Thousands Lose Power in Kansas, Missouri as Storms Rolled Through Wednesday Night
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — Thousands of people lost power late Wednesday night and into early Thursday morning as severe thunderstorms rolled through the area. Utility company Evergy says outages from the severe storms overnight peaked at about 37,000 customers without power throughout its service area - with Topeka, Wichita, Newton and Leavenworth heavily affected. As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Evergy had restored power for 65% of the affected customers. As of 4 p.m., about 4,500 customers were without power with about 360 outage events. A statement at the Evergy outage map website reported that the Wichita, Topeka, Newton and Leavenworth areas saw the greatest number of power outages. Evergy crews from surrounding communities have arrived to these areas to assist with power restoration. Damage reports have included broken poles, downed wires and trees in powerlines. In Topeka, where winds caused extensive damage to the power grid, restoration for some customers is expected to take until Friday evening. In the town of Sedgwick, nearly two dozen poles are being replaced, and work to restore some customers will take until Friday. Customers in other areas are expected to be restored by Thursday night. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for northeast Kansas and western Missouri late Wednesday night and into early Thursday morning.
Get the latest on area outages from the Evergy Outage Map.
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Tornado Touches Down in Pottawatomie County
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Severe storms rolled across northeast and north-central Kansas Wednesday night - spawning at least one tornado. The National Weather Service says the twister touched down in far northwestern Pottawatomie County just before 7:30 pm in a field north/northeast of Olsburg. There were no reports of injury or damage. Meteorologist Matt Flanagan says the same storm system also prompted tornado warnings for southwestern Marshall and southeastern Washington counties.
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Emporia Cleans Up After Heavy Rains and Flash Flooding
EMPORIA, Kan. (KPR) — Residents and business owners in Emporia are still cleaning up after heavy rainfall and flash flooding this week. Six inches of rain fell in central Lyon County Tuesday morning and emergency officials performed a half-dozen water rescues.
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CDC: Kansas and Missouri Among States with "Very High" Levels of COVID-19 in Wastewater
UNDATED (KNS) – Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Kansas and Missouri are two of 27 states with, quote, “very high” levels of COVID-19 in wastewater. When a person has COVID, the virus can be detected in their waste even before they’re symptomatic. That’s why researchers across the nation monitor wastewater to determine how high COVID levels are in a community. The Kansas News Service reports that Marc Johnson, a professor at the University of Missouri, tracks COVID in Missouri wastewater. He says other forms of COVID testing, like the tests doctors or clinics administer, are happening less. Johnson says wastewater testing is a good indicator of how much COVID is going around. “What this probably means is, if you feel like you might have COVID, you probably have COVID. It’s there, it’s circulating. People are being exposed to it,” he explained. Johnson says levels still aren’t as high as they were during previous outbreaks, but they’re nearing the highest he’s seen in two years.
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Heat-Related Deaths Likely Higher than Statistics Indicate
UNDATED (HPM) – Heat is the deadliest climate-driven disaster in the U.S. Already in the Midwest and Great Plains, there have been several reports of heat-related deaths this year. According to Harvest Public Media, experts say many more people likely die of heat than the numbers show. Extreme heat can cause all kinds of life-threatening health effects. Some are explicitly related to high temperatures, like heat stroke. But something like a heart attack spurred by heat can be harder to track. Dr. Alok Sengupta is an emergency medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer at Mercy Hospital St. Louis. “If heat illness or heat exhaustion or heat stroke isn't listed as a cause, you're not going to know that that was a contributing factor. So it's definitely underreported,” Sengupta said. Even without a clear picture of the data, the National Weather Service says heat kills more people every year than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods.
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U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland Visits Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland was in Wichita Thursday to meet with federal, state and local law enforcement leaders. The meeting was part of a week-long tour for Garland, who’s meeting with law enforcement officials in several states. While in Wichita, Garland highlighted a national and local trend of decreasing violent crime and local Department of Justice initiatives, saying that “...we know that progress is uneven, and that in many communities, violent crime has not fallen. We also know that there is no level of violent crime that is acceptable.” Garland also highlighted a recent federal grant from the Justice Department to the state of Kansas to establish more sexual assault services programs.
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World Cup Fan Fest Announced in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — The World Cup organizers in Kansas City have announced that the National World War I Museum and Memorial will be the site of Fan Fest 2026. That’s when Kansas City and 15 other cities in North America will host the World Cup soccer tournament. It’s also where the Fan Fest for the 2023 NFL Draft took place. Kansas City Mayor Quentin Lucas says the World Cup site will be even better because of improved infrastructure. "This speaks to all the investment in this area over the years," he said. "You’ll have the streetcar open by then. You have lots of great new hotels, a resurgent downtown corridor. I don’t think it can be any more thrilling than what we’re talking about today." Lucas added that security details for the event are still being worked out with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Forty-eight teams from around the world will be competing in the World Cup in the months of June and July of 2026.
FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, requires each host city to run a free fan entertainment space during the World Cup. Further details about the World Cup Fan Fest in Kansas City have yet to be announced.
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Settlement Approved in Transgender Discrimination Lawsuit
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – A panel of Kansas lawmakers and the governor approved a settlement Thursday for a former state employee, who alleged discrimination based on their transgender identity. The Kansas News Service reports that William Dawes filed a discrimination claim against the Kansas Highway Patrol in January 2023. The lawsuit accused the agency of firing Dawes because of a gender transition. Attorneys for the Highway Patrol argued the agency terminated Dawes for failing to cooperate in a sexual misconduct investigation related to emails Dawes sent to a coworker. A District Judge ruled that argument was not enough to dismiss the discrimination case. The State Finance Council, a small group of Kansas lawmakers, unanimously voted to approve a settlement, but didn’t make the terms public.
