In Kansas News
Kansas saw a significant increase of people who had access to health insurance in recent years. But that could be at risk with proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act.A study by the Commonwealth Fund, a private organization focusing on health disparities, shows the number of Kansas adults without health insurance dropped from 17.5% to 11.9% between 2013 and 2023. Researcher David Radley says more people had access to health insurance because of expansions to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid.
“Not only did these provisions help more people get coverage, fewer people skipped getting care that they needed because of its cost.”
Federal lawmakers are currently considering steep funding cuts and eligibility changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Budget officials estimate at least 11 million Americans could lose health coverage over the next decade.
And in Missouri News
Crowder College is building their second Joplin campus in the Victory Ministry and Sports Complex off Highway 49. It will expand education options for specialized healthcare, skilled welding, and manufacturing jobs. Crowder’s Director of Career and Technical Services for Joplin’s Campus, Melissa Smith, said the new location will expand the area’s career demands.
"We are uniquely presented or positioned at this location to be able to meet the debate, meet the demands of workforce, but also with our amazing faculty and staff and our advisors and our staff, to be able to support staff"
Construction started in August 2024, costing roughly twenty million dollars to renovate. The building is set to open for the Spring 2026 semester in January.
Southern Missouri is drought-free for the first time in eight months. New data from the U.S. Drought Monitor reveals that the region received more than 20 inches of rain from March to May. Lindsay Johnson with the National Drought Mitigation Center says this precipitation is well above normal.
"That three-month period of March to May, much of southern Missouri was it's in the top third wettest in 131 years."
While the region is finally recovering from a long-standing drought, heavy rainfall and tornadoes caused severe damage and power outages in areas of Springfield, West Plains, and Van Buren in late April and early May.