Latest Kansas Headlines

All the headlines from our Kansas Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Emporia State University Wins Kansas ‘Don’t Text #Just Drive’ Contest

Nov 29 2016 // Emporia State University received the highest number of votes by percentage of students enrolled to win the initial “Don’t Text #Just Drive” fall contest, according to the Kansas Insurance...

NORCAL Mutual to Acquire Kansas-Based PPM Services

Nov 7 2016 // PPM Services, the holding company for Preferred Physicians Medical Risk Retention Group Inc. (PPM), has agreed to be acquired by NORCAL Mutual Insurance Co. (NORCAL).Based in Overland Park, Kan., PPM provides medical...

Recent Kansas Tornadoes Caused $500K in Damage, Official Says

Oct 28 2016 // An official says two tornadoes that recently touched down in eastern Saline County, Kansas, caused an estimated $500,000 in damage. The Salina Journal reports that Emergency Management Director Hannah Stambaugh told county...

Missouri Courthouse Asbestos Case Settles for $80M

Oct 28 2016 // An $80 million settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit over removal of asbestos during renovation of the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City. The Kansas City Star reports $25 million will go toward...

Topeka, Kansas, Investigating High Number of Arson Fires

Oct 27 2016 // Authorities from several agencies are investigating a higher-than-expected number of arson fires in Topeka.The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 57 blazes have been intentionally set this year. That’s about 21 more...

Disaster Declared for Kansas Counties Hit by Storm

Oct 25 2016 // President Barack Obama has signed a disaster declaration for 11 Kansas counties hit hard by last month’s severe storms and flooding.The declaration means federal funding is now available for state and eligible local...

Indiana, Kansas to See Lower Workers’ Comp Rates Next Year

Oct 24 2016 // Indiana and Kansas employers will see workers’ compensation insurance rates decrease in 2017, according to the insurance departments in both states.The Kansas Insurance Department said the 2017 rate filing by the...

Kansas to Appeal $120K Jury Award Linked to Deadly 2007 Crash

Oct 20 2016 // The state of Kansas plans to appeal a jury’s ruling that ordered it to pay $120,000 to the family of a 2007 car crash victim who died after a state trooper demanded she be sent to Missouri hospitals rather than a...

Study: Kansas’ Largest Earthquake Likely Caused by Wastewater Injection

Oct 17 2016 // The largest recorded earthquake in Kansas history was likely the result of wastewater injected into the ground by one or two nearby wells, according to a new study from the U.S. Geological Survey found.The 4.9 magnitude...

Contractor’s Insurance to Pay for Repairs to Kansas Supreme Court Building

Oct 17 2016 // Rainwater has seeped into the building that houses the Kansas Supreme Court, causing extensive damage and forcing some employees to temporarily relocate.The Kansas Judicial Center’s leaking roof, which was in the...

Kansas Traffic Fatalities in 2016 Up 16%

Oct 13 2016 // Kansas transportation officials say more than 300 people have died in traffic accidents this year, a 16 percent increase over the same period in 2015.Kansas Department of Transportation traffic safety manager Chris Bortz...

Decline in Kansas Crop Yields Attributed to Corn Disease, Weather

Oct 12 2016 // A corn disease that is new to the heartland is infecting Kansas crops and may be contributing to this year’s decline in yield.The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service...

Kansas Workers’ Comp Rates to Drop Next Year

Oct 4 2016 // Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer announced that many business owners in the state will pay less for workers’ compensation insurance in 2017. It will be the second consecutive year for workers’ comp rate...

Kansas Targets Universities with Don’t Text and Drive Campaign

Oct 3 2016 // Kansas has launched a campaign against texting while driving that includes a contest for university fans.The Kansas Department of Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer announced the campaign, Don’t Text #Just Drive,...

Cole Named St. Louis Branch Production Leader for CNA

Sep 26 2016 // CNA has appointed Maria Cole assistant vice president, branch production leader for the St. Louis branch.Cole will lead CNA’s St. Louis team in cultivating deeper relationships with producers, accelerating...

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Announces Don’t Text #Just Drive Campaign

Sep 22 2016 // Kansas has launched a campaign against texting while driving that includes a contest for university fans.The Kansas Department of Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer announced the campaign. The campaign’s message,...

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern Oklahoma

Sep 21 2016 // The U.S. Geological Survey says a 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck extreme northern Oklahoma late Monday and was widely felt throughout parts of Kansas. No injuries or damage were reported. The earthquake was centered near...

Lightning-Damaged ‘Hair Curlers’ Sculpture Back in Kansas City Skyline

Sep 20 2016 // A lightning-damaged sculpture is again a fixture of the Kansas City skyline after undergoing repairs paid for by insurance.Designed by New York artist R.M. Fischer, their official name is the Sky Station sculptures,...

State Oversight of Thrill Rides Questioned After Recent Accidents

Sep 19 2016 // In some parts of the U.S., the thrill rides that hurl kids upside down, whirl them around or send them shooting down slides are checked out by state inspectors before customers climb on. But in other places, they are not...

37 Disposal Wells to Close after Oklahoma Quake, a Fraction of State’s Total

Sep 6 2016 // The 37 wastewater disposal wells to be shut down in north-central Oklahoma, where a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck this weekend, are just a fraction of the state’s total number.There are about 4,200 total wells...