Kansas
Report finds Kansas may need improvements in child healthcare
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TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – A latest report discovered that the Sunflower State might have some extra work to do in terms of the sector of kid healthcare.
With a mean of $6,100 spent per 12 months on employer-sponsored household protection and Each Child Wholesome Week starting on April 24, personal-finance web site WalletHub.com says it launched its report on 2023′s Greatest & Worst States for Youngsters’s Well being Care on Tuesday, April 11.
To be able to discover which states supply essentially the most cost-effective and high-quality healthcare for kids, WalletHub mentioned it in contrast all 50 states and Washington, D.C., primarily based on knowledge units that vary from share of youngsters aged 0 – 17 in wonderful or excellent well being to pediatricians and household docs per capita.
The report ranked Kansas thirty sixth total with a complete rating of 49.07. The Sunflower State ranked thirty ninth for teenagers’ well being and entry to healthcare, twenty eighth for teenagers’ diet, bodily exercise and weight problems, and twentieth for teenagers’ oral well being.
Colorado ranked seventeenth total with a complete rating of 56.16. It ranked twenty fifth for teenagers’ well being and entry to healthcare, sixth for teenagers’ diet, bodily exercise and weight problems, and twenty fourth for teenagers’ oral well being.
Missouri ranked 18th total with a complete rating of 56.03. It ranked 14th for teenagers’ well being and entry to healthcare, twenty fourth for teenagers’ diet, bodily exercise and weight problems, and fortieth for teenagers’ oral well being.
Nebraska ranked nineteenth total with a complete rating of 55.48. It ranked 18th for teenagers’ well being and entry to healthcare, twenty second for teenagers’ diet, bodily exercise and weight problems, and tenth for teenagers’ oral well being.
Lastly, Oklahoma ranked forty fourth total with a complete rating of 45.93. It ranked forty third for teenagers’ well being and entry to healthcare, forty seventh for teenagers’ diet, bodily exercise and weight problems and forty eighth for teenagers’ oral well being.
The report additionally discovered that Nebraska had the best share of youngsters with wonderful or excellent well being whereas Colorado had the fifth highest. Oklahoma had the fifth-lowest share of uninsured kids.
WalletHub additionally mentioned that Nebraska had the fifth-highest share of youngsters with unaffordable medical payments whereas Kansas tied North Dakota for the fourth-highest. Nebraska had the fifth-most pediatricians and household docs per capita whereas Kansas had the second-fewest.
Lastly, the report discovered that Colorado had the second-lowest share of overweight kids. Nebraska tied Maine for the fifth-highest share of youngsters with wonderful or excellent tooth.
The report discovered the places which can be greatest for kids’s well being are:
- Massachusetts
- Washington, D.C.
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Hawaii
The report discovered the states which can be worst for kids’s well being are:
- Mississippi
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Wyoming
- Indiana
For extra data or to see the place different states fall, click on HERE.
Copyright 2023 WIBW. All rights reserved.

Kansas
Kansas State Football Gets Big Recruiting Win With Three-Star Edge

The Kansas State football team is no stranger to the state of Texas. The Wildcats continued their recruiting success in the Lone Star State, gaining the commitment of three-star (247 Sports) edge Tucker Ashford from Fort Worth Christian High School.
“I want to thank God for all my opportunities that He has given me,” Ashford’s post read. “With that being said, I would like to announce my commitment to KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY!”
I want to thank God for all my Opportunities that He has given me! With that being said I would like to Announce my commitment to KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY #EMAW26 @_CoachDonald @CoachBuddyWyatt @CoachBGunn @_CoachMarshall_ @CoachMoH_ @car20ruiz @TXPSMedia @TXPrivateFBGuy… pic.twitter.com/J9nTFgBjJK
— Tucker “Tuck” Ashford (@TuckerAshford12) July 4, 2025
Ashford chose Kansas State over Vanderbilt, Houston, and Illinois.
Ashford serves as the 17th commit in K-State’s class of 2026. He is the seventh player to commit to K-State from Texas, and the first edge in the class.
Ashford is rated as the No. 61 edge in the class of 2026 and the No. 93 player in Texas.
When Ashford announced his commitment date on June 17, On3 Sports gave Kansas State a 91 percent chance to land the 6-foot-3, 240-pound edge. As Ashford prepared to announce his commitment, it seemed like the Wildcats were a sure bet for Ashford, their chances rising to 97.8 percent.
Kansas State’s recruiting rank in the Big 12 (247 Sports) got a boost from No. 10 to No. 9. Kansas State coach Chris Klieman and his staff will look to move up a few more spots before this recruiting cycle is over.
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Kansas
Kansas food pantry monitors growing need with SNAP cuts, food insecurity rises in WyCo

