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Headlines for Thursday, October 3, 2024

A graphic representation of eight radios of various vintages, underneath the words "Kansas Public Radio News Summary"
Emily DeMarchi
/
KPR

Kansas Slated to Receive More $500 Million in Federal Funding for Infrastructure Projects

TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) – The state of Kansas is receiving more than a half billion dollars from the federal government to spend on infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that it has allocated $585 million for infrastructure in Kansas for fiscal year 2025. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that the money is part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Kansas Department of Transportation says the funding is earmarked for eleven projects around the state including highway and bridge Improvements and repairs, railroad crossing improvements, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Governor Laura Kelly released a statement praising the federal funds allocation. "Kansas' transportation infrastructure is critical to attracting businesses and growing our economy and communities," Kelly said. "We appreciate this investment, which will ensure we have the resources needed to improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our roads, bridges, and highways."

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KCC Approves Settlement Agreement in Kansas Gas Service Rate Proposal

TOPEKA, Kan. (Junction City Post) – The Kansas Corporation Commission has approved a settlement agreement in the Kansas Gas Service rate case. The Junction City Post reports that the agreement reduces the $58.1 million net revenue increase sought by KGS to $35 million. Residential customers with average usage will see an increase of approximately $3.83 per month or $46.02 per year. The new rates take effect on November 1.

The company withdrew its proposal for implementing two different rate structures based on high or low usage. KGS also withdrew a proposal for implementing a new rate-making mechanism to annually adjust rates.

Click here to see the KCC's order in the settlement.

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Experts Say Lack of New Housing Driving Up Prices in Kansas

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) – The construction of new homes in Kansas is rising, but it is still far behind the pace 20 years ago. The Kansas News Service reports that the lack of new homes is driving up costs and has created a housing shortage. A new forecast by Wichita State University shows the average home sale price in Kansas has risen to $300,000. That’s nearly $40,000 more than the average cost of a home in 2021. Data shows the construction of new homes dropped significantly as a result of the 2008 housing crisis. Stan Longhofer is the director of Wichita State’s Center for Real Estate. He says building affordable homes that would fill that gap is too expensive, adding that "...we're still not building enough, but it's hard to build at that middle market price.” Longhofer says it could take years before the housing shortage is resolved.

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EEOC Suing Kansas Fast Food Franchise Operator Over Sexual Harassment Allegations

UNDATED (KNS) – A federal agency is suing a Kansas fast food company after complaints of sexual harassment at Burger King restaurants. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says supervisors at Burger Kings in Wichita and Lawrence repeatedly made unwanted sexual advances targeting women employees, including teenagers. Genesh Inc., the Lenexa-based operator of the restaurants, did not respond to calls requesting comment. Joshua Pierson is an attorney for the federal agency. He told the Kansas News Service that he hopes the legal action will prompt other employers to do more to combat harassment. “The fact that it involves this sort of repeated conduct, the fact that it involves minor employees, all of that makes the case particularly important in my mind,” Pierson said. Last year, the EEOC received over 7,000 charges of workplace sexual harassment nationwide — the most in over a decade.

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Olathe School District Sounds Alarm About Chronic Absenteeism

OLATHE, Kan. (Johnson County Post) - Johnson County’s largest public school district is raising concerns about a large number of students who are chronically absent. Olathe Public Schools defines chronically absent students as those who miss at least 10% of school days for any reason that’s not school-related. The Johnson County Post reports that so far this school year, the district says more than 3,300 students have been chronically absent. That’s nearly 12% of the student population. There are a variety of reasons why some students miss so much class, from long-term health concerns to trouble finding transportation. Officials say the issue has only gotten worse in the years since the pandemic began, and Olathe now outpaces state averages. The district says it’s working on a messaging program to stress the importance of attending class

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Kansas Rescue Workers Move from Florida to North Carolina to Help after Hurricane Helene

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Kansas Task Force 1, the swift-water search and rescue team that deployed to Florida on September 24 is now in North Carolina to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene there. KCTV reports that the Kansas team is conducting searches and rescues in flooded areas, providing basic medical care and carrying people and pets to dry land. Kansas Task Force 1 is made up of personnel from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Derby Fire Department, the Junction City Fire Department, the Manhattan Fire Department, Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center, the Olathe Fire Department, Sedgwick County Fire District 1, and the Wichita Fire Department.

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Kansas Tax Collections Exceed Estimates in September

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – September marks the fourth month in a row that Kansas tax collections came in above estimates. The Kansas News Service reports that officials say Kansas brought in more than $1 billion in tax revenue last month. That's about $8 million higher than predicted. The state’s also doing better compared to this time last year. That extra revenue mostly stems from individual income and sales taxes. Corporate income tax collections, on the other hand, were more than 20% lower than expected. Monthly tax collections have been about 2 to 3 percent above estimates since June. Overall, the state retains a healthy budget surplus, and lawmakers are expected to pursue more tax cuts next year.

