Kansas Population More Concentrated; 80 Counties Lose People
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Most Kansas counties lost residents over the past 10 years as the state's population concentrated in more populous places, including the Kansas City area, new census figures released Thursday showed.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau's once-a-decade count of the nation's population showed that 80 of the state's 105 counties declined in population since 2010, 16 of them by more than 10%. Most of those counties were rural.
Five of the top 10 fastest-growing counties were in or close to the Kansas City metropolitan area. The state's most populous county, Johnson County, has affluent Kansas City suburbs that have been growing for decades, and its population grew another 12.1% in the past 10 years.
Census figures show that Kansas saw a 3% increase in population over 10 years, to almost 2.94 million. Population shifts within the state mean a shift in political clout away from rural areas and toward Kansas City and a few other areas when the Legislature redraws political boundaries next year.
Zack Pistora, the interim executive director of the Kansas Rural Center, said younger people move to urban areas or college towns and stay for jobs, then attract other younger people.
“You kind of get a domino effect of losing more and more people,” he said of the state's rural areas.
Census figures also showed that Kansas grew more diverse, with Hispanic or Latino residents increasing to 13% of the population, up from 10.5% a decade ago. The state's diversity index figure, measuring the likelihood that any two random residents will be of different races or ethnicities, rose to 45.4% from 37.3% in 2010.
Pistora said population losses in rural areas are fueled by a lack of high-speed internet service, shortages of housing, relatively few cultural activities and greater concentration and corporate ownership in farming.
And in Stanton County, along the Colorado border in southwest Kansas, County Clerk Sandy Barton said oil and production in the area has steadily decreased for more than a decade. The county saw a 6.4% drop in its population.
“They’re just not hiring as many people and those jobs aren’t as stable any longer in our area,” said Gina Shores the county clerk in neighboring Morton County, where the population dropped 16.5% over the decade, the state's largest decline.
Meanwhile, 350 miles (563 kilometers) to the northeast, a piece of western Pottawatomie County made it the state's fastest-growing county, with a 17.3% increase over the decade — the only county with more growth than Johnson County.
That was thanks to a small piece of the city of Manhattan with U.S. 24 running through it that has drawn big-box retail stores and restaurants.
The Crestview Christian Church saw the growth coming, and “wanted to be right in the middle of it,” said Lead Pastor Devin Wendt. It moved from a north Manhattan site it was outgrowing to the booming area in Pottawatomie County in March, two weeks before Easter.
“There's a brand new elementary school just a half-mile away from us as well,” Wendt said. “... There's cul-de-sacs and neighborhoods popping up all along the Highway 24 corridor.”
Johnson County has seen its population nearly triple in the past 50 years, something local officials attribute to good schools and local amenities.
In Lenexa, the city has developed a new downtown, with shops, a recreation center, a library branch and a school swimming center. City Manager Beccy Yocham said the area also has seen “a ton” of growth in warehousing and moving goods.
The Spring Hill school district in southern Johnson County recently opened a new elementary school and plans to open a new middle school in 2023. Superintendent Wayne Burke said people like having a small-town atmosphere while having suburbs close, and the district has seen its student count grow during his seven-tenure from about 2,500 to more than 3,600.
“We have a lot of starter homes, a lot of new development here,” Burke said.
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Andy Tsubasa Field is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. On Twitter, you can follow John Hanna at @APjdhanna and Andy Tsubasa Field at @ AndyTsubasaF.
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More Masking as Rise in COVID Cases Strains Kansas Hospitals
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Another Kansas school district is reinstating masking requirements to combat COVID-19 outbreaks and vaccination efforts are increasing as younger patients and staffing shortages increasingly strain Kansas hospitals. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Kansas has risen over the past two weeks from 667.57 new cases per day on July 27 to 1,683.57 new cases per day on Tuesday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Amid the rise in cases, the Manhattan-Ogden school district’s board voted Wednesday to require students, teachers and staff to wear masks while inside district buildings for the first five weeks of the school year regardless of their vaccination status.
