State of Kansas Online Age Verification Law Takes Effect July 1
UNDATED (KNS) – A new law taking effect July 1st in Kansas will require age verification to access adult content online. The Kansas News Service reports that the rule applies to sites hosting material that the law calls harmful to minors, including pornography. In July, visitors of certain pages might see pop-ups asking them to upload information proving they’re 18 or older. State Representative Ken Collins is one of the only Republican lawmakers who voted against the law. He says it should have defined harmful content more specifically. “You know, someone will say it's inappropriate just because they don't like it. You know, I mean, there's things that I don't like that I don't necessarily believe need to be banned,” he added. Supporters say it’s a necessary step to protect kids from the unfiltered online world.
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Kansas Warns of Increased Tick & Mosquito-Borne Illnesses
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The state of Kansas is warning of increased cases of tick and mosquito-borne diseases. Ticks can spread a variety of diseases, like spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome - a red meat allergy. Dr. Erin Petro is the state's public health veterinarian. She says several tick-borne diseases have already ended in hospitalization this year. "Those were happening in early May, which is about three to four weeks ahead of when we start really getting our rush of tick borne diseases," she said. Petro says factors like a warm spring and more rainfall can increase increase tick activity.
Professor Town Peterson, a biologist at the University of Kansas who studies ticks, says climate change plays a role and may make the insects more active. "It gets warmer earlier in the spring, and it stays warmer later in the fall," he said. "And that means the ticks have the potential to get out and look for a host in parts of the year when they never would have been able to before." Peterson says a thriving deer population also plays a role. State health officials recommends applying insect repellent (with DEET) and wearing long pants outdoors.
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Kansas Joins Pilot Program on Cattle Testing for Bird Flu
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas and three other states have joined a pilot program that makes it easier for cattle farmers to test for bird flu. The Kansas News Service reports that the voluntary protocol allows herds that test negative to move more freely across state lines. Farmers will have to regularly test their milk for the virus. Health officials have detected bird flu in four Kansas cattle herds, but the federal government says there are no active cases in the state. Dozens of herds have tested positive across the country. Justin Smith, the animal health commissioner at the Kansas Department of Agriculture, said "...the testing, one, is to minimize that exposure, but two is to…allow us to sleep better that those herds are not infected.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk is still low for most people.
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Iowa Makes Case for Mandatory Bird Flu Testing for Certain Cattle
UNDATED (HPM) – Bird flu has infected dairy cows in a dozen states since the first outbreak earlier this year. But unless cows are going to be moved across state borders, testing for the virus is largely voluntary. Harvest Public Media reports that shortly after the bird flu was detected late this spring in northwest Iowa, the state announced that dairies within a 12-mile radius of infected poultry sites would need to be tested. The virus can spread from dairy cows to poultry, and vice versa. Yuko Sato, an Iowa State Extension poultry specialist, said during a recent webinar that testing is key. "We don't know how to do anything about control, prevention or eradication until we start with diagnosis," she said. The USDA has a voluntary testing program of dairy cattle. Producers from Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, and New Mexico have enrolled. Federal regulations only require testing for dairy cattle moving across state lines.
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KC Strong Announces Unrestricted Cash Grants for People Injured by Gunfire at Chiefs Parade Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – The people injured by gunfire at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade learned Thursday how much they will each receive from the “KC Strong” fund. KCUR reports that 20 of the injured people received between $22,000 and $100,000. Chris Rosson is president and CEO of United Way of Greater Kansas City. He says the money is unrestricted, so it can be spent on medical bills or anything they need, adding that “...giving unrestricted funding directly to those verified gunshot victims, allows them to make the decisions that are right for them and their family and their path forward.” In all, the United Way raised about $2 million. The victims got $1.2 million. The remaining money will go to 14 community organizations.
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Floodwaters Devastate Midwest; Raw Sewage Dumped into Missouri River
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP/KPR) — Floodwaters continue to ravage the Midwest. Numerous homes have been damaged or destroyed by recent floodwaters in parts of Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota. Torrential rains last week led to the deluge. Hundreds of people have been rescued and at least two people have died after driving in flooded areas. In the coming days, Nebraska and northwestern Missouri are expected to start to see the downstream effects of the flooding. The National Weather Service says the Missouri River will crest at Omaha Thursday.
In the Sioux City, Iowa, area, water spilled over the Big Sioux River levee, damaging hundreds of homes. And the local wastewater treatment plant has been so overwhelmed by the floodwaters that officials say they're having to dump about a million gallons of untreated sewage per day into the Missouri River.
