Excessive Heat Causes Trouble in Kansas; Emergency Room Shut Down in Derby
DERBY, Kan. (KPR) - An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect until Wednesday evening for most of Kansas. The warning extends until Thursday evening for Allen, Anderson, Chase, Coffey, Greenwood, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson Counties. The heat is taking a toll on people, animals, crops and on health care. Wesley Medical Center in Derby was forced to close down its emergency room due to the failure of its air conditioning system, but re-opened at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
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Kansas Secretary of State: Don't Put Your Ballot in the Mail
TOPEKA, Kan. (KWCH/KPR) - Don't put your ballot in the mail... if you have another option. That's the word from Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab. Instead, he says voters should take their ballot to a drop box, vote early in-person... or just vote at the polls on Election Day. Schwab told KWCH TV that sometimes, ballots show up late when placed in the mail. The Primary Election is Tuesday, August 6th.
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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 KU 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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National Women's Law Center Alleges KU Health System Refused to Provide Emergency Abortion Care
UNDATED (KNS) – A lawsuit recently filed by the National Women’s Law Center alleges the University of Kansas Health System refused to give a patient an emergency abortion in August 2022. The Kansas News Service reports that Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri resident at the time, arrived at a KU emergency room miscarrying at nearly 18 weeks pregnant. Kenna Titus with the National Women’s Law Center says KU denied Farmer an emergency abortion and all other medical care. “They didn't give her antibiotics or pain medication, they just sent her home. And that caused her significant damage to her health long term,” she explained. The lawsuit claims the KU Health System violated state nondiscrimination laws and a federal law requiring hospitals to treat patients in emergency situations. The health system says in a statement that the care it provided to Farmer was "appropriate, nondiscriminatory and in compliance with all applicable law."
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Enforcement of Kansas Election Official Impersonation Law on Hold
UNDATED (KNS) – A 2021 Kansas law that made it a crime to impersonate election officials is on hold after the parties agreed to an injunction. Opponents have said the law is so broadly written that even holding voter registration drives could lead to criminal charges. The Kansas News Service reports that the agreement to block enforcement of the law comes two months after the state Supreme Court ruled it might violate free speech rights. Davis Hammet, president of Loud Light, a Kansas voting rights organization that challenged the policy, says “We’re very excited to get back in the field and register voters, but you know more importantly we're excited to get back to the work of trying to realize a full representative democracy in Kansas.” The injunction is temporary and the parties want the court to take up the matter again after the fall election.
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Man Pleads Guilty to "Straw Purchase" Charge in Connection with Super Bowl Parade Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – A 22-year-old Kansas City man pleaded guilty Wednesday to the illegal purchase of a firearm that was later used during the fatal Super Bowl parade rally. KCUR reports that Ronnel Dewayne Williams made the plea before a federal judge to one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a licensed firearms dealer. In what’s called a “straw purchase,” Williams admitted to saying he would use the weapon when in fact he planned on selling it to someone not old enough to buy guns. The firearm Williams bought was later found outside Union Station after the February 14th shooting that killed 43-year-old Lisa Lopez Galvan and injured 24 others. Williams could receive up to five years in prison without parole.
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KU Research Shows Flow of Federal COVID Funding Statewide
UNDATED (KNS) – University of Kansas researchers have published a new online tool that shows the flow of federal COVID funding into the state and how it’s being spent. The Kansas News Service reports that the public database shows dollars received by county and by spending categories such as child care, housing and economic revitalization. KU researcher Xan Webel says nearly two-thirds of the state’s funding went to the Paycheck Protection Program…and 99% of those loans were forgiven. “When we look at the dollars that were spent in Kansas, we’re really seeing these went to businesses, to really prop up our economy. And I think it’s what contributed to Kansas’s success in recovering so quickly,” he added. The database breaks down more than $11.5 billion in federal funding that has been spent in the state through March of this year. You can find it at ksdata.ku.edu.
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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 building 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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Audit Reveals Major Concerns with U.S. Postal Service
SHAWNEE, Kan. (KCTV) - An audit conducted by the Office of Inspector General has shown some major concerns for United States Postal Service operations in Kansas City. The audit reviewed the efficiency of operations at the Processing and Distribution Center in Kansas City, which handles mail for 4.4 million customers in both rural and urban areas. The report shows staffing to be an issue across the board in the greater Kansas City area. KCTV reached out to the USPS for further information but postal officials declined to comment.
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KC Man Jailed in Texas for Allegedly Robbing Topeka Bank
AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - A Kansas City man accused of robbing a bank in Topeka has been arrested in Texas. KFDA TV reports that Bruce Jensen was arrested Saturday in Amarillo. The FBI accuses him of robbing a Topeka bank on July 23rd, getting away with nearly $6,000. Jensen faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
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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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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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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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