Storms Drop Heavy Rains, Knock Out Power to Evergy Customers
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/TCJ) - More than a thousand customers of Evergy lost power following powerful storms that rolled through eastern Kansas Monday night. That figure was reduced to a couple hundred by 8:30 am. Topeka received about a half-inch of rain Monday night. Lawrence got a little more than a half inch. And meteorologist Bill Gargan, with the National Weather Service, says more rain is coming. "Tonight, we should start getting widespread rain," he said. "We will have periods of showers, maybe even a few elevated thunderstorms, but nothing severe." (Check out the Evergy Outage Map.)
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that northeast Kansas saw hail, high winds and flash flooding during the the late afternoon and early evening on April 28. Severe storms moved through that part of the state at a time when most of it was under a tornado warning. The warning was in effect from 5 pm to midnight but no tornadoes touched down and no storm-related injuries were reported.
Get the latest from the National Weather Service in Topeka.
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Experts Say Some Kansans Could Lose Health Insurance Coverage from Medicaid Cuts
UNDATED (KNS) – Health policy experts say some Kansas residents who rely on Medicaid for health insurance could lose coverage over the next decade. Cindy Mann of Manatt Health told the Kansas News Service that Congress is looking to cut spending on the federal program by $880 billion in 10 years. Mann says federal lawmakers are still trying to figure out how to do that, but Kansas could lose up to $3 billion over that time period. “Kansas will have a deep hole in its budget," she explained. "It’s really impossible with cuts of this size to shield anyone from the cuts.” Mann says the cuts would disrupt coverage and care for some Kansans, and shutter already struggling hospitals in the state.
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KU Researcher May Have Reached Breast Cancer Breakthrough
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - Preliminary research by a University of Kansas Medical Center professor has found a new indicator that may lead to treatment for an aggressive type of breast cancer. The research identified a protein that is over-expressed in Black women with triple negative breast cancer. That could unlock new ways to treat that type of cancer.
Dr. Joan Lewis-Wambi says researchers do not fully understand the biology of triple negative breast cancer tumors. And treatment options are limited. “Understanding if there are differences between different groups, I think that can help us in terms of designing novel treatments.” Lewis-Wambi says Black women are two times more likely than women of other races to develop triple negative breast cancer. She says she wants to continue researching to know why.
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Kansas Among Worst States in the Nation for Work-Related Fatalities
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – A new report by the Kansas Health Institute shows the state ranks among the worst in the U.S. for work-related fatalities. The study shows Kansas has improved in the past decade but still has a higher rate of workplace injuries and fatalities than the national average. It says agriculture is the most dangerous industry in Kansas, followed by transportation and construction. Kaci Cink is an analyst with the Kansas Health Institute. She says she hopes people will consider improving workplace safety, “...whether that’s among employers, labor organizations or just public health professionals.” The study found Kansas seniors face disproportionate risk. They represent about 10% of the workforce but nearly a fifth of workplace fatalities. The report also says 94% of workplace fatalities in Kansas are men.
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Kansas Ranchers, Conservationists Aim to Preserve Grasslands
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas ranchers and conservationists are moving forward to preserve remaining grasslands in the state. Both groups have common goals. Ranchers want to find sustainable ways to raise healthy cattle, and conservationists want to preserve the grassland habitat for endangered species like the lesser prairie chicken. Landowners in southwest Kansas formed an alliance to show other ranchers the benefits of protecting their land and livelihoods.
Ted Koch, executive director of the North American Grouse Partnership, says ranchers are “conservationist heroes.” “Ninety percent of lesser prairie chicken habitat is privately owned, I want to save chickens and ranching," he said. "We quickly realized our interests overlap and we chose to band together.” Ranchers are paid by the group Common Ground Capitol for conservation efforts like removing invasive trees.
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High Egg Prices Got You Down? Why Not Gather Your Own?
UNDATED (HPM) - Backyard chickens are really popular this year, in part due to the sky-high cost of eggs at the grocery store. Some people are even renting hens. Harvest Public Media takes a look at the new demand for backyard eggs.
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Alzheimer's Care Costs Increasing in Kansas and Nationwide
UNDATED (KNS) – Around 55 thousand Kansans over age 65 have Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new report by the Alzheimer’s Association. The Kansas News Service reports that costs associated with the disease are growing. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, patients often need round-the-clock care. That comes with steep costs for Kansas families. The report found that around 90 thousand Kansans serve as unpaid family caregivers for patients, and they provide around 127 million hours of care per year. Fe Vorderlandwehr with the Central and Western Kansas Alzheimer’s Association says the total value of that care is over two billion dollars, adding that “...this disease is very expensive, and it’s costing our Kansas families — not only in hours, but in just the total value of that unpaid care.” A new Kansas program offers up to $1,000 in relief care for caregivers per year. People can apply through their local Area Agency on Aging office.
