ELLIS COUNTY—Recent economic data from the Docking Institute of Public Affairs showed that Ellis County had the highest poverty rate in the region at 18%. Another 23% were classified as Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, or ALICE.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Earlier this month, one of the male African elephants, Callee, had a unique dental procedure done at the Sedgwick County Zoo. During a sparring event with Titan, the Zoo’s other male elephant, Callee broke open one of his tusks at the pulp cavity, causing bleeding that numerous visitors witnessed from the sidelines.

HAYS—A 47-year-old Overland Park man was arrested on charges of several alleged property thefts at the Hays Walmart. Hays Police Lieutenant Tim Greenwood said police first learned about Quinn Anthony McDonald in July when Walmart reported a theft.

HAYS—Big Boy No. 4104, the largest operating steam locomotive in the world, passed through Hays in front of a crowd of hundreds on Sunday morning, October 20th.

CRAWFORD COUNTY—The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Frontenac Police Department are conducting an investigation into the death of a man from Frontenac, Kansas. On Friday, October 11th, at approximately 8:20 p.m., the Frontenac Police Department received a 9-1-1- call reporting shots fired.

TOPEKA—The Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment together advise Kansans to be alert to the human health risk caused by unvaccinated animals following a second detection of rabies in a cat in the last two weeks, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The two cases were in Jewell County and Harvey County, and both involved outdoor cats, which exposed multiple humans and other cats.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Just before 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 26th, police were called to a report about a five-year-old child who accidentally shot himself in the face with a flare gun while inside a vehicle, according to police spokesmanAndrew Ford.

COWLEY COUNTY—The City of Arkansas encountered a cyber security issue early Sunday, September 22nd, involving the city water treatment facility, according to a media release from the city. Authorities were promptly notified, and precautionary measures were taken to ensure plant operations remained secure.

HAYS—It was with heavy hearts that the announcement was made on September 13th by the Sternberg Museum that their beloved Alligator Snapping Turtle, Levi, passed away. Levi came to the Sternberg in 2010 from an illegal commercial turtle farm in Arkansas.

RENO COUNTY—On Saturday night, September 7th, a trooper working the State Fair checked the speed of a Camaro on Kansas 96 in Reno County at 151 mph, according to a social media report from Trooper Chad Crittenden. A pursuit ensued, and the driver was eventually taken into custody.