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Remembering the Kansas Woman Who Became the Nation's First Food Writer
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) - The discussion of food seems to be everywhere these days. There's even a TV network dedicated to it. From best-selling cookbooks to numerous shows on The Food Network, Americans seem to be obsessed. But that wasn't always the case. Things began to change when a woman from Riley County, Kansas, studied journalism at Kansas State University and then... started writing about food. Clementine Paddleford, America's first food writer, has largely been forgotten since she died in 1967. Hear her story, from KPR Commentator Katie Keckeisen.
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KanCare to Cover Doula Services Beginning July 1
UNDATED (KNS) – The Kansas News Service reports that the Kansas Medicaid program, called KanCare, will cover doula services for pregnant women starting July 1. Sara Skiles is the owner of Wichita Doula. She says doulas bridge the gap between physicians and pregnant people by providing the parents-to-be with extra support and education, and by being present during birth. Skiles says even though doulas are not medical providers, their intervention can be lifesaving. She says she thinks expanding coverage to doula services will be good for patients, but she has some reservations. “We have heard in some other states the reimbursement rates were below market rate, which would make it really difficult to continue to make a living as a doula,” she explained. The National Health Law Program reports 12 other states have implemented Medicaid coverage of doula care as of January.
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Wichita Regional VA Benefits Office Changes Location
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – The Veterans Administration celebrated the expansion of its Wichita Regional benefits office Thursday. KMUW reports that the office used to operate out of the basement of the Dole VA medical center on East Kellogg. Kansas Senator Jerry Moran says he wants the new facility to prevent veterans from waiting months or years to receive benefits. “This center is designed to make certain that that process works better, works more quickly, helps us retain and recruit employees who do that work,” he explained. Earlier this year, Congress expanded VA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service. Since then, the benefits office has added more staff to process an increase in claims. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough also attended the Thursday ceremony.
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Federal Report: Kansas Traffic Deaths Fall in First Quarter of Year
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) – A new federal report shows traffic deaths fell in Kansas in the first quarter of the year, but not in some neighboring states. The Kansas News Service reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in the first three months of the year, 68 people died in Kansas crashes. That's down almost 22% from the same time last year. Traffic deaths nationally have been falling since 2022. Federal officials still say the number of dead is too high, and distracted driving is one cause. Traffic deaths increased in Missouri by 16% during the first part of this year. In Nebraska, deaths rose 34%.
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Habitat for Humanity Builds Homes, Repairs Homes and... Issues Low-Interest Mortgages?
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) - Most people are familiar with Habitat for Humanity. But the agency does far more than build and repair houses. Josh Brewer, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of the Northern Flint Hills, says they also originate, service and provide underwriting for mortgages. This month's KPR Community Spotlight shines on Habitat for Humanity of the Northern Flint Hills. Find out what else the agency does.
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Free State Festival in Lawrence Continues Through Sunday
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The Free State Festival in Lawrence continues through Sunday. The six-day event celebrates film, music, art and ideas. The schedule of films and other events can be found online at FreeStateFestival.org.
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Wichita Elementary School Declared as Surplus Property, Opening Door to Its Sale
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – The Wichita School Board declared the former Park Elementary School a surplus property Thursday, the first step in allowing its sale to the city. KMUW reports that earlier this month, the city of Wichita announced it intended to purchase the building and convert it into a homeless shelter and resource center. Under state law, the Kansas Legislature has the first option to acquire former school buildings. If it declines, the city intends to buy Park Elementary for a dollar. The city says it wants to open its emergency winter shelter there by the fall.
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Missouri Governor Says New Public Aid Plan in the Works for Chiefs, Royals Stadiums
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday that he expects the state to put together an aid plan by the end of the year to try to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals from being lured across state lines to new stadiums in Kansas.
Missouri's renewed efforts come after Kansas approved a plan last week that would finance up to 70% of the cost of new stadiums for the professional football and baseball teams.
“We’re going to make sure that we put the best business deal we can on the line,” Parson told reporters while hosting the Chiefs' two most recent Super Bowl trophies at the Capitol, where fans lined up for photos.
“Look, I can’t blame Kansas for trying,” Parson added. “You know, if I was probably sitting there, I’d be doing the same thing. But at the end of the day, we’re going to be competitive.”
The Chiefs and Royals have played for over 50 years in side-by-side stadiums built in eastern Kansas City, drawing fans from both states in the split metropolitan area. Their stadium leases run until 2031. But Royals owner John Sherman has said the team won't play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, expressing preference for a new downtown stadium.