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Student Enrollment Up 4% Across State Public Higher Education System

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday announced a 4% increase in student enrollment across the entire state public higher education system. WIBW reports that public universities, community colleges, and technical colleges all saw growth in individual enrollments and full-time equivalent enrollment. The University of Kansas's overall enrollment grew by 5.6%, the highest in the school's 159-year history. Emporia State's overall enrollment decreased by 2.2%, but saw a 16% increase in incoming freshmen, transfer students, and graduate students. Kansas State University's overall enrollment increased by 2.8%.

Click here to see a more detailed breakdown of enrollment numbers for the state's public universities and colleges.

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UPDATE: Dockworkers' Strike on Hold with Tentative Agreement

The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance have reached a tentative agreement on wages and have agreed to extend their contract until January 15, 2025 to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues. For more information, visit ILAUnion.org.

(–Earlier reporting–)

Dockworkers' Strike Could Affect Grocery Prices and Grain Exports

UNDATED (HPM) – Dockworkers at ports on the east coast and Gulf of Mexico went on strike earlier this week over wages and automation. Harvest Public Media reports the ripple effects could impact grocery stores and grain exports. The striking longshoremen handle goods moved in shipping containers, including perishables, like fruits and vegetables. Chad Hart, an economist with Iowa State University Extension, says “...every banana you eat was imported from somewhere. And so if we can't move those containers, we're likely going to run out of Bananas sometime soon.” Hart says the effects on grain exports are less direct. That’s because corn and most soybeans move through bulk shipments – not containers. Still, Hart says stalled container barges could create traffic jams on the Mississippi, which affects all shipping. And delays getting products to market can pull down prices for farmers.

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Report: School Closures Should Consider More Than Just Enrollment

WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Some Kansas school districts are closing schools to cut costs. The Kansas News Service reports that a new analysis says leaders should consider test scores along with enrollment in their decisions. The Fordham Institute report shows that low-performing schools are twice as likely to have lost substantial numbers of students since the pandemic, making them potential candidates for closures. It names six Kansas schools that have lost more than a fifth of their students: three in Wichita, two in Kansas City, and one in rural Marion County. Fordham Institute president Michael Petrilli says moving students out of struggling schools can help in the long run. “When we move kids from low-performing schools to higher-performing schools, that’s good for them. And so this is an opportunity for us to do so,” Petrilli added. The report says schools showing year-to-year academic growth should not be considered low performers.

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Kansas Files First Criminal Charges After Passage of New State Law Targeting Organized Retail Theft

TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - State prosecutors have filed the first criminal case since Attorney General Kris Kobach pushed for new laws targeting organized retail theft. The Kansas Attorney General's Office announced last week that 30-year-old Demetrius Lamont Odom of Decatur, Georgia, is charged in Lyon County District Court with four felony counts of identity theft, two felony counts of criminal use, and several other charges in connection to alleged retail crimes targeting Kansas liquor stores. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that the charges come after lawmakers in 2023 made Kansas the first state in the country to expand the attorney general's prosecutorial authority to include retail thefts spanning multiple counties. They followed that with a 2024 law further targeting such crimes. Organized retail crime has been a hot-button issue nationally and in Kansas in recent years. While videos of flash mob burglaries made national news, corporations like Target closed stores, blaming organized retail crime. But critics contend that retailers are mistakenly blaming organized theft rings for too great a share of their losses.

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CDC Testing to Examine Possibility of Human-to-Human Bird Flu Transmission in Missouri

UNDATED (HPM) – Federal health officials are testing blood from five Missouri health care workers and one other person for bird flu. Harvest Public Media reports that officials are hoping to learn if the virus can spread among humans. Missouri officials this summer identified a case of H5N1 in a person who had been hospitalized for another illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is testing the blood of five health care workers and one other person who got sick after contact with the patient to see if the virus spread among humans. Department of Health and Senior Services spokeswoman Lisa Cox says they’re checking the blood for bird flu antibodies, adding that "...everyone wants to study this as much as possible and find a source. At the same time, it's not uncommon to to actually conclude an investigation and not actually determine a source." Cox says the health workers could have developed COVID or other respiratory infections instead.

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Amazon Announces Plan to Hire Thousands in Kansas City Area

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Amazon announced Thursday that it is hiring for 3,000 jobs in the Kansas City as part of an effort to fill 250,000 positions nationwide. The hiring push is designed to help the company process and deliver packages for the holiday season. The company told KCTV that all seasonal employees will earn at least $18 per hour, and have access to benefits such as healthcare coverage from day one of their employment. The company said in a press release that about a third of its seasonal employees stay on year after year. To begin the application process, visit the Amazon hiring website or text NEWJOB to 31432.

