongoing research in the state on more resilient crops, but farmers want to know they can make money. "At the end of the day, what you realize is that the adoption of many of these crops are also becoming connected to clear, clear commercialization pathways," he said. The report acknowledges that major shifts in the broader agricultural system and market would be necessary.
Eileen McLellan, the Environmental Defense Fund’s lead senior scientist, says sticking with the same crops would result in significant declines in yield in coming decades. "It's now too hot and there isn't enough water, and that has a huge impact on plant yields," she said. Kansas wheat production suffered already this year due to drought. The report found that switching some acres to oats, sorghum, millet and rye could reduce water use for crops by 12%.
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Study: Climate Change Making Algae Blooms More Toxic
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - A study of nearly 3,000 U.S. lakes shows that climate change is making blue-green algae blooms not just more common but also more toxic. In parts of Kansas, the most toxic blooms may shift in coming decades from summer to fall and spring. And the situation will get worse in the Upper Great Plains as lakes there warm up, according to co-author Ted Harris. “That was a big takeaway for us. So, climate change is going to move seemingly the most toxic blooms northward," he said. Harris studies algae at the Kansas Biological Survey at the University of Kansas. He says treating drinking water to get these toxins out is expensive. The study also found that nitrogen washing into lakes from fertilizers and livestock operations intensifies the toxic blooms.
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Death Investigated Outside KCK Police Department
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (WDAF) – Police in Kansas City, Kansas, are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found right outside the KCK Police Department. Officers were called to the scene around 9 am Sunday but said the woman appeared lifeless. WDAF TV reports that no other information on the cause of her death has been released.
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Woman Injured After Train Hits and Drags Her Car in Shawnee
SHAWNEE, Kan. (Shawnee Mission Post) – A woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries after her car was hit by a train over the weekend in Shawnee. Fire officials say the crash happened Saturday night at a railroad crossing near the Kansas River in northern Shawnee. The Shawnee Mission Post reports that the woman’s vehicle was stuck on the tracks when it was hit by a northbound train. The woman was in the driver’s seat with the car’s engine still running when it was hit. The train pushed the car several hundred yards up the tracks before the crew could get the train stopped. The driver of the car, only identified as a woman in her late 30s, was taken to a local hospital with a possible broken arm. No other injuries were reported.
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Mahomes Can't Shake Off Sickness, Denver Defense as Chiefs Fall 24-9 in One of QB's Worst Games
DENVER (AP) — Patrick Mahomes was already under the weather going into the game. It only went downhill from there. The Kansas City quarterback couldn't shake off the effects of flu-like symptoms as he turned in one of the worst performances of his career in a 24-9 loss to the Denver Broncos. Mahomes threw two interceptions and didn't have a touchdown pass for the first time in nearly two years. He also lost a fumble in suffering his first career road loss against an AFC West team. He was 16-0 away from home against the division until the bitterly cold afternoon in the Mile High City.
"Worst I felt walking out of the stadium," Mahomes said after his first loss in seven starts in Denver and the Chiefs' first loss to the Broncos since 2015. "Obviously, it wasn't our day." He doesn't have many off days, especially on the road against AFC West teams.
Mahomes was out of sync (first game without a passing TD in nearly two years), off target (throwing two interceptions, lost a fumble), and never found his rhythm (a paltry 59.2 passer rating). On top of it all, Mahomes suffered cuts on his non-throwing hand (he guesses he got stepped on after one of the many times he ended up on the ground) and had to hear the stadium blast Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" as the Chiefs (6-2) trudged toward their tunnel. It was obviously a troll of tight end Travis Kelce and his relationship with the pop star, who didn't make the trip to Denver as she prepares to resume her hugely successful "Eras Tour." "We didn't play good enough," Mahomes said. "We didn't hit our shots when they were there and then when they were there, we didn't execute it."
Denver (3-5) rode a defense led by Justin Simmons — the safety intercepted Mahomes along with recovering a fumble — and an efficient offense paced by Russell Wilson's three TD passes to beat Kansas City for the first time since September 17, 2015, when Peyton Manning was Denver's QB and Mahomes was still slinging it at Texas Tech.
"Props to them," Mahomes said of the Broncos. "They played their tail off and they deserved to win today."
So, how do the Chiefs avoid this becoming a domino effect? "It won't be," insisted Mahomes, whose team faces Miami (6-2) in Germany next weekend. Chiefs coach Andy Reid chalked it up to simply an uncharacteristic day at the office. Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a fumble after a catch and returner Mecole Hardman muffed a punt. The Broncos cashed in their five takeaways for 17 points. "Saw things this afternoon that I haven't seen before from the guys," Reid said. "That's my responsibility — make sure they're right. We weren't right today."