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KU Doctor Trains Healthcare Workers on How to Test for and Treat Measles
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas doctors are preparing to test and treat more measles patients as a result of the outbreak in southwest and south-central Kansas. Dr. Rick Kellerman, with University of Kansas Medicine-Wichita, is working to educate health care providers about how to treat people who are infected without exposing others. He says measles is extremely contagious and can linger in the air for hours. “Even if you bring people in through the back door of your office and just see them in a particular room, it can be transmitted through the ventilation system clear to the other side of the office," he said. Dr. Kellerman recommends doctors go out to patients’ cars or make home visits. He's hosting a virtual training for health care providers on Wednesday about clinical strategies for managing a measles outbreak. He says the best way for people to protect themselves is to get vaccinated as soon as possible. (Read more.)
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Gas Prices Down 50-Cents a Gallon from a Year Ago
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Gas prices have fallen by nearly 50 cents a gallon since this time last year. According to Triple-A, the national average for a gallon of unleaded Tuesday morning was $3.16. Last year, it was $3.65 a gallon. According to GasBuddy.com, the price for unleaded gas in Topeka Tuesday morning ranged from $2.59 to $2.89 a gallon. Diesel fuel in Topeka ranged from $3.11 to $3.59.
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187,000 Kansas Children Miss Out on Free Summer Meals Despite Eligibility
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — An estimated 187,000 school-age children in Kansas could have received free summer meals last year — their families just didn’t submit the application. The Kansas Reflector reports that only 5,600 families applied for the SUN Bucks program. That's just 3% of those who were eligible. The Kansas Department for Children and Families says the SUN Bucks program, also known as the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, gives families a $120 summer grocery card per eligible child.
While most eligible children did not receive the SUN Bucks, more than 59,000 families automatically received them. Children in a household that had already submitted paperwork to receive free or reduced-price school lunches or applied for monthly food assistance programs, for example, were auto-enrolled. The majority of states that offer SUN Bucks auto-enroll children in Medicaid. Kansas does not.
This year, families have until August 29th to apply for the program.
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Free Kansas Fishing and State Park Entrance Days Announced
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Free fishing and state park entrance days have been announced for 2025. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has designated several free fishing days and several free state park entrance days. This year, anyone can fish without a license on June 7 and 8.
WIBW TV reports that fish length and creel limits still apply. A creel limit refers to the maximum number of fish of a particular species that an individual is allowed to harvest in a day.
Meanwhile, all state parks in Kansas will offer free entrance on Saturday, May 3. Camping fees still apply.
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More Snapping Turtles Coming to Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - Kansas wildlife specialists are getting ready to reintroduce even more alligator snapping turtles into Kansas waterways. KSNT reports that the reptiles disappeared from the Sunflower State in the early 1990s. But that changed last year, when the department of wildlife and parks dropped off 40 of them in the Neosho River as part of an effort to bring the species back. Now, state officials say they'll drop off another batch of alligator snapping turtles - about 60 of them - on May 7th or 8th. They'll be released in the Neosho River between St. Paul and Parsons. Wildlife officials say the turtles are part of the ecology and natural heritage of Kansas. Biologists say the imperiled species is an important component of the environment that plays many roles - scavenger, predator, prey and seed disperser.
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Baseball History Documentary Premieres in Pittsburg
PITTSBURG, Kan. (KRPS) – On Monday night, an area filmmaker premiered his newest project at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts in Pittsburg, Kansas. Radio station KRPS reports that filmmaker and videographer Aaron Thompson premiered his film Preserving the Big Train: A Family's Gift to Humboldt. The seventeen-minute documentary tells the story of two people, Allie Utley and Hank Thomas, and their effort to preserve baseball history in Humboldt. The film was part of Thompson's master's degree program at Pittsburg State University. He said that now that the film is finished, it's a bittersweet feeling. "It's a little mixture of excitement, but sadness, I mean it was an incredible journey cause it was awesome too to be a part of this history," he explained. The two main subjects of the film both have grandparents with a rich baseball history, Hank Thomas is the grandson of MLB legend Walter Johnson. Allie Utley is the granddaughter of Dick Davis – a pioneer in preserving baseball history in Humboldt. Both were in attendance and answered questions after the film.
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Kansas Lottery: Check Your Tickets for Unclaimed Prize Money
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Lottery is asking everyone who purchased a Holiday Millionaire Raffle ticket to check those tickets at a lottery ticket machine. Two big prizes remain unclaimed and time is running out. One Holiday Millionaire Raffle ticket is worth $100,000. The other is worth $1 million. The million-dollar winning ticket was sold in south-central Kansas. The $100,000 ticket was sold in southeast Kansas. All lottery tickets expire one year after a prize is won.
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