Class Action Lawsuit Filed Following Data Breach at KU Health, LMH
LAWRENCE, Kan. (TCJ) - A class action lawsuit claims a physical therapist at KU Health accessed the private medical records of more than 400 patients at a plastic surgery clinic at LMH Health. Those records included nude photos of patients who had breast augmentation surgery and other plastic surgery. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the lawsuit accuses the physical therapist of using his KU Health credentials to view the photos, body measurements and other sensitive information for more than two years.
Two unnamed patients filed the lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court on behalf of themselves and the other affected patients of Plastic Surgery Specialist of Lawrence, an affiliate of LMH Health. The unnamed physical therapist accused of accessing the private medical records worked for KU Health. He was fired when the allegations came to light.
The lawsuit claims KU Health failed to promptly notify law enforcement or the affected patients after discovering the data breach. The lawsuit lists 13 counts against KU Health, Lawrence Memorial Hospital and a company called Epic Systems, Inc. The counts include negligence, breach of contract and invasion of privacy.
(–Additional reporting–)
Federal Lawsuit Accuses Kansas Physical Therapist of Illegal Data Breach
UNDATED (KCUR) – A federal lawsuit alleges a Kansas physical therapist repeatedly accessed the private medical records and photos of 425 patients at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. KCUR reports that according to the lawsuit, a physical therapist employed by the University of Kansas Health System used their credentials to access files outside of standard job duties. Two women highlighted in the suit say data within those records includes health information, sensitive personal information and nude photos. In a statement, Lawrence Memorial Health says it was aware of the data breach and notified all patients at the time, but it argues the two women weren’t part of that breach. The lawsuit accuses the Lawrence hospital, KU Health System and the software system Epic of privacy violations, fraud and negligence.
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Measles Outbreak in Kansas Rises to 37 Cases
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Five more cases of measles have been confirmed in Kansas since last week, bringing the total to 37. So far, the outbreak has been confined to eight counties in southwest and south-central Kansas, with most of the cases in Haskell, Stevens and Kiowa counties. The state health department says the majority of cases involve unvaccinated children, but seven adults have also contracted the disease.
The rise in measles cases in Kansas comes as the highly contagious disease spreads across the U.S. As of April 10, the number of confirmed measles cases jumped to 712. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the disease has now been reported in 24 states.
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Kansas Tax Revenue Forecast Updated
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas officials updated their forecast for the state’s tax revenue Thursday. The Kansas News Service reports that the forecast says the state is spending more than it’s collecting and could be in the red by 2029. The report predicts Kansas will bring in more money than expected next year, but still faces financial jeopardy in future years. Officials say there’s a lot of uncertainty in the economy that makes forecasting difficult. That includes inflation, potential tariffs and cuts to federal funding. Shirley Morrow, the director of the Kansas Legislative Research Department, said that “...changes to trade and fiscal policy at the federal level seem likely to have some impact on the state’s economy, however, the magnitude and timing of the impact is unclear.” Democratic Governor Laura Kelly had expressed concerns about the sustainability of the budget approved by lawmakers this year.
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Regional Climate Centers Close Down Due to Funding Cuts
UNDATED (HPM) – Several U.S. regional climate centers shut down Thursday, including those in the Midwest, Great Plains, and South. Those centers collected weather data for 21 states, including Kansas. They've gone dark due to a lapse in federal funding. Harvest Public Media spoke with four state climatologists who say this shutdown will have an immediate impact, especially on the agricultural industry. The regional climate centers are responsible for collecting data across U.S. states, as well as sharing drought conditions and other online weather tools. Many state climatologists say they rely on those centers, and so do the farmers and ranchers they work with. Matthew Sittel, the assistant state climatologist at Kansas State University, says he depends on both the Midwestern and Southern regional climate centers. He says he’s worried they won’t return. “It's tough…do we lose these products for a week, for a month, for a year, forever? Nobody knows,” he added. One regional climate center director says the funds were held up due to additional contract reviews. The Trump administration previously proposed a 25 percent budget cut to NOAA for next fiscal year.
