Kansas

GuideWell signs agreement with Leawood health organization, to acquire all interests from Blue KC

GuideWell, the parent company of Florida Blue, signed an agreement Nov. 2 to become a majority shareholder in New Directions Behavioral Health, a managed mental health organization based in Leawood, Kan. Under the transaction, GuideWell will acquire all interests from Blue Cross… more

Overland Park-based YRC plans rebranding, name change

YRC Worldwide Inc. narrowed its losses during the third quarter, announced plans to change its name to Yellow and expanded its board of directors. The Overland Park, Kan., motor carrier said its Q3 net loss fell 87.5% to $2 million… more

Coping with COVID: Seven-day average for new daily infections reaches record high in U.S.

Driven by last Friday’s record surge in new COVID-19 cases nationwide—topping 100,000 for the first time—the rolling seven-day average for new daily infections in the U.S. reached a pandemic high of 88,915 on Tuesday. This, according to the Web site… more

U.S. government finalizes long-term lease for Lenexa FDA lab

A 20-year lease has been finalized on a Food and Drug Administration laboratory in Lenexa, Kan. General Services Administration finalized the lease with Easterly Government Properties Inc. for the new 59,690-square-foot U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laboratory building. The… more

Pending homes sales index falls, though purchasing activity and buyer demand remain up

The National Association of Realtors Pending Home Sales Index revealed a 2.2 percent decline from August to September. The index is an indicator for existing home sales and displays a seasonally adjusted measure of the number of homes that went… more

Surge in younger voters and early voting this year

The 2020 election season has seen a boost in voters across all age ranges, most notably in younger voters. Attributed largely to the lingering effects of COVID-19, the U.S. has also seen a surge in early voting, estimates showing around… more

Gating criteria changes for Johnson County schools

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment has changed its gating criteria recommendation for schools from “Orange” to “Red.” The change came Tuesday after the county reported 2,260 new cases in the last 14 days and 15,430 cases overall… more

October Mid-America Index expands to highest level in 16 years

October survey highlights include: The regional Business Conditions Index expanded to its highest level in 16 years. Almost 78.6% of supply managers reported shortages of qualified workers to fill open positions at their firms in October. Very strong export and… more

Parent company of Oak Park Mall files for bankruptcy

Two owners of a combined 130 or so malls across the US have filed for bankruptcy, including CBL Properties, owner of Oak Park Mall located in the Kansas City metro. CBL Properties and PREIT filed for Chapter 11 on Sunday… more

Coping with COVID: Online dashboard launches to show how COVID-19 funds are spent in Kansas

The launch of a new online investment dashboard now allows individuals to look at how COVID-19 funds are being spent in the state. Just over $1 billion in federal CARES Act investments were approved by the Governor’s SPARK taskforce and… more