State Seizes Mexican Restaurants for Unpaid Taxes
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas Department of Revenue has seized a chain of Mexican restaurants for failing to pay taxes. KSNW reports the state seized the assets of San Juan Mexican Restaurant Inc., a chain with locations in Colby, Larned, Phillipsburg, Plainville, Russell, and Scott City. Also seized were the assets and personal property of six people. The Revenue Department says the business owes the state more than $300,000 in unpaid sales and liquor taxes. The seized assets will be auctioned off to pay the back taxes.
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Lawrence Schools Could Lose $468,000 in Federal Grants
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Lawrence public schools stand to lose $468,000 in federal funding after the Trump administration froze money already allocated to the district. Earlier this month, the administration notified states it was freezing more than $6 billion in federal education grants. The announcement came one day before the money was expected to be distributed. The Lawrence Journal World reports most of the money earmarked for the Lawrence school district was for grants that support recruitment, training, and retention of staff. Altogether, schools in Kansas are losing about $17 million in aid.
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Kansas to Earn Millions in Opioid Settlement
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas is set to receive millions of dollars through a nationwide legal settlement related to the opioid epidemic. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach says the settlement means the state will earn a total of $5.7 million from eight drug companies that manufacture opioids. Kansas data shows opioid overdoses have skyrocketed since 2016. More than two-thirds of all overdose deaths in 2022 were caused by opioids like fentanyl. But the total number of deaths from overdoses has fallen since 2023.
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Federal Child Tax Credit Won't Extend to Immigrant Families, but Other Credits Might Be Helpful on Child Care Expenses
UNDATED (KNS) – Advocates for families say parents of thousands of Kansas children will soon miss out on a federal child tax credit. The Kansas News Service reports that the Trump administration’s "One Big Beautiful Bill" blocks immigrant families from the tax refund. Federal Republican lawmakers boosted the child tax credit for a maximum total refund of $2,200. The change mostly benefits higher income families who can earn the total credit. But it also removes some immigrant families from eligibility. Nathan Kessler of Kansas Action for Children says that means immigrant parents of 25,000 Kansas children, even if the children are U.S. citizens, are no longer eligible. “This bill is extremely costly and the benefits are heavily skewed toward the top,” he explained. Kansas Action for Children says more than 170,000 of the state’s children are already ineligible because their parents do not earn enough money.
However, Kansas advocates for children say they are cautiously optimistic about other expanded tax credits for parents. Federal Republican lawmakers boosted the child care tax credit to allow low-income parents to claim up to 50% of their child care costs to lower their annual taxes. Previously they could only claim 35%. Emily Barnes of Kansas Action for Children says lower-income households could see up to $900 in tax savings next year. “This change does not make child care more affordable, but it does allow parents to recoup a small amount more toward their expenses,” she said. However, the group says the bill also cuts funding for Medicaid and food assistance programs. That will increase the cost of living for low-income families.
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KCK Latino-Owned Businesses Struggling
Kansas City, Kan. (KCUR) — Latino-owned businesses in Kansas City, Kansas, are facing an economic downturn since President Donald Trump took office. Edgar Galicia of the Central Avenue Betterment Association says sales in the traditionally Latino neighborhood have dropped about 36%. He told KCUR fear over deportations and immigration enforcement has caused people to stay home. “People were afraid to come out,” Galicia said. “People were afraid to be singled out and or just looking brown.” Galicia said his organization is making sure Latinos and immigrants know their rights if they’re approached by immigration officers.
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Wichita School Board Approves Contract Extension for District Superintendent
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – The Wichita school board has extended its contract with Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld. It includes a new agreement about intellectual property. The Kansas News Service reports that Bielefeld’s total compensation under the new contract is about $385,000 a year. That puts him among the highest-paid superintendents in the state. The contract includes new longevity bonuses and a boost to what the district contributes to Bielefeld's retirement. It also features a new agreement that the concept for a K-6 microschool launched last fall is Bielefeld's intellectual property. School board president Diane Albert says the contract is fair and appropriate. "We want to reward good quality staff members that are improving student achievement in a real measurable way," she explained. Bielefeld is starting his third year leading the state's largest school district.
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Challenges Await Panasonic Plant Following Grand Opening
UNDATED (KNS) — Panasonic’s massive factory in De Soto, Kansas, just started making batteries to be used in electric vehicles. The Kansas News Service reports that the factory could face immediate challenges. Tesla sales are down. Auto tariffs are in flux. And as part of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill, electric vehicle tax credits will end in September. Allan Swan is president of Panasonic Energy of North America. He says there’s reason for optimism in the long term, adding that “...we're in a brand new industry. So that industry's going to ebb and flow a little bit as she grows, and she will grow.” Panasonic aims to reach full production capacity at the plant by the end of 2026.
