Report: Kansas Hospitals Lack Price Transparency
UNDATED (KNS) — Most Kansas hospitals aren't complying with federal price transparency rules. That's according to the nonprofit group Patient Rights Advocate. Only six out of the 23 Kansas hospitals the group surveyed fully complied with the rules, which took effect more than two years ago. Cynthia Fisher is the group’s founder. “The majority of hospitals do have files but there are still swaths of missing data so that all of the prices are not available for every individual to find the prices they would pay," she said. The report found many of the state’s largest hospitals were not in compliance, including Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and Wesley Medical Center in Wichita and Topeka’s Stormont Vail.
The state’s performance improved since the group’s last survey six months ago, but still lags behind the country as a whole. According to the report, some hospitals didn’t post any prices. Others had incomplete prices, or uploaded unusable files. The group’s founder, Cynthia Fisher, says knowing the cost of a medical procedure helps patients comparison shop. “So, they can get that MRI for $300 versus paying over $3,000," she said.
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Report: Kansas Counties Still Struggling with Opioid Crisis
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) — A new report from a regional law enforcement group finds that Kansas counties are still struggling to respond to the opioid crisis. The report from the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area found that Sedgwick County had nearly double the number of overdose deaths from 2012-2021 compared to Johnson County. Sedgwick County had more than a thousand deaths during that time period. Experts say that the large number of overdoses in Sedgwick County could be because of demographics that make people more susceptible to substance misuse, including income and education levels. Half of the overdoses in Sedgwick County were opioid-related. Data from the report also shows that about a third of the naloxone kits that were recently distributed in Kansas were in Sedgwick County. Naloxone is used to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses.
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KBI Adds Drug Dogs to Battle Opioid Epidemic
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas is one of the first states in the Midwest to use drug-sniffing dogs that can detect fentanyl. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation now has four dogs trained to detect the drug. The KBI didn’t specifically say how the dogs would be used to prevent drug smugglers from finding ways to avoid them. But KBI director Toni Mattivi says the dogs add a new tool for fighting the growing problem of fentanyl. “There is no better tool out there. Without the K-9s, we are flying blind when it comes to being able to detect fentanyl," he said. "We have to put ourselves in a better position to be able to intercept the drugs that are being transported into and through our state." Mattivi says the state needs to do whatever it can to turn the tide, and more drug-sniffing dogs will catch more drugs. “We are taking this fight to the dealers and the dope mules who are bringing this poison into our communities," he said. Drug deaths from fentanyl increased by more than 900% between 2018 and 2021.
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Kansas Woman Found Dead After Suspected Bear Attack Near Yellowstone
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Mont. (KAKE) — A Kansas woman has been found dead near Yellowstone National Park in what authorities say was an apparent bear attack. The woman's body was discovered on Buttermilk Trail, west of West Yellowstone, Montana, Saturday morning. KAKE TV reports that grizzly bear tracks were found at the scene. ABC News has confirmed the identity of the victim as 47-year-old Amie Adamson of Derby.
Wildlife officials implemented an emergency closure of the Buttermilk Trail area for the time being. The closed area is about 8 miles from West Yellowstone. The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Department says the population of grizzly bears has grown in recent years.
Last month, a 66-year-old man was killed by a bear in Arizona in what authorities called a "highly unusual," unprovoked attack. The victim in that attack was in the process of building a cabin in the area. In another bear-related incident, a 35-year-old sheepherder was attacked by a black bear in San Juan National Forest in Colorado on July 11. The man was severely wounded and sustained injuries to his head, left hand and arm, back and left hip.
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Kansas Man Drowns in Oklahoma Lake After Falling Out of Boat
DELAWARE COUNTY, Okla. (KZRG) — A Kansas man has drown in Oklahoma's Grand Lake. Authorities say the body of 47-year-old Daniel Siebert, of Wichita, was recovered from the water Sunday. Witnesses say they saw the man fall out of a boat. They also say it appeared the boat hit the man after he fell into the water. KZRG Radio reports that the boat continued to circle until officers got the boat under control.
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KC Police: 4 People Injured in 5-Vehicle Crash Early Sunday
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Four people were injured in a 5-vehicle collision early Sunday morning in Kansas City. Police say a 16-year-old was driving a Toyota Avalon at a very high speed on Wyandotte Street at 12:40 am, blew through a stop sign and collided with a Nissan Versa. KSHB TV reports that the crash caused a "chain reaction," in which three parked vehicles were struck. The 16-year-old driver suffered minor injuries. A passenger in the driver's car sustained serious injuries. Neither individual was wearing a seat belt. The driver of the Nissan is in life-threatening condition and was wearing a seatbelt, while a passenger in the Nissan remains is in serious condition.
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McPherson College Gets Another Huge Gift from Same Anonymous Donor
MCPHERSON, Kan. (Forbes) — McPherson College received a $500 million dollar gift last year. Now, the small, liberal arts school in central Kansas has received another $500 million gift. Both donations come from the same anonymous donor. The school announced the stunning development last Friday. Combined, the $1 billion is among the largest private gifts ever received by an American college. As a result of the two gifts, the college says its endowment will eventually be worth $1.59 billion. Forbes magazine reports that would be the largest endowment of any small liberal arts college in the United States.