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UPDATE: Sheriff Says Kansas Toddler Who Died from Heat Found in Hot Car
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 2-year-old child who died in southeastern Kansas had woken up from a nap, unlocked the home’s front door and gotten into the family vehicle. Investigators say the mother found the child unconscious Tuesday. The child was transported to a hospital where he died. KSNW-TV reports that Cowley County Sheriff David Falletti says a preliminary autopsy finding determined the child died due to extreme heat exposure. The sheriff says the investigation is over. Most of Kansas has been under a heat advisory all week.
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Topeka Mayor to Get Pacemaker After COVID-19 Damages Heart
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla says she will have a pacemaker implanted on Monday because her heart was damaged by COVID-19. De La Isla was hospitalized for 12 days earlier this year because of COVID-19 issues. She credited health care workers at Stormont Vail in Topeka with saving her life. De La Isla also had minor surgery earlier this year after the virus attacked her gastrointestinal system. She has said she contracted the virus from a family member despite wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and working from home. De La Isla is not seeking a second term as mayor.
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Audit: KDHE Paid $1.3 Million to Contractors for Care of Deceased Medicaid Recipients
TOPEKA, Kan. - (LJW) - An audit of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s payments to Medicaid service contractors found the state paid $1.3 million to care of people who were deceased. The Kansas Reflector reports that the audit found 25 instances between 2015 and 2020 in which KDHE paid contractors for services for Kansans who actually were dead. The state’s Medicaid inspector general said his office found mistakes involving 632 cases in which the state continued making payments after a Medicaid recipient’s death. The inspector general’s probe found that many of the mistakes occurred when the company Maximus was processing claims for the state’s Medicaid program. Approximately 360,000 people are recipients of Medicaid in Kansas, known as KanCare. When the report was issued last week, KDHE had not yet recouped the money from the managed-care contractors.
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Missouri Tops10,000 Deaths from COVID-19 During Pandemic
O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) _ The death toll from COVID-19 in Missouri has now topped 10,000. The state health department's coronavirus dashboard on Thursday showed 20 new deaths, bringing the total to 10,002 since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020. Deaths have been rising again in recent weeks due to the delta variant, and it has been especially troubling in southwestern Missouri. New cases and hospitalizations also are at their worst levels since the winter.
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Agreement Commits Kansas to Improving Mental Health Services
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The state of Kansas has reached an agreement with disability rights advocacy groups to change how adults are treated in the state’s nursing homes for mental health. Previously, residents did not have a case manager to help get them back to living on their own and using community mental health services. In 2019, there was no certainty about when the more than 600 residents with mental health issues in Kansas nursing homes would be discharged. That began to change when the AARP foundation joined with the Kansas Disability Rights Center demanding the state agree to several measures to assure better treatment. Geron Gadd, a senior attorney with the AARP foundation, says she’s encouraged. “It is an enormous step toward reducing the risk of unnecessary institutionalization” Geron said. The state will make sure more residents receive specialized services and appoint case managers to help create plans for transitioning back to the community. (Read more.)
(AP version)
Agreement Commits Kansas to Improving Mental Health Services
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Advocates and state officials say Kansas has committed to expanding mental health services to help move more than 600 people from adult care homes into their communities. The promises to improve services over the next eight years result from a 13-page agreement among two state agencies and five organizations announced Tuesday. The agreement heads off a potential lawsuit by the organizations. It also follows a 2019 report by the Disability Rights Center of Kansas alleging that the state was violating the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by keeping people in adult care homes unnecessarily. The state denied that but one official hailed the agreement as progress.
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Kansas to Offer Testing and Vaccinations at Turnpike Service Areas
TOPEKA, Kan. - (LJW) -The Kansas Department of Health is partnering with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and the Kansas Turnpike Authority to offer free COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics at several Kansas Turnpike service areas. The Lawrence Journal World reports that the clinics will be available to all turnpike motorists including both Kansas residents and out-of-state travelers. The KDHE says the pop-up clinics will make the vaccine more accessible to travelers which will increase protection for all Kansans. Find more information about testing and vaccination sites at the KDHE website.