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Kansas Sends Swift-Water Rescue Teams to Texas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Two swift-water rescue teams from Kansas are in Texas to assist in recovery efforts after the catastrophic flooding there. Kansas governor Laura Kelly says the teams left for Texas on Saturday, after a request from Texas for assistance. The teams include hard-bottom inflatable boats and personnel from the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office and various local fire departments. They will conduct search and rescue operations and provide basic life support. Under a multi-state mutual aid agreement, Kansas and other states assisting Texas will be reimbursed for the costs of the deployment.
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Popular Sunflower Summer Program Returns—with Some Changes
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — The Sunflower Summer program has started across Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that decreased state funding means the popular program will run for only three weeks this year. Last year's program ran from May 25 to August 11. Sunflower Summer lets children from preschool through 12th grade visit museums, zoos and other attractions for free. It runs through August 3rd. Decreased funding from Kansas lawmakers means free tickets will be limited to one adult per student, rather than two adults as in past years. Tickets can be claimed through the free Sunflower Summer app and later redeemed at participating venues. More information is available at SunflowerSummer.org.
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Entry in Liberal Independence Day Parade Sparks Concern, Criticism
UNDATED (KNS) — Advocates say Kansas Latino politicians are facing an uptick in racism. A Fourth of July parade in Liberal, Kansas, included a truck with signs that said “vote Republican” and called on Mayor Jose Lara and Commissioner Janeth Vasquez to resign. They are Liberal’s only Latino politicians. Esmeralda Tovar-Mora is with the Kansas Immigration Coalition. She says the sign was racist and other Latino leaders across the state are experiencing similar discrimination. “They’re veiled in this sort of performative patriotism now and free speech, but they’re rooted in racism and white supremacy,” she added. An official with the Seward County Republican Party says the group was not responsible for the float and was “disgusted” by it.
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Report: Hotter Summers Expected for Kansas, Missouri
UNDATED (KNS) — Global warming means that, by 2060, summers in Kansas City will likely feel like summers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, feel today, and residents of Topeka and Wichita will feel like they live in Texas. That’s according to Climate Central, a nonprofit focused on explaining climate change. Joe Wheelock of the Heartland Tree Alliance says some neighborhoods urgently need trees to handle the increasing heat. “They’re kind of like nature's air conditioners,” Wheelock says. “So by their natural processes they give off water vapor, which, when it evaporates, cools the surrounding areas.” The Heartland Tree Alliance is helping add thousands of trees to historically marginalized neighborhoods in Kansas City, Missouri, over the next five years.
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Union Pacific Details Plans for Wichita Groundwater Cleanup
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) — Union Pacific hosted an open house in Wichita over the weekend to update residents on cleanup plans for a contaminated railyard near 29th and Grove. KMUW reports that Union Pacific completed four rounds of indoor air sampling at properties within the zone. Results indicated levels well below the state’s risk-based standards. Experts at the open house shared poster diagrams of the affected zone, the indoor air sampling process, and the location of future groundwater treatment systems. Inafay Grays-McClellan lived in the contaminated area for 27 years. She says information at the open house was not shared effectively. “They just put these little graphs out and everything and this and that, that, that you know that's not telling you nothing,” she noted. Union Pacific plans to install four new groundwater treatment systems as part of the next phase of cleanup. The company currently has one groundwater treatment system at Murdock Avenue that treats 5 million gallons a month.
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Iconic Pig Statue Stolen from Topeka Restaurant
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — A Topeka barbecue restaurant is asking for the public's help after its iconic pig statue was stolen. The large wooden statue sat in front of Lonnie Q’s BBQ, which is scheduled to reopen as Deano’s at Deer Creek later this year. KSNT reports the heavy statue was taken by two people in a pickup truck late Sunday night. The statue, nicknamed “Hamhock,” was bolted to the ground floor prior to the theft but had recently been moved so it could be touched up. Anyone with information about the missing wooden pig is asked to contact Shawnee County Crime Stoppers.
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4 Royals Players Set for 2025 MLB All-Star Game
UNDATED (KPR) – Major League Baseball’s All-Star game takes place Tuesday night in Atlanta with four Kansas City Royals on the American League team. None of the four are starters, but all will be available from the bench to be rotated into the game. Two of the four will have their first All-Star game experience.
Third baseman Maikel Garcia and pitcher Kris Bubic are the first-timers. Bubic returned to the Kansas City Royals starting rotation this year after bouncing back last year from Tommy John surgery. Bubic says he’s not taking his All-Star selection for granted, adding that "...you never know when a situation like this could ever happen again or if it will ever happen again, so you just try to cherish it with your family and friends as much as you can." Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. started in last year’s All-Star game. Closer Carlos Estevez was previously an All-Star for the Los Angeles Angels and is in his first season with the Royals.
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