State Health Data Shows Increase in Kansas Measles Cases
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas health data released Wednesday shows the number of measles cases in the state continues to increase. The Kansas News Service reports that forty-six people in Kansas have tested positive for measles since the start of the year, according to data from state health officials. That’s nine additional cases from last week. The outbreak remains clustered in eight counties in southwest and south central Kansas. Most of the cases are affecting people who are not vaccinated, and 38 of the 46 cases are children. One measles patient is hospitalized, according to the state data. Health officials say the Kansas cases are likely linked to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. They urge people to get vaccinated.
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Concerns Surface About AI Software Approved for Gun Detection in Schools
UNDATED (The Beacon) – Kansas lawmakers set aside $10 million for an AI software that detects guns in schools, but some legislators are worried the software does not work. The Beacon reports that the AI software will use existing school cameras to spot guns. If the camera sees a gun, it will send a screenshot to a human to verify that the weapon is real. One company that offers this service is ZeroEyes. The Beacon asked the company how often there are false alarms, and the company says it doesn’t release that information. Representative Kristey Williams pushed for the funding and she isn’t concerned about the secrecy. She says AI looking for guns can keep kids safe. “In government, we’re usually behind in technology … this is us trying to be proactive and thinking forward,” she explained. No school has to spend money on the program. Lawmakers set aside the funds so schools try out the software and see if it works.
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Black Hills Energy Rate-Hike Proposal Would Increase Natural Gas Costs for Thousands of Kansas Customers
UNDATED (KNS) – Most of southern Kansas would pay more for natural gas under a rate-hike proposal from Black Hills Energy. The Kansas News Service reports that the company is asking state regulators to raise rates by 17.6% to pay for system upgrades, insurance and other costs. The average household would pay an extra $132 a year. During a public hearing in Wichita, Michael Brosch with AARP said the proposed hike unfairly shifts operational costs onto customers. “When winter storm Uri threatened the company, you guessed it: customers reimbursed these costs. The list goes on, with few risks actually retained by Black Hills investors,” he said. Black Hills provides natural gas service to about 120,000 Kansas customers. Residents have until June 20th to submit comments to the Kansas Corporation Commission, which will act on the request by August 29.
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Alzheimer's Care Costs Increasing but a New Program in Kansas Provided Financial Help
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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Massive Fire Destroys Building in Downtown KC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — Firefighters in Kansas City spent much of Tuesday night battling a massive warehouse fire near 8th and Woodland Avenue. The blaze broke out around 7 pm and filled the sky with giant plumes of black smoke. Officials say the building was unoccupied but it's not uncommon for transient people to squat in such vacant buildings. KCTV reports that firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading next door to a warehouse used by City Union Mission. The cause is under investigation.
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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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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 Fugitive on the Run for 18 Years - Captured!
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — A fugitive who was on the run for nearly two decades for crimes committed in Johnson County, Kansas, is now behind bars after being spotted in Kearney, Missouri, Sunday night.
Police received a call about a suspicious man in a van who appeared to be scoping out houses. After a traffic stop, officers discovered the man had no driver's license no other form of ID. WDAF TV reports that a mobile fingerprint scanner was brought in. The results of the fingerprint scan found that the man was 38-year-old Luis Eduardo Olono-Ortega, a wanted fugitive who investigators say committed two violent felonies in Johnson County, Kansas, 18 years ago. He then failed to appear in court for his sentencing hearing in 2007. Since then, he's been wanted in Kansas for nearly two decades. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was also contacted about the man. ICE reportedly said Olono-Ortega has been living in the country illegally for years.
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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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Kansas Baseball History Documentary Premieres in Pittsburg
PITTSBURG, Kan. (KRPS) — Earlier this week, a southeast Kansas filmmaker premiered his newest project. It's about Kansas baseball history. Specifically, the documentary is related to Humboldt, Kansas - the hometown of Walter "Big Train" Johnson, one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Radio station KRPS reports that filmmaker and videographer Aaron Thompson premiered his film Preserving the Big Train: A Family's Gift to Humboldt. The 17-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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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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Area Veterans Reflect on 50th Anniversary of Fall of Saigon
UNDATED (KCUR) – Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, on April 30th, 1975. Lou Eisenbrandt of Overland Park served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, working as a nurse in Vietnam. She told radio station KCUR that veterans were treated poorly when they came home…and the biggest lesson Americans learned from the war is that they should be more respectful. “I think we wasted so much time when we came back from the war. Nobody talked about it. I think that’s why PTSD is still such a big issue,” she said. 11,000 U.S. women served in the Vietnam War, mostly as nurses.
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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 two free fishing days and one free state park entrance day. 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. All state parks in Kansas will offer free entrance on Saturday, May 3. Camping fees still apply.
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More Alligator Snapping Turtles Coming to Kansas - What Could Go Wrong?
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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