Kansas Public Radio Excels in One Day, One KU Fundraising Campaign
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas Public Radio took part in the university-wide One Day, One KU fundraising campaign, and raised $53,694 from 335 donations. The organization plans to acquire a new, reliable vehicle with the funds. The station has been without a vehicle for the past five years, making it difficult to get to station events. KPR General Manager Feloniz Lovato-Winston said "Our campaign to raise funds for a new station vehicle was an enormous success, thanks to our generous community of supporters! There's so much we'll be able to do, once we have that new set of wheels, made possible with the incredible support this year during One Day, One KU." The generosity of people supporting KPR during the campaign also allowed the station to qualify for bonus funds from the KU Endowment, which will add to the overall total. On behalf of everyone at KPR, thank you so much for your support!
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Kansas Man Guilty in $1 Billion Health Care Fraud Conspiracy
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KPR) — A Kansas man has pleaded guilty to operating a company that defrauded the federal government of $1 billion. Federal prosecutors say 50-year-old Gregory Schreck, of Johnson County, the vice president of a health care software and services company, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Schreck operated an internet-based platform that generated false doctors' orders to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs. He's facing up to 10 years in prison. Since 2007, the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice has charged more than 5,800 defendants with fraud. The Justice Department says these defendants, collectively, have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion.
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Kansas Senate Passes Bill Limiting Power of Local Health Officials
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Local health officials in Kansas would no longer be able to limit the size of gatherings under a bill passed by the state Senate. The Kansas News Service reports that under the bill, local health officials would be able to recommend crowd size limits, but not enforce them. It’s in response to early COVID-era guidelines, which Republicans like Senator Beverly Gossage say violated the right to assemble. “Churches were closed; we had all kinds of decisions that were made, some by local health officers, many of whom have no health background whatsoever,” she said. Critics, however, say the bill is an attempt to prevent public health experts from limiting the spread of infectious disease. The bill needs a vote in the House before going to Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, who’s unlikely to support it.
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Kansas Lawmakers Advance Bill Eliminating Affordable Housing Tax Credit
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas lawmakers have advanced a bill that could make it harder to build affordable housing. The Kansas News Service reports that Representatives voted to get rid of a tax credit that helps developers build housing that lower-income Kansans can afford, citing budget concerns. Josh Adrian, an executive at a Kansas-based developer called the Prime Company, testified against the bill, saying that he personally benefited from affordable housing during the Great Recession. “One of the biggest problems I see across our state...is the youth just heading off to Kansas City, heading off to Dallas, because they don't have good jobs...and nice apartments to live in,” he explained. A committee heard testimony from 39 individuals and organizations who opposed the bill, and 0 who supported it. Nevertheless, the House sent it to the Senate by a veto-proof two-thirds majority.
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Proposed Bill Would Allow Prisoners to Build Kansas Housing Units
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) — A Kansas legislator has proposed a new bill legalizing the use of prison labor to build housing. KMUW reports that current Kansas law limits programs like this within state prisons. A bill introduced by state representative Kyler Sweely of Hutchinson in response to a statewide housing shortage would create an exception. Under it, the corrections department could establish a program that delivers prison-made housing units to parts of the state that have experienced little to no building activity. Sweely says the program could address housing shortages while providing inmates with valuable job training. Representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas said the risk of exploitation in prison labor is well-documented, and the program Sweely proposed could raise concerns around economic justice.
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Kansas House Approves Bill Changing Requirements for Foster Parent Applicants
UNDATED (KNS) — The Kansas House Thursday approved a bill that would prohibit the state from rejecting prospective foster parents based on their beliefs about sexual orientation and gender identity. The Kansas News Service reports that supporters of the bill say it would help increase the number of foster parents in the state. They also say the state would still consider the best option for placing gay and transgender children in homes. But opponents argue the bill would allow some foster parents to discriminate against LBGT kids. Democratic Representative Susan Ruiz, who is openly gay, says the bill opens the door for foster parents to subject children to conversion therapy. “Because if you are a parent, you can force your kid into it. Force them to go through all of this torture to try to change them in some way,” she explained. The bill passed with a veto-proof majority. It now heads to the Kansas Senate.
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Police: Kansas Man Stopped While Trying to Kidnap Newborn from Hospital
PARSONS, Kan. (KWCH) — Police say a Kansas man was arrested in Parsons Tuesday evening after trying to kidnap a newborn baby from Labette Health. Parsons police say a family member stopped 31-year-old Eric Matthews from leaving the birthing unit with the one-day old. Hospital security then held the man until police arrived. KWCH TV reports that Matthews was booked into the Labette County jail on charges of kidnapping and child endangerment.
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KGS Data Indicates Ogallala Aquifer Declines Continue
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Despite local efforts to conserve water, new data reveals the Ogallala aquifer in western Kansas continues to decline. The Kansas News Service reports that last year, western Kansas received normal amounts of rainfall, but farmers say none of it came at the right time. The region overall lost an average of almost a foot of groundwater in 2024. Experts believe some parts of the aquifer have maybe 25 years of water left at this rate. Brownie Wilson with the Kansas Geological Survey says the declines were expected given the dry spring and summer. “Not quite as bad as the drought year of 2022 but it was definitely a step in that direction. The last year was pretty good for Northwest Kansas and west central Kansas, and that kind of reversed this year,” Wilson explained. But those flash droughts that cause more groundwater pumping will become more frequent due to climate change.
