Four lakes under public health warning due to blue-green algae

Four lakes under public health warning due to blue-green algae

Public health warnings have expanded for more lakes due to harmful algae blooms, just a week after the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued warnings for three lakes. Some of the lakes in last week's notice are no longer under a warning, while several new ones have been included for both warnings and watches.

If a lake is under a public health warning for blue-green algae, boating and fishing may still be safe, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. However, direct contact with water through activities like wading or swimming is strongly discouraged for people, pets and livestock. The lakes currently under a watch or warning status are:

Warning

Marion County Lake, Marion County

Marion Reservoir, Marion County

Milford Reservoir (Zone B), Geary, Dickinson and Clay counties

Webster Lake, Rooks County

Watch

Milford Reservoir (Zone C), Geary, Dickinson and Clay counties

Overbrook City Lake, Osage County

Sam's Pond, Syracuse, Hamilton County

South Lake, Johnson County

Harmful algae blooms can produce toxins that poison humans, fish, seabirds, livestock, wildlife and household pets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not all algae blooms are harmful.

Marinas, lakeside businesses and park camping facilities remain open for business. Signs will be posted if swim beaches are closed. Drinking water and showers at parks are safe.

Blooms can develop rapidly and float around the lake. If there is scum, a paint-like surface or the water is bright green, people should avoid contact and keep pets away.

Report: Failure to yield caused Kansas train collision

READING - Kansas highway officials say a collision between an Amtrak train and a semitrailer pulling cattle occurred due to the driver's failure to yield to the train.

A report from the Kansas Highway Patrol says the train wasn't able to stop when the driver didn't yield at a railroad crossing near Reading on Thursday.

The Emporia Gazette reports the accident sent the train's engineer, 35-year-old Jarrod McWhirter, to a local hospital with minor injuries. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari says none of the more than 210 train passengers were hurt.

The livestock trailer was split in half by the collision, killing some cattle and injuring others.

Magliari says the train was able to continue eastward after a four-hour delay once a replacement crew arrived and the damaged lead locomotive was removed.

Man convicted of rape faces child exploitation charge

HOLTON - A Kansas man already convicted of raping two women and acquitted of sexually assaulting a teen won't face additional rape charges, but will stand trial in relation to explicit images of an underage girl that authorities found via his Facebook profile.

Jacob Ewing will face trial for attempted rape and 10 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports District Judge Norbert Marek ruled Thursday that a jury should decide if Ewing knowingly viewed the sexually explicit images of a 17-year-old girl.

In the ruling in Jackson County, Kansas, Marek dismissed additional rape charges at the request of special prosecutor Jacqie Spradling.

Marek denied a request by defense attorney Kathleen Ambrosio to have Ewing retried to try to overturn his convictions in June.

- Wire reports