Salina Dodges a Small Bullet; Severe Weather Season Has Arrived
SALINA, Kan. (KPR) - The city of Salina dodged a small bullet this week. The central Kansas town was in the crosshairs of a tornado Tuesday night. "I mean, it was tracking right for the Salina area," said Scott Smith, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wichita. But the tornado was so brief and so weak that they didn't even send out a survey crew. "From what we've heard, there was no damage found. So, we didn't send anyone out. Must have been just a really quick touch down or a funnel cloud," Smith said. The weak twister still serves as a good reminder: spring is here and so is severe weather season. Forecasters advise everyone to have an emergency weather plan and a disaster kit in place - and to make sure they have more than one way to receive weather information.
Rain showers are in the forecast across eastern Kansas Friday but no severe storms are expected.
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Power Restored to Most Evergy Customers
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Some good news for those who lost power during severe storms Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Utility company Evergy says power has been restored to most of its customers in the Kansas City area. Evergy's outage map showed only a few hundred people remained without power Thursday morning and most of those outages were in southwest Missouri. As many as 6,000 Evergy customers lost power for a period of time this week.
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Kansas Supreme Court Hears Vaccine Refusal Case
UNDATED (Johnson County Post) – The Kansas Supreme Court is considering a case involving a Johnson County woman who refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine when she applied for a health care job. The Johnson County Post reports that in fall 2022, a Leawood physical therapy clinic offered Katlin Keeran a job, which was contingent on proof she received a COVID vaccine. When Keeran requested a religious exemption, the clinic asked whether she had received other vaccinations in the past. After Keeran said she got a flu shot, the company decided she didn’t meet the criteria for an exemption. That extra bit of probing by the clinic is now at the heart of a legal challenge heard this week by the Kansas Supreme Court. A 2021 Kansas law requires employers to accept at face value any requests for religious exemptions to vaccines. But the court will decide whether that conflicts with federal laws demanding that heath care workers be vaccinated in order for their employers to get Medicare and Medicaid funds.
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Sheriff: Missing Pottawatomie County Man Found Dead
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Kan. (KSNT) – A missing, elderly man has been found dead in northeast Kansas. The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office reports that 87-year-old Charles Frank was found dead Wednesday. KSNT reports that Frank was reported missing on April 1 near his home in rural Westmoreland. No foul play is suspected. No other information has been released.
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Number of Measles Cases in Kansas Increases, but Rate is Slowing
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas health data released Wednesday shows the number of measles cases in the state continues to increase, but the rate is slowing. The Kansas News Service reports that twenty-four people in Kansas have tested positive for measles since the start of the year, according to data from state health officials. That’s one additional case from last week. The outbreak remains clustered in six counties in southwest and south central Kansas. Dr. Dana Hawkinson with the University of Kansas Health System says vaccination rates have decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic, which has contributed to the outbreak. “There is that significant distrust of the medical establishment, government and public health entities as well, so we are all battling against that,” he explained. Health officials say the Kansas cases are likely linked to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico.
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13,000 Kansas Insurance Policies Affected by Liquidation of Key Insurance Company
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – The Kansas Insurance Department is offering assistance to residents affected by the recent liquidation of a multi-state insurance company. Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt says her agency is trying to help Kansans affected by the liquidation of Key Insurance Company. A Shawnee County judge ordered the insolvent company to liquidate. The company had around 30,000 remaining policies in place nationwide when the order was released. About 13,000 of these policies were in Kansas. KSNT reports that people who have questions are encouraged to visit the Kansas Insurance Department's website or call (785) 296-3071.
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Kansas City Museums Affected by Federal Funding Cuts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Kansas City museums are strapped for resources after the Trump Administration gutted the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The federal agency is the largest funder of cultural organizations in the U.S. KCUR reports that a major project at the National World War One Museum and Memorial to scan artifacts to make them available for researchers online is in limbo. President and CEO Matthew Naylor says a shipment of World War I-era maps is ready to send out to a vendor but he’s anxious about funding. “We're sort of in a holding pattern at the moment because quite frankly, we don't know what's happening. And that's part of the predicament,” he explained. Federal staff at the Institute were placed on leave Monday.