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Official Urges More Funding for Kansas Nursing Home Oversight Investigators
UNDATED (KNS) – A Kansas official is asking lawmakers to increase funding for nursing home oversight. The Kansas News Service reports that she says state investigators need more resources to protect vulnerable residents. Haely Ordoyne leads the Kansas long-term care ombudsman office, which advocates for nursing home residents. She says many nursing homes have insufficient staffing, and that can translate into medication errors. “What we get complaints for is missing medication, it not being passed, the wrong person given the wrong medication,” she explained. But she says the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services does not have enough investigators to look into every complaint in a timely manner, or hold nursing homes accountable for low staffing. She also recommends the state invest in nursing workforce development.
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Some Kansas and Missouri Power Plants Take Option to Bypass Some Environmental Regulations
UNDATED (KNS) – Environmental deregulation by the administration of President Donald Trump is letting coal power plants in Kansas and Missouri emit more pollution. The Kansas News Service reports that records from the Environmental Protection Agency show dozens of coal plants, including some in Kansas and Missouri, are now exempt from some pollution standards on mercury, arsenic and benzene. Officials argued the Biden-era regulations were restrictive and costly. But advocates like Ty Gorman at the Sierra Club say the policy could impede the progress of alternatives like wind and solar energy. “What we want to see in Kansas is renewable energy … energy storage, that don’t contaminate our lungs, our bodies, our fields, our water, like the coal plants do,” he added. The only Kansas coal plant that has received an exemption so far is Holcomb Station near Garden City.
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One Dead in Early Morning Shooting in Topeka; Fourth Homicide of 2025
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - One person has been killed in a shooting early Thursday in the Oakland neighborhood of northeast Topeka. WIBW TV reports that shooting was reported around 3 am at a Kwik Shop gas station (at 746 N.E. Wabash Avenue). Upon arriving at the scene, officers found a person with life-threatening injuries. That person was pronounced dead at the scene. This marks the city’s fourth homicide of 2025.
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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Kansas Death Penalty
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - A Kansas judge has dismissed a lawsuit aimed at overturning the death penalty. But he agreed with some criticisms of capital punishment. In his decision, Wyandotte County District Judge Bill Klapper sympathized with arguments that the death penalty is ineffective, expensive and discriminatory. But he said he could not rule on whether capital trials violate the state constitution. That’s because both defendants in the case no longer face capital punishment. The American Civil Liberties Union and other legal groups had argued the death penalty process is stacked against defendants of color - and jurors who don’t believe in death sentences. (Read more.)
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Douglas County Firefighters Battle Two Grass Fires on a Windy Wednesday
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Firefighters battled two large grass fires Wednesday in Douglas County. County commissioners declared a state of local disaster and issued a burn ban. Multiple agencies responded to a large grass fire in the northwest part of the county and a separate fire west of Clinton Lake. Crews battled flames and high winds but were able to bring both fires under control. No one was injured and no structures were lost.
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Rain and Storms Expected Across Eastern Kansas Through Easter
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The National Weather Service says showers and thunderstorms are expected for the next few days. Friday night's forecast includes a 70% chance of rain and thunderstorms. Saturday's forecast includes a 50% to 60% chance and on Sunday, an 80% chance of showers and storms.
Follow the latest weather developments online at the National Weather Service.
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Man Convicted in 2019 Mass Shooting at KCK Bar
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KMBC) — A man accused in a 2019 mass shooting at a Kansas City, Kansas, bar has been found guilty of murder and other charges. On Wednesday, a Wyandotte County jury convicted Hugo Villanueva-Morales on all counts, including one count of capital murder and multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder. KMBC TV reports that the shooting happened in October 2019 at Tequila KC Bar and left four people dead and five others wounded.
Villanueva-Morales and co-defendant Javier Alatorre were caught on surveillance video entering the bar and firing multiple rounds at patrons. Alatorre was arrested shortly after the shooting. Villanueva-Morales was captured later following a manhunt. Alatorre pleaded guilty in 2023 to four counts of murder and was sentenced to 34 years in prison.
