Rainy Easter Weekend in Store for Eastern Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - A rainy and possibly stormy weekend is in store for eastern Kansas. Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Topeka say there's a 60% chance of showers and storms Friday night and Saturday. Those chances increase to 80% Saturday night and to 90% on Sunday.
A Flood Watch takes effect Friday night and will last through Sunday evening for much of southeastern Kansas, including Allen, Bourbon, Crawford, Cherokee, Chautauqua, Linn, Montgomery, Wilson, Elk and Labette counties.
While widespread severe storms are not expected, heavy rainfall is possible, especially in southeast Kansas.
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Kansas Tax Revenue Forecast Updated
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Kansas officials have updated their fiscal forecast for state tax revenue. 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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State Official Urges More Funding for Kansas Nursing Home Inspectors, Oversight
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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Advocates Raise Concerns About Parts of New Child Care Access Expansion Bill
TOEPKA, Kan. (KPR) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is set to sign a bill aimed at expanding access to child care, but some advocates are concerned that it eases licensing requirements too much. Under current Kansas law, an unlicensed child care provider can give a combined total of 20 hours of care per week for up to two kids. The bill increases that threshold to four kids and 35 hours per child. Emily Barnes is the education policy advisor for the nonprofit Kansas Action for Children. She says the measure could affect the quality of care at some facilities, adding that “...the dynamics of the environment may not provide the child what they need.” The bill also creates the new Office of Early Childhood and reduces some fees and training requirements for child care providers.
(–Related–)
Kansas Carves Out Religious Vaccine Exemptions as It Eases Child Care Regulations
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly says she will sign a bill aimed at improving access to childcare and other early childhood services. But some health experts are concerned about a provision codifying religious exemptions for vaccines required at day cares. This comes as the state is dealing with a Measles outbreak in southwest and central Kansas, which is largely affecting people who are not fully vaccinated against the illness.
Child advocates also worry the bill will roll back licensing regulations too far and decrease the quality of childcare at some facilities. The bill would consolidate existing early childhood programs from four state agencies into the new Office of Early Childhood. That’s a department Kelly has been lobbying the Kansas Legislature to create since last year. (Read more.)
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Regional Climate Centers Close Down Due to Federal 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. (Read more.)
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Humanities Kansas Warns Federal Funding Cuts Could Damage Rural Economies
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – An organization that offers grants to small libraries and museums in Kansas is worried President Donald Trump’s federal funding cuts will hurt rural economies. Humanities Kansas receives $1 million of federal funds each year. The funding is used to bring local history exhibits to communities, or book clubs to small towns. But now half of those funds have been suspended for the rest of the year. Tracy Quillin, associate director for Humanities Kansas, says that tourism to these towns will drop without the humanities projects. “A lot of these programs are lifelines for people. There are also ways that communities can say, hey, we've got something going on. Come to our town, get to know our town,” she explained. Quillin says that Humanities Kansas will try to push ahead with what they can afford to do.
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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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Lawsuit Accuses KU Health Employee of Illegally Accessing Private Medical Records at LMH Health
UNDATED (KPR / KNS) – A federal lawsuit alleges a Kansas physical therapist repeatedly accessed the private medical records and photos of 425 patients at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. According to the lawsuit, a physical therapist employed by the University of Kansas Health System used KU Health 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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Health Officials Warn of Possible Garden City Measles Exposure
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas health officials are warning the public of potential measles exposure at a hotel in Garden City. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says people who were at Clarion Inn in Garden City between April 8th and 10th should watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days. But a spokesperson for the hotel says only one employee tested positive for measles. That employee took measures to isolate themselves. The spokesperson says it’s unfair to single out the business in a public alert. The state has confirmed 37 cases of measles since the beginning of the year.
(–Related–)
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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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 the 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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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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