Air Quality Alert Issued for KC Metro
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - An Air Quality Alert has been issued for the Kansas City Metro area. The Mid-America Regional Council, which issued the alert, says the primary pollutant Tuesday is ozone. When pollution levels are elevated, people are encouraged to limit strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include: the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems, like asthma or heart disease.
Experts also advise residents to avoid filling up gas-powered engines and avoid mowing lawns if at all possible.
==========
Body Found in Crashed Truck Confirmed as that of Man Missing from Peabody
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) — A dead body found inside a wrecked truck has been confirmed as that of 42-year-old Jonathan Clayton, the interim city clerk in Peabody, who's been missing since August 3rd. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a Chevy truck registered to Clayton was discovered crashed in a field Sunday afternoon in Harvey County. Investigators believe the truck was driven off the road, where it crashed into a tree. Christopher King, Clayton's partner and a member of the Peabody City Council, told the Wichita Eagle on Monday that Clayton was identified from the contents of his wallet and items found with him. The Kansas City Star reports that it appears Clayton had crashed on the day he went missing, and had been in the truck for three weeks.
Around the time Clayton went missing, questions were being raised about the whereabouts of $750,000 in grant money. Clayton once worked for the Kansas Department of Commerce where he was in charge of millions of dollars in COVID pandemic aid. Previously, he had been convicted of forgery and fraud in Pennsylvania. The Commerce Department said it was unaware of Clayton's felony conviction before hiring him.
===========
Kansas Health Officials Continue to Monitor Tuberculosis Outbreak in KC Metro
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas health officials are monitoring a tuberculosis outbreak confirmed in the Kansas City area. The Kansas News Service reports that 56 people in Wyandotte and Johnson counties are being treated for tuberculosis. That’s more cases than the whole state saw last year. Plus, another 19 people are being treated in other Kansas counties. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says the public is at very low risk of infection, but if you think you’ve been exposed, contact your county health department. TB spreads through the air, for example, when a sick person coughs. State and county health officials are working to ensure patients get appropriate treatment. Two people have died of TB this year in Kansas.
Dana Hawkinson, the chief infectious disease expert for the University of Kansas Health System, says an outbreak often comes down to community dynamics. "What are the living situations in those communities? Is it multi-generational? What are they doing as a community to be close together. I think you have to understand all of those dynamics," he clarified. Hawkinson says the outbreak doesn’t represent a major risk to the general public despite the comparatively large number of cases.
==========
Study Shows Kansas Has Improved Mental Health Services in Last 12 Months
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – A recent study indicates Kansas has made significant improvements to its mental health services in the past year. The Kansas News Service reports that the newest study from Mental Health America ranks Kansas 22nd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Just last year, the state ranked last for mental health services. Andy Brown works for the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. He says the state should feel good about improvements it’s made, adding “...that’s, I think, reflective of the amount of work and progress that was made in previous legislative sessions on mental health issues, and enacting things from the mental health task force report.” But the study says Kansas can still improve in some areas. The state ranked toward the bottom of the pack when it comes to the number of uninsured adults with mental illness.
==========
Dodge City Secures Multi-Million Dollar Federal Grant for Water Infrastructure Update
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Kansans in Dodge City will soon have safer and more reliable drinking water. The Kansas News Service reports that the city has secured a $14.2 million federal grant for a major infrastructure update. The extra funding from the Build Kansas Matching Fund will help Dodge City update its water infrastructure, which can be costly. In rural parts of Kansas, many homes are stuck with old lead pipes, and outdated water treatment centers. The money will also support a project to pump recycled wastewater back into the Arkansas River, slowly recharging the underground aquifer where the water comes from. Officials say the completed project will result in 1.3 billion gallons of recycled water and higher-quality drinking water.
==========
Wichita Approves Plan to Rebuild & Restructure Schools
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Wichita school leaders have unanimously approved a plan that would rebuild and restructure schools. The Kansas News Service reports that the facilities master plan calls for $450 million dollars in upgrades, including five new elementary schools and two middle schools. It would close nine buildings. Board members will decide in two weeks whether to ask voters for a bond issue to fund it. Facilities director Luke Newman says the plan would make the district more efficient by reducing its overall footprint. "Hate to say it, but more closures are inevitable. This plan positions us for more sustained, future-ready success by providing new and innovative spaces for our kids to learn," Newman added. Wichita’s enrollment has declined by more than 8% over the past seven years, and consultants say schools need more than $1.2 billion in repairs and maintenance.
==========
Yikes! Tarantulas on the Move in Kansas
UNDATED (USA TODAY/KSNT) - Tarantulas in Kansas? Apparently so. And, they are on the move this time of year. Late August to October is mating season for the North American tarantula. While mating season just ended in Texas, USA TODAY reports that it's just now beginning in Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.
According to KSNT, spider experts at Kansas State University say tarantulas aren't very common in northeast Kansas but can be seen in greater numbers south of Wichita and west of Salina.
Tarantulas are typically very shy and are not dangerous, though they can bite if provoked and they can flick hairy barbs at people or pets to frighten them away. K-State entomologists say people should just leave them alone.
Seeing the tarantulas on the move has become such a big deal in Colorado that there's even a "Tarantula Fest" held in La Junta, scheduled for September 27 and 28th.
==========
Nature Conservancy Praises Quivira Refuge Water-Sharing Agreement
UNDATED (KNS) – An environmental group is cheering efforts to share water with wetlands near Hutchinson, a break from some other groups. The Kansas News Service reports that under Kansas law, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge has a right to water, but crop irrigation means it doesn’t get enough. Farmers want to avoid a state mandate, so they worked this year to show voluntary progress on using less water. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service runs the refuge. It says the situation improved more than expected. The Nature Conservancy praised the news. It works with landowners and says more efficient irrigation is part of the solution. But Audubon of Kansas says voluntary efforts have failed for decades. It wants the state to secure water for Quivira.
(–Earlier reporting–)
Conservationists Not Happy with Decision on Wildlife Refuge
STAFFORD COUNTY, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas political leaders support a federal decision not to demand water for an important wildlife refuge in south-central Kansas. But conservationists are frustrated. Under Kansas law, the wetlands at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge have a right to more water. But farmers use that water to irrigate crops. For now, the federal government won’t ask Kansas to seek irrigation cuts. Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall said he’s optimistic that a mandate isn’t necessary and that farmers are working on their own to use less water. But Audubon of Kansas says this voluntary approach has failed for decades. Some years, the wetlands are almost entirely dry, hurting wildlife. Hundreds of thousands of migrating birds stop there each fall and spring.
==========
This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers. Our headlines are generally published by 10 am weekdays and are updated through 7 pm. This ad-free news summary is made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on X (formerly Twitter).