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Giant Data Center May Be Coming to North KC; Port Authority Could Issue $10 Billion in Bonds
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - A giant data processing center could be coming to North Kansas City. The Port Authority of Kansas City is set to approve $10 billion in bonds and tax breaks to lure Google to build the massive data center complex in Clay County, Missouri. The Kansas City Star reports that the development committee for Port KC voted this week to recommend a plan to issue the bonds. The 500-acre, 1.5 million square-foot complex will house five "hyperscale" data center buildings. The center will process vast amounts of digital data. The site will be located in far north Kansas City, off the northeast corner of I-435 and Highway 169.
(–Additional reporting–)
KC Agency Set to Approve Data Center Bond Issue
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – A data center in the Kansas City, Missouri, area could break ground as soon as next month. KCUR reports that development agency Port KC is set to approve billions of dollars in bonds at its board meeting at the end of the month (04/28). The Port Authority of Kansas City’s development committee recommended a plan to issue up to 10 billion dollars in bonds for Project Mica, which will reportedly be a Google data center. Meredith Hoenes is the spokesperson for Port KC. She says the project could help bring more development to the area. "I think data centers have proven that they bring an economic benefits to communities, and we want to be able to grow Kansas City's economy," Hoenes explained. The 500-acre complex will hold five data center buildings off the northeast corner of Interstate 435 and 169 Highway in Clay County, Missouri.
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Lawsuits Related to Raid on Small Kansas Newspaper Allowed to Proceed
UNDATED (KCUR) – In 2023, the Marion, Kansas, police department raided its local newspaper, the publisher’s home, and the home of a city council member. The incident drew national attention and led to multiple federal lawsuits. KCUR reports that the newspaper filed four lawsuits against the former mayor of Marion, its police chief, and other officials, alleging that their actions violated the Constitution. One lawsuit has already been settled. Last month, a U.S. district judge in Kansas City allowed the remaining suits to move forward. The newspaper’s editor and publisher, Eric Meyer, says the experience has highlighted the importance of local reporting. “Nobody wants that kind of attention. It did give an opportunity to talk a little bit about what's happened to America's newspapers," Meyer added. At the time of the raid, Meyer’s newsroom had been reporting on local businesses as well as the misconduct and background of police officers.
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Kansas Woman Charged with Unemployment Fraud in Case Involving COVID Funds
WICHITA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Kansas woman has been indicted for unemployment fraud and using stolen identities. A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment this week, charging 35-year-old Kylie Charles, of Wichita, with illegally collecting more than $100,000 from the federal government. Prosecutors accuse her of defrauding a federal program aimed at helping people who lost their livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. WIBW TV reports that Charles is charged with wire fraud and identity theft.
Charles is accused of stealing the identities of people she knew and using their information without their knowledge or consent to file false claims in multiple states for unemployment benefits under the CARES Act program.
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Kansas City Area Man Sentenced for $1.4 Million COVID-19 Scheme
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - A Missouri man has been sentenced to a year in prison for trying to scam the federal government out of nearly $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Prosecutors say 51-year-old Richard Dean Schiele, Jr. was sentenced Tuesday in federal court. The judge also ordered him to pay more than $130,000 in restitution to the IRS. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, helped companies keep employees on the payroll during the pandemic. In his guilty plea, Schiele admitted he didn't have any employees and submitted false forms to take advantage of the program.
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Wichita Schools: Jack and Jill Need More Time to Play
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - As full-day kindergarten has become more widely available in Kansas, it has become more rigorous. Kindergarten classes feature bell-to-bell lessons designed to prepare youngsters for the first grade. But some districts are bringing back old-school playtime. The Kansas News Service reports that some schools in Wichita are incorporating self-directed free play — known among educators as purposeful play — into the daily schedule as a way to enhance learning and teach social skills. (Read more.)
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Sunflower Summer Program to Continue Despite Budget Cuts
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas leaders have announced the state will continue to offer a summer program despite recent budget cuts. The Kansas News Service reports that the program lets kids visit zoos and other attractions for free. The popular Sunflower Summer program will be shorter this year, running from July 12th to August 3rd. Decreased funding from Kansas lawmakers also means free tickets will be limited to one adult per student, rather than two adults as in past years. The program runs through a smartphone app and was previously funded with federal COVID-relief money. Kids from preschool through 12th grade can get free admission to various attractions across the state. Kansas Tourism is urging eligible attractions to apply to be part of this year’s program. The deadline is April 30th. Participating attractions will be announced in early June.
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