Latest Kansas Headlines

All the headlines from our Kansas Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Ratings of Members of Kansas Medical Mutual Group Downgraded

Oct 21 2019 // AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to B++ (Good) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) to “bbb+” from “a-” of Kansas Medical Mutual...

Two Midwest School Districts Join Lawsuit Wave Against Juul Over Vaping

Oct 8 2019 // Two public school districts on Monday sued Juul Labs Inc, accusing the company of endangering their students and draining their resources by marketing its addictive e-cigarettes to teenagers. The St. Charles, Missouri, and...

11 Earthquakes Recently Recorded in Kansas’ Jewell County

Oct 2 2019 // The Kansas Geological Survey reports 11 earthquakes were recorded in a northern Kansas county last weekend. The agency’s data shows the cluster of quakes struck north and east of Randall in Jewell County Saturday and...

Medical Malpractice Insurer Ordered into Rehabilitation in Kansas

Sep 16 2019 // A medical professional liability insurance provider serving nearly 500 medical professionals in Missouri and Kansas has been placed into rehabilitation after the Kansas Insurance Department (KID) found the company’s...

Federal Lawsuit Accuses KU Medical Center of Age Discrimination, Retaliation

Sep 10 2019 // A federal lawsuit filed Sept. 6 accuses the University of Kansas Medical Center of discharging an employee who reported age discrimination practices by a department head. The lawsuit against the Kansas City, Kansas-based...

Midwest Economic Survey Suggests Little or No Growth on Horizon

Sep 4 2019 // An August survey of business supply managers suggested slow or no economic growth over the next several months in nine Midwest and Plains states, in part because of trade skirmishes, according to a newly released...

Kansas Takes Control of Medical Malpractice Insurer

Sep 3 2019 // The Kansas insurance commissioner will take supervisory control of a company that provides malpractice insurance to nearly 500 medical professionals in Missouri and Kansas. A Shawnee County judge last week placed...

20 Semis Blown Over by High Winds in Western Kansas

Aug 15 2019 // Strong winds and heavy rain blew over semi-trailer trucks and downed power lines and caused damage across parts of western Kansas. Ellis County and Hays city officials said in social media posts that Tuesday’s storms...

Missouri Man Gets Prison Sentence for Stolen SUV Scheme, Must Repay $213K

Aug 9 2019 // A 38-year-old Kansas City man was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison without parole for participating in a conspiracy to steal sport utility vehicles and pickups from other states and taking them to Kansas...

State Farm Lowering Home Insurance Rates in Kansas

Aug 7 2019 // State Farm said it is reducing its Kansas homeowners insurance rates by an average of 2.2 percent. The total statewide expected savings impact for State Farm customers by this rate decrease is approximately $5.1...

Business Moves

Aug 5 2019 // East The Hilb Group, 360 Corporate Benefit Advisors The Hilb Group LLC has acquired New England-based 360 Corporate Benefit Advisors. The transaction became effective May 1, 2019. With offices in Fairfield, Conn., and...

Missouri Man Hurt When Big Rig Backs Up on I-35 Awarded $2M in Lawsuit

Jul 25 2019 // Jurors have awarded more than $2 million to a Missouri man who was injured when a driver threw a tractor-trailer in reverse on Interstate 35 in Kansas. The Kansas City Star reports that Michael Whitt, of the Kansas City...

Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires DPI Benefits in Kansas

Jul 19 2019 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Manhattan, Kansas-based Darrell Phillips Inc., dba DPI Benefits. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Operating since 2008, DPI Benefits is an independent benefits broker...

Virtus Acquires Cobbs Allen’s Kansas City Employee Benefits Unit

Jul 15 2019 // Insurance brokerage, Virtus, has acquired Cobbs Allen’s Kansas City employee benefits practice. This acquisition supplements Virtus’ Kansas City presence and adds depth and expertise to its employee benefits...

Landscape Changed for Kansas Medical Malpractice Suits with Court Ruling

Jul 12 2019 // Brenda Lundeen went in for routine surgery to relieve heavy periods. What the Overland Park mom and grade schoolteacher got was a nightmare, as a medical mistake caused 194-degree water to pour through a hole in her uterus...

Kansas Benefits Most From Federal Disaster Grants, Study Finds

Jul 10 2019 // A study has found that Kansas saves more money, on average, than any other state that uses federal grants to mitigate natural disasters. The Pew Charitable Trusts recently released its data analysis showing that for every...

Under New Law, Kansas Drivers Can Refuse Field Sobriety Tests

Jul 3 2019 // Kansas drivers can no longer be charged with a crime for refusing a field sobriety test under a new state law. The Wichita Eagle reported that a change in state law that took effect on July 1 means police can’t...

Credit Rating of Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange in Kansas Upgraded

Jun 25 2019 // AM Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) of Federated Rural Electric Insurance...

Chicago Staffing Firm to Pay $50K to Settle Sex Harassment Lawsuit

Jun 19 2019 // Chicago-based Staff Management | SMX (SMX), which provides temporary employees to the light-industrial sector worldwide, will pay $50,000 to a female former employee and furnish other relief to settle a sexual harassment...

Kansas Supreme Court Throws Out Personal Injury Damages Cap

Jun 17 2019 // The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the state’s cap on damages for noneconomic injuries in personal injury lawsuits is unconstitutional. The court ruled 4-2 that capping damages an injured person is able to...