Kansas Secretary of State Seeks Answers from USPS on Uncounted Mail-In Ballots
UNDATED (KNS) – The top election official in Kansas is requesting answers from the U.S. Postal Service after about 1000 mail-in ballots were not counted in the state’s primary elections. The Kansas News Service reports that Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab says the Postal Service failed to postmark ballots or delivered them too late to be counted. Davis Hammet, president of voting rights group Loud Light, says he’s worried about uncounted ballots, but also about how this public confrontation could influence voters. “My biggest concern about this is that this being such a public thing could lead to people being more hesitant to vote by mail who maybe really need to vote by mail,” Hammet explained. Schwab is seeking reassurance that the issues will be fixed by the November election.
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Number of Kansans Receiving TANF Assistance Drops to Nearly 15-Year Low
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – The number of Kansans receiving cash assistance from a federal program for families in need is the lowest it’s been in nearly 15 years. The Kansas News Service reports that since 2009, Kansas has seen a nearly 80% decrease in the number of households getting monthly aid through TANF, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. State auditors say stricter eligibility requirements passed under Republican former Governor Sam Brownback played a role in that decrease. Sam Dadds of the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit explained that "...the research we reviewed suggested that TANF rules, like those in Kansas, lead to mostly negative program outcomes for TANF families.” Dadds also says the federal government hasn’t adjusted the amount of money Kansas gets through TANF since the program was created more than 25 years ago.
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Missouri Ballot Measure Could Relieve Pressure on Kansas Women's Clinics
UNDATED (KNS) – Analysts say a Missouri ballot measure that could undo the state’s strict abortion ban could relieve some demand at Kansas clinics. The Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, estimates nearly 3,000 Missourians traveled to Kansas for abortions last year. State policy director Candace Gibson told the Kansas News Service that if Missouri enshrines abortion rights, it could make it easier for Kansans to get appointments locally. “It would definitely allow another access point and reduce some of the pressure that I think a lot of clinics and providers are facing right now,” Gibson explained. Kansas law allows abortion up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. The Missouri measure, if passed, would allow abortions up to around 24 weeks. Abortion rights opponents are denouncing a Tuesday decision by the Missouri Supreme Court to allow voters to consider the measure in November.
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Trial Date Set for KC Super Bowl Parade Shooting Suspect
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – The man accused of firing the shot that killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan at the Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade will stand trial in 2026. KCUR reports that Dominic Miller is the last of the three adults charged with second-degree murder to have his trial date set. Terry Young will stand trial in March of next year, and Lyndell Mays will follow that September. All three men also face felony charges for unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. They are each being held on one million dollars bond. Lopez-Galvan was the only fatality in the February parade shooting, but at least 24 people were injured by gunfire. Many are still grappling with the shooting’s long-term physical and mental effects.
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OSHA Boosting Efforts to Prevent Suicide Among Construction Workers
UNDATED (KNS) – September is suicide prevention month, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is boosting efforts to help prevent suicide among construction workers. Todd Underwood is the OSHA area director in Wichita. He told the Kansas News Service that he and other OSHA workers are visiting workplaces and labor unions across Kansas to speak on mental health and suicide prevention. “We wanna normalize this conversation. And just like the mental health professionals want to destigmatize talking about mental health, we feel the same,” Underwood explained. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows construction work has the second highest suicide rate among major-industry occupations, after mining. If you or someone you know is struggling, dial 988 to be connected with the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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New Kansas Law Requires Proof That Extra Funding Helps Struggling Students
UNDATED (KNS) – A new state law requires Kansas school districts to prove that extra funding for struggling students is making a difference for those children. State education leaders say they will start fulfilling the new requirements this year with 13 trial districts. But they already see problems with tracking progress the way lawmakers want. Deputy Education Commissioner Frank Harwood told the Kansas News Service that the law requires schools to track groups of 10 or more students, which is a challenge for many rural districts. “We have several districts that don’t have 10 third-graders, let alone 10 free-lunch third-graders. Just the logistics of how some of that will work out will have to be worked out in the pilot,” he explained. Conservative lawmakers pushed for the change because they say some districts misuse money set aside for at-risk students. Under the new law, districts that don’t meet test-score goals could lose some state funding.
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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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KU Professor Says Trees are Transforming the Great Plains
UNDATED (KCUR) – A University of Kansas professor says trees are invading the Sunflower State - and dramatically transforming the Great Plains. KU ecologist Town Peterson says the dust bowl, mass extinction of the bison, and rapid expansion of mechanized agriculture all played a role in what scientists call “the afforestation process.” Peterson says that “...the contrast is night and day. We now have trees across the whole landscape.” He came to his findings after retracing the steps of 19th-Century railroad photographer Robert Benecke and doing something called “repeat photography.” Peterson expects human impact on the Kansas plains to continue for at least the next 30 to 40 years.
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Flags Flying at Half-Staff in Remembrance of 9/11 Terrorist Attack Victims
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Flags are flying at half-staff across Kansas and the rest of the nation in honor of 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.
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Missouri Supreme Court Rules Abortion Legalization Amendment Will Appear on November Ballot
UNDATED (St. Louis Public Radio) – Missourians will vote on whether to legalize abortion this November. St. Louis Public Radio reports that the Missouri Supreme Court said Amendment 3 will be on the November 5th ballot. The Missouri Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision taking Amendment 3 off the ballot, because it did not specify which laws it could repeal. It ordered that Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft certify to local election officials that the measure will be before voters on November 5. Amendment proponents raised millions of dollars and polling showed that the measure would pass — even gaining support from a significant minority of Republicans. The court also said that Ashcroft’s effort to decertify Amendment 3 on Monday “is a nullity and of no effect” since he certified the measure by an August deadline.
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Wichita School Board Votes to Put Bond Issue on Ballot in 2025
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – The Wichita school board voted Monday night to put a $450 million bond issue on the ballot. The Kansas News Service reports that board members voted 6-1 to put the bond issue to a vote on February 25th. It will be the district's first bond election in about 17 years. Plans call for building several new schools and closing about a dozen aging buildings. Leaders say "newer and fewer" facilities will reduce the district's overall footprint and make it more efficient in the long run. Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld says the bond issue is a worthwhile investment because schools are crucial to the overall community. "Our kids deserve this. Our kids are worth it. Our kids are deserving of great facilities, just like every other kid is," he added. Board member Kathy Bond voted against the plan. It would not increase the current bond tax rate, but it would extend the existing tax for another two decades.
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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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