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Kansas Lawmakers to Hold Marijuana Hearings
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Will Kansas ever legalize medical marijuana? Some say yes and now, state lawmakers say they'll hold at least two hearings on the issue this fall. The meetings will be held in October. Lawmakers formed the committee on medical marijuana after a federal proposal to reschedule the drug - which would lower criminal penalties and allow more medical research. The hearings will focus on how other states legalized cannabis and how a change to federal law could impact the state.
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Lack of Affordable Housing Could Be Behind Kansas Homelessness Increase
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) – A lack of affordable housing in Kansas may be driving an increase in homelessness. The Kansas News Service reports that a new study shows a nearly 7% increase of people experiencing homelessness in the state. An official count of people experiencing homelessness in Kansas grew by 179 people this year compared to 2023. The Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition report shows more than 2,800 people were homeless on a single night in January. The report counts both sheltered and unsheltered people. Eric Arganbright of the coalition says Kansas communities need more affordable and permanent housing options to end homelessness. “The problem is if we don't have the permanent housing to move folks out of the shelters, we're just keeping people on the streets,” he stressed. He says increases in rent and home prices are outpacing wage growth.
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Kansas Parents Less Insistent about College
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) — A new survey shows that Kansas parents are less insistent about their children going to college. Slightly more than half of Kansas parents say they hope their child attends a four-year college after high school graduation. That’s down from nearly 63% just five years ago. A growing percentage of parents said they’d be happy if their child went to a technical school or community college - or pursued a skilled trade. Kristin Brighton, director of HirePaths, which conducted the survey, says parents are concerned about the cost of higher education and seeing their kids rack up student debt. “After high school, their students have a buffet of options," she said. "All of them are possible paths to success. The kid and the family have to work together to choose what is the best path for them and their personal situation.” A larger percentage of parents support apprenticeships, saying they’re a good way to explore careers while making money. Parents' opinions of community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeships are on the rise. And State Board of Education member Jim Porter says schools are getting better at presenting a variety of options to students.
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UPDATE: KC Crash Kills 3, Seriously Injures 6
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — A third person has died in a crash in Kansas City that sent six other people to the hospital, including four children. Police say the crash happened Tuesday evening on Kansas City's east side. KCTV reports that one of the vehicles - driven by a 16-year-old - sped off after receiving a traffic citation, crashed into another car, and flipped over. Police later determined that the first vehicle was stolen. (Read more in the KC Star)
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Riley County Town Defrauded of $40,000
RILEY COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) — The town of Randolph, Kansas, says someone posing as a consulting group has defrauded the city out of $40,000. WIBW TV reports that officers filed a report of fraud with the Riley County Police Department this week. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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Bomb Squad Called to OP Shopping Area
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KC Star) — The police bomb squad was called to a shopping area in Overland Park Wednesday afternoon after suspected explosives were discovered at a thrift store. The Kansas City Star reports that the bomb disposal team arrived at the thrift store at Metcalf and West 103rd around noon, where employees found an artillery shell in a batch of donations. The shell was rendered safe and the all-clear was given about an hour later. No one was hurt and no businesses were evacuated.
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75,000 Kansas Kids Receiving Free Books
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/KSHB) — One year after launching the popular Imagination Library program statewide, 75,000 Kansas kids are receiving free books every month. Wednesday marked one year since Governor Laura Kelly designated "Imagination Library of Kansas" Day, in connection with a visit from Imagination Library founder and country music superstar Dolly Parton. The program distributes free books each month to kids from newborn to 5 years old. About 39% of Kansas kids are currently enrolled in the program. That's 43% more than were enrolled a year ago. Meanwhile, KSHB reports that Dolly Parton is coming to Kansas City later this month to celebrate the Imagination Library program in Missouri, where about 137,000 Missouri kids are enrolled.
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Manhattan Zoo Welcomes New Panda Cub
MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) — The Manhattan Sunset Zoo has welcomed a new resident. WIBW TV reports that the zoo has a new red panda cub, born July 14th. They've named the panda cub Suni after Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee. Zoo personnel are hand-rearing the cub after determining that she was not receiving proper care from her parents, Loofah and Simone. Red pandas are native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China and are classified as "endangered." Suni is currently behind the scenes and not viewable to the public at this time.
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Topeka Zoo Receives Major Gift
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — The Topeka Zoo has received what it is calling a "substantial lead gift" for the zoo's next master plan. KSNT reports that the gift comes from the Lumpkin Family Trust, a fund dedicated to the Grayson Goodwin Lumpkin Barn. In a press release, the zoo said the gift would allow the zoo to introduce new animals, create play areas, and offer new interactive learning opportunities focues on conservation and environmental stewardship. The Topeka Zoo did not reveal the amount of the donation, but said it would reveal more details about their plans in the coming months.
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Serial Killer Book - One of Two Selected to Represent Kansas
UNDATED (KPR) — Each year, the National Center for the Book comes up with a list of books representing each state. For Kansas... the book chosen involved a re-telling of the infamous Bender family of Labette County. Susan Jonusas is the author of "Hell's Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier." KPR's Kaye McIntyre spoke to her about her book involving the "Bloody Benders." (Learn more.)
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