Author: KMAN Staff

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas says it is changing a policy that denied sex reassignment surgery to customers who did not legally change their names. The change announced Thursday comes after advocacy from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. They said Charley Osman, a transgender man, sought pre-authorization for two surgeries in June but was denied because he had not changed his name from the one he was given at birth. The advocacy groups argued the name change policy was discriminatory and had nothing to do with medical necessity.

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Authorities in south-central Kansas say the pilot of an ultralight plane that crashed near Hutchinson walked away from the wreckage with no serious injuries. Officials say the crash happened just before 5 p.m. Thursday southwest of Hutchinson in Reno County along West Morgan Avenue. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a 40-year-old man flying the aircraft was trying to land on the road when he hit power lines. The crash cut power lines, but officials say the pilot suffered only minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene.

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The registration period for upcoming certification training for the Riley County Protective Home Program has opened. The program, administered by Riley County Community Corrections, provides temporary placement of children in Police Protective Care as a result of abuse and/or neglect. Protective Homes, on very short notice, take in and care for children for up to 72 hours. Interested volunteers must complete a certification process that includes eight hours of training, a background check and a home inspection. The county currently has 16 homes providing care, with 3 to 4 consistently available to respond. Corrections officials ideally would like to have…

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The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police. Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MANHATTAN, KAN. –  Officers filed a report for theft and criminal damage to property in the 1000 block of McCollum St. in Manhattan on December 9, 2021, around 8:29 p.m. Officers listed a 21-year-old male as the…

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The Manhattan Housing Authority is working with National Church Residences on plans for a demolition and rebuild of a five-story mid-rise public housing building in Downtown Manhattan. Carlson Plaza, located at 425 Pierre Street, is an MHA property constructed in 1975 containing 47 units — the majority of which are one-bedroom apartments. MHA Executive Director Aaron Estabrook says the 46-year-old building has experienced significant deterioration over its lifespan, and about half of its residents had to be relocated upon the realization of mold and asbestos issues following inspections once COVID-19 restrictions lightened. “We had the people relocated to other public…

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An appeal by the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan to demolish a home in the Pierre-Houston Street Historical District for green space has failed. City Commissioners Tuesday unanimously voted to uphold the Historic Resources Board’s rejection of the project. The hearing was tabled at a mid-November meeting in which commissioners delayed their ruling while seeking additional info on renovation costs and the habitability of the Wurst Home, located at 212 South 5th Street. “If we were the Historic Resources Board I would’ve easily said give them the application to demo it because of the big picture, but we don’t get the big…

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BLUE RAPIDS, Kan. — A civil rights group says a Kansas town has dropped all charges against a man prosecuted for flying a flag outside his home with a profanity against President Joe Biden. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas said Wednesday it got involved after the city of Blue Rapids charged David Sain in August with promoting obscenity. The ACLU says in a news release that Sain has a constitutionally protected right to free speech. Blue Rapids officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sain says he is grateful that he can express himself without…

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ST. LOUIS — A 26-year-old man charged in six deaths in Missouri and Kansas pleaded not guilty to two of the homicides. Perez Reed appeared via video Wednesday to face charges that he killed 49-year-old Pamela Abercrombie on Sept. 16 and 24-year-old Carey Ross on Sept. 19 in St. Louis. He is also charged with killing two people in St. Louis County and two others in Kansas City, Kansas. Reed’s public defender, Brian Horneyer, entered the not guilty pleas for Reed. He said Reed, of of Bellefontaine Neighbors, has an extensive mental health history. Reed was arrested in November while…

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ATCHISON, Kan. — The Kansas Highway Patrol says two people were killed and two children injured in a head-on crash near Atchison. Television station KAKE reports that the crash happened around 9:20 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. Highway 73 just west of Atchison when a southbound car crossed the center line and hit a northbound car head on. The crash killed the driver of the northbound car, identified as 26-year-old Felicia Paxton of Atchison, as well as a passenger, 33-year-old Jovonnie Franklin, also of Atchison. Two boys in that car, ages 6 and 7, were injured and taken to a hospital.…

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