Judge Won’t Lift Block on Leavenworth Immigrant Detention Center
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — A judge is keeping in place—for now—the restraining order that stops the private-prison company CoreCivic from housing immigration detainees at its vacant facility in Leavenworth. Leavenworth County district judge John Bryant said Monday he would take CoreCivic’s motion to reconsider the temporary restraining order “under advisement.” The Kansas Reflector reports the judge also ordered the city of Leavenworth and CoreCivic to finalize the wording for the restraining order.
The city says CoreCivic must go through the local development process to reopen the prison. The company disagrees and has asked the judge to reconsider the temporary restraining order. It has a contract with ICE that would pay $4.2 million per month to house immigrants in its vacant Leavenworth facility.
(–Additional reporting–)
CoreCivic Asks Judge to Reconsider Ruling on Leavenworth Facility
UNDATED (KNS) – Private prison company CoreCivic is asking a judge to reconsider his ruling that blocked the company from holding detainees at their Leavenworth facility. The Kansas News Service reports that it has been over a month since the decision. It temporarily banned CoreCivic from acting on its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold detainees in Leavenworth. The corrections company and the city of Leavenworth have yet to agree on a written version of last month’s order. CoreCivic says the city made faulty legal arguments. Meanwhile, local activists say the facility seems busier than ever. There’s a new sign out front, and the parking lot is packed. A spokesperson for CoreCivic did not answer a question about what is going on at the facility.
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After Texas Tragedy, Kansas Camps Review Safety Plans
UNDATED (KWCH-TV) — Summer camps across Kansas are reviewing their safety response plans after recent flooding killed more than two dozen campers and counselors at an all-girls camp in Texas. KWCH-TV reports officials at Camp Quaker Haven near Arkansas City are re-evaluating safety procedures. Though the camp is located well above the water, officials at the camp say staff constantly monitor the 160-acre campground, especially during severe weather.
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Kansas Extends Stadium Deadline for Kansas City Teams
UNDATED (KNS) — The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals have six more months to decide on potential new stadiums in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports state lawmakers decided Monday to extend the deadline for the teams to reach a decision on a proposed incentives package. Last year, a bipartisan group of Kansas lawmakers approved tax incentives that would cover up to 70% of the cost for a new stadium. But the deadline for that deal just passed. A small group of legislative leaders voted to give the teams more time. Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins says he does not want negotiations to go into January, when the 2026 legislative session begins. “We don’t need to be worrying about this during the session, it needs to be done. It needs to be finished,” Hawkins added. The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals say they have not yet decided where they will play once their stadium leases end in 2031.
(–Additional reporting–)
Legislator Says KC Chiefs, Royals Seriously Considering Relocation to Kansas
UNDATED (KCUR) – A Kansas legislator says the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are seriously considering moving their stadiums across the state line. KCUR reports that lawmakers decided Monday to give both teams six more months to reach deals with the state. They approved a plan last year to cover up to 70 percent of stadium costs through tax incentives. House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard says the proposal wouldn’t take money from schools or roads. Instead, sales tax revenue would help pay the costs. "We're letting the people that are going to the games, that are buying a hot dog, that are buying a drink, that are shopping at the, you know, store across the street, they are the ones paying for it," Woodard explained.
Missouri lawmakers approved an incentive package in June to cover half of the teams’ construction costs.
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KCC Allows Evergy to Recoup More than $1 Billion Spent on New Facilities
TOPEKA, Kan. (KCTV) - The Kansas Corporation Commission has approved settlement agreements involving the utility company Evergy. The KCC will allow the company to recover the cost of building three new facilities: a solar facility in Douglas County, a natural gas plant in Reno County and another gas plant in Sumner County.
The Douglas County solar facility, called Kansas Sky, is expected to cost nearly $230 million to build.
KCTV reports that the new natural gas plant in Reno County will cost more than $800 million. The gas plant in Sumner County is expected to cost almost as much.
