Excessive Heat Warning for Eastern Kansas Through Thursday Night
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - More extreme heat is expected this week as temperatures climb into the triple digits. The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued an extreme heat warning in effect Monday afternoon through Thursday evening. The weather service predicts the region will see afternoon high temperatures near 100 Monday, 102 Tuesday, 105 Wednesday and 102 on Thursday. Heat index values are predicted to climb to between 105 and 115 degrees.
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Kansas Offers Several Methods for Voting in Primary Elections
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Primary elections are less than a week away and Kansas voters have a variety of ways to make their voices heard. Primaries for important national and state races are just around the corner on August 6th and early voting is happening now. Kansas holds closed primaries, which means a registered Republican cannot vote in Democratic primary races or vice versa. But as Secretary of State Scott Schwab explains, unaffiliated voters can choose to join a political party at the polls and vote. “If you're unaffiliated, but you want to vote for example in the Johnson County sheriff race or the second congressional primary, all you have to do is affiliate when you go vote.” In-person early voting ends on August 5th at noon. Information on ID requirements, ballot drop boxes and more is at VoteKansas.gov.
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Drug Manufacturers Suing State of Kansas over New State Law
UNDATED (KNS) – Two major drug manufacturers, AbbVie and AstraZeneca, are suing Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach over a new state law that blocks them from refusing to sell discounted medicine to certain pharmacies. The Kansas News Service reports that these pharmacies contract with hospitals and clinics participating in a federal drug savings program. The lawsuit alleges the pharmacies aren’t passing the savings of discounted drugs onto patients and are instead profiting off of discounted drugs. But Cindy Samuelson, with the Kansas Hospital Association, says many rural hospitals need to contract with outside pharmacies to provide drugs to patients. She says limiting the number of contract pharmacies also limits patient access to certain services, including “...early screening and detection of cancer, improved access to mental health, just to name a few things that people would want and need and expect and hope to have close to home.” Similar lawsuits by drug manufacturers have been filed in other states, including Missouri.
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Lawsuit Alleges University of Kansas Health System Refused to Perform Emergency Abortion
UNDATED (KNS) – A lawsuit filed Tuesday by the National Women’s Law Center alleges the University of Kansas Health System refused to perform an emergency abortion on a patient. The Kansas News Service reports that lawyers say Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri resident at the time, was experiencing a miscarriage at nearly 18 weeks of pregnancy when she arrived at KU Health System’s emergency room in August 2022. They say Farmer needed an emergency abortion but was denied care by KU Health. The lawsuit alleges the hospital violated federal law that requires hospitals to treat or stabilize patients in a health crisis before transferring or dismissing them. The lawsuit says KU also violated state nondiscrimination laws. A spokesperson for KU declined to comment.
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Independence Police: 3-Year-Old Dies After Falling From 8th Floor Apartment
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (WDAF) - Police are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy who died after falling from the window of an eighth-floor apartment in Independence, Missouri. First responders say the toddler was unconscious and breathing while in the ambulance, but later died from his injuries at the hospital. WDAF TV reports that tenants at the apartment building have reportedly had issues with their air conditioning for years.
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Trump Endorses Schmidt in Kansas 2nd Congressional District Primary
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) - Former President Donald Trump has endorsed former state Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the five-candidate Republican Party primary in the 2nd congressional district of Kansas. Trump said he was impressed that Schmidt was re-elected attorney general in 2016 and 2020 by wide margins. The Kansas Reflector reports that five candidates have entered the Republican primary for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, who decided against seeking re-election to Congress. Schmidt has consistently led the Republican field by double digits in polling and says he is honored to receive Trump’s endorsement. In addition to Schmidt, the other Republican candidates on the August 6 ballot are Chad Young, of Lawrence; Matt Ogle of Topeka, Shawn Tiffany of Delavan and Jeff Kahrs of Topeka. The Democratic Party primary candidates are Nancy Boyda of Baldwin City and Matt Kleinmann of Kansas City, Kansas.
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Report: Kansas Lags Behind Other States in Mental Health Care Access and Affordability
UNDATED (KNS) – It’s harder for Kansans to access and afford mental health care than residents of most other states, according to a new report by the nonprofit Mental Health America. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas rose in the report’s overall rankings compared to two years ago, but underperformed the national average on health insurance coverage. Eric Litwiller is with the Mental Health Association of South-Central Kansas. He says expanding Medicaid could help. “At the end of the day, if an adult needs paid mental health care, and they can't get it because we haven't expanded Medicaid yet, then that's just the way it is,” he explained. Kansas adults with mental illnesses are much more likely to say they can’t see a doctor due to costs than the national average. Kansas youth with depression are also less likely to receive treatment.
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Attendance Rates Improve at Some Wichita Schools
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Attendance is improving at some Wichita schools after the district hired a company that alerts families when their child misses too much school. The Kansas News Service reports that Wichita contracted with a California-based company called EveryDay Labs, which sends automated emails and text alerts to parents about the importance of attendance. Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld says the program worked at all 13 schools where they used it. Rates of chronic absenteeism fell by three to 12 percent. "That's why we're continuing to invest in that more. There's probably an effect of 'What you focus on and measure, you focus on,' right? And so there's probably a degree of that going on," he explained. Absenteeism spiked across the state following the COVID pandemic but has started to improve. About one in five Kansas students were chronically absent last school year, which means they missed 10 percent of learning time.
