Report: 63% of Rural Kansas Hospitals at Risk of Closing
UNDATED (KSNT) – Kansas has seen eight hospitals close since 2015. Now, more than 90 hospitals in the Sunflower State are at risk of closing. The Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (CHQPR) keeps track of rural hospitals that are in danger of closing. KSNT reports that Kansas makes up 8% of the nation’s at-risk rural hospitals.
The last hospital to close down was in Herington last October. Residents in that area now need to travel more than 20 miles to receive emergency care. The Kansas Hospital Association says expanding Medicaid would help many rural hospitals survive. Governor Laura Kelly has also pushed Medicaid expansion as a way to help rural hospitals. So far, state lawmakers have refused.
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New COVID Vaccine Expected to Become Available as Soon as Next Week
UNDATED (KCUR) – People could get access to a new COVID vaccine as early as next week. KCUR reports that the FDA is recommending the new vaccine for anyone 6 months or older. The new shot is meant to target the KP.2 strain of the virus, which is thought to have fueled this summer’s surge in cases. Many pharmacies are offering appointments on a walk-in basis, but you can also schedule appointments online with large retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. People insured by Medicare, Medicaid and many private plans can receive the shot for free but may be charged a fee depending on where they get it. Federally qualified health centers, like KC CARE, can give the shot for free to uninsured and underinsured residents.
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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 the improvements. "Progress was made in previous legislative sessions on mental health issues, enacting things from the mental health task force report," he said. The study says Kansas can still improve in some areas. Kansas ranked toward the bottom of the pack when it comes to the number of uninsured adults with mental illness.
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Evictions Trend Higher in Wichita for Third Straight Year
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - Evictions are up in the Wichita area! Eviction filings in Sedgwick County have risen every year since hitting a low in 2020. Last year, about 5,800 evictions were filed in Sedgwick County -- a five-year high. Nonprofits working in rental and eviction assistance say rising rents in Wichita could be one cause. According to a local commercial real estate firm, rents in Wichita multifamily apartments increased 10% from 2022 to 2023. That's a 10-year high. Tisha Neloms is the housing coordinator for the Urban League of Kansas. She said, "There was an individual that I was talking to that was kind of homeless, sleeping in their car. And they said that their rent just kept going up, and it went up one last time to where they just couldn't pay their rent." Some landlords say inflation also contributed to the growing evictions, with higher prices for groceries and gas leaving tenants less money for rent. (Read more.)
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Labor Day 2024 Could Be One of the Busiest Travel Weekends Ever
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Lower prices for airline tickets and gas could make this one of the busiest Labor Day travel weekends ever. The Kansas News Service reports that TSA officials expect to screen more than 17 million people over the holiday weekend, as Labor Day caps what has been a record-breaking summer for air travel. Lots of people will hit the road as well. The average gas price in Kansas is $3.06 a gallon, which is 51 cents lower than this time last year. Shawn Steward of AAA Kansas says travel has rebounded since the pandemic. “Most people couldn’t travel or chose not to travel during COVID, so I think there is still some pent-up demand. People love to travel,” he explained. Forecasters say drivers should avoid the afternoon and early evening hours on Thursday, Friday and Monday, as those times will be the most congested.
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KHP: Dozens of Drivers Ticketed for Driving 100+ MPH
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) - The Kansas Highway Patrol has been sharing photos online of numerous speeding tickets given to motorists for driving more than 100 miles-per-hour. One motorist was ticketed for going 120 MPH in a 75 MPH zone on I-70 in northeast Kansas. The fine for that ticket - before court costs - is $420. KSNW TV reports that on Monday night, a driver with an open container of alcohol was pulled over in Franklin County for driving 115 MPH. Another driver was recently cited for going 102 MPH in a construction zone. That ticket will likely cost the driver more than $1,000.
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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, which holds one of the area's most senior water rights.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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KU to Open Football Season at Children's Mercy Park
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) – The University of Kansas Jayhawks open their football season Thursday night in an unfamiliar place, Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. KCUR reports that KU will play its first two home games at Children’s Mercy Park while a 450-million-dollar renovation of Memorial Stadium on campus continues. The first game is against Lindenwood University from St. Charles, Missouri. Playing at Children’s Mercy Park will cost KU $250,000 a game in rent and operation expenses, according to the contract obtained with the Kansas Open Records Act. Sporting KC will retain all food and parking revenue and KU will pay for any damage to the field. The rest of KU’s home games will be played at Arrowhead. KU has yet to fulfill that open records request.
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Guardians Defeat Royals to Reclaim First Place in AL Central
CLEVELAND (KPR) – The Kansas City Royals lost Wednesday to the Cleveland Guardians, 7 to 5. That means the Guardians now have sole possession of first place in the American League Central Division. The loss snapped Kansas City's seven-game road winning streak, but their three wins in this series clinched the season tiebreaker over the Guardians. The Royals now travel to Houston for a four-game series against the American League West-leading Astros.
(–Earlier reporting–)
Royals Now in 1st Place in AL Central Division... for Now
CLEVELAND (KPR) - The Kansas City Royals moved into a tie with the Guardians for the American League Central lead with a 6-1 win Tuesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland. And by clinching the season series -- 7-2 with four more games to play -- Kansas City also owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Guardians had held a lead in the division since April 13. As recently as June 25, the Royals were 10 games out of first place. The Royals and Guardians play again Wednesday afternoon.
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