Report: Thousands of Kansans, Missourians at Risk from Significant Wildfires
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) — A new report shows hundreds of thousands of Kansas and Missouri residents live in areas with significant wildfire risk. More than 600,000 people live in parts of Kansas where wildfire poses a particular risk to homes. More than 100,000 people in Missouri face that same risk. That’s according to the environmental group Climate Central. Human activities increase fire risks. For example, by allowing juniper woodlands to spread on the Great Plains, which can lead to taller flames that spread faster. Climate change also brings more days with weather conducive to wildfire. In recent decades, major wildfires have become more common on the Great Plains.
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Overland Park Apartment Residents Lose Homes to Fire
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Tenants from 16 apartment units in Overland Park are now looking for a new place to stay after fire ravaged their homes. No one was hurt at the London Square Apartments when a fire broke out early Sunday morning, but tenants from 16 units have had to move out due to fire and water damage. KMBC TV reports that firefighters went inside to rescue one person and then spent the next hour extinguishing the fire. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
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Kansas Senators Advance Governor's Pick to Lead Office of the Child Advocate
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas senators on Monday advanced Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s pick to lead the new Office of the Child Advocate. The Kansas News Service reports that Kerrie Lonard is a family law attorney who worked with the nonprofit Kansas Legal Services for 14 years. She also previously worked as a case manager and a school social worker. Lonard has been the acting child advocate since 2021, when the position was first being developed. “I’m proud of the foundational framework that we’ve built over the last couple of years and would be honored to continue to carry that torch,” she said. The Office of the Child Advocate investigates complaints of abuse toward children in state custody. Supporters say it promotes transparency and accountability in the state’s child welfare system. If Lonard’s appointment is confirmed by the full Kansas Senate, she’ll serve a four-year term.
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So, What the Heck is "Corn Sweat"?
UNDATED (HPM) — There’s an intriguing term that’s been making headlines in recent weeks - corn sweat. It describes how corn and other plants can contribute to humidity. Corn sweats, or releases moisture, earlier in its growing season. By this time of year, it’s not doing that as much. Harvest Public Media (HPM) reports that a lot of the humidity we feel in the Midwest often moves in from somewhere else, like the Gulf of Mexico. But Trent Ford, the state climatologist for Illinois, says climate change is also increasing humidity in our region. “What climate change is doing, first and foremost, is... it's increasing our temperature, kind of the background air temperature during the summer time, as well as all other seasons across the Midwest," he said. Ford says warmer air can hold more water, which allows for more humidity than we felt 30 or 40 years ago across the Great Plains.
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Report: Kansans Living in Areas with More Nurses Have Better Health Outcomes
UNDATED (KNS) – A new report by the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center at KU finds that Kansans are healthier and live longer when they reside in areas with higher concentrations of nurses. But the Kansas News Service reports that the state’s nursing shortage persists. The shortages are worse in rural Kansas and in certain specialties, like maternity and long-term care. And they could soon get worse — between 20 and 30% of Kansas nurses plan to retire within the next five years. But co-author Amy Garcia says the report identified why some Kansas nurses leave their jobs. Three quarters of unemployed registered nurses in the state say they’re not working due to family responsibilities. That’s much higher than the national average. “That suggests to us that answers as simple as strengthening child care around health care systems … could allow nurses who are staying out of the workforce to care for family to go back to work,” Garcia adds.
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Person Arrested at Kansas State Fair for Brandishing Firearm While Intoxicated
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KPR) — One man was arrested at the Kansas State Fair over the weekend for allegedly brandishing a gun. KSNW TV reports that Kansas Highway Patrol troopers responded to the fairgrounds and arrested a man on suspicion being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing that firearm while intoxicated. Thousands of people showed up for the first weekend of the fair. Officials are hoping to attract 350,000 this year. The 10-day Kansas State Fair kicked off Friday and runs through the 15th in Hutchinson.
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Crimes Against Postal Workers on the Rise in KC and Nationwide
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — Crimes against postal workers are on the rise in Kansas City. KMBC TV reports there's been a surge in attacks on postal employees and incidents involving damage to mailboxes in the Kansas City area this summer. Nationwide, the number of letter carrier robberies increased to 643 last year. Theft from mailboxes has also risen.
The National Postal Police Officers Association (NPPOA) is sounding the alarm, claiming that the Postal Service has reduced its enforcement efforts by removing uniformed postal police officers from mail routes nationwide. The association argues that this reduction has resulted in a dramatic rise in mail theft and violence against letter carriers. The Kansas City Metro hasn't had uniformed postal officers in at least 20 years, although the association says such officers can be deployed anywhere in the country if available. The NPPOA is urging the U.S. Postal Service to reinstate uniformed officers to address the escalating crimes and ensure the safety of both mail and postal workers.
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Flags Will Be Flown at Half-Staff Across Kansas Wednesday
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has directed flags across the state to be lowered to half-staff from sunup to sundown Wednesday to honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Wednesday marks the 23rd anniversary of those attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more.
The governor also said she wants everyone to remember "the bravery and courage of our nation’s first responders." More than 400 first responders - firefighters, police officers, EMTs and others - were killed in the attacks.
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Manhattan Car Dealership Will Reward One Lucky Student with a Car for Perfect School Attendance
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KSNT) — This Thursday, one lucky student at Manhattan High School will drive away with a free, 2016 Kia SOUL. For more than 20 years, Briggs Automotive has sponsored a program at Manhattan High that rewards students with perfect attendance - giving them a chance to win a free car. This year, 30 students with perfect attendance are entered in the random drawing. KSNT reports this year's giveaway will take place Thursday night at the home opener football game against Lawrence Free State. The giveaway will take place just before kickoff at 6:30 pm.
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New Kansas City Bar to Open, Showcasing Women's Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — Missouri will get its very first bar dedicated solely to women’s sports, in downtown Kansas City. The new bar is joining a wave of pubs devoted to women’s athletics opening in the last few years. "The Dub" is named for the phrase “getting the W” or getting the win. Co-founders Rachel Glenn and Monica Brady will open the bar in a spot near downtown Kansas City’s central library. Glenn says they want to help introduce people to sports they don’t follow yet. “Come to our bar and we’ll teach you some 101s so that you can engage, or you can be around other people that are learning, just to build some community around those sports as well." Glenn and Brady hope to open The Dub before the end of the year.
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Shortage of Referees in Kansas Forcing Schools to Change Game Schedules
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Kansas has been dealing with a shortage of referees for high school sports for several years and the situation does not seem to be improving. KSNW TV reports that schools across the state are having to pivot their games from Friday night lights to Thursday night due to the shortage. According to officials with the Kansas State High School Activities Association, the problem has continued to get worse for both rural and urban schools.
Anyone who would like to learn how to become a sports official can contact the KSHSAA.
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Royals Beat Twins 2-0, Move to 2nd Place in AL Central Division
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — The Kansas City Royals beat the Twins 2-0 Sunday. KC is just 2.5 games back in the AL Central Division. Next up: The Royals take on the Yankees Monday night in New York for the first in a three-game series.
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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).