Kansas Abortion Rate Increases
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas saw an increase in the number of abortions last year -- the largest increase in 15 years. The Kansas City Star reports that 7,542 abortions were performed in Kansas last year, up more than 9 percent from 6,916 in 2019. And for the first time since Roe v. Wade in 1973, out-of-state residents received more abortions in Kansas than Kansans. That increase occurs as Republican governors in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas ordered limits on abortions in those states. The total number of abortions in Kansas is still much lower than at its peak in 1999 through 2001, when more than 12,000 abortions were performed annually in Kansas. State law requires doctors and hospitals report abortion statistics to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
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Former Manhattan School Worker Arrested for Nude Photos of Kids
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas police have arrested a former school worker for sexual exploitation of a child. The Manhattan Mercury reports Riley County police arrested 31-year-old Aaron Zachry of Junction City after receiving a call about suspicious activity at a Manhattan swimming pool Friday. Police then found nude photos of children on Zachry's phone. He's in jail on a $60,000 bond. Zachry worked as a paraprofessional at Manhattan's Northview Elementary school from 2018 through the end of this school year. The district says it will cooperate with the police investigation. An attorney for Zachry wasn't listed on court records Saturday.
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Lansing Inmate Reported Dead
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Department of Corrections is investigating the death of an inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility. In a press release issued yesterday (SAT), KDOC reports that 42-year-old William Smith died Friday night. The cause of death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, but it is not believed to be COVID-19 related. Smith was serving a 37-month sentence for drug possession, theft, and other prior offenses.
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Wichita Man Arrested over Sauce Assault
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police say a Wichita man has been arrested for attacking a grocery store worker over Chick-fil-A sauce. The Wichita Eagle reports 37-year-old James Adam Hirsh of Wichita was arrested for aggravated assault Thursday. A Wichita police spokesman says the altercation was over the sale on Chick-fil-A sauce Wednesday at a Wichita Dillons. Police say Hirsh was asked to calm down or leave the store. Then he started punching at an employee. He also allegedly drove his car toward the front of the store where workers were standing before driving away. Court records didn't immediately list an attorney for Hirsh.