Extreme Weather Anticipated Across Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - After a weekend of dangerous weather, more extreme weather is possible Monday across Kansas. Strong winds and dry conditions will combine to create a high fire danger across much of the state, including eastern Kansas. The National Weather Service has posted a Red Flag Warning until 8 pm due to gusty southwest winds, dry conditions and low humidity. Forecasters say any fire that breaks out Monday will catch and spread quickly.
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Violent Weekend Weather Turned Deadly in Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Weekend storms turned deadly in western Kansas. A giant dust storm reduced visibility and caused a 71 vehicle pile-up on I-70 in northwest Kansas, forcing authorities to shut down the interstate. The Kansas Highway Patrol says eight people were killed in the collision.
Meanwhile, a fast-moving grass fire in southeast Kansas destroyed a healthcare facility. All residents were safely evacuated from the Yates Center Health and Rehab facility Saturday. That fire was one of several firefighters worked to put out in Woodson County over the weekend. In Douglas County, a large brush fire prompted the evacuation of more than a dozen homes near Clinton Lake. No one was injured.
More extreme weather is possible Monday afternoon and evening across much of Kansas.
Visit the National Weather Service online for the latest weather information.
KHP Investigating Multi-Vehicle Traffic Incident in Western Kansas
UNDATED (KCUR) – Kansas Highway Patrol investigators are looking into a multi-vehicle pileup on Friday that left eight people dead. KCUR reports that the Highway Patrol’s report on multiple crashes along Interstate 70 in Western Kansas is expected by the end of the week. Extreme winds, dust, and near-zero visibility caused more than 70 vehicles to crash between Goodland and Colby. Trooper Tod Hileman says heavy spring break traffic may have also been a factor. “In my 33 years of law enforcement, that's probably the worst one I've seen. We've worked things like this in dust storms before, but nothing of that magnitude,” he added. More than 30 patients went to hospitals after the crash, and traffic in both directions was closed for more than 24 hours.
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Food Security Labs at K-State to Shutter in Wake of Federal Cuts
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KNS) - Two labs at Kansas State University that work on global food security will shut down next month because of the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development or U.S. AID. One of the labs focused on finding environmentally sound ways for farmers in developing countries to grow more food on their land. The other studied genes in sorghum, millet, wheat and rice that can help varieties of these crops better handle heat, drought, diseases and pests. K-State scientists say these international programs were mutually beneficial because they gave U.S. researchers access to regions with different growing conditions and plant diseases. They’ve gained knowledge there that has helped improve U.S. crop varieties.
Vara Prasad directs one of the K-State labs, which researches ways for farmers in developing countries to grow more food on their land and to cope with hot, dry conditions. “Food security is a national security issue," he said. "When people don’t have food to eat and they are the most vulnerable people, they are the people who are the recruitment grounds for anti-social elements.”
The federal government cut off funding to the K-State labs in late January. And it has not reimbursed hundreds of thousands of dollars of work done since October. Trump administration officials say they’ve ended more than 80% of U.S. AID programs and that these projects ran counter to U.S. interests.
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Bill Would Redesignate Maternity Centers as Health Care Providers
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would deem maternity centers as health care providers. The Kansas News Service reports that this would help the centers access state liability insurance. Maternity centers, also known as birth centers, provide low-intervention prenatal and birth care to people with uncomplicated pregnancies. Kendra Wyatt was the CEO for New Birth Company, which closed last year. She says the closure was partly because of insurance issues. “I’ve been asked three times, ‘When are you going to reopen a facility in Kansas.’ And I would love to do that, and this is a necessity," she explained. Wyatt says access to the state’s liability insurance fund would help other accredited birth centers open.
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K-State Study Shows Spike in Kansas Sorghum Yields
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas experienced one of its warmest years on record last year. And yet, researchers at Kansas State University found sorghum yields spiked. In Kansas, farmers can make a lot of money and yield a lot of crops as long as the water is there. But in western Kansas, water is becoming more scarce. Farming experts say more conservative crop choices like sorghum will be essential for farmers going forward. K-State agronomist Logan Simon says popular crops like corn can be more productive, but sorghum is less risky. “It has a profound ability to enter a sort of pause in its growth, and development, it slows down," he said. Last year, sorghum yields rose despite high heat and flash droughts throughout the year.
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Washburn Men Advance in NCAA Division II Tourney
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The 5th-ranked Washburn Ichabods have advanced to the NCAA Division II Central Regional Championship for the first time since 2001. On Sunday, Washburn defeated Concordia-St. Paul 94-78 to advance. The Bods will now play MSU-Moorehead Tuesday at 7 pm.
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NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tournament Brackets Set
UNDATED (KPR) - The Division I NCAA men’s basketball tournament will have first and second round games in Wichita this week, but the Kansas Jayhawks won’t be playing there. Instead, KU will travel to Providence, Rhode Island, as a No. 7 seed and will open against Arkansas at 6:10 Thursday night. KU coach Bill Self hopes the Jayhawks can extend their first-round streak to 14 straight wins, but knows it’ll be difficult. "It’s a hard draw," he said. "But that’s the position we’re in and every other 7-seed is in. But I like it. I’m looking forward to it. I think it’ll be fun."
In the women’s tournament, the Kansas State Wildcats will not host first and second rounds as they had hoped. But with senior center Ayoka Lee expected to be back on the court after being sidelined with an injury, the Wildcats will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to face Fairfield University on Friday. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Central time.
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Wichita Gets Ready to Host Opening Rounds of NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Wichita is gearing up to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament this weekend. KMUW reports that games being played in Wichita feature teams from the Midwest and West regional brackets, including Mizzou, Houston and Drake. Host media coordinator Mike Ross says there are a lot of exciting things happening that people can look forward to, adding that he thinks "...it's an opportunity to get out and support basketball and support these types of events, which Wichita has always done before. But there's gonna be some really good games." The last time Wichita hosted the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament was in 2018. Visit Wichita estimates that the economic impact on the city was about $5.5 million.
Tickets to the tournament are expected to sell out.
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