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Kansas U.S. Senators Vote Against Infrastructure Plan
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - Both U.S. Senators from Kansas have voted against a bipartisan, $1 trillion infrastructure bill that includes billions in tax dollars to fix the state’s roads and bridges. The bill passed by the U.S. Senate would spend $2.6 billion to fix Kansas highways, more than $200 million to fix bridges, and $100 to expand broadband internet access across the state. Kansas Republican Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall both voted no, saying the plan didn't include enough provisions to fund it. Moran was part of the bipartisan group that originally worked on the structure of the bill. But he said the final package would add too much to the national debt and he said, the spending was not sufficiently offset with more revenue or with cuts to other spending. Moran was one of three Republican senators who were part of a larger group of bipartisan lawmakers who initially supported the infrastructure deal, but then reversed course.
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375,000 Missourians Enter Vaccine Lottery; Drawing Friday
UNDATED (AP) - More than 375,000 Missourians have entered the state’s COVID-19 vaccine lottery program, but vaccinations continue to lag, especially in rural areas of the state. State officials say the first of five drawings will be Friday. All told, 800 adults will win $10,000 cash prizes, and 100 people ages 12-17 will win education savings accounts worth $10,000. Only those who have initiated vaccination are eligible. Republican Governor Mike Parson announced the incentive program on July 21. State officials say that vaccinations have risen nearly 50% in the past month. But Missouri continues to lag far behind most states in vaccinations.
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No Mask Mandate for Wichita Public School Students
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The largest school district in Kansas will not require students and staff to wear masks indoors despite the threat posed by COVID-19′s more contagious delta variant. The Wichita Eagle reports that the Wichita school board instead decided to strongly recommend that students and staff wear masks whether or not they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 but to require visitors to wear masks inside. The board's vote for that policy Monday night was 4-3. The district’s students are returning to classes this week. Kansas has seen new COVID-19 cases rise steadily over the past seven weeks as the delta variant has become more widespread.
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Some Americans Getting COVID-19 Boosters Without FDA Approval
DENVER (AP) — An untold number of Americans have managed to get COVID-19 booster shots even though the U.S. government hasn't approved them. They're doing so by taking advantage of the nation’s vaccine surplus and loose tracking of those who have been fully vaccinated. Gina Welch says she got a booster by telling a clinic it was her first shot. The 26-year-old graduate student from Maine has asthma and a liver condition. An Associated Press review of a database run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found health care providers have reported more than 900 instances of people getting a third dose. However, reporting is voluntary.
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Forecast: Kansas Expected to Harvest Smaller Corn Crop
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) _ A new government report shows Kansas farmers are expected to harvest a smaller corn crop this season. The National Agricultural Statistics Service said Thursday the state is projected to harvest 745 million bushels of corn. That is down 3% from last year. The smaller corn crop is expected because fewer acres of corn are expected to be harvested. The agency also estimated sorghum production to come in at 240 million bushels. The soybean harvest was forecast at 187 million bushels. That compares to the estimated winter wheat harvest of 380 million bushels.
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Jurors Find Kansas Massage Therapist Guilty of Sex Crimes
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A jury found a massage therapist guilty of sex crimes against five people, including three female soccer players at the University of Kansas. The Lawrence Journal-World reports jurors returned guilty verdicts Thursday on all eight counts against Lawrence massage therapist Shawn P. O’Brien. Three of the charges accuse O’Brien of indecent liberties with a child under the age of 14 for fondling a girl who was either 9 or 10 on three occasions between 2013 and 2015. The other five charges accuse him of sexual battery for fondling four women while giving them a massage to treat athletic-related issues between 2016 and 2019.
