Heat Wave Has Stranglehold on Eastern Kansas
UNDATED (KPR) — Most of eastern Kansas is under an Extreme Heat Warning until Wednesday night. The National Weather Service is predicting maximum heat index values of 100 to 108 degrees, most likely into next weekend, and is advising residents to prepare for a prolonged period of heat. All of eastern Kansas is covered by this warning except the northernmost tier of counties, which are under a Heat Advisory. (Click here for the latest warnings and advisories from the National Weather Service.) Remember, hot temperatures combined with high humidity can cause heat illnesses to occur, especially for those without access to air conditioning.
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Power Outages Reported Across Eastern Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Storms knocked out power to thousands of people in eastern Kansas Sunday night and Monday morning. Utility company Evergy reports that 3,400 customers remained without service as of noon Monday. Most of the outages are in the Kansas City and Topeka areas.
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Woman Killed in Auburn Arson Was Trapped in Bathroom
AUBURN, Kan. (KSNT) — The State Fire Marshal’s Office says an Auburn woman who died in a house fire that was intentionally set was trapped in a bathroom where firefighters were unable to reach her. The woman has been identified as 47-year-old Toka Flickinger. She died in the fire in the Shawnee County town on the night of July 17.
KSNT reports Auburn police had reported to the house before the fire on a call related to a domestic disturbance. About fifteen minutes after a man was seen leaving the house with children, a 911 caller reported the fire. The Fire Marshal says the fire is considered an act of arson and the investigation is ongoing.
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Trump Administration Withholding Funds for Forestry, Firefighting
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KPR) — Most of the Kansas Forest Service’s budget for this year might simply not show up. With just two and a half months left in the federal fiscal year, the Trump administration has yet to release money for forestry and firefighting. Kansas state forester Jason Hartman says losing those dollars would hit rural fire departments hardest. “We help large departments as well, some, when we can,” he said. “But our mandate, our mission, has always been the smaller, rural departments.” The agency focuses on helping rural departments because those are vital first responders to wildfires. The Trump administration has floated the idea of tying up congressionally approved funding until it expires. The Government Accountability Office says that would be unlawful.
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State Senate President Declares for Governor
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KPR) — Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson announced his run for governor on Sunday. The Republican from Andover has been in the Kansas Senate since 2009 and previously served in the Kansas House of Representatives. Masterson also served as national chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group that pushes conservative policies in state legislatures, like voter ID laws and efforts to privatize education. Masterson is branding himself as an ally to President Donald Trump and his federal agenda. He also says cutting property taxes is a top priority. “We really need to get a hold of the whole system,” he said, “and be able to cap the outrageous growth in property taxes.” Masterson faces seven other candidates in the GOP primary.
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Rural Stations in KS, MO Particularly at Risk Following Public Media Funding Rescission
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – The decision by Congress last week to claw back $1 billion dollars in funding for public media particularly hurts rural stations in Kansas and Missouri. KCUR reports that in rural areas, public radio stations are often the most reliable source of daily news. One example is High Plains Public Radio in western Kansas. Federal funding made up 15% of the station’s overall budget. Executive Director Quentin Hope says they don't want to shrink the geographic area they serve, “...but it's really important for all the ranches and all of the farms in between, as well as all the small towns. So I think that's where it becomes very local in terms of it's up to us to keep a transmitter on the air.” Hope says the station is looking at strategies for sustainability. Ozarks Public Radio and Ozarks Public Television serve communities in southern Missouri. General manager Rachel Knight says the stations are losing a combined $1.3 million of annual funding. That’s 10% percent of the radio budget and one-third of the television budget. “Like with any budget gap, you have to look at it as a combination of decreasing expenses, which we will have to do, and also increasing revenue,” Knight explained. She added that it’s been difficult hearing claims about unbiased reporting in public radio from Republicans.
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Body of Man Pulled from Eastern Kansas Lake
WYANDOTTE COUNTY, Kan. (KMBC) — The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a man was found dead over the weekend at Big Eleven Lake in Kansas City, Kansas. KMBC TV reports that deputies were called to the scene late Sunday morning after receiving reports of an unresponsive person in the lake. The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department helped remove the body from the water. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.