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Wetlands Research near Lawrence Could Help Improve Water Quality
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) – Researchers from the University of Kansas are planning a study that could shed light on how wetland plants help improve water quality. KU Scientists and students will launch research this year into how wetland plants team up with specialized soil microbes to pull fertilizer pollution out of water. Amy Hansen, a professor of environmental engineering is leading the research in wetlands near Lawrence. “In the Midwest, we’ve lost a lot of wetlands,” Hansen said. “In Kansas, about 50 percent of historic wetland cover has been lost.” Those wetlands were drained or filled to make way for farms and development. But Hansen says restoring floodplain wetlands could help reduce nitrogen pollution in rivers. Wetland soil has microbes that can breathe in nitrogen from the fertilizer that washes off farmland, and then release it into the air. Nitrogen gas is a normal part of the atmosphere. A five-year grant from the National Science Foundation will support the research.
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Study Examines Environmental Impact of Cattle Farming Methods
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas beef production is a multi-billion dollar industry, and a new study is assessing the environmental impact of different methods for raising cattle in North America. The research looks into the carbon emissions from different types of cattle production. It found that because there will continue to be a market demand for beef, the most sustainable option forward would be managing the greenhouse gas emissions cattle produce. Tong Wang of South Dakota State University led the study. She says the lowest carbon emissions come from grass fed cattle raised on land where the plants pull carbon into the earth. “If they kind of see that there is certain management practices to sequester carbon in the grassland, then that management practices could be promoted,” she explained. The federal government requested the study because of a lack of clear data on the environmental effects from different types of beef production.
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Renovations Underway at KU's Allen Fieldhouse
LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) - Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas in Lawrence currently seats 16,300 basketball fans. But after renovations are finished on the Fieldhouse, WIBW TV reports that the maximum capacity will shrink by about 1,000 seats. KU Athletics officials say the changes will improve the game-day experience for fans, especially in the upper levels. Construction crews are taking out the crow’s nest in the upper level corners, and removing parts of the third level concourse. KU officials say the changes will improve sight-lines for fans in the upper levels and say they were also necessary to comply with federal ADA accessibility requirements. KU Athletics says they plan to have most of the construction done by the annual Late Night in the Phog event on October 18th.
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Group Seeks to Boost Mental Health Services & Awareness in Clay County
UNDATED (KNS) – A nonprofit organization in Clay County, Kansas, wants to help its local agricultural community better deal with stress and depression. The Kansas News Service reports that financial uncertainty and isolation contribute to increased stress on farmers. The Clay Counts Coalition aims to increase awareness of mental health services for farmers. Other counties and groups have launched similar programs across the state. The organization credits a speech by Izzy Blackwood, a high school senior in Clay County, as the inspiration for the new program. Blackwood says her farming family was devastated when her oldest brother died by suicide. She says she made it her personal mission to raise awareness. “All the men in my life are in the ag community… I didn’t want to lose another man in my family,” she added. Research shows male farmers in the state are three times more likely to die by suicide than other male workers.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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Free Cook-out and School Supplies Give-Away Planned in Lawrence
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) – Community activists in Lawrence will be handing out free school supplies, free food and snow cones for local young people at a Back-To-School Cookout on Saturday. The Lawrence Times reports that the event will be hosted by StopGap Inc., a grassroots nonprofit that aims to empower youth aging out of foster care and who are at risk of homelessness. Attendees will be offered hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and beverages, along with school supplies including backpacks, water bottles, notebooks, binders, craft supplies and more. The cookout is open to all ages, with a focus on providing resources to local youth. It’s set for noon to 5 pm Saturday, August 3 at East Lawrence Recreation Center.
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KU Students Dig Up Baby Dinosaur
MONTANA (KSNT) - A group of researchers and students from the University of Kansas is in Montana this summer, digging up something rare: the skeleton of a baby Tyrannosaurus rex. The dig site is located about 40 miles north of the town of Jordan, Montana. The excavation began in 2016, after a student discovered a bone. KSNT reports that the bone was sent to KU for analysis, at which point it was found that it belonged to a juvenile T. rex, an incredibly rare find. (Read more in the Lawrence Journal-World.)
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Paola Man Places 5th in Paris Olympics Trapshooting Competition
PARIS (KPR) – Derrick Mein of Paola, Kansas, made the final round of the men's trapshooting competition Tuesday at the Paris Olympics, but finished without a medal in fifth place. Mein worked his way from a six-way tie to reach the final round. Nathan Hales of Great Britain won the gold.
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U.S. Men's Soccer Advances to Paris Olympics Quarterfinal Round
SAINT-ETIENNE, France (KPR) – The U.S. men's soccer team has advanced to the quarterfinal knockout stage at the Paris Olympics, 3-0 over Guinea. But former Sporting Kansas City forward Gianluca Busio sat out the match with a leg injury. In the 4-1 victory over New Zealand last Saturday, Busio scored one of the four goals for the U.S. It's possible he can be re-inserted into the lineup for the Americans' next match this Friday, against Morocco.
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