State Health Officials: Kansans At-Risk for West Nile Virus
UNDATED (KNS) – Residents in a large swath of Kansas are at high risk for being bitten by a mosquito carrying West Nile virus. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued warnings across the state. The Kansas News Service reports that the central and northwest portions are at high risk, while the east and southwest areas of Kansas are at moderate risk. Health officials say people over 50 and those who are immuno-compromised should adjust outdoor activities to avoid peak mosquito hours, which are from dusk to dawn. The West Nile virus can cause flu-like symptoms. About one in 150 infected people develop swelling of the brain, which can be fatal.
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Kansas Legislators Work to Fund Local Infrastructure Projects with Federal Money
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are hoping to tap into federal dollars to help fund several local infrastructure projects around the state. The Kansas News Service reports that the program uses state and federal dollars to pay for projects like railway improvements, new storm sirens and shelters, and efforts to make cities more walkable. Local governments apply for funding through the state. Then, Kansas lawmakers determine whether to OK the application and send it to the feds for final approval. Matthew Voltz with the Kansas Infrastructure Hub says the federal grant program often has more applicants than it can provide for. “It’s like a batting average really. I mean, if you’re batting .300 to .400, that’s really good in this field of grant-writing,” he explained. At their most recent meeting, lawmakers who oversee the program advanced several applications that amount to tens of millions of dollars.
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Urban Kansas School Districts Begin Conversion to Electric School Buses
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – More Kansas school districts will begin using electric school buses with help from a federal clean-air initiative. The Kansas News Service reports that the Wabaunsee school district in northern Kansas was the first in the state to start transporting students in electric buses, early last year. Now some of the state’s urban districts, including Wichita and Topeka, are planning for the switch. Wichita transportation director Lisa Riveros says $12 million in aid from the Environmental Protection Agency will help pay for more than 40 electric buses. “Participating in the opportunity for the grants that are available now is a benefit because the money is out there to help move us in this direction,” she explained. Riveros says the Wichita district should have electric school buses on the road by the spring of 2026. They could save millions each year in fuel costs.
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KHI Working on Plan to Prioritize Senior Health in Kansas
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) – The Kansas population is aging quickly and the Kansas Health Institute wants to better serve the needs of that age group. The Kansas News Service reports that the organization is working on an action plan to prioritize the well-being of older Kansans. The Kansas Health Institute says it will work with state agencies to craft a plan that aims to improve health and quality of life for older residents. That could include improving health care systems and helping connect older residents to their communities. David Anderson of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services says older Kansans often suffer from loneliness, explaining “...that has some real negative impacts on their mental health, and I think substance abuse as well.” Wichita State University research shows people 65 and older make up the fastest growing age group in the state.
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Experts: Bird Flu Impact on Dairy Industry Currently Minimal
UNDATED (HPM) – The pocketbooks of the dairy industry and everyday consumers have not felt the impact of bird flu on their milk…at least, not yet. Harvest Public Media reports that so far, the outbreak in dairy cattle has been fairly contained. Thirteen states in the U.S. have reported avian influenza in dairy cows. Cattle on about 160 dairy farms tested positive so far. But that’s just a drop in the bucket of total dairies in the country — which tallies about 25,000. While individual farmers have taken sick cows out of their rotation, the impact on the dairy industry has been minimal, says University of Wisconsin ag economics professor Chuck Nicholson. "With any kind of epidemiological situation that we have going on, the future can be quite uncertain. So, it’s something that we need to keep a close eye on, but, for the moment, we don’t see any major shifts," he added. Nicholson says that could change, but the bird flu outbreak would have to get much worse.