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Man's Body Recovered from Longview Lake
LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. (AP) — Crews have recovered the body of a man who jumped into a Kansas City-area lake to help his children. The Kansas City Star reports that firefighters were called to Longview Lake just after 9:30 a.m. Thursday and were told that two adults had jumped into the water to help the kids who were wearing life jackets but started to drift away from a pontoon boat. The children were eventually retrieved safely but the man went under the water and didn’t resurface. His body was recovered about 2 p.m. Thursday. His name has not been released.
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Kansas City Man Indicted on Hate Crime Charge After Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted a 25-year-old Kansas City man who is accused of trying to kill a teenager because of the victim's sexual orientation. Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that Malachi Robinson was charged with hate crime and firearm violations. He allegedly shot the victim on May 29, 2019, causing significant injuries. If convicted, Robinson would face up to life in prison on the hate crime charge, and a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, on the firearm charge. Federal prosecutors did not say where the shooting occurred.
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Wichita Woman Accused of Causing Fatal Crash, Fleeing Scene
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police have arrested a woman suspected in a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist in southeast Wichita. Television station KAKE reports that police arrested 25-year-old Lila Garcia early Thursday morning on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence, failure to stop at an accident resulting in death, DUI and a tag violation. Police say the crash happened around 9 p.m. Wednesday when Garcia's eastbound car reportedly crossed in front of the westbound motorcycle. Investigators say the car then fled the scene. Police have not yet identified the motorcyclist killed in the collision.
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Kansas City Southern Rejects New Bid from Canadian Pacific
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kansas City Southern railroad is trying to keep its $33.6 billion merger with Canadian National on track by rejecting a competing $31 billion bid from rival Canadian Pacific earlier this week. Kansas City Southern said Thursday that its board unanimously decided to continue backing Canadian National’s higher offer. KCS shareholders are scheduled to vote whether to accept CN’s offer on Aug. 19, but the U.S. railroad said it may now delay that vote if the U.S. Surface Transportation Board doesn’t issue its decision on a key part of Canadian National’s acquisition plan before Tuesday. The STB said earlier this week that it expects to issue its ruling on CN's proposal by August 31.
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U.S. Investigates Latest Case of Rare Tropical Disease
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are investigating the latest fatal case of a rare tropical disease typically found in South Asia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the unidentified person died last month in Georgia. It was the fourth U.S. case this year of melioidosis caused by a bacteria that lives in soil and water. None of the cases from Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota or Texas traveled internationally, puzzling experts. The CDC said two died. Federal health officials have sent an alert about the latest case to doctors. Experts say the infection is treatable if caught early and treated correctly.
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Missouri Man Gets 15-Year Prison Term for Trying to Drown Infant
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to drown his infant daughter in a pond. Jonathan Zicarelli walked into the Greenwood police station in December 2018 and reported that he had drowned his 6-month-old daughter in a nearby pond. Police rushed to the pond and rescued the child. According to court documents, Zicarelli told officers he tried to kill his daughter to make things easier for his wife. Former Greenwood Police Chief Greg Hallgrimson pleaded guilty last month to violating Zicarelli's civil rights. Hallgrimson was accused of punching Zicarelli after helping to rescue the baby.
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Missouri Judge: Medicaid Expansion Must be Allowed
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge says Governor Mike Parson can no longer deny Medicaid health care to thousands more newly eligible adults. Cole County Judge Jon Beetem issued the order Tuesday. Missouri voters in 2020 approved the constitutional amendment making more low-income adults eligible for the government health care program. But Republican Governor Mike Parson refused to implement the amendment after the GOP-led Legislature didn’t provide any funding. The latest ruling is a major victory for supporters of Medicaid expansion. It remains unclear how the state will pay for health care for the newly eligible recipients. The Legislature may have to hold a special session to set aside more money for Medicaid.
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Railroad Bidding War for Kansas City Southern Reignited
NEW YORK (AP) — Canadian Pacific is upping its offer for Kansas City Southern to approximately $31 billion, potentially reigniting a bidding war with rival railroad Canadian National. Kansas City Southern is the smallest of the remaining major U.S. railroads, but it also controls critical cross-border routes with Mexico. Its size has long piqued the interest of other railroads as any bid could be the most likely to be approved by U.S. regulators long wary of signing off on railroad mergers out of antitrust concerns. But its cross-border rails give Kansas City a high premium in the eyes of bigger railroads hungry to expand, particularly now as the U.S. economy emerges from a pandemic-induced recession.
