Latest Kansas Headlines

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

Families Sue over Kansas Grain Elevator Blast

Aug 31 2012 // Family members of four people killed in a grain elevator explosion last year in northeast Kansas are suing employees of Bartlett Grain Co., including its current president Bob Knief, less than five months after federal...

Kansas Property Casualty Insurance Regulators Honored for Timely Reviews

Aug 16 2012 // Property and Casualty Division of the Kansas Insurance Department (KID) has raised the bar when it comes to reviewing new rate and form filings from insurance companies, the department announced.Kansas Commissioner of...

Hutchinson, Kansas Area Residents Concerned About Levee

Aug 15 2012 // The refusal of city and county officials to fund the improvement of a levee near an unincorporated section of Hutchinson has prompted concerns among residents.The city voted last year to improve and recertify levees along...

Despite GOP Governors, Feds Building Health Insurance Exchanges

Aug 8 2012 // Don’t look now: The feds may be gaining on GOP governors who’ve balked at carrying out a key part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law.Opponents of the law say they won’t set up new...

$10.4M to Be Distributed to Kansas Firefighters

Aug 2 2012 // More than $10.4 million will be distributed among 578 local Firefighters Relief Associations (FRAs) across Kansas, state insurance regulators report.Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger is currently making the...

Kansas Increases Scrutiny of Some Health Insurance Rates

Aug 1 2012 // Kansas insurance regulators are complying with part of the federal health insurance reform law that requires more scrutiny of health insurance rate increases above 10 percent at a time when Gov. Sam Brownback’s...

Former Topeka, Kansas, Deputy Fire Chief Files Discrimination Lawsuit

Jul 25 2012 // A former Topeka deputy fire chief is seeking more than $1.3 million in a federal discrimination lawsuit filed against Topeka and a firefighters union.The lawsuit was filed by Kathy Petty, a former deputy chief of the fire...

Kansas Governor, Insurance Chief at Odds on Health Care

Jul 2 2012 // Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback said he wants to wait until after the presidential election to comply with a key provision of the federal health care overhaul upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, but the state’s Republican...

Kansas Researchers: Most Large Truck Crashes Caused by Driver Error

Jun 21 2012 // Two Kansas State University civil engineers working to make Kansas roads and highways safer by reducing the number and severity of vehicular crashes that involve large, cargo-carrying trucks, say the majority of such...

Boeing Lauds Tornado Recovery by Key Kansas Supplier

Jun 20 2012 // Top Boeing Co. executives were in Wichita, Kan., on June 18 to celebrate tornado recovery efforts by parts supplier Spirit AeroSystems, telling thousands of cheering employees that the event forged a stronger bond between...

J.M. Wilson Adds Underwriters in Kansas City

Jun 19 2012 // Managing general agency J.M. Wilson has added two underwriters to its Kansas City, Mo., team. Eric Shwarz is a new property/casualty underwriter and Kefentse Mandisa is a new transportation underwriter.Shwarz and Mandisa...

Ratings Recap: DTRIC, Kansas Bankers, ProAssurance, American Federated

Jun 15 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of Honolulu-based DTRIC Insurance Company Limited and its reinsured...

Ranck Joins XL Group’s Excess Casualty Unit in Kansas City

Jun 12 2012 // The insurance operations of XL Group plc has expanded its excess casualty underwriting team in Kansas City, Mo. John J. (J.J.) Ranck joins XL Group as senior excess casualty underwriter, arriving from Travelers where he...

Study Suggests Continued Population Drop in Kansas

May 30 2012 // A decades-long decline in population is likely to continue in Kansas, particularly in the west of the state, and four counties could have fewer than 1,000 residents by 2040, according to a study by Wichita State...

Cybersecurity Experts Eye Self-Correcting Network to Thwart Hackers

May 14 2012 // In the online struggle for network security, Kansas State University cybersecurity experts are adding an ally to the security force: the computer network itself.Scott DeLoach, professor of computing and information...

Kansas Insurance Investigator Receives Meritorious Service Award

May 9 2012 // Randy Adair, chief investigator for the Kansas Insurance Department’s Anti-Fraud Division, and a retired deputy chief of police for Topeka, is the recipient of the 2012 Clarence M. Kelley Meritorious Service Award...

Probe Prompts Kansas Inflatables Company to Cancel Jobs

May 7 2012 // Several parents were caught off guard when two Wichita, Kan., companies that provide inflatable rides canceled reservations at the last minute.Last June, Moonwalks for Fun’s license to provide inflatable rides was...

AT&T to Pay Missouri Muslim Woman $5M in Harassment Case

May 7 2012 // A former Kansas City woman who converted to Islam in 2005 said she was harassed for years at AT&T, and that the abuse boiled over in 2008 when her boss snatched her head scarf and exposed her hair.A Jackson County jury...

Tornado Cost Wichita, Kansas Area $146.3M

May 7 2012 // Sedgwick County, Kansas, officials say the tornado that hit Oaklawn and southeast Wichita on April 14 caused an estimated $146.3 million in damage.County officials say the tornado damaged or destroyed 776 homes and 86...

Kansas Senate Oks Disaster Funds Bill

May 2 2012 // The Kansas Senate has approved legislation creating a special fund to help cover the state’s costs after a federal disaster declaration. The bill authorizes the transfer of up to $22 million a year from the state...