Health
Kelly recommends mask policies, COVID testing and community partnerships for Kansas schools
TOPEKA — New guidance Friday from Gov. Laura Kelly ahead of the start of classes recommends schools actively plan vaccination clinics, implement universal masking policies and create a robust testing plan for faculty and students. The updated guidance also requests that students in classrooms and school other settings maintain 3 feet of physical distance, but […]
Kansas congressional delegation’s five Republicans join effort to overturn Roe v. Wade
Five of six Kansas members of Congress endorse legal brief outlining why U.S. Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade abortion decision.
Kansas shelters grapple with capacity crisis as pandemic-related pet returns increase
TOPEKA — An influx of returned pets adopted during the pandemic is pushing pet shelters across the state beyond capacity. For some shelters, this is business as usual during the summer months, but others are attributing the influx of pets to owners returning animals as they return to work in the office or face financial […]
Senate president says Kansans want freedom, not ‘Faucism’ on COVID-19 masking front
Prominent Kansas Republicans insist personal freedom trump public health mandates on masking as Delta variant of COVID-19 sweeps the state.
Kelly instructs state workers in 80-plus counties to resume wearing masks
Gov. Laura Kelly responds to surge of COVID-19 variant by requiring state workers in more than 80 counties to wear a mask on the job.
CDC says vaccinated should wear masks indoors in areas with high infection rates
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials on Tuesday urged Americans in areas of the country with the highest surges in COVID-19 infections to once again wear masks when they are in public, indoor settings — even if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The updated recommendations marked a sharp shift from the agency’s guidance in May that […]
Kansas racial equity panel calls attention to early childhood, maternal health disparities
TOPEKA — A Kansas racial equity panel report has pinpointed maternal and early childhood health, vaccine equity and Medicaid expansion among areas that could improve racial inequities in health care. Among the specific recommendations in the 2021 interim report from Gov. Laura Kelly’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice is an extension of Medicaid coverage […]
‘Playing and loving it’: Wichita beep baseball team offers social connection for visually impaired
When Ira Mills created the Wichita Association for Blind Athletes with the help of his wife and friends, the organization had a goal in mind: get Wichita’s visually impaired residents socially and recreationally involved in their community. Since 2017, WABA and its volunteers have found numerous ways to do that, from adaptive sports to seasonal […]
Attorney general to appeal emergency-power decision, warns of ‘legal anarchy’
Kansas attorney general appealing court ruling that state's emergency-power law unconstitutional, claims action can lead to "legal anarchy."
COVID-19 surge: Unvaccinated frustrate Sebelius, socialist ‘lunacy’ irritates Colyer
Former Democratic Gov. Sebelius ready to restrain unvaccinated, while former GOP Gov. Colyer refers to the notion as "crazy socialist idea."
KDHE report affirms education, income, race and gender influence health risks
Kansas' latest statewide health survey affirms poor, minorities and undereducated most at risk for serious health challenges.
Report: Residents in Kansas, Missouri get drinking water from lead pipes at high rates
People in Missouri and Kansas risk lead exposure from drinking water at greater rates than almost any other state, a new report found. The Natural Resources Defense Council released findings Thursday that as many as 12 million Americans may be receiving drinking water through lead pipes without realizing their water is contaminated. “There is no […]