September 20 2024

1 Kansas State Troopers Urge Drivers to Slow Down for Fall Harvest Traffic

2 Aetna Files Lawsuits Against Kansas After Being Ousted from $4B Medicaid Program

3 Wichita Drought Worsens as Cheney Reservoir Drops Below 59% Capacity

4 Boeing Strike Continues, 33,000 Machinists Hold Out in Labor Dispute

5 Former Cowboys QB Tony Romo Competes in Newton Golf Tournament

Sports

1. Kansas State Troopers Urge Drivers to Slow Down for Fall Harvest Traffic

Kansas state troopers are cautioning drivers to slow down and be aware of their surroundings as farmers collect their fall harvest. April McCollum with the Kansas Highway Patrol issued a press release on Friday, Sept. 20, regarding the ongoing fall harvest efforts. Drivers may find themselves sharing the road with large farm equipment and machinery, such as trucks, tractors and combines. “As the busy farming season is underway, each traveler in Kansas needs to be more aware of increased farm implement and truck traffic,” said KHP Capt. Candice Breshears. “In Kansas, we have many trucks exiting and entering the roadways at any given time. Traveling around these vehicles requires extra caution.”
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2. Aetna Files Lawsuits Against Kansas After Being Ousted from $4B Medicaid Program

Before Kansas officials revealed they had ousted Aetna Better Health as one of the providers for the state’s $4 billion Medicaid program, they destroyed documents that Aetna believes would have helped the company appeal the decision. Aetna filed two lawsuits against the state that now await decisions ahead of an Oct. 2 deadline, by which the company must notify its beneficiaries that it will no longer provide coverage. Aetna’s attorney, Marc Kessler, encouraged Shawnee County District Judge Thomas Luedke at a hearing Tuesday to take his time in making a decision on the case, while the state’s attorney, Anthony Rupp, urged expeditious action. Aetna is interested in remaining a Medicaid insurance provider in Kansas while the lawsuits are hashed out, which another provider’s attorney said would be “inviting chaos.” The state announced in May that it selected three private companies other than Aetna to provide coverage under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas, beginning in January. Aetna had tied for third with Healthy Blue, which led to Aetna filing two lawsuits in Shawnee County District Court. One, filed in July against three state departments, challenges the decision by Todd Herman, director of procurement and contracts in the Department of Administration, that denied Aetna’s appeal. The other, filed before the appeal was denied in June, challenges the same three departments and the governor’s office for records initially withheld from Aetna. The state admits some of the documents the company requested were destroyed in March, which was before the decisions were announced and before Aetna submitted a request under the Kansas Open Records Act, according to court documents.

3. Wichita Drought Worsens as Cheney Reservoir Drops Below 59% Capacity

After officially moving Wichita into stage 2 of its drought response, Wichita has continued to see a decline in levels at Cheney Reservoir, which now sits less than 59% full overall and less than 67% of the 12-month average of the conservation pool, according to a media release from the city. Stage 3 of the drought response will be discussed should water levels within Cheney’s conservation pool reach a 12-month average of below 50%. In stage 3 of the drought response plan, all outdoor watering for non-exempt customers is prohibited. This would include lawn and non-vegetable garden watering, private pool use and more.
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4. Boeing Strike Continues, 33,000 Machinists Hold Out in Labor Dispute

A labor strike at Boeing showed no signs of ending Friday, as the walkout by 33,000 union machinists entered its eighth day and the company started rolling furloughs of nonunion employees to conserve cash. Federal mediators joined talks between Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers this week, but company and union officials reported that little progress was made during the first two sessions.
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5. Former Cowboys QB Tony Romo Competes in Newton Golf Tournament

After being on the broadcast for the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Tony Romo is hitting the fairways in Newton. Romo is playing in the PGA Tour’s Q-School Prequalifier at Sand Creek Station. Romo finished the second round seven over, tied for 68th place. He said his goal in round three is the course record.
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Sports

This weekend, Kansas sports teams are in action across multiple leagues. The Kansas City Royals start their series against the San Francisco Giants as they look to end the season strong. In college football, Kansas Jayhawks face West Virginia, while Kansas State Wildcats take on BYU in a key matchup. In the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs meet the Atlanta Falcons, aiming for another victory. Meanwhile, Sporting KC faces Minnesota in MLS play, battling to secure a spot in the postseason.