Rain, Storms and High Winds Kick Off Work Week in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - A rainy, stormy, windy day is expected across much of Kansas. Forecasters say heavy rainfall is a possibility in many areas. Portions of eastern Kansas will be under a Wind Advisory through 6 pm Monday.
The National Weather Service says southeast winds will gust up to 45 mph Monday afternoon. The strong winds will blow around unsecured objects. Small tree limbs could also be blown down. Isolated power outages may result. Strong winds can also make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles, like tractor trailers.
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Report: Children's Vaccination Rates Declining in Kansas and Nationwide
UNDATED (KNS) – New data shows that children’s vaccination rates are declining nationally and in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that the portion of Kansas kindergartners receiving vaccine exemptions has risen from 2% in 2020 to over 3% in 2024. Dr. Brandan Kennedy is a pediatrician with the Immunize Kansas Coalition. He says Kansas is already seeing consequences of lower vaccination rates, including a steady rise in whooping cough cases. “We’re going to see higher numbers of children getting serious bacterial and and viral infections, and those higher rates are going to result in an increase in serious morbidity or serious illness and death of children,” he added. Kennedy says it’s unclear whether federal vaccine programs will be impacted when the Trump administration takes power next year.
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Free Flu Shots Offered for Farm Workers
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) - Rural Kansans are less likely to get vaccinated against the flu than those living near urban areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to change that by offering free flu shots. On the heels of a global outbreak of H5N1 bird flu among livestock, the CDC is worried about straining rural health care systems this season. Officials say getting farm workers vaccinated for seasonal flu can reduce that burden and decrease hospitalizations in rural areas. Dr. Lisette Durand with the CDC says a lack of information about vaccines may contribute to lower vaccination rates in rural areas. “This program hopes to target that notion to get out into the community to ensure that they have the information that they need to get the flu vaccine," she said. The campaign will target eight rural Kansas counties where less than 25% of the population was vaccinated against the flu last year. (Read more.)
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ACLU Reaches Settlement with State of Kansas over Larned Hospital Waitlist
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) – The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas says it has reached a settlement with the state over a long waitlist for Larned State Hospital. The Kansas News Service reports that the hospital is the only place in Kansas where inmates with a mental illness can receive treatment to stand trial. The ACLU of Kansas filed the 2022 case against the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which oversees the hospital. The lawsuit argued the waitlist was unconstitutional. The ACLU says inmates awaiting trial who need mental health services can end up waiting years before treatment, and that is sometimes longer than any sentence they would serve. In the settlement, the state agreed to add 30 treatment beds at the hospital by January. The state also aims to add another 50 beds by 2027.
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Teacher Sues Shawnee Mission School District over DEI Policies
UNDATED (Johnson County Post) – A teacher is suing the Shawnee Mission School District, saying that its policies on diversity and inclusion have violated her personal beliefs and free speech rights. The Johnson County Post reports that Jennifer Caedran Sullivan is an English teacher at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park. She’s been an outspoken critic of the district’s “gender ideology,” and its diversity training for teachers, which she called “anti-white.” In an October lawsuit, she contends that administrators retaliated against her for not using transgender students’ preferred pronouns at school, among other things. She also took issue with district guidance that gives students the right to be addressed by the name and pronouns that match their gender identity, without needing to notify parents. Shawnee Mission declined to comment on the lawsuit. A spokesperson said the district is “strongly committed to maintaining an educational environment and workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment.” More than 50 students at Shawnee Mission North walked out last year in protest against an op-ed that Sullivan wrote for a right-wing publication.
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Triple-A Travel: Holiday Travel Numbers Expected to Increase this Thanksgiving
WICHITA, Kan. (KPR) - Nearly 80 million Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving holiday. That's according to Triple-A, which says 79.9 million travelers nationwide will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. This year’s forecast is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year. Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel in the U.S.
There may be more drivers on the road this holiday season but at least gas prices should be cheaper, with a national average below $3 a gallon. Gas prices are lower this Thanksgiving season compared to last year. The national average last Thanksgiving was $3.26. This year, the national average should be below $3 a gallon. Drivers east of the Rockies will find gas between $2.25 to $2.50 a gallon in more than a dozen states.
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Overland Park City Council Considers Striking Racist Deed Restrictions from the Books
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCUR) - Overland Park may soon start removing racist deed restrictions used in old property records. The city council is taking up a measure Monday night to address the issue. Exclusionary covenants written in the early 1900s prohibited Black and Jewish people from owning homes in certain Johnson County communities. Although such bans haven’t been enforceable since 1948, that racist language is still on the books across the metro.
The resolution under consideration by the Overland Park City Council would direct staff to start figuring out how many discriminatory covenants exist, and then file Certificates of Release. While the official property records wouldn’t change, the requirements would be removed and identified as inconsistent with the city’s values. Roeland Park began a similar process earlier this year.
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Advocates: Kansas Law Enforcement Can't Solve Homeless Problem
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - Some Kansas lawmakers say police are not doing enough to address crime stemming from homelessness, including violations like trespassing, vandalism and even jaywalking. Advocates serving homeless populations say that puts law enforcement in a difficult position. The Kansas News Service reports that arresting homeless people probably won’t address the underlying issues. Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said, " We can't arrest our way out of homelessness." (Read more.)
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Dozens of Plow Drivers Needed in KC Before Snow Starts to Fly
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBZ) – The Kansas City area is in need of more snow plow drivers. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) says it has 200 slots to fill across the state, including 80 in the Kansas City area. KMBZ Radio reports that qualified applicants will receive extensive training so they can perform routine, entry-level duties related to snow removal. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a valid Class A or B Commercial Driver’s License. The pay ranges from about $23 to $28 per hour, depending on experience.
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KC Chiefs Suffer 1st Loss of Season
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (KPR) - The Kansas City Chiefs are no longer undefeated. The Buffalo Bills scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal a 30-21 victory over the KC Chiefs. The day didn’t get off to a good start when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an interception on Kansas City’s opening drive. Mahomes also was intercepted on the Chiefs’ last drive of the day. "We feel like we can play better," he said. "We’ll get back to work and try to use this as a spark so that we can be a better football team in the end. The 'undefeated thing' was cool, but that’s not our ultimate goal, so we’ll keep building towards that." Bills quarterback Josh Allen was also intercepted once. But he turned out to be the Bills’ leading rusher with 55 yards on the ground. Allen’s 26-yard touchdown run put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.
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