Flu Cases in Kansas Rising; Health Officials Worried
UNDATED (WDAF-TV) — Health officials in Kansas say there’s been a spike in flu cases. The University of Kansas Health System is reporting seven times more flu patients than it did two weeks ago. And the CDC currently lists Kansas as having high flu activity levels. WDAF-TV reports the sudden rise in flu cases worries health officials. The virus is considered very contagious. And many patients spread the virus before realizing they have it. If untreated, influenza can develop into more serious conditions, including pneumonia, which may require hospitalization.
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Suspect in 25-Year-old Cold Case Returns to Kansas to Face Child Sex Crime Charges
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) — The Missouri man that police say is connected to a pair of child sex crimes in Lawrence two decades ago has returned to Douglas County. KCTV reports that 58-year-old David James Zimbrick, of Raytown, Missouri, has waived extradition to Kansas and is now booked in the Douglas County jail. He's accused of sexually assaulting a child in 2000 and another child in 2003. Investigators say he lured both children into the woods at Naismith Valley Park where the crimes allegedly took place. Detectives say DNA - collected from a single cigarette butt - helped solve the case.
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Kansas Getting $220 Million to Improve Rural Health Care
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas will receive more than $220 million in federal funds to improve rural health care. That money will try to mitigate losses from Medicaid cuts. The funds awarded ended up being $21 million more than the state initially asked for back in November. Kansas applied through the Rural Health Transformation Program which was put in place as a $50 billion provision after Congress voted to cut Medicaid funding. Some health experts have said they worry this money will not cover the losses to rural health systems. But Governor Laura Kelly said in a statement that this funding will fundamentally change the health care for rural communities. The funds will primarily be used to secure local access to primary care and build a sustainable rural health workforce.
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KCK Police Seize 120 Pounds of Meth; One of the Largest Drug Busts in City History
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR/KMBC) — Authorities say it may be the largest drug bust in the history of Kansas City, Kansas—or at least one of them. KMBC TV reports that police seized 120 pounds of meth in a single raid on one home during the last week of 2025. That's about the same weight as eight bowling balls— the 16-pound variety. Four people were arrested at that home Tuesday night. Officers also confiscated other drugs and eight firearms. For all of 2025, the KCK Police Department's narcotics unit says it seized more than 1,300 pounds of meth, nearly 700 pounds of heroin and 3,500 pounds of marijuana, along with loads of fentanyl, firearms and $1.2 million in cash. In all, the KCK narcotics unit made 373 felony arrests in 2025.
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Cloud County Jail Closing Temporarily Due to Staffing Shortage
CONCORDIA, Kan. (KPR) — A county jail in north central Kansas is temporarily closing due to a staffing shortage. Inmates at the Cloud County jail will be transferred to other facilities. In a statement posted on social media, Cloud County Sheriff Ken Davis said four employees recently quit or intend to quit, leaving the jail with just eight employees. Davis says the jail is required to have at least 12 employees. He blames the high turnover on the low wages paid to jail workers, about $18 an hour. Davis says employees are currently working 12-hour shifts in a confined, stressful, and challenging environment.
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Abortions in Kansas Rose to Record Level in 2024
UNDATED (KPR) — The number of abortions in Kansas reached a record high in 2024. That’s according to the latest annual vital statistics report from the state department of health and environment. There were 19,811 abortions reported in Kansas in 2024. That’s up 1.7% from the previous year and the most reported since 1973, when the US Supreme Court legalized abortion. That ruling has since been overturned. The report finds that 76% of the women who received abortions in Kansas in 2024 traveled from another state.
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Major Insurance Firm Moving from KCMO to Kansas
LEAWOOD, Kan. (Captive Insurance Times) — A major insurance company is moving its headquarters from Kansas City, Missouri, to Leawood, Kansas. The website Captive Insurance Times reports Lockton is the world's largest privately held insurance brokerage firm. It has about 15-hundred employees in the Kansas City area. It’s moving from Country Club Plaza. The new campus in Leawood will include residential and commercial spaces, as well as a hotel and a child care center. Construction is expected to begin this year.