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The U.S. House passed the “Big Beautiful Bill” package Thursday, which includes tax breaks, cuts to Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.
Kansas food pantry monitors growing need as food insecurity rises in WyCo
The bill, for some, means a shift in how they live.
Republicans say the bill still provides help for those who need it, but claim it also targets waste, fraud, and abuse.
Patrick Semansky/AP
Local food pantries, including Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, are bracing for what the new legislation will mean for their clients.
They serve 21 northeast Kansas counties, with two food pantry locations in Wyandotte County.
“The population in Wyandotte County is the lowest income we serve,” said Denise Ogilvi, chief mission integration officer for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. “About 18% of the population in Wyandotte County falls below the poverty level. The poverty level in the state of Kansas is about $32,000 (of income per year) for a family of four.”

Brian Luton/KSHB
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas’ mission is to offer people of all faiths help, hope, and hospitality.
It’s food pantry locations are client choice, operating similar to a grocery store.
The downtown Kansas City, Kansas, location sits between what the United States Department of Agriculture classifies as a “Food Desert.”

KSHB 41
Earlier this week, MERC Co+Op, a grocery store in downtown KCK, announced it would suspend operations in December 2025.
“It was definitely needed. This is a food desert area,” said Paula Flattery-Aaron from the Strawberry Hill Neighborhood Association. “We have one grocery store on 18th Street, then the rest are further west.”

Al Miller/KSHB 41
According to the USDA, to be labeled a Food Desert a community must meet the low-income and low-access requirements.
Those include a poverty rate of 20% or greater, or a median family income at or below 80% of the statewide or metropolitan area median family income.
At least 500 persons and/or 33% of the population lives more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (10 miles for rural communities).

KSHB 41
“You can imagine that if you can probably barely pay your rent on $32,000, you will probably need additional support to help your family,” said Ogilvi.
That’s where Catholic Charities comes in, with 150,000 visits to its food pantry locations last year.
This year, that number already jumped to nearly 175,000.

Brian Luton/KSHB
“The need is definitely great,” added Ogilvi.
The republican backed federal legislation is expected to cut $230 billion from SNAP over the next decade.
The bill would require states to pay at least 5% of the SNAP program’s costs starting in 2028.
The program is currently federally funded.
RTV6
Historically, funding comes from passing a piece of legislation known as the Farm Bill.
The Farm Bill is a multi-billion dollar omnibus package, with nearly 80% of the farm commodity bill spent on nutrition programs like SNAP.
That legislation is two years past due for passage by Congress.

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB
In addition to new funding cuts, the Big Beautiful Bill would create tighter work requirements to be eligible for aid, raising the age requirement from 54 to 64.
It would also force parents with children older than six to meet the work requirements.
Parents with dependent kids at home are exempt.

Brian Luton/KSHB
“Most people only come to our food pantry once a month. They are going to need more food than what they get at our food pantry,” Ogilvi explained. “SNAP benefits provide about nine meals for every one meal that we can provide.”
Catholic Charities is continuing to gather data across the communities it serves to better understand the need.
They will begin having conversations on whether they need to budget more money for food, expand their current locations, or open more locations.
“What we can do is try to make sure that our door is always open,” added Ogilvi. “Not for profits can’t fill the whole gap.”
For more information on how to get involved with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, click here.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
Kansas
Illegal fireworks call triggers gunfire, death of Kansas deputy and suspect

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- A Kansas sheriff’s deputy and a suspect died in an exchange of gunfire late June 27.
- The deputy was attempting to arrest the suspect in connection with allegedly using illegal fireworks.
- The suspect fired first, striking the deputy, who returned fire.
An exchange of gunfire erupted late June 27 as a north-central Kansas sheriff’s deputy tried to handcuff a man suspected of using illegal fireworks. Both were fatally shot.
Killed were Phillips County Deputy Brandon Gaede, 30, and Phillipsburg resident Kolton Griffith, 27, said a news release posted on the website of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.
That office was investigating at the request of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Phillips County is located just south of the Kansas/Nebraska border. Phillipsburg has a population of 2,337, according to 2020 census figures.
Griffith fired first, news release said
Gaede responded to Griffith’s home after the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office received a report about 9:30 p.m. that illegal, non-consumer grade fireworks were being detonated there, the news release said.
Gaede determined Griffith had broken the law, the release said.
“As the deputy attempted to place Griffith in handcuffs, a struggle broke out,” it said. “Griffith pulled a concealed handgun and opened fire on the deputy. Despite being struck by gunfire, the deputy returned fire and hit Griffith multiple times.”
Griffith died at the scene. Gaede was taken to a Phillipsburg hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 10:24 p.m., the news release said.
Circumstances involved remained under investigation.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
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