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A New Scam Involves Text Messages About Unpaid Kansas Tolls
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Many Kansans have been receiving text messages claiming they have not paid a Kansas Turnpike toll. Authorities say it is the same scam that went around last year. KSNW TV reports that some messages appear legitimate, but they are not. No matter how the message looks, the Kansas Turnpike Authority says the link in the message takes you to a payment website not associated with the turnpike. The bottom line? Don't click on any suspicious text messages, emails or links.
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Did Departmental Conflict Affect the Public Health Response to KC's TB Outbreak?
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) — Wyandotte County is experiencing one of the largest outbreaks of tuberculosis in recent U.S. history. Emails obtained by the Kansas News Service show efforts to end the outbreak have been full of turmoil. The Kansas News Service reports that the internal conflict may have affected the public health response to the TB outbreak. (Learn more.)
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Kansas Lawmakers Consider Letting People Own Pet Raccoons
UNDATED (KNS) — It’s against Kansas law to own a pet raccoon. That could change if a proposed bill becomes law. For the past four years, Lenexa resident Stephen Kaspar has fed and trained wild raccoons on his property. “I see probably between 18 and 22 of them every single year. It is the highlight of my life. These are the things that you do when you become an empty nester. You start playing with raccoons in the backyard,” he said. Now, he’s asking Kansas lawmakers to legalize owning the creatures as pets if purchased from authorized breeders. The Kansas News Service reports that owners would be required to obtain a raccoon ownership permit, complete an education program and vaccinate their raccoons for rabies. It’s unclear if the bill will advance. The state public health veterinarian testified against it, warning it could fuel the spread of rabies. (Read more.)
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Great Plains and Midwest Learn to Cope with Extended Wildfire Seasons
UNDATED (HPM) – Wildfires have become more frequent, burning bigger areas during longer seasons thanks to conditions exacerbated by climate change. Harvest Public Media reports that landowners in the Great Plains and Midwest are fighting fire with prescribed burns. Landowners intentionally burn millions of acres each year… to lower wildfire risk, increase biodiversity and remove harmful plants. Although prescribed burning has been a practice for centuries, John Weir, a fire ecology expert at Oklahoma State University, says more people are interested in burning their land. “You got landowners that have 1,000s of acres that haven't burned before or have and people are seeing the need and the importance of it as well as having all these fire departments here realizing that, ‘Hey, we've got, we've got to start helping the landowners’,” Weir said. As climate change impacts weather patterns, Weir says people may have to shift when they burn land.
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Report: Approximately 100 Kansas City IRS Employees Fired in Federal Cutbacks
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – The Internal Revenue Service has reportedly fired about 100 of its Kansas City employees this week, according to the local union. KCUR reports that number is far lower than originally estimated. The National Treasury Employees Union stated earlier this week they believed the layoffs could affect up to a thousand Kansas City employees. While the current number is much lower than anticipated, the union says it’s not sure if the cuts are over. Around 6,000 IRS workers nationwide were terminated this week as part of the Trump administration’s mass federal layoffs. In a social media post, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city is “proud to have thousands of outstanding federal workers here.” He encouraged laid-off employees to apply to other public service jobs in the area.
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Woman Fired in Federal Employee Cuts Speaks Out
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – A federal employee who helped provide behavioral health support to communities across Kansas and Missouri says she was among thousands of workers fired due to the Trump administration’s widespread cuts. KCUR reports that she believes she was wrongfully terminated. Maria Loconsolo had her job as a regional health adviser with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for all of 10 months. She was ready to commit her next 20 years, until she received notification she was being terminated immediately. Loconsolo says the worst part is not being able to help others in a time of need. "I feel such a strong desire to try to stand in the gaps and offer whatever shield I can to our most vulnerable community members. The fact I cant do that for them…its really hard," she said. Loconsolo’s termination letter said she was unfit for the role, despite several performance reviews supporting her work.
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Kansas Forest Service Worker Loses Job in Mass Federal Workforce Terminations
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – A Kansas woman working with the U.S. Forest Service lost her job as a result of President Donald Trump's efforts to eliminate government inefficiencies. KMUW reports that Kaylee Fritchen has worked as a forestry technician in an Idaho national forest since 2022. The job required spending half the year in the wilderness and tough manual labor: Fritchen cleared debris from trails. Fritchen spends the other half of the year in Kansas, where she grew up. She was in Manhattan last week when she learned that she had been terminated from her job, alongside dozens of her colleagues. "More than anything, rather than sadness...I think all of us are in the mind space of the head space of, how are we going to get our jobs back?," she said. The forest service let go about 2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees. Federal officials say it's part of Trump's effort to eliminate inefficiencies and improve government.
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