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Scientists Study How Droughts Affect Prairies, Grasslands
UNDATED (HPM) — Both the length and intensity of droughts can come together to hurt prairies and grasslands. That’s according to a new study on grasslands around the world, including in the central U.S. The group of scientists ran the same study on sites in places like Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They imposed extreme drought for four years in a row. Researcher Cristy Portales-Reyes of St. Louis University says there were signs of hope in the results. “If you have, say, two years of extreme drought and then one year of medium levels of drought, or maybe a wet year, that essentially makes it so that those catastrophic impacts don't happen,” she told Harvest Public Media. “So that I found very encouraging.” Portales-Reyes says this study was important because scientists expect more extreme droughts in the future.
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Milk Sales Boosted by Renewed Interest in High-Protein Foods
UNDATED (HPM) - Americans drank more milk in 2024. That reverses a decade-long decline in milk consumption. Harvest Public Media reports that milk sales have been boosted by renewed consumer interest in high-protein foods. Sales of whole milk increased by 3 percent from 2023. It was enough to increase total sales last year - even though consumption of skim and 2 percent continued to decline. Leonard Polzin is the dairy markets outreach specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. He says whole milk ticks several boxes for consumers: it's minimally processed and it's packed with protein. "The more protein, the better. Consumers are all about that. The other portion is kind of a shift towards healthy fats too," he said. The same trends are driving up sales of cottage cheese and other dairy products. But industry leaders say last year's increase is likely a blip in what will continue to be declining demand for milk.
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Wichita Man Accused of Christmas Eve Hammer Attack
WICHITA, Kan. (Hays Post) — A man accused of using a hammer in a violent attack on Christmas Eve remains jailed in Wichita after a court appearance on Tuesday. A judge has charged 43-year-old Jason Eastburn with attempted first-degree murder, burglary and other crimes. The Hays Post reports that Eastburn is accused of hitting a woman with a hammer at a Wichita home (7237 E 24th Street). He remains jailed on $2 million bond.
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Kansas Highway Patrol Reports Big Jump in Christmas DUI Arrests
UNDATED (KPR) — There was a big jump in drunk-driving arrests in Kansas over the Christmas holiday. That’s according to statistics released by the state highway patrol. From 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve through the following Sunday, troopers made 27 DUI arrests. That’s up from just seven the previous year. Troopers also issued 769 speeding tickets this year, up from 227 last year. An increase in patrols this year could account for the higher numbers. Only one fatal crash was reported over the Christmas holiday. That occurred in Ellsworth County on Saturday. Police say alcohol was not a factor in that crash.
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What Now for the Kansas City Royals?
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — The deadline has passed for the Royals to submit a plan to take advantage of Kansas bond money to build a ballpark in Kansas. So what’s next for the Royals? Legislative leaders set a New Year’s Eve deadline for the Royals to make a STAR bond offer. Those are the same bonds that the Chiefs are using to finance 60% of a $3 billion stadium in Wyandotte County. House Speaker Dan Hawkins of Wichita has said the deadline will not be extended. However, legislative leaders extended the deadline back in July and the statute says the STAR bonds are available until June 30th. The Royals haven’t said what they are going to do but haven’t ruled out a move to Kansas. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas still backs the Washington Square Park location near Crown Center and Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota says the county is still talking to the team.
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Washington Post: Kansas Should Reject Chiefs Stadium Deal
UNDATED (KPR) — Count the Washington Post among those opposed to the deal that the state of Kansas made with the Hunt family to bring the Chiefs football team to Kansas. Last week, state officials and the Chiefs announced plans to build a new stadium for the team in Wyandotte County. In an editorial published on Tuesday, the Post says the Hunt family, who own the team, are collectively worth $24.8 billion. And the paper says the Chiefs “don’t need any help from taxpayers to build their stadium, and there’s no danger they’ll leave the Kansas City metro area.” The paper says the state is providing $2.7 billion in public funding. It urges the state to abandon the deal before it is finalized.
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KU, K-State Men's Basketball Teams Open Conference Play this Weekend
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The 17th ranked Kansas Jayhawks open the Big 12 season in men's basketball this Saturday at Central Florida, and Darryn Peterson, the nation's top recruit, will make a start for KU. Peterson has only played in four of KU's 13 games this season, so Kansas coach Bill Self is hoping he'll have a positive impact. "It's not going to be like we've been a well-oiled machine for two months," he said. "But there's no excuses either. He's been out there (playing) with the guys." KU enters the conference season with a 10-3 record. Kansas State, meanwhile, will open its Big 12 slate at home Saturday against tenth-ranked BYU.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers. Our headlines are generally published by 10 am weekdays and are updated through 7 pm. This ad-free news summary is made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on X (formerly Twitter).