News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
In Missouri legislature, stage may be set for more abortion restrictions
Missouri’s abortion regulations, among the strictest in the nation, may get even stricter. Several lawmakers have already pre-filed abortion-related legislation in both the state House of Representatives and Senate.
Are burn pits a possible answer for the mysterious ailments reported by veterans?
Many veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts believe their health was affected by exposure to the burn pits and other potential environmental hazards. But there is not enough data to determine whether that exposure caused or contributed to the health problems they are struggling with now that they are home.
Is an aqueduct a practical answer to the water crisis in western Kansas?
A lot has changed in the three decades since the idea of building an aqueduct from the Missouri River to western Kansas was first studied and shelved. For one thing, the water shortages that were mere projections then are now imminent. That reality has prompted state officials to dust off the study and re-examine the aqueduct idea.
Western Kansas is heavily dependent on the Ogallala Aquifer. But since 1950, that ancient supply of underground water has been rapidly depleted by irrigation. That irrigation produces corn, which is fed to livestock to support the beef and, more recently, dairy industries, which are the foundation of the western Kansas economy. But water levels have dropped so low in parts of more than 30 counties that irrigation pumps can no longer be used there. That’s why rivers in western Kansas are little more than dry stream beds.
Kansas health officials: ‘Unprecedented’ Flu Season
A top health official at the University of Kansas Hospital said the severity of this year’s flu outbreak is requiring inpatient admissions at a rate more than three times that which it generally sees during flu season.
One Key To Helping Veterans Overcome Mental Health Problems – Peer Support
The Clay Hunt SAV Act, named for a Marine who committed suicide in 2011, would create a peer support and community outreach pilot program and an interactive website to help veterans find resources in their area. It also would offer student loan repayment to psychiatrists who choose to work at the VA and require annual evaluations of suicide prevention programs within the VA and the U.S. Department of Defense to determine their effectiveness.
Wounded Veterans Return To Unprepared Medical System
A sniper’s bullet tore through U.S. Army Sgt. Jamie Jarboe’s neck while he was on patrol during a tour of duty in Afghanistan in April 2011. The bullet shattered three vertebrae, severed Jarboe’s spinal cord and caused severe bleeding. It was the kind of wound that almost certainly would have been fatal in previous conflicts….
Who likes lists? We do.
It’s that time of year, when nearly every news outlet and publication comes up with some sort of list to try and make sense of the previous twelve months. Here at Flatland, we are no different. We’ve compiled some of the top stories from the Kansas City Metro Area using Flipboard, a simple application that…
Changes in store for KC Regional Health Care Initiative
During the past eight years, the philanthropic community has spent about $8 million on a wide-ranging program aimed at improving health services for low-income individuals in the Kansas City area.
The REACH Healthcare Foundation and the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City (HCF) have provided nearly three quarters of the total funding. But now, the collaboration and the various efforts it has spawned are taking on a more targeted approach heading into 2015.
KC area named ‘Climate Action Champion’
Earlier this month, the Kansas City region was named one of 16 Climate Action Champions by the White House and the U.S. Department of Energy. This year’s class of award recipients also includes Boston, Knoxville, Seattle and others.
Kansas City area named as ‘Climate Action Champion’
Earlier this month, the Kansas City region was named one of 16 Climate Action Champions by the White House and the U.S. Department of Energy. This year’s class of award recipients also includes Boston, Knoxville, Seattle and others.