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Missouri Marks 200th Birthday with New Citizens and Treats
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is celebrating its 200th birthday. A ceremony Tuesday at the state Capitol in Jefferson City marked the bicentennial of the day Missouri gained statehood on August 10, 1821. The event included art, music and speeches, and a naturalization ceremony for 33 new U.S. citizens. Later Tuesday, about 200 locations across Missouri were passing out free ice cream to mark the day. Missouri's admittance to the United States was struggle. It was delayed several years because of a debate in Congress over whether slavery should be allowed. It ultimately was. Speakers at Tuesday's bicentennial noted both Missouri's regrettable and praiseworthy moments.
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Kansas to Replace Trees Killed by Ash Borer Infestation
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Forest Service will soon begin replacing nearly 500 trees killed by the invasive emerald ash borer in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties. The trees will be planted in Overland Park and Bonner Springs. Ash trees make up more than 20% of Overland Park’s residential street trees and the state forest service says most of them will need to be cut down within five to ten years. The emerald ash borer is an invasive beetle from northeastern Asia that kills even healthy ash trees. At least 70 million trees in the U.S. have already been destroyed by the ash borer and arborists say it's likely that nearly 9 billion North American ash trees will eventually die. It was first discovered in Kansas in 2012 and has spread to 10 counties. The project will be funded by a $120,000 grant from the National Association of State Foresters.
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Deadline Approaching to Subsidized Health Plan on Federal Exchange
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Due to the pandemic, many more people qualify for free health insurance and August 15th is the deadline to pick a subsidized health plan on the federal healthcare exchange. Subsidies to buy a health plan on healthcare.gov(link is external) have increased under the American Rescue Plan but in Kansas, thousands of people can get a health insurance plan for free or nearly free. Many who already bought exchange plans can go back to the marketplace to get a bigger discount. In Kansas, the average monthly premium for returning customers fell 40% to just under $100. ( Get more information.)
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Moped Driver Killed at Overland Park Intersection
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) _ Police say a man on a motorized bicycle died when a car ran a red light at an intersection in Overland Park. Investigators say the crash happened shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday when the car ran a red light and hit a moped driven by Wade Parsons of Overland Park. Police say Parsons was thrown from the moped and critically injured. He was taken to an area hospital, where he later died. Police say the driver of the car stayed on the scene and is cooperating with police.
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Supply Chain Issues Causing Delays in Expanding Broadband Access
STILLWATER, Okla. (HPM) - Rural communities are expected to receive millions of dollars from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand access to broadband internet service in rural areas. But providers are facing a number of obstacles. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $167 million in grants and loans will go to 12 states including Oklahoma and Missouri to expand broadband. But providers are having trouble getting the supplies they need. The National Rural Broadband Association says some providers are waiting more than a year for delivery of needed fiber technology and that’s preventing them from meeting grant deadlines. The association says manufacturers are giving preference to large providers like AT&T over small providers in rural markets. Rural broadband advocates are encouraging Vilsack to change the timeline for the grant programs so providers can get the supplies they need.
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Kansas City Unveils $3 Million Plan to Restore Satchel Paige House
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A $3 million renovation plan for the fire-damaged former home of baseball great Leroy “Satchel” Paige in Kansas City, Missouri, has been unveiled on the 50th anniversary of his entry to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Kansas City Star reports that some of the possible features announced Monday include a coffee shop, event and meeting space, and a bakery. The project will celebrate Paige’s legacy as a ballplayer in the Negro Leagues. He became famous striking out white major leaguers before the color barrier was broken and Black athletes were allowed into the Major Leagues.
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These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 a.m. weekdays and by 1 p.m. on weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!