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Wichita Activist Wants Commission to Study Reparations
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – A Wichita activist is asking the city to establish a commission to study reparations for Black residents. KMUW reports that Mary Dean leads Kansas Justice Advocate, a social justice nonprofit. In February, she asked the city council to establish a commission to study systemic racism and discrimination against Black Wichitans and the potential for reparations. Last month, council member Brandon Johnson asked the city's Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Advisory Board to consider Dean's proposal. Dean made a presentation to the board this week. She told its members that reparations don't need to be cash payments. Instead, she listed policy areas the reparations commission should address, specifying "...housing and discrimination and redlining. Black economics and the wealth gap. Health inequality. The failed foster care system." The board has not yet made a recommendation to the City Council.
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Valley Center Baseball Team Members Won't Be Charged with Animal Cruelty
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Members of a Wichita-area high school baseball team who allegedly killed a chicken will not be charged with animal cruelty. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett released a statement Wednesday saying there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with a crime under Kansas law. Police in Valley Center, near Wichita, had investigated reports that the high school baseball team killed a chicken on the field before traveling to an away game in April. After learning of the incident, the school canceled the remainder of the team’s season.
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Can a Cheap Drug Prevent Dementia? Clinical Trial in Wichita Hopes to Find Out and Recruits Patients for Clinical Trials
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Researchers are enrolling eligible Kansans in a clinical trial to study whether a common diabetes drug can help prevent dementia. The trial is led by Columbia University and is taking place at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Wichita. It’s testing whether the inexpensive and widely available drug metformin can slow the progression of memory decline. Columbia professor Jose Luchsinger says the research could be especially pivotal for states with aging populations. “It is necessary, definitely, from a public health standpoint that states such as Kansas prepare for this; that the health care system prepare for this,” he explained. According to Wichita State University, the state's 65-and-older population is projected to grow faster than any other age group over the next 50 years.
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Thousands of Kansans Missing Out on Child Care Subsidies Every Year
UNDATED (The Beacon) – Tens of thousands of Kansas families are missing out on thousands in child care benefits a year, a new report found. The Beacon reports that only 12% of Kansas families eligible for federal child care subsidies in 2020 got the help. The Center for Law and Social Policy estimates that's around 88,000 Kansas families who missed out on thousands each in yearly benefits. Stephanie Schmit worked on the study, and says “...it is an injustice to not provide the support that families need to meet what is a basic need of their life.” Families miss out for multiple reasons. Some don’t know the program exists. Others run into road blocks when the child care centers where they take their kids don’t sign up for the program.
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Finance Reports Detail Fundraising in Races for Kansas Congressional Seats
UNDATED (KCUR) – There’s a scramble for campaign cash by both Democrats and Republicans for the Second District Congressional seat in Kansas following the surprise retirement of GOP Congressman Jake LaTurner. KCUR reports that Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports show former LaTurner aide Jeff Kahrs has the most cash on hand ahead of the August 6th primary...$366,000...but that includes a personal $300,000 loan. Right behind him is former state attorney general Derek Schmidt, with $326,000 in the bank. Rancher Shawn Tiffany, who calls himself the cowboy conservative, has $115,000. On the Democratic side, former Representative Nancy Boyda has $49,000 cash. Almost all of that is from a personal loan. Former University of Kansas basketball player Matt Kleinmann has $29,000, and former Kansas City, Kansas teacher Elgin Woody has no money left.
In the Kansas 3rd Congressional District race, a Republican Johnson County doctor has a huge fundraising advantage over his intraparty rivals. KCUR reports that the FEC says Prasanth Reddy reported $830,000 in the bank ahead of the August 6th primary. Reddy has also loaned his campaign $87,000. The other GOP candidate still in the race is plumber Karen Crnkovich, who has just $74,000 in cash on hand. She’s also loaned her campaign $23,000. KCK police officer Jonathon Westbrook had been a candidate for the Republican nomination, but suspended his campaign in January. The winner takes on incumbent Democrat Sharice Davids, who reported $2.8 million in the bank.
