Fortune 500 Company Fiserv to Bring 2,000 Jobs to Former Sprint Campus in Overland Park
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KPR/KCTV) - A Fortune 500 company is bringing thousands of jobs to the campus of the former Sprint Headquarters in Johnson County. Kansas Governor Kelly joined representatives from Fiserv, Incorporated, Monday to announce plans to open at the current Aspiria Campus in Overland Park. KCTV reports that the financial technology company will bring about 2,000 jobs to the area, averaging about $125,000 in yearly compensation.
Fiserv is a company that offers account processing and digital banking solutions. The site was selected for its central location in the country. Fiserv expects to open the Kansas office later this year.
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Kansas Governor to Discuss Measles Outbreak Tuesday Afternoon
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Governor Laura Kelly will join state health officials in Garden City Tuesday afternoon to update Kansans on the measles outbreak in southwest and south-central Kansas. As of last week, the state had confirmed 37 cases in eight counties. Most of the cases involve unvaccinated children though seven of the cases involve adults.
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Concerns Raised About New Kansas Childcare Access Expansion Bill
TOEPKA, Kan. (KPR) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is set to sign a bill aimed at expanding access to childcare, but some advocates are concerned that it eases licensing requirements too much. Under current Kansas law, an unlicensed childcare 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.”
Some health experts are concerned about a provision in the bill 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.
The bill also creates the new Office of Early Childhood and reduces some fees and training requirements for child care providers. (Read more.)
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Kansas Lawmakers Fail to Pass Major Property Tax Relief
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - Kansas lawmakers campaigned on property tax relief but failed to achieve major tax reform this session. Before leaving the Statehouse this year, they passed a modest tax cut of 1.5 mills. For someone with a $250,000 home, that translates into a tax cut of about $43. Many lawmakers found that insufficient. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that disagreements between the House and Senate hindered more significant property tax relief efforts. Legislative leaders say they'll aim for more significant property tax relief next session.
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Kansas Catholics Remember Pope Francis
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Catholics in Kansas are paying tribute to Pope Francis following his death early Monday morning at the age of 88. The Kansas News Service reports that more than a hundred people gathered at the Wichita Cathedral Monday for mass and to pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis. That included Laura Martin, who says she’ll remember the Pope for his gentleness and kindness. “There’s been a lot of political strife and division, and stuff like that. And I think of him as a Pope, specifically, in this time, I just remember he really worked towards unity of people with different beliefs,” she added. She says she hopes the next Pope continues to emphasize that unity. Nearly 1 in 5 Kansans are Catholic, according to Pew Research Center.
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Federal Funding Cuts May Damage Rural Kansas Economies
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - An organization that offers grants to small libraries and museums in Kansas is worried President 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.” Quillin says that Humanities Kansas will try to push ahead with what they can afford to do.
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Fireworks Prices Expected to Rise with New Tariffs
UNDATED (KCUR) – If shooting off fireworks is part of your July Fourth Celebration, you may be looking at a much more expensive holiday. The fireworks industry says that a 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods could double the price of some pyrotechnics. KCUR reports that the president of the National Fireworks Association, Stacy Schneitter Blake says the tariff is already affecting plans for America’s 250th birthday next year. “The stresses of this going into the 250th anniversary, what that might look like, because there are a lot of celebrations that are already planned, and fireworks are going to be a big part of that,” she added.
Blake says her family has been in the fireworks business for 130 years and has never seen a tariff problem this big. Kansas lawmakers recently legalized year-round fireworks sales in the state.
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International Dark Sky Week Calls Attention to Light Risks for Wildlife
UNDATED (KNS) – As migratory birds make their way through Kansas and Missouri, residents can help keep them safe. The Kansas News Service reports that this is International Dark Sky Week, a movement encouraging people to turn off their lights at night to protect and appreciate wildlife. DeAnn Gregory is with the Missouri Chapter of DarkSky International. She says a lot of birds migrate at night and they’re attracted to bright lights. “It pulls them into a very dangerous place where as we know, things sometimes do not go very well. They get exhausted,” she explained. Gregory says turning off outdoor lights overnight will help migrating birds stay on course. She says birds migrate through the region until the end of May.