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Dockworker Strike Could Affect Exports of Kansas Produce

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The labor strike by dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts started early Tuesday morning and Kansans could feel the effects. WIBW TV reports that the strike could impact shipments of Kansas fruits and vegetables. Joe Walden, an Associate Professor of Supply Chains at the University of Kansas, says the strike may affect produce exports that are shipped from Kansas by train or barge to Gulf of Mexico ports. “If it’s stuff that has a shelf life on it, then it’s a good chance that what’s being shipped out may not make it to the other end,” Walden says. “It will have a big impact on the farmers shipping out produce this time of year.” Companies using ports to move produce may rely on planes instead, increasing the cost of goods and leading to more inflation. J.P. Morgan estimated that every day of the strike would cost the national economy $4.5 billion. Imports will also be affected, with fifty-five percent of products imported from overseas come from ports on the East Coast.

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Golden Algae Bloom Reported in Kansas Lake

WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – State officials say an uncommon algae bloom that is dangerous to fish appeared in a Kansas lake for the first time this year. KMUW reports that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment typically finds blue-green algae in lakes across the state. The blooms, often caused by fertilizer runoff, can be toxic to humans and animals. But this spring, the department found golden algae in a city park lake in Hutchinson. Golden algae is less harmful to humans but can cause mass fish kills. Tom Stiles is the director of the Bureau of Water at KDHE. "It puts out a toxin that just decimates the fisheries that are present within that reservoir or that lake. We didn't think it would show up in Kansas. We thought we were generally too cold for it," Stiles explained. He says golden algae is more common in southern states like Texas and Oklahoma.

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KSU Study Suggests Bovine Influenza Spread Between Cattle Via Milking

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – New research from Kansas State University seems to confirm suspicions that milking is the main way cattle spread bovine influenza to one another. The Kansas News Service reports that the research suggests cattle spread the disease through milk and milking procedures rather than through the air. It’s caused by the same virus as bird flu. Symptoms among cattle include low appetite, fever and reduced milk production. The disease was first detected among U.S. cattle this spring, including in Kansas. So far, it’s been found in at least 14 states. The report says sanitary milking practices could help reduce the spread. The disease rarely affects people, but it can spread to those in direct contact with infected livestock.

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WSU Program Will Train Students for Licensed Mental Health Technician Jobs

WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Wichita State University is launching a new program that will train students to become licensed mental health technicians. It comes amid a shortage of mental health providers in Kansas. Debra Pile, chair of the WSU School of Nursing, says demand for the roles is already high and will increase when a new psychiatric hospital opens in Wichita in a few years, adding that "...we're real excited that it not only helps fill the need for mental health care technicians across the state, but also helps these individuals with future planning and other health care pathways." Coursework is entirely online and will count toward other degrees at WSU. The university is partnering with Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph in Wichita for clinical rotations and is working to form more partnerships across Kansas.

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Some Community Health Centers to Receive Federal Money to Expand Mental Health Services

WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Several community health centers in Kansas will receive federal funding to expand mental health and substance use disorder services in the state. The Kansas News Service reports that about $3 million will go to centers that are located in mostly rural parts of the state, including Pittsburg, Junction City, and Salina. The money will go toward expanding access to mental health care, including telehealth. It also includes increasing access to opioid use disorder treatment and medications. Carol Johnson is with the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees the funding. She says rural areas have historically lacked access to mental health and substance use treatment options, adding that “...what we're going to hold our grantees accountable for here is expanding appointments, expanding access. Are you seeing more people? Are more people able to get it in a timely way?” Clinics in Wichita and Lawrence also received funding from the administration.

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Major Renovations in Store for Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has announced that it has begun a $170 million project to renovate existing spaces and add new features. Museum’s leaders say the renovation and expansion are necessary as it continues to serve a growing and increasingly diverse audience. KCTV reports that the improvements will include a new main entrance, classrooms for art-making and collaboration, and a restaurant with an outdoor patio. The project will add 61,000 square feet of new space while renovating nearly 74,000 square feet of existing space. Museum officials say the project will be funded entirely by private donations. Nelson-Atkins Museum officials say they expect more than 600,000 visitors in 2025. The museum, near Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza, houses more than 42,000 works of art.

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Topeka Police to Sponsor Cyber-Fraud Awareness Workshops

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Topeka Police Department will sponsor three cyber-fraud awareness training sessions for the public this month. TPD officials say the sessions will focus on “common scams, how they operate and steps to protect yourself.” Organizers say the public workshops are the first of their kind in the capital city and they are in response to rising reports of online scams in the Topeka community. WIBW TV reports that the one-hour sessions will present an overview of prevalent scams followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session.

The sessions are scheduled for:

•Wednesday, Oct. 9, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, Melvin Auditorium, 1515 SW 10th Ave.

•Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Brewster Place Event Center, 900 SW 31st St.

•Thursday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Oakland Community Center, 801 N.E. Poplar St.

These workshops are in-person, open to the public and do not require registration, organizers added.

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Royals Sweep Orioles in Wild-Card Series to Advance to ALDS

BALTIMORE (KPR) – The Kansas City Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday, 2-1, winning the wild-card series and advancing to the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees. Bobby Witt, Jr. drove in a run from Kyle Isbel in the sixth inning. It's the second consecutive game in which Witt drove in the winning run. Game one of the ALDS is scheduled for Saturday in the Bronx.

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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).