Early learning leader for US Department of Education to speak in KC
Dr. Libby Doggett’s understanding of the importance of early childhood education began while volunteering in a Head Start classroom as an undergraduate at the University of Texas. As the U.S. Department of Education’s lead person on early learning, Doggett spends a lot of her time working to help business and policy leaders at every level…
How can gigabit internet be used in healthcare?
When Bob Summers found himself in a new city, without his regular trainer or workout buddies, he wondered how technology could help him stick to his exercise and health routine. That’s why he developed Fitnet, an interactive app that connects people with fitness trainers through on-demand video. He demonstrated how the user can follow along…
Missouri veto lays bare growing debate over electronic cigarettes
Carlo Cavallaro pours a brown liquid into a device that looks a little like a Star Trek phaser. When it hits battery-heated coils, the liquid sizzles and turns into vapor. He takes a big draw and exhales a sugary-smelling cloud. Cavallaro makes his own custom nicotine-infused e-cigarette juice. “This one that I have here is…
Kansas mental health system under increasing stress
OSAWATOMIE — One day last month, Osawatomie State Hospital had 254 patients in its care — almost 50 more than its optimal capacity. The overcrowded conditions forced a few dozen patients, all of them coping with a serious mental illness and likely a danger to themselves or others, to be triple-bunked in rooms meant for two….
Green Works KC fuels graduation rates with environmental education
As part of the national American Graduate initiative, KCPT is highlighting several community leaders and educators who are making significant, scalable changes to prepare students for success in K–12 and beyond.These stories of local education champions will air on KCPT in the weeks leading up to American Graduate Day on Sept. 27, a live, multi-platform…
New bus route addresses health needs of KCK residents
It was nearly a decade ago that the Rosedale Development Association, a nonprofit community improvement corporation, identified lack of transportation as a significant barrier for neighborhood residents who wanted better access to medical care, grocery stores and other basic services. The feedback came via a community-needs survey conducted by a volunteer working with the organization,…
Survey Showing Spike In Kansas’ Uninsured Rate Questioned
Remember that headline-grabbing report last week that said Kansas was the only state in the nation to see a significant increase in its uninsured rate? Well, it’s looking more and more suspect. Some officials were immediately skeptical when the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey results were released, showing that the adult uninsured rate in Kansas had increased by…
Meet a mayor that makes time to read with kids every week
Video by Lindsey Foat and John McGrath, story by Caitlin Cress | The Hale Center for Journalism As part of the national American Graduate initiative, KCPT is highlighting several community leaders and educators who are making significant, scalable changes to prepare students for success in K-12 and beyond.These stories of local education champions will air…
5 apps designed by Kansas City girls at no-boys-allowed camp
When you think about a typical summer camp, the great outdoors, swimming, campfire songs and s’mores come to mind. But, at this camp, girls sit quietly clicking away at computers in a classroom. They’re all developing their own apps for Android phones. And this camp is strictly no-boys-allowed. This is the second year that an…
New figures reveal racial divide in swimming pool deaths
LaShana McGee marvels at the exploits of her 4-year-old daughter around their neighborhood pool in Piper, Kan. “She goes straight to the deep end. It’s crazy,” McGee said. “I don’t know why she does that, but she does. She just jumps right in, and she will swim her way back to the stairs where you…
Poll: Kansas uninsured rate goes up by 40 percent
Kansas was one of just three states that saw their rates of people without health insurance go up since last year, according to a new survey. And, if the poll results are accurate, Kansas was the one whose rates went up the most. The data, collected as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, show that…
Gun violence changes polling places
Like millions of other Americans, I exercised my right to vote today, but it took three tries – thanks partly to my own ignorance and partly to the fact that our pervasive fear of gun violence in this country has finally invaded the voting booth. My early morning trek began at a small elementary school…
Missouri ballot issue aims to help veterans
Among the issues Missouri voters will face at the polls Tuesday is a proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution that has pitted veterans advocates against education supporters. The proposed amendment, Constitutional Amendment 8, would create a veterans lottery ticket by July of next year, the proceeds of which would be deposited in the Veterans Commission…
Obamacare among issues fueling campaign to unseat House GOP moderates
The same groups that used the wedge issue of Obamacare to unseat moderate Republican senators two years ago are targeting several House members for defeat in Tuesday’s GOP primary. But this time around, their efforts are being countered by groups that have organized to reverse the recent conservative tide in Kansas politics. TheKansas Values Institute and…
JOCO audit highlights security issues, other concerns in mental health operation
The Johnson County Mental Health Center has not resolved long-standing security concerns to protect employees at its Shawnee location, according to an internal audit presented to the board of commissioners Thursday. The audit, conducted by Interim County Auditor Ken Kleffner, said that the mental health agency had rejected security recommendations made in 2007 “because management…