Kansas

Kansas measles cases reach 23; new Ohio outbreak sickens 10

Published

11 months ago

March 26, 2025

Kansas measles cases reach 23; new Ohio outbreak sickens 10

More measles cases reported across the country

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Infectious Disease Expert, joins LiveNOW from FOX to talk about more measles cases being reported across the country. According to the CDC, there were more than 160 cases reported.

LOS ANGELES – A measles outbreak that began in southwestern Kansas has rapidly expanded to 23 cases and may be connected to earlier outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, which have collectively sickened more than 370 people, according to state and federal health officials.

At the same time, Ohio health authorities confirmed that a case in Ashtabula County has led to 10 infections, marking a concerning resurgence of the highly contagious disease across multiple states.

Where are measles outbreaks spreading in Kansas and Ohio?

What we know:

In Kansas, the Department of Health and Environment said Wednesday that the outbreak has more than doubled since Friday, when only 10 cases had been reported. The infections have now spread across six counties: Grant, Morton, Stevens, Haskell, Gray, and Kiowa.

Nearly all of the Kansas cases are in people under 18. The outbreak began with a case identified in Stevens County on March 13. In response, Kansas health officials have issued an alert to medical providers and are recommending early MMR vaccination for infants 6 to 11 months old living in or near affected counties — a measure typically reserved for outbreak situations.

In Ohio, the state health department confirmed that 10 cases are currently in Ashtabula County. A separate case involving a visitor in Knox County led to exposure concerns across multiple counties. Ohio previously saw a large outbreak in 2022, which sickened 85 people in central parts of the state.

What we don’t know:

It remains unclear how long these outbreaks will continue to grow or whether they will spread to additional states with similarly low vaccination rates.

Health officials have not identified a single source linking the Kansas and Ohio outbreaks to those in Texas and New Mexico, though potential connections are being investigated.

It’s also unknown how many exposed individuals may develop symptoms in the coming days, given the disease’s incubation period.

How are other states involved in the outbreak?

The backstory:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that measles cases in 2025 have already surpassed all reported cases in 2024 — even before the Kansas and Ohio clusters were added. As of Tuesday, New Mexico had 43 outbreak-related cases, and Texas reported 327. Oklahoma has nine cases linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks.

Public health experts say the Texas outbreak, which began in January, could last for months. If it spreads further into undervaccinated communities, it may continue for a year or more — and could put the U.S. at risk of losing its measles elimination status.

Why vaccination rates are a key concern

By the numbers:

Health officials emphasize that the MMR vaccine — a two-dose series typically given before kindergarten — is about 97% effective at preventing measles. But several Kansas counties in the outbreak have lower-than-recommended vaccination rates:

Morton County: 82%

Stevens County: 83%

Haskell County: 58%

Gray County: 66%

Public health experts recommend a 95% vaccination rate to prevent outbreaks. Kansas’ state health department warns that more cases are likely to emerge in and around the affected counties, especially among the unvaccinated.

FILE – A person receives a vaccination as public health officials urge immunization to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In Ohio, CDC data from the 2023–24 school year shows that 89% of kindergarteners were vaccinated against measles — below the optimal threshold.

What they’re saying:

“Given the measles activity in Texas, New Mexico, and other states around the country, we’re disappointed but not surprised we now have several cases here in Ohio and known exposure in some counties,” said Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff.

“This disease can be very serious, even deadly, but it is almost entirely avoidable by being properly vaccinated,” he added.

Jill Bronaugh, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said, “Due to the highly contagious nature of measles, additional cases are likely to occur within the current outbreak area and the surrounding counties, especially among those who are unvaccinated.”

The Source: This article is based on reporting from the Associated Press, which cited updates from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Ohio Department of Health, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Case counts and vaccination data reflect official state and federal figures as of March 2025.

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

Published

60 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Wednesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

6A Boys West Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka High 57, Washburn Rural 50 (will play Maize Saturday)
Junction City 70, Dodge City 56 (will play Derby Saturday)
Manhattan 58, Wichita-Northwest 56 (will play Wichita-East Saturday)

4A Boys East Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 62, Louisberg 57 (will play Bishop Miege Saturday)
Atchison 74, Wamego 43
Hayden 72, Independence 56 (will play Atchison Saturday)
Eudora 76, Santa Fe Trail 68

GIRLS

5A West Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hays 80, Topeka West 18
Eisenhower 55, Seaman 41
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 71, Emporia 41

5A East Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Shawnee Heights 89, Sumner 15 (will play Pittsburg Saturday)
Basehor-Linwood 74, Highland Park 28 (will play Piper Saturday)

3A Pomona-West Franklin Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Osage City 75, Columbus 31 (will play Frontenac Saturday)

3A Sabetha Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Silver Lake 48, Nemaha Central 26 (will play Riley County Saturday)
Riley County 51, Jeff West 40 (will play Silver Lake)

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

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Kansas

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

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Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

In early 2026, the Kansas state legislature passed SB 244, a law which prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms on government property that align with their gender identity and establishes a private right of action that allows anyone who suspects someone is transgender and in violation of the law to sue that person for “damages” totaling $1,000.

The law also invalidates state-issued driver’s licenses with updated gender markers that reflect the carrier’s gender identity. In February 2026, transgender people across the state received letters from the state Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles informing them that their driver’s licenses “will no longer be valid,” effective immediately. SB 244 also prohibits transgender Kansans – or those born in Kansas – from updating the gender marker on state-issued birth certificates and driver’s licenses in the future.

The same day SB 244 went into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr LLP filed a lawsuit challenging SB 244 in the District Court of Douglas County on behalf of two transgender men who had their driver’s licenses invalidated under the law. The lawsuit charges that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.

“The invalidation of state-issued IDs threatens to out transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with police,” said Harper Seldin, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “Taken as a whole, SB 244 is a transparent attempt to deny transgender people autonomy over their own identities and push them out of public life altogether.”

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