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Health Care Workers Seek Higher Wages from Encompass Medical Group
UNDATED (KNS) – Health care workers for Kansas and Missouri clinics run by Encompass Medical Group are demanding higher wages. The Kansas News Service reports that members of a labor union picketed outside of one of the company’s Kansas City, Missouri locations Monday. Lisa Jones, a medical assistant for Encompass, says she’s worked there for 20 years, but she’s still making less than $18 an hour. “I’m hoping that they give us the raise that we deserve. Give me what I deserve for being here (so) long,” she urged. The group's union, SEIU, says new hires are making $6 more per hour than existing employees. The union says that’s unfair to longer-tenured staff. Representatives for Encompass did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Kansas Lawmakers Discuss Effects of Medicaid Cuts
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) — Kansas health care leaders are preparing for the impact of Medicaid funding cuts on state hospitals. KMUW reports that state lawmakers discussed a number of policy changes this week, including how federal Medicaid cuts could impact state hospitals. Kansas will primarily be impacted by state directed payments, which hospitals use to cover costs from uninsured patients. Christine Osterlund is the state Medicaid director. She says hospitals like KU and Children’s Mercy will have less money to draw from. “Right now, we do know that, especially hospitals who primarily receive these payments, there's some risk there that they would start losing funding under these programs,” she clarified. The state is required to decrease payments by 10% a year starting in 2028 until they're capped at 110% of Medicare. KDHE is still analyzing the full impact of the bill.
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Southwest Kansas Migrant Charities Under Stress
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Charity services are strained in southwest Kansas as they try to assist migrants who lost jobs after the Trump administration revoked their temporary legal protections. Southwest Kansas relies on immigrant labor to keep the agriculture industry running. Many migrants are from countries like Honduras or Haiti. But without their Temporary Protected Status, their right to work also goes away. Charity groups in the area say they are overwhelmed with questions after many families are left jobless. Debbie Snapp with the Southwest Kansas Catholic Charities told the Kansas News Service that the group is running out of ways to help. “Everything has just gotten narrowed down to limit the amount of resources that are available to them,” she explained. Snapp says the charity is focusing on shelter and food assistance.
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Wichita School District Gives Initial Approval to New Bond Issue
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — Wichita school district leaders gave the initial go-ahead Thursday to put another bond issue to voters next year. The Kansas News Service reports that Wichita voters narrowly rejected a $450 million bond issue in February. Since then, the state’s largest district has been searching for a plan to address aging buildings and deferred maintenance. Chief Financial Officer Addi Lowell says another bond is the only way to finance needed upgrades, and she proposed aiming for the November 2026 ballot. “It gives us lots of time to work with schools and staff and parents, to get communications out around our needs,” Lowell explained. Wichita school board members agreed during a workshop to pursue another bond. They would still have to pass an official resolution to put it to voters. An advisory group has told school leaders that the district needs to clarify its message before seeking another bond.
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Data Center Environmental Impact Raising Concerns
UNDATED (HPM) — Data centers are expanding across the country—including in Kansas—to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence. Harvest Public Media reports that it's raising concerns about energy demand and freshwater usage. The rise of artificial intelligence is driving demand for data centers in states like Kansas, Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin. But those buildings need large amounts of power and water to operate. Some tech companies are using refrigerants to cool their data centers that don't require any water. Shaolei Ren is an engineering professor at the University of California at Riverside who has studied data centers. He says those techniques come with trade-offs, explaining that "you can reuse these refrigerants to eliminate the downside water usage, but the problem is you're going to be increasing the energy consumption." Environmental groups worry electric utilities will try to meet increased demand by burning more fossil fuels. They say that'll make it harder to address climate change.
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Solar Farms Could Still Benefit Kansas Despite Federal Cuts
PITTSBURG, Kan. (KNS) — A Kansas economist says proposed solar farms will still be a boon to the state despite expected increased energy prices. The recent passage of the Trump Administration’s budget bill ended tax incentives for solar and wind energy projects. That will result in increasing costs for consumers. Craig Compton with the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University told the Kansas News Service that there are still economic benefits to green energy projects, like a proposed solar farm in Cherokee County. Compton says that project is expected to add millions of dollars to the southeast Kansas economy and increase the supply of energy. "The increase in that supply curve can serve to reduce the cost," he explained. Construction on the solar farm in Cherokee County is slated to begin in 2027.
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Ulysses Police: Stay Away from the Mountain Lion
ULYSSES, Kan. (KPR) — Police in the southwestern Kansas town of Ulysses are warning residents to steer clear of a mountain lion that has been spotted in the area. In a social media post, the Ulysses Police Department says it is working with local game wardens to assess the situation. The department says residents who spot the animal should leave it alone and contact local authorities. Mountain lions are also known as pumas or cougars. Wildlife experts say the animals spotted in Kansas are usually passing through and not resident populations.
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