Kansas

Kansas City area mother shares story of being an abortion survivor

Published

1 year ago

October 17, 2024

Kansas City area mother shares story of being an abortion survivor

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Melissa Ohden was born premature. She always knew that. She was adopted and she always knew that too.

She was 14 years old when she learned her birth was the result of a failed saline infusion abortion back in 1977. She weighed less than three pounds.

“There is nothing that prepares you for a moment like that. There’s so many questions of, how does it happen? Why did it happen? Does that mean I’m so unlovable, I’m so unworthy,” said Melissa Ohden.

Ohden is the author of the book “You Carried Me” which outlines her journey of self-discovery and healing.

She eventually tracked down medical records documenting the failed procedure which led her to connect with her birth mother who also lives in the Kansas City area.

“She lives in Missouri. My birth mom, Ruth, lives in Odessa. I have a half-sister, Jennifer, and her kids that live in Blue Springs,” said Melissa.

Melissa Ohden and her birth mother, Ruth.(KCTV5/Angie Ricono)

Melissa says her birth mother never knew she was born alive and suspects her birth father didn’t know either. She wrote him a letter, but he died shortly after she sent it.

“My birth father passed away not long after I sent him a letter back in 2007, and I don’t know if he knew that I had survived that abortion,” said Melissa.

Abortion Survivors

Melissa now runs the Abortion Survivors Network. She says many people don’t have documentation backing up their birth stories. It’s mostly family secrets that are handed down. Survivors often struggle when learning the truth.

Not every state keeps track of efficacy- meaning did the procedure work?

Missouri included that information in its last annual abortion report in 2022. The information is in the “abortion complication section.”

It states that 12 abortions “failed, pregnancy undisturbed.”

Post-Abortion Complication Report: Missouri, 2022.(KCTV5/Angie Ricono)

Planned Parenthood’s own website reveals the effectiveness of medication abortions by how many weeks a woman is into her pregnancy and the combination of medications prescribed. The effectiveness is anywhere from 87% to 99% effective.

Saline-infused abortions are now quite rare due to side effects and the procedure requires hospitalization. More effective procedures are now available.

Upcoming Amendment 3 vote

Melissa has strong feelings about the upcoming Amendment 3 vote. She will vote “no.”

Click here to read the exact language.

“I want people to read through this language and be educated about it, to know what the impact of a yes or a no vote on it would be,” said Melissa.

She questions what limits will be in place if Missouri chooses abortion services. She also points next door to Kansas which now provides abortion services for women from numerous states. She does not want Missouri to be a major abortion provider.

She also points to her birth mother, Ruth and what she went through.

“There was a pain in her eyes that I will never, ever forget. And if there’s one thing I could change about my whole story, it would be her pain. I wish I could take that away from her,” said Melissa.

You Carried Me, by Melissa Ohden.(KCTV5/Angie Ricono)

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Kansas

Kansas ag officials take comment on proposed water rules

Published

11 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Kansas ag officials take comment on proposed water rules

by: Wil Day

Posted: Jan 8, 2026 / 07:19 PM CST

Updated: Jan 8, 2026 / 07:19 PM CST

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas Department of Agriculture held a meeting on Thursday to discuss proposed rules regarding the Kansas Water Appropriation Act.

The Division of Water Resources is proposing new regulations and changes to current regulations under the law.

The division is looking at amending or revoking regulations related to flowmeters tracking water usage.

It is also proposing changes to groundwater usage rules on how far you can move a well from its original location to prevent harming the water rights of other landowners.

Another regulation would create voluntary Water Conservation Areas, where landowners work with the division to establish water conservation plans on their properties.

Some of the concerns raised at Thursday’s meeting dealt with property rights and the transfer of land to new owners. Some expressed concern about the sale of water rights to other landowners in the area.

There is no listed timeline for when the changes could be made.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.

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Kansas

Rural Kansas fire department reports record number of calls in 2025

Published

23 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Rural Kansas fire department reports record number of calls in 2025

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A rural Kansas fire department says it saw yet another increase in calls in 2025.

On Tuesday, Butler County Fire District #3 posted data about last year on social media.

It responded to 782 alarms in 2025, which is a new record.

The majority of the calls were for rescue and emergency medical services, followed by service calls.

Courtesy: Butler County Fire District #3

The department’s data show the number of calls has been trending upward over the last 20 years.

From 2006 to 2010, the department handled an an average of 550 calls a year. From 2021 through 2025, that average was 720, a 31% increase.

Courtesy: Butler County Fire District #3

Officials said continued growth in the community has increased the demand for emergency services.

“These numbers reinforce the importance of ongoing training, staffing, equipment planning, and community support to ensure we can continue to provide timely and effective service,” the department said on Facebook.

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Kansas

Clay County Commissioner says he’s ‘done’ negotiating with Kansas City Royals

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Clay County Commissioner says he’s ‘done’ negotiating with Kansas City Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is “done” negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.

According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.

Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.

Withington took to Facebook to explain that “the joy has been drained” out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.

He called negotiations with the team “a closed chapter” and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.

“It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one,” Withington wrote.

The Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.

KSHB 41’s political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.

While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.

A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.

Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.

KSHB 41 News reached out to the Royals for comment, but has not heard back.