McPherson College, a private school with an enrollment of fewer than 1,000 students, is believed to be the only school in the world that offers a four-year degree in antique automobile restoration. The school's Automotive Restoration Technology degree program is nationally recognized. Comedian and classic car collector Jay Leno is one of its financial supporters.
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Kansas Officially Gets New State Park
ALLEN COUNTY, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas now has a new 360-acre state park in the southeast part of the state. The land that is now Lehigh Portland State Park already has popular mountain-biking and hiking paths. And a 130-acre lake. John Leahy, director of trails for Thrive Allen County, says making it a state park will bring camping infrastructure to the area and make sure more people know about the park. “People really just don’t understand that there’s a lake out there," he said. "There is a fairly good stock of fish out there.” He says the state is also studying the lake to hopefully stock it with more species for sport fishing.
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Remains of WWII Veteran Killed in Action Returning to Kansas for Burial
PLAINS, Kan. (KAKE) — The remains of a Kansas WWII veteran killed in World War II are finally returning home. U.S. Army Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert C. Elliott, of Plains, Kansas, was killed during a bombing mission in Romania. He was killed August 1, 1943 when his plane was hit by enemy fire. Elliot was just 24-years-old. His remains could not be identified at the time, so he was buried alongside other unidentified soldiers in Romania. After the war, the remains of all unnamed U.S. casualties were taken from the cemetery in Romania. KAKE TV reports that Elliot's remains were finally identified in February by a laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. He will be interred at Plains Cemetery on August 1. Elliot served in the 343rd Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force.
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Universal Free School Lunches Ended, but Some Kansas Schools Find a Way to Keep Food Coming
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — During the COVID-19 pandemic, a waiver allowed all children in the U.S. to eat free school lunches. That waiver has ended, but many Kansas schools are finding a way to keep feeding all of their students for free. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that some Kansas school districts are usuing a special provision under the USDA's National School Lunch Program that allows them to recoup most or all of the cost of offering free meals at school.
Kansas will see a nearly five-fold increase in the number of school sites using that provision to keep universally free lunches for their students. According to the Kansas Department of Education, nearly 150 Kansas schools across 35 districts will use the provision this coming school year, compared to just 33 this past year. The Capital-Journal reported earlier this year that Topeka's USD 501 school district will become the first in the state to offer free lunches to every student, starting this fall.
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Federal Tech Grant Will Help Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) — A nearly half-million-dollar grant will help boost Internet capabilities for the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. Federal officials say the tribe has been awarded a $498,000 grant for a new technology learning center. WIBW TV reports that the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska is one of several receiving federal funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
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Jayhawks and Tarheels Schedule Regular-Season Men's Basketball Games for 2024 and 2025
UNDATED (AP) — Men's college basketball traditional powers Kansas and North Carolina will play each other in regular-season games in 2024 and 2025, the schools announced Monday. The first meeting will be November 8, 2024, in Lawrence, and the second November 14, 2025, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The teams will square off for the first time since Kansas beat the Tar Heels 72-69 in the 2022 NCAA title game in New Orleans. Kansas has won four straight in the series, all in the NCAA Tournament under coach Bill Self. The teams have split 12 games since they first met in the 1957 national championship game. The Jayhawks' 2,385 all-time wins are the most in college basketball history. North Carolina ranks third with 2,347 wins. The teams have combined for 10 national titles.
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Maui Invitational to Include Purdue, KU, Tennessee, and UCLA
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Purdue and reigning national player of the year Zach Edey will open the Maui Invitational against Gonzaga. Tennessee also will play Syracuse, Kansas faces host Chaminade and UCLA plays Marquette in the bracket released on Tuesday. The bracket sets up a potential semifinal matchup between the Jayhawks and Bruins, who have a combined 15 national titles. Kansas added Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson during the offseason and has won the Maui Invitational twice. Gonzaga returns for the first time since winning the 2018 title. Edey, the 2023 Associated Press national player of the year, considered leaving for the NBA before deciding to return to the Boilermakers. The November 20-22 tournament will be the second straight at Lahaina Civic Center after the pandemic forced the bracket off the islands. Arizona won last year's title.
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Salvador Perez Hits 200th Homer as a Catcher as Royals Beat the Guardians, 5-3
CLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez became the 10th player in major league history to hit 200 homers as a catcher and Ryan Yarbrough allowed one run in six innings, lifting the Kansas City Royals to a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Perez hit a two-run shot in the sixth off Logan Allen to put Kansas City ahead 4-0. He has 240 homers overall in 12 seasons. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza holds the big league record for homers as a catcher with 396. Yarbrough carried a shutout into the sixth and won at Cleveland for the second time in 15 days.
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Royals Owner Pens Letter to Fans, Hoping to Be More Transparent About Stadium Plans
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are trying to be more transparent about their plans for a new ballpark. Majority owner John Sherman released a letter to fans in hopes of providing a timetable on stadium proposals. Sherman writes “detailed renderings and many other components that will help us compare the broad benefits” of two competing sites will be released in the next 30 days. After that, the team expects to pick between downtown Kansas City and a spot in neighboring Clay County, which sits across the Missouri River. Sherman says “we are committed to doing this right,. This is a huge decision for us.”
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 amweekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. You can also follow KPR News on Twitter.