Kansas News Service

The Kansas News Service produces essential enterprise reporting, diving deep and connecting the dots regarding the policies, issues and and events that affect the health of Kansans and their communities. The team is based at KCUR and collaborates with KMUW and public media stations across Kansas.

The Kansas News Service is made possible by a group of funding organizations, led by the Kansas Health Foundation. Other funders include United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Sunflower Foundation, REACH Healthcare Foundation and the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City. Additional support comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

If you'd like to subscribe to our to our weekly newsletter for stories on health, politics and education in Kansas, click here. 

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Kansas Voter Registration Deadline For Nov. 6 Election Is Tuesday

By • 1 hour ago
LaRissa Lawrie / KMUW

With hotly contested gubernatorial and congressional races on the ballot, you won’t want to miss casting your vote in the Nov. 6 general election.

Here’s the lowdown on registering, advance ballots, voting with a criminal record and more.

If you just need to check where your polling place is, go here.

Registration deadline

A Kansas GOP Official Resigns After Racist Remarks About Democrat Sharice Davids

By • Oct 11, 2018

A local Kansas GOP official has resigned after making disparaging remarks about Kansas congressional candidate Sharice Davids, writing "Your radical socialist kick boxing lesbian Indian will be sent back packing to the reservation."

On Sunday night, Michael Kalny, former GOP precinct committeeman of Shawnee, Kansas, made the remarks in a private Facebook message to Anne Pritchett, a chapter president of the Johnson County Democratic Women.

Pritchett said she was surprised at first. 

Rankings Show Wildly Different Views Of Nursing Home Quality In Missouri And Kansas

By • Oct 10, 2018

Kansas City and St. Louis have some of the worst-rated nursing homes in the country, while Topeka, Overland Park and Wichita have some of the best.

That’s according to rankings published by FamilyAssets, a New York-based company that offers assessments and planning for people seeking home health care services.

Kansas Schools Having Increasingly Difficult Time Finding Teachers

By • Oct 10, 2018
Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service/File photo

Kansas schools are still struggling to hire teachers.

There are more than 600 vacant teaching positions in Kansas, nearly 100 more than in the fall of 2017. Special education and elementary positions have the largest number of vacancies.

The Kansas State Board of Education received the update on Tuesday from the Teacher Vacancy and Supply Committee. The main reason for the open positions is a lack of applicants or qualified applicants.

Gubernatorial Candidates Argue Over School Funding, Immigration, Guns In Wichita Forum

By , & • Oct 9, 2018
Mark Statzer / KMUW

The five candidates for Kansas governor faced off at a forum Tuesday night in Wichita.

It was a rare opportunity for independent Rick Kloos and Libertarian Jeff Caldwell to share a stage with the three major candidates — Republican Kris Kobach, Democrat Laura Kelly and independent Greg Orman.

A Lay-Low Strategy May Be Fueling Sharice Davids' Strength In Kansas Race For Congress

By • Oct 9, 2018

In the final month before the November elections, Republicans and some Democrats are asking: where is Sharice Davids?

Davids, a Democratic newcomer, seems to be leading the race against Republican incumbent Congressman Kevin Yoder in the 3rd District of Kansas.

People Of Caney, Kansas, Mostly Glad To Have The Federal Government Come Clean Things Up

By • Oct 9, 2018

The federal government recently tore up Debbie and Tony Morrison’s front yard in the small southeast Kansas town of Caney.

And the two are happy about it.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came in, scraped away contaminated dirt, replaced it with clean soil and spread sod on top.

“It actually looks very good,” Morrison said. “After they put the new grass in, they came down and they faithfully watered and cared for it continually until they felt like it had taken hold.”

This Is What The Kansas Candidates For Governor Have In Store For School Spending

By editor • Oct 8, 2018

Take a look at the Kansas budget and one item looms large, eating up more state spending than anything else.

Schools swallow about $4.5 billion. That spending rose after an infusion of cash by lawmakers earlier this year in response to a court ruling in a long-running fight over whether state government does enough to support public education.

Kansas Elections Roundtable: Who Wants A Trump Bump? And Will They Get It?

By , & • Oct 5, 2018

President Donald Trump is coming to Kansas this weekend, and some Republican candidates are hoping that will provide them a boost. That includes the Republican newcomer running for Congress in the 2nd District, who’s fending off more questions about his background, and Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Meanwhile, Kobach's Democratic opponent in the governor's race, state Sen. Laura Kelly, is trying to tie him to former Gov. Sam Brownback.  

Jim McLean, Stephen Koranda, and Madeline Fox of the Kansas News Service discuss whether any of it will sway voters.


Why Incumbent Kevin Yoder Says He’s The Underdog In the Kansas 3rd District

By • Oct 4, 2018

Rep. Kevin Yoder acknowledged Wednesday that he may lose his campaign for a fifth term in Congress. “Well, I think we may be the underdog in this race," he said before addressing the Johnson County Bar Association.

However, Yoder suggested his Democratic opponent Sharice Davids is taking the campaign for granted.

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