Questions about the teams' future intensified after Jackson County, Missouri, voters in April rejected a sales tax that would have helped fund a more than $2 billion downtown ballpark district for the Royals and an $800 million renovation of the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium.
The tax plan faced several headwinds. Some Royals fans preferred the teams' current site. Others opposed the tax. And still others had concerns about the new stadium plans, which changed just weeks ahead of the vote.
The emergence of Kansas as an alternative raised the stakes for Missouri officials and repeated a common pattern among professional sports teams, which often leverage one site against another in an effort to get the greatest public subsidies for new or improved stadiums.
Sports teams are pushing a new wave of stadium construction across the U.S., going beyond basic repairs to derive fresh revenue from luxury suites, dining, shopping and other developments surrounding their stadiums. On Monday, the city council of Charlotte, North Carolina, approved public funds to help fuel an $800 million renovation of the Carolina Panthers' football stadium. On Tuesday, the city of Jacksonville, Florida, approved a $1.25 billion stadium renovation plan for the NFL's Jaguars that splits the cost between the city and team.
Many economists assert that while stadiums may boost tax revenue in their immediate area, they tend to shift consumer spending away from other entertainment and seldom generate enough new economic activity to offset all the public subsidies.
Parson said “the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are big business,” comparing them to large companies that have received public aid such as Boeing, Ford and General Motors. But he added that any deal “has to work out on paper, where it’s going to be beneficial to the taxpayers of Missouri.”
“I think by the end of this year, we’re going to have something in place” to propose for the stadiums, Parson said.
Missouri’s still undefined plan likely would require legislative approval, but Parson said he doesn’t anticipate calling a special legislative session before his term ends in January. That means any plan developed by Parson’s administration in partnership with Kansas City area officials also would need the support of the next governor and a new slate of lawmakers.
Now that Kansas has enacted a financing law, discussions between the sports teams and the Kansas Department of Commerce could start at any time, but the agency has no timeline for finishing a deal, spokesperson Patrick Lowry said Thursday.
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"Tayvis" Romance Inspires New Football-Oriented Hallmark Film
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s love story inspired Hallmark to make a Chiefs-centered romance of their own. KCUR reports that the Kansas City Chiefs and Hallmark, which is also based in Kansas City, are partnering to produce “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” which depicts a Chiefs superfan and team staffer falling in love during its “Fan of the Year” contest. All of the buzz around Kelce and Swift’s relationship brought renewed worldwide attention to Kansas City, and even more attention to the Chiefs. The superstar lovers even inspired an earlier spoof of a football romcom with a trailer for the fake movie “Falling for Football.” Hallmark’s new sports-themed film will begin production in July and will be shot entirely on the Kansas City, Missouri, side of the metro – including at Arrowhead Stadium. The movie will premiere during Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas special sometime beginning in October.
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Whatever Happened to the Plan to Create "West Kansas"?
WESTERN KANSAS (KPR) - More than 30 years ago, a group of southwest Kansas counties tried to secede from Kansas and form their own state called West Kansas. The movement is largely forgotten now, but it was prompted by cultural divisions and disagreements over tax and education policy - and many of those issues remain, diving eastern and western Kansas.
Secession movements in places like eastern Oregon continue to make headlines today, but back in the 1990s, parts of western Kansas made an effort to secede that previewed the political divisions that still cause people in the U.S. to consider cutting ties from their governments. In Kansas, the effort involving nine southwest Kansas counties all started with a disagreement over school funding policies.
So, whatever happened to the movement to create a 51st state and call it West Kansas? Find out here.
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KU's Johnny Furphy Among Best Available Players Entering NBA Draft's 2nd Round
UNDATED (AP) - Duke's Kyle Filipowski and Marquette's Tyler Kolek are among the top prospects still available entering the second round of the NBA draft. Both were Associated Press second-team All-Americans who were projected to be possible first-round picks. The list of top players still available includes Kansas one-and-done wing Johnny Furphy. The first round of the draft was held Wednesday night. The second round begins today (THUR) with Toronto making the 31st overall pick.
Furphy, the 6-8, 189-pound freshman wing from Australia, showed his potential during the last 18 games of the season by averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Basketball insiders say he's not a great athlete and his defense is a question, but his perimeter size and shooting offers floor-spacing potential that fits today's NBA game. Furphy has time to improve; he doesn't turn 20 until December.
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