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Johnson County on Track for Non-Profit Partnership to Address Housing Shortage
UNDATED (KNS) – A non-profit cleared the first step toward a partnership with Johnson County Thursday to help address a worsening housing shortage. The Kansas News Service reports that the county board of commissioners approved a proposal to enter into a partnership with The Greater Kansas City Home Ownership Initiative. The non-profit says it wants to help the county identify opportunities to build much-needed affordable housing. But public commenters like Amy Cox, from a local interfaith organization, had questions about what such a partnership would look like. “Are there timelines, deliverables, or expectations for progress reports? What level of visibility will the public have into these developments?,” she asked. Chair Mike Kelly recused himself from the vote following accusations of conflicts of interest between his law firm and the non-profit, which he denied.
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Kansas Battles Doctor Shortage with New Fast-Track Medical Program
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Kansas is experiencing a shortage of doctors, with two-thirds of the counties in the state lacking enough physicians to serve their populations. That's according to new federal data from the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration. To address the growing need, several colleges have formed partnerships. This week, Kansas Health Science University (KHSU) in Wichita announced a new alliance with Hesston College.
KWCH TV reports that Kansas Health Science University is the only osteopathic medical school in Kansas. Under the new partnership, certain students at Hesston College will be able to fast-track their education by entering a doctoral program at at the Kansas Health Science University. Students will begin their first year of medical school while completing their final year of undergraduate studies at Hesston College.
This arrangement is commonly known as a 3+4 program. It helps students to obtain both their bachelor’s degree and medical degree in seven years instead of the traditional eight. KHSU will welcome its first cohort of students from Hesston College in the fall of 2027.
In addition to Hesston College, KHSU has established similar programs with seven other universities and colleges, including Wichita State University, Kansas Wesleyan University, Southwestern College, Fort Hays State University, Friends University, and Newman University. KHSU’s College of Medicine is the first private, nonprofit osteopathic medical school in Kansas.
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Some Kansas Legislators Say Property Tax Measure Doesn't Go Far Enough
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers have passed a measure to reduce state property taxes, but some in Topeka say it’s not nearly enough. The Kansas News Service reports that most property taxes that the state collects go to school districts. But a small piece helps the state construct and maintain buildings. The legislature passed a bill to eliminate that piece. Building costs would instead be covered by other streams of tax revenue. The Senate notably attempted to pass steeper property tax cuts, but the measure was rejected by the House. Republican Senator Caryn Tyson says the Senate should feel proud of that work. “And we can go home and hold our heads high that we worked for our constituents,” she said. Most lawmakers voted for the latest bill but some, especially Democrats, criticized it as providing an insignificant amount of property tax relief. The bill now awaits action from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly.
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Kansas Literacy Program Funding Left Out of Proposed State Budget
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – A program to promote literacy in Kansas schools could end after Republicans left funding for it out of a proposed state budget. The Kansas News Service reports that last year, lawmakers from both parties approved the Blueprint for Literacy. It trains teachers to better instruct kids how to read. But Republican leaders cut the $10 million for the program out of their proposed budget this year. They have not given a specific reason. Democratic Representative Nikki McDonald says she feels ashamed the Legislature might reverse course on the funding, adding that “...a budget is a reflection of our priorities, and I had hoped that we would prioritize our children more.” Legislators return for a brief veto session next week. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has asked them to continue working on the budget due to its projected cost.
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Federal Tariffs to Increase Cost of Highway and Road Projects in Kansas, Missouri
UNDATED (The Beacon) – Federal tariffs are going to make highway and road projects more expensive in Kansas and Missouri. Calvin Reed with the Kansas Department of Transportation told The Beacon that highway projects will cost more because of federal tariffs. President Trump already imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum with the promise of other tariffs coming on April 2, which he calls “liberation day.” Reed said in mid-March that construction costs are already 40% higher than projections without tariffs. With tariffs, some projects could be cut. “If tariffs go up, if prices continue to go up, if revenues go down, if more money is transferred away, then there are projects that will likely have to be sacrificed,” he added. It isn’t clear what all of Trump’s tariffs could look like in April.
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