No one was more out of rhythm than Mahomes, who dealt with stomach issues that his wife and two children suffered through last week. He was sacked three times, including once when he scrambled around and ran smack into 338-pound offensive tackle Donovan Smith, crumbling to the grass. "Got caught turning too many times," Mahomes explained. "Got to try to find a way to maneuver myself out of the pocket to get a throw downfield."
Down 21-9 late in the game, Mahomes, faced a fourth-and-2 from the Denver 26, when he lofted a pass that Skyy Moore couldn't secure in the end zone. Mahomes put his hands on his helmet after the drop as he walked to the sideline.
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Sporting KC Beats St. Louis 4-1 in Best-of-3 Opener
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Logan Ndenbe scored his first goal as a professional to help Sporting Kansas City beat St. Louis 4-1 in a rain-soaked Match 1 of their best-of-3 first-round series in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Kansas City, which scored just three goals in its first 10 games this season and beat San Jose on penalty kicks in the Wild Card game, can advance to the conference semifinals with a win in Match 2 at home on November 5.
Rémi Walter scored in the 36th minute to give Sporting KC the lead for good and Gadi Kinda added a goal in the 39th to make it 3-1. Kansas City's Logan Ndenbe, a 23-year-old defender, opened the scoring in the 27th minute, but Tim Parker answered to make it 1-1 moments later. St. Louis, which has lost three games in a row for the first time this season, is the eighth expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season and the first since Inter Miami and Nashville accomplished the feat in 2020.
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Kansas Basketball Team Drops Exhibition Game Against Illinois
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (KPR) – In an exhibition fundraiser to benefit the Maui Strong Fund, the Illinois Fighting Illini defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 82-75 at the State Farm Center Sunday night. Redshirt senior Kevin McCullar Jr. scored 25 points and senior transfer Hunter Dickinson added 22 points to lead the Jayhawks on Sunday evening. The two teams partnered together to make the game a fundraiser to provide financial resources for rapid response and recovery for the devastating wildfires in Maui.
“We raised well north of a million dollars, so it was good,” said Head Coach Bill Self. “They did a great job with selling as many tickets as possible. There were a lot of positive things that came from it and I do think it was much more uncomfortable of environment than our players thought it would be.”
UP NEXT
Kansas will play its second and final exhibition game for the 2023-24 season when it hosts Fort Hays State on November 1 at 7 pm in Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be televised on Big 12 Now via ESPN+. Kansas leads the series with Fort Hays State, 12-0, including a 10-0 record in exhibition contests.
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AP Top 25: Oklahoma slips to No. 10; Kansas, K-State Enter Poll
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma dropped four spots to No. 10 after being upset by Kansas, the top five teams held their places and the Jayhawks and rival Kansas State both entered The Associated Press college football poll. Georgia is No. 1 for the 20th straight week, receiving 48 of 63 first-place votes, distancing itself from No. 2 Michigan. The Wolverines, who were off Saturday after a week of being in the news for an NCAA sign-stealing investigation, received nine first-place votes. No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Florida State each received three first-place votes. No. 5 Washington stayed a spot ahead of Pac-12 rival Oregon.
Oklahoma dropped four spots to No. 10, the top five teams held their places and Kansas and Kansas State both entered The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday.
The Sooners lost for the first time this season and to Kansas for the first time since 1997, then tumbled in the rankings behind Big 12 rival Texas, which Oklahoma beat in a thriller three weeks ago. Kansas reentered the rankings at No. 22 after one of the biggest victories in program history and Kansas State moved back in at No. 25 ahead of a big matchup at Texas next Saturday.
The Sunflower State rivals have a long history of bad football. Kansas State turned one of the most hapless programs in the country around in the 1990s under Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder, and the Wildcats have stayed competitive to varying degrees ever since, winning three Big 12 titles — including last season.
Historically, Kansas has had a few more runs of success, though the Jayhawks' last conference championship came in the Big Eight in 1968. From 2010-20, Kansas was the standard for Power Five ineptitude, winning a total of 21 games.
That's turned around in three seasons under coach Lance Leipold, who has the Jayhawks bowl eligible in consecutive seasons for just the second time in program history. "It's probably time for me to start talking about how proud I am of how far this program's come," Leipold said after the Oklahoma game. "That has to do with the players." Kansas' 5-0 start to last season put the Jayhawks and Wildcats in the AP Top 25 together for two weeks, the first time since 2007 that had happened.
Other than that, there were 17 AP polls between 1995 and '96 that featured both Kansas and Kansas State. And that's it. With both teams sitting at 6-2 heading into the final month of the season, the Jayhawks and Wildcats have a solid chance to finish the season ranked for just the second time in the 87-year history of the AP poll.
In 1995, Kansas State was No. 7 and Kansas was ninth in the final Top 25.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.