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Group Seeks to Address Bird Fatality Causes in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KNS) - Every year, volunteers find hundreds of dead birds that died after flying into buildings in Kansas City. Bird Safe KC’s latest report shows that volunteers have found nearly 2,000 birds since 2019 that died by crashing into buildings. The total number of birds that die this way in Kansas City is unknown, but scientists put the nationwide estimate at about one billion per year. Reflections in windows can often confuse birds, making them fly into buildings. Tessa Poolman, from the Missouri River Bird Observatory, helps coordinate the project. She says birds support healthy ecosystems. “They’re seed dispersers, they’re pollinators, they keep our insect populations down. Not only that, but they’re just a joy to see, right?," she said. Dozens of volunteers check Kansas City buildings for these collisions, which often involve migrating birds. The goal is to educate property owners. The American Bird Conservancy website lists ways that property owners can prevent these fatalities. One way is to apply a transparent film with dots on it to windows that can help birds better see the windows. However, this can be expensive. (Learn more at BirdSafeKC.org.)
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Highway Patrol: Two Kansas Teens Killed in Head-On Crash
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KMBC/KAKE) - The Kansas Highway Patrol says two teenagers were killed and two others were hospitalized in a head-on crash on U.S. Highway 69 in Johnson County late Saturday night. KMBC TV reports that a Toyota Corolla was traveling south when it crossed the median and entered the northbound lanes, where it collided head-on with a Kia Optima. The driver of the Toyota, 17-year-old Jose Placensia Castaneda of Lenexa, was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he later died. The passenger, 18-year-old Itzel Guerra of Overland Park, was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers say neither was wearing a seatbelt. Both were students at Shawnee Mission South.
KAKE TV reports that two Kansas City women were in the Kia. The 44-year-old driver suffered potentially serious injuries, while the 41-year-old passenger had minor injuries. Both were wearing seat belts. It's unclear what caused the Toyota to drive into oncoming traffic. Troopers said no other vehicles were involved. The crash remains under investigation.
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Small Plane Crash in Nebraska Kills Kansas Man, Two Others
DODGE COUNTY, Neb. (Hays Post) - Authorities are investigating a small plane crash in Nebraska that killed three people, including a man from Kansas. The plane crashed Friday night into the Platte River, south of Fremont, in rural Nebraska. The victim from Kansas has been identified as 43-year-old Daniel Williams of Mounridge, Kansas. The Hays Post reports that two people from Fremont, Nebraska were also killed: 50-year-old Jeff Bittinger and 48-year-old Randy Amrein. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating.
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Insurance Claims for 2024 Kansas Storm Season Total $612 Million
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Insurance claims for last year's storm season in Kansas totaled more than $612 million. Johnson County saw the highest amount while Greeley County, in western Kansas, saw the lowest. Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt released the data last week. Her department collects data from companies writing property and casualty insurance in Kansas. This data includes the number of total claims as well as the amount paid for those claims across several types of storm losses including hail, wind, water damage, and other weather-related claim losses for homeowner and automobile policies.
(For a county by county breakdown of insurance claims, check the Kansas Insurance Department's website.)
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Anti-Trump and Anti-Doge Protests Held over the Weekend in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/KAKE) - Kansans turned out in Topeka, Lawrence, Kansas City and Wichita over the weekend to protest actions by the Trump administration. Saturday's protests were a continuation of demonstrations against the president's policies and against DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency. KAKE TV estimated that more than 1,200 demonstrators took part in the Wichita demonstrations.
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KC Area Man Arrested for Arson at Tesla Dealership
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas City area man has been arrested in connection with an arson at a Tesla dealership. KCTV reports that 19-year-old Owen McIntire, of Parkville, was arrested in Boston where he attended college at UMass. McIntyre is charged with unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious damage by fire at a Tesla dealership on March 17th while he was home in Kansas City on spring break. Kansas City police recovered a Molotov cocktail near a burning Cybertruck. That fire spread to another Cybertruck in the dealership parking lot and also damaged two Tesla charging stations.
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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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Former KU Runner Wins Women's Boston Marathon Title
UNDATED (KCUR) – A former University of Kansas runner won the women's Boston Marathon Monday — and broke a women’s course record in the process. KCUR reports that Sharon Lokedi ran for the Jayhawks from 2015 to 2019, and was named as a First-team All American seven times. This week, Lokedi cruised through Boston’s famous course in less than 2 hours, 17-and-a-half minutes. Lokedi’s Boston victory is her second major World Marathon win. She won the women's New York City Marathon in 2022.
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