Study Shows Decline in Kansas Air Quality
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - A new study shows many Kansans are breathing unhealthy levels of ozone smog and particle pollution. Experts say this has been fueled by rising temperatures and wildfires. The American Lung Association report looks at national data from 2021 to 2023. It shows days with high ozone pollution increased in the Wichita, Kansas City and Topeka metro areas. Wichita and Kansas City also had average year-round particle pollution levels that exceeded what officials consider to be safe, while Topeka did not collect complete data. Sarah Prem, a lobbyist with the American Lung Association, says the state’s air quality is particularly harmful for certain groups. “People with asthma, people with COPD, cardiovascular disease, women who are pregnant," she said. The report says people of color are more than twice as likely as white people to live in communities that fail federal pollution guidelines.
Prem says poor air quality can lead to serious health consequences: "Premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, premature births and impaired cognitive functioning later in life and then, of course, particle pollution can also cause lung cancer," she said.
Days with high ozone pollution increased in the Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka metro areas compared with last year’s report.
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New Law Will Allow Kansans to Purchase Fireworks Year-Round
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Air quality in Kansas could soon be getting worse, with the year-round sale of fireworks. Residents will soon be able to purchase fireworks all year long, but state fire officials say that could lead to more fires and injuries - and lower air quality.
Fireworks vendors in Kansas say the measure will help them compete with sellers in nearby states. They say states like Missouri let people buy fireworks for a longer period of time. Kansas Fire Marshal Mark Engholm does not oppose the new law. But he says it will likely increase the workload for firefighters. “The fire service is not really excited about the idea of more fires, more injuries, because that’s the reality,” Engholm said. Some veterans say fireworks can also cause distress in people who have post-traumatic stress disorder. The new law does not change when people can legally use fireworks. That’s still determined by local governments. The law could take effect as soon as this week.
(–Related–)
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% 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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Black Hills Energy Wants $17.2 Million Rate Increase in Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Black Hills Energy is proposing a $17.2 million hike for natural gas customers in Kansas. The company says the increase would support safe and reliable delivery of natural gas. If approved, the average residential bill would increase by 17.6%. KSNW TV reports that most customers would likely see an increase of approximately $11 per month. It would take effect in the second half of 2025. Black Hills provides natural gas service to approximately 120,000 Kansas customers.
The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) will hold a public hearing next week to give customers an opportunity to learn more about the company’s request, ask questions and make comments. The hearing will be held in Wichita on Tuesday, April 29, at Lowe Auditorium at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex (5015 E. 29th Street) beginning at 6 pm.
Those unable to attend in person will have a virtual option available through Zoom. Zoom participants must register in advance on the KCC’s website by noon on April 28.
The hearing will also be broadcast on the KCC’s YouTube channel for viewing only.
The Commission is also accepting written comments until 5 pm on June 20, 2025. Comments may be submitted on the KCC’s website, by mail to the Commission’s Office:
KCC
1500 SW Arrowhead Rd
Topeka, KS 66604-4027
(-Related-)
Opponents Speak Out Against Evergy Adding Two Natural Gas Plants in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Disagreements on the future of Evergy’s proposal to build two new natural gas plants in Kansas surfaced this week during a hearing held by the Kansas Corporation Commission. According to the Kansas Reflector, Evergy announced last fall it would build two natural gas plants - one in Reno County and another in Sumner County. Evergy cited economic growth and an increase in demand. In March, the utility announced plans to build a third plant in Missouri. The company is also planning a new solar installation in Douglas County.
KCC regulates utilities in Kansas, and the three-person board will determine whether Evergy can move forward with its plans.
Significant opposition to the proposed Kansas natural gas plants is coming from retail customers, who believe the new plants will raise rates and are not necessary to ensure adequate electricity supply. Evergy officials and KCC staff are the two primary entities in favor of the plants.
In its long-range plan filed with regulators in 2022, Evergy planned to exclusively add wind and solar facilities over the coming decade. A year later, it scaled back those planned renewable energy facilities, forecasted plans to add natural gas plants and delayed the retirement of the Lawrence coal-fired power plant.
It is estimated each new natural gas plant will cost about $1 billion.
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KDHE Reports No Increase in Measles Cases in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas health data released Wednesday shows no increase in measles cases in the state. The Kansas News Service reports that for the first time since the outbreak began, Kansas health officials reported no new cases of measles over the past week. Thirty-seven people in Kansas have tested positive for measles this year. The outbreak is clustered in eight counties in southwest and south-central Kansas. The new data comes after Governor Laura Kelly urged people to get vaccinated. Most of the cases are affecting people who are not vaccinated. The vaccination rate for measles is below 90% in Kansas, which is below what’s considered safe. The outbreak that began in West Texas has spread to at least 27 states. Louisiana, Virginia and Missouri all reported their first measles cases of 2025 last weekend.
(–Related–)
Governor Urges Kansans to Get Measles Vaccination
UNDATED (KNS) – Governor Laura Kelly visited Garden City Tuesday amid a measles outbreak, asking people to get vaccinated for the highly contagious disease. This comes after officials warned the public of potential measles exposure at the Clarion Inn hotel in Garden City. State health officials have confirmed 37 measles cases in western Kansas, 30 of which have been in unvaccinated people. Governor Kelly stressed the importance of the vaccine that’s normally given to children. “I can't stress how important it is that this message came out to people all over southwest Kansas, how important it is that we be proactive in our approach,” she said at the event.
Adults who are unvaccinated can also get the measles shot. Health officials are working to spread awareness across the meatpacking plants in southwest Kansas. (Read more.)