Under the plan, Evergy will be allowed to recoup from customers the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on the new facilities. But the KCC also warned the company to pace itself when requesting rate hikes. The settlements will not immediately affect rates. No costs will be added until Evergy files a subsequent rate case. The cost of the three projects combined totals more than $1 billion.
The KCC says the three projects are in the public's interest and it expects the agreement to result in just and reasonable rates.
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Kansas Wheat Harvest Nearing Completion
UNDATED (KPR) — The Kansas wheat harvest is nearing completion. In its weekly report, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service says the harvest is 82% complete. That’s behind the 90% completion rate at the same time last year, but still ahead of the 77% average. The report says Kansas wheat farmers have been facing a challenging wheat harvest due to persistent rains on mature wheat. Still, the 2025 crop has shown stronger yields than the past three drought-stricken years.
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KCMO Planned Parenthood Clinic Resumes Abortion Services
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – A Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City can provide abortion services again. KCUR reports that the change comes after a judge’s ruling last week. Patients in Kansas City can receive surgical abortion services at the Planned Parenthood clinic near Cleaver Boulevard and Troost. Doctor Lydia Prevost says the ruling gives people in Missouri better access to reproductive care. “With most other health care services, it is just really, really nice to be able to offer care in people's communities.,” Prevost explained. The clinic is the only place in Kansas City, Missouri providing abortions, but staff say services will soon resume in Columbia. The court ruling, meanwhile, is likely to be appealed. Abortions continue to be provided at Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas, where the procedure is legal until 22 weeks of pregnancy. (Read more.)
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Kansas Man Drowns at State Park in Minnesota
LAKE COUNTY, Minn. (WTIP) — Authorities in northern Minnesota say a Kansas man accidentally drowned in a river at a state park over the 4th of July holiday weekend. The Lake County Sheriff's Office says the 25-year-old man was swimming with friends in the Baptism River when he went under the water at Illgen Falls. WTIP Radio reports that the man has been identified as Hari Kiran Gowd Senagana, from Overland Park.
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Kansas Scores Poorly on Maternal Mental Health
UNDATED (KNS) — A new report says Kansas has work to do to improve the mental health of pregnant and postpartum moms. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas scored a D rating in a 2025 report by the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, a national, non-profit think-tank. That’s a little lower than the national average, which is C-. Neighboring Missouri and Colorado scored D+ and B-. Caitlin Murphy, who collaborated on the report, says maternal mental health disorders can have a lasting impact on moms and their families. But Kansas does not require insurance companies to share maternal mental health screening data, “...so Kansas stakeholders could make an effort to require their insurers to report out these screening rates to be able to track them over time,” Murphy explained. Murphy says the state could also improve by creating a state-level maternal mental health task force.
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Animal Advocates in Kansas: Don’t Race Turtles
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas zoos and the Kansas Sierra Club want the public to think twice before catching box turtles for races held at summer fairs and festivals. The events are common in the Midwest. Often people catch ornate box turtles. Conservationists believe that species is in decline.
Dennis Dinwiddie of the Topeka Zoo says, ideally, these races should stop, but at the very least organizers should educate participants. “Make sure that people understand, keep the turtle only for a short period of time,” he said. “And when you take it back to the wild—this is the most important part—take it back exactly where you got it from.” Releasing them somewhere else puts them at risk. Ornate box turtles have home ranges where they know how to find water, food and a safe spot to survive the winter.
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Highway Patrol Gives Big Ticket After Driver Clocked at 107 MPH on Kansas Turnpike
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - Another driver in Kansas has been given an expensive speeding ticket for travelling more than 100 miles-per-hour. A state trooper recently pulled over the driver on the Kansas Turnpike in Shawnee County. KSNT reports that the motorist was allegedly driving 107 MPH in a 75 MPH zone. In addition to the speeding ticket, the driver was also cited for making an unsafe lane change. The total fine and court costs: more than $400. (Slow down, people!)
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers. Our headlines are generally published by 10 am weekdays and are updated through 7 pm. This ad-free news summary is made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on X (formerly Twitter).