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Kansas Nursing Home Owners Say they Can’t Afford to Hire More Staff; Advocates Say It’s Essential
UNDATED (KNS) - New rules from the Biden administration will force most Kansas nursing homes to hire more staff. The owners of those nursing homes aren’t happy. The Biden administration finalized its new federal staffing mandate this spring. Once it takes effect, nursing homes must provide at least 3.48 hours of daily nursing care for each resident — nearly double the current minimum set by Kansas regulators. They must have a registered nurse on duty 24/7. Facilities in urban areas have two years to comply; those in rural areas have three.
Fewer than 40% of Kansas nursing homes currently meet the new requirements, according to an analysis by the health research organization KFF.
There’s been fierce pushback: from Republican and Democratic politicians, including Kansas Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, Republicans who are fighting the mandate in Congress. And the state’s Democratic Governor, Laura Kelly,has urged federal officials to delay implementation of the new rules.
But the response has been fiercest from the nursing home industry, which is seeking to block the new mandate in court. In a federal lawsuit, the American Health Care Association describes regulators’ actions as “a baffling and unexplained departure” from the past, and the new standards as “impossible” to meet. In Kansas, nursing home operators say the problem is rooted in an acute lack of health care workers. (Read more.)
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Explorers to Share Findings in Atchison on Search for Amelia Earhart's Lost Plane
ATCHISON, Kan. (KPR) - Deep sea explorers who believe they’ve found Amelia Earhart’s lost plane will share their findings at panel discussions this weekend in the pilot’s hometown of Atchison. Earhart disappeared 87 years ago over the Pacific Ocean while trying to fly around the globe. But now, explorers believe they’ve found an object 16,000 feet below the Pacific that matches the dimensions of Earhart’s Lockheed Electra aircraft. The free panels are part of this weekend’s Amelia Earhart Festival. More information is available online at: VisitAtchison.com
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988 Crisis Line Marks 2-Year Anniversary
UNDATED (KCUR /Side Effects Public Media) - It's the two-year anniversary of 9-8-8. This week marks two years that people experiencing a mental health crisis have been able to dial 9-8-8 for help. Roughly 24,000 people in Kansas have used the hotline in the past year. Nationwide, some 10 million Americans have contacted the line. But according to national polling, just about a quarter of people are familiar with the services 988 provides. Side Effects Public Media reports that the federal government is expected to do a national campaign this summer to promote 988.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
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Democrats Vying for State Senate Seat in Wyandotte County Disagree on Royals Move
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) – The Democratic candidates for the 4th Senate District in Kansas disagree on moving the Royals to their Wyandotte County district. KCUR reports that incumbent David Haley says he is leading the charge to bring the Royals to Kansas City, Kansas. He said that "...similar to the site that was proposed for downtown Kansas City, Missouri, that failed…we have a downtown site that is in the northeast area of Kansas City, Kansas." Haley's challenger, Ephren Taylor the Third,says a stadium would be hard on low-income residents, adding that "...when I've looked at the studies on subsidizing stadiums, they don't really bring that many jobs, and if they do, they're low paying, it gentrifies neighborhoods, and the places most vulnerable to gentrification is going to be the Northeast." The primary election is August 6th.
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TripAdvisor Rates the Best Free Things to Do in Kansas
UNDATED (KSNT) - Not everything enjoyable costs money. In fact, KSNT reports on a roster of completely free things to do in Kansas this summer. Using data compiled from Tripadvisor, the website Stacker Media compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in Kansas. The list includes:
- Touring the Kansas Statehouse or the Brown v. Board of Education Historical Park in Topeka
- The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City
- The Great Plains Nature Center and the Keeper of the Plains in Wichita
- The Booth Family Hall of Athletics and the original rules of basketball in Lawrence
- The Oz Winery in Wamego
- Monument Rocks in Oakley
- Coronado Heights in Lindsborg
- The Louisburg Cider Mill
- Fort Scott, Fort Larned, Fort Leavenworth
- And, of course, the World’s Largest Ball of Sisal Twine in Cawker City, Kansas
(Come on, Kansans... get out there and see something!)
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