Labor Day 2024 Could Be One of the Busiest Travel Weekends on Record
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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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 under-insured residents.
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National Democratic Group Putting Money into KC Metro Races
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KNS) – A national Democratic organization is throwing financial support behind 10 candidates for the Kansas Legislature. The Kanas News Service reports that the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is lending financial and media support to Democrats running in Johnson County and other suburban areas of Kansas. The organization has highlighted 180 candidates and raised $60 million for state-level candidates nationwide. Kansas Senate Minority Leader Democrat Dinah Sykes hopes that support could help give her party a real seat at the table. “I can count. And so when you have 11 seats out of 40, you are not necessary to pass legislation,” she said. Republican leaders have criticized the amount of money coming from outside the state to support Democrats in Kansas.
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Atchison Woman Charged with Murder After Toddler Dies Following Police Chase
ATCHISON, Kan. (KCTV) - An Atchison woman is charged with murder and a number of other crimes connected to a deadly police chase that killed a 1-year-old boy. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 28-year-old Maria Papalas was speeding Sunday evening while trying to outrun a sheriff's deputy. About five miles south of Atchison, she apparently lost control of her car. The vehicle rolled several times, leading to the death of a 1-year-old boy inside the car. KCTV reports that Papalas is facing numerous charges, including drug possession, driving under the influence and reckless driving. Papalas made her first appearance in court Tuesday. She's scheduled to be back in an Atchison courtroom September 6.
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Man Who Escaped Lansing Prison in Dog Crate Dies in Prison
TOPEKA, Kan. (KMBC) - A Kansas man who once escaped from Lansing prison in a dog crate has died in prison. KMBC TV reports that John Manard died over the weekend while incarcerated out of state. The cause of his death is unknown. Manard was serving time for murder related to a 1996 fatal carjacking in Overland Park. Toby Young, now known as Toby Dorr, helped Manard escape from Lansing prison in February 2006. Toby Dorr met Manard while running a dog rescue program at Lansing prison and smuggled him out in a dog crate. Both were later caught hiding in a remote cabin in Tennessee. Dorr pleaded guilty to helping Manard escape and served two years in prison. The case received national attention at the time and was later highlighted in an episode of NBC's Dateline program.
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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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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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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 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 Astros. The first game begins at 7 pm Thursday.
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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).