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Regional Climate Centers Reopen Following Public Outcry
UNDATED (HPM) – Multiple regional climate centers and their websites ceased operations last week, including the High Plains Regional Climate Center, which covers Kansas. But Harvest Public Media reports that all the regional climate centers are up and running once again. Many people were unhappy when the Southern Regional Climate Center shut down abruptly last week. That’s according to Alison Tarter, a researcher at the SRCC — which covers Texas and Oklahoma, among other states. Their center is responsible for providing free online weather tools.
Tarter says their social media accounts received over 30,000 engagements, along with an increased volume of emails, in support of their climate data services. “Yeah, to have something like that taken away for no reason. And then all of a sudden back to business as usual is great, but a little unsettling,” Tarter said.
The center now has stop-gap funds to keep it running until a new contract deadline, currently set for mid-June. The Department of Commerce is reportedly reviewing all federal contracts over $100,000.
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Survey Indicates Antisemitic Incidents Hit 45-Year High in 2024
UNDATED (KCUR) – Antisemitic incidents hit a 45 year high last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. KCUR reports that the organization counted more than 9,000 acts of harassment, vandalism and assault against Jewish people in 2024. That's up 5% from the year before, and the highest figure recorded in the history of the survey. Anti-Jewish attacks increased in Kansas but eased slightly in Missouri. Jordan Kadosh with the Heartland Anti-Defamation League office says the intensity of those incidents rose in both states. "I think one of the most notable ones was a Jewish business that was vandalized with messages related to Gaza. But also, you know, by appropriating Nazism," he added. Kadosh says antisemitic attacks jumped at the start of the war in Gaza a year and a half ago and rose slightly last year, spiking 84% on college campuses. For the first time in the history of the survey, most of the incidents related to Israel or Zionism.
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KC Police Will Pay $4.1 Million in Cameron Lamb Settlement, but Won’t Admit Fault
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KS Star) - Kansas City police will pay $4.1 million to settle a federal lawsuit in the death of Cameron Lamb, who was fatally shot by former detective Eric DeValkenaere. Lamb's family initially sought more than $10 million in damages. The Kansas City Star reports that the settlement brings to a close a years-long saga that damaged the relationship between the city’s Black community and law enforcement. The settlement agreement approved Tuesday by a federal judge comes with no admission of fault or wrongdoing by either the former detective or the police department.
DeValkenaere was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2019 shooting and served about one year of a six-year prison sentence before his sentence was communted in December by then-Missouri Governor Mike Parson. DeValkenaere was the first Kansas City officer ever convicted of killing a Black man.
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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. Fiserv expects to open the Kansas office later this year.
(– Additional reporting –)
Financial Tech Firm Seeks to Open New Office in Overland Park
UNDATED (Johnson County Post) – A Fortune 500 company wants to open a new regional office with some 2,000 employees at a prominent site in Overland Park. The Johnson County Post reports that Milwaukee-based Fiserv has settled on Aspiria near 119th and Nall as the site for a new regional hub. The financial technology firm would occupy more than 400,000 square feet of existing office space at what used to be the Sprint World Headquarters. The company promises roughly 2,000 full-time, onsite employees would be based out of the new Overland Park office. To complete the deal, Overland Park officials are discussing a unique incentive arrangement in which Fiserv would get up to a 40% property tax rebate over its first 10 years at the site. The old Sprint campus is now owned by a Wichita-based developer who has designs to remake the area into a vast mixed-use development with housing, restaurants and entertainment venues.
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Tariffs Influencing Soybean Acreage Decisions
UNDATED (HPM) – Spring planting is underway in many Midwest states. Harvest Public Media reports that farmers are planning on fewer acres of soybeans this year amid the escalating trade war with China. Federal data shows farmers intend to plant about 4 percent fewer acres of soybeans in the U.S. compared to 2024. Soybean prices heavily depend on exports to China. And the continued exchange of tariffs started by President Donald Trump means the future of that market is uncertain. Wisconsin farmer Pat Mullooly sits on the state's Soybean Marketing Board. He says growers have struggled with the crop's profitability since the first Trump administration's trade war. "The soybean price is just kind of dwindling back on us, and the inputs are up, you know, in the last few years, and it's just hard to pencil in a profit," he explained. Corn — while facing similar issues to soybeans — is less dependent on exports, making it a safer bet during an uncertain year. (Read more about the effects of tariffs on Midwestern farmers.)
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Support Made Available to Shawnee Mission South Students Following Deadly Car Crash
UNDATED (KCUR) – More support was available Tuesday at Shawnee Mission South High School after two students died in a car crash over the weekend. KCUR reports that Itzel Guerra was a senior and Jose Placensia Castañeda was a junior at Shawnee Mission South. They were killed in a head-on collision Saturday night. The Kansas Highway Patrol says neither was wearing a seatbelt. A district spokesperson said additional support staff was at the high school on Tuesday to assist students and employees. The student services team will continue to monitor for support needed throughout the week. Two online fundraisers have been created to help Guerra and Castañeda’s families with funeral expenses.
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Friends of the Kaw Celebrate Earth Day Early by Cleaning up the Kaw
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - About 160 people gathered along the banks of the Kansas River in Lawrence over the weekend for a major clean-up. Dawn Buehler is the executive director of Friends of the Kaw, said they had one mission in mind: "To clean-up trash and to protect the drinking water source of over 950,000 Kansans." Buehler said they pulled lots of trash from the water and banks of the river - "Everything you can imagine - furniture, plastic bottles, Styrofoam," she added. The Friends of the Kaw hold several clean-ups on the Kansas River every year. The group will host several more clean-ups this year in Manhattan, Topeka and Kansas City. Learn more at KansasRiver.org.
(Listen to KPR's interview with Kansas Riverkeeper Dawn Buehler.)
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