Kansas to USDA on Food Benefit Recipients’ Data: The Answer Is Still No
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Department for Children and Families on Monday reiterated its opposition to giving the federal government the Social Security numbers of people who receive food assistance in the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is demanding states supply that information, along with other sensitive data, including recipients’ birthdates and addresses.
In a statement, Kansas DCF secretary Laura Howard said USDA’s request is for the purpose of creating a federal database of information that may be disclosed to third parties. Howard said it’s unclear whether those third parties are legally allowed to access the information. The secretary also pointed out that it would cost the state as much $100,000 to comply with the USDA directive. The USDA has threatened to withhold funding from the state unless it complies.
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Several Democrats Seek to Challenge Incumbent Roger Marshall in 2026 U.S. Senate Race
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas Democrats are lining up to challenge Republican Roger Marshall for his seat in the U.S. Senate in 2026. The Kansas News Service reports that most recent to file was Cottonwood Falls resident Christy Davis, a former official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She joined Anne Parelkar, a former immigration attorney; and Michael Soetaert, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate, in the pool of Democrats seeking to replace Marshall. While in office, Marshall has closely aligned himself with President Donald Trump, who won Kansas easily in 2024. Records show his campaign has $2.7 million in the bank, though information for the other candidates is not available yet.
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Lawrence Weighs Raising Hotel Tax
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) — The price of a hotel stay in Lawrence could be going up. City commissioners will consider raising the hotel tax to capitalize on the influx of visitors expected when Kansas City hosts World Cup matches next summer. The Lawrence Times reports the commission will consider raising the hotel tax, officially known as a transient guest tax, from 6% to 8%. The city says the tax hike could bring in nearly a million dollars in added revenue next year. If approved, the new rate would take effect January 1.
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Down Side of Record Kansas Corn Crop: Lower Prices
UNDATED (KSNT) — Kansas farmers are expecting a record corn crop this year. That’s the good news. The bad news. That record crop could lead to record low prices. KSNT reports the price of corn is currently at a five-year low, selling for an average of $4.49 per bushel. That’s down almost 50% from three years ago. Of course, this year’s record yield could drive prices even lower. Kansas is the nation’s sixth leading corn producer.
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Wyandotte County DA Confirms Suicide of Disgraced KCK Detective
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) — When disgraced Kansas City, Kansas Police Detective Roger Golubski died by suicide on the day his federal trial was to start, many of his victims didn’t believe it. But KCUR reports that Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said Tuesday that he was at Golubski’s home on December second of last year and Golubski died by his own hand. “I was there, I saw it, and the evidence was clear, and there is no doubt, and should be no doubt in anyone's mind,” Dupree said. Golubski’s death was ruled a suicide by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. He was set to start his federal trial on charges that he violated the civil rights of several women through rape and kidnapping. (Read more.)
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Police: Woman Kidnapped at Oklahoma Casino, Sexually Assaulted by 2 Kansas Men
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (KSNW) – Authorities in southern Kansas are investigating after a woman said she was kidnapped from a casino in Oklahoma and sexually assaulted by two men. The Arkansas City Police Department responded early Sunday morning to a reported kidnapping. Officers discovered an SUV with a woman and two men inside. The woman told police she had been taken against her will from the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma, and that both had sexually assaulted her. The two Ark City men, ages 35 and 24, were arrested and taken to the Cowley County Jail.
KSNW TV reports that both men are facing several charges including kidnapping and rape. One of the men is also subject to an immigration detainer from the Department of Homeland Security. The woman was treated at the scene and then taken to a local hospital.
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Kansas City Man, Woman Arrested for Murder in 3-Year-Old’s Fentanyl-Related Death
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCTV) - Officials have arrested two Kansas City area people in connection with a toddler who died of acute fentanyl toxicity earlier this year. On Friday, the Leavenworth Police Department arrested 40-year-old Tara Huerta. Days later, the Kansas City Police Department arrested 34-year-old Kenneth Hedgecock in Clay County, Missouri.
KCTV reports that their arrests come months after a 3-year-old was found unresponsive in a Leavenworth apartment. In late March, paramedics brought the child to a nearby hospital, but the child did not survive. An autopsy report later revealed the toddler died of acute fentanyl toxicity. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation further confirmed that methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl were all present in the apartment.
The Leavenworth County Prosecutor’s Office has now charged the woman with first-degree murder and various drug crimes. She's booked in the Leavenworth County Jail. Hedgecock was arrested and booked into jail in Clay County, Missouri. He's also facing murder and drug charges.
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Kansas Reaches 40 Days Measles-Free, Nears End of Outbreak
UNDATED (KPR) — As of Monday, Kansas had gone 40 days without a new case of measles being reported. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says the last measles case was recorded on July 6. Measles has a three-week incubation period, and two incubation periods — 42 days — must pass without a new case for an outbreak to be considered over. So, if Kansas goes two more days without a reported case, then the outbreak will be declared ended. So far in 2025, there have been 90 reported cases of measles in 12 Kansas counties.
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KCK Priest Suspended Following Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior
UNDATED (KCUR) — Another priest in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has been suspended following allegations of inappropriate behavior. KCUR reports that this is the fourth priest to be suspended under the new archbishop. The archdiocese said in a statement that it has suspended Father Jerry Arano-Ponce, pastor of the Queen of the Holy Rosary-Wea in Bucyrus, in Miami County. The statement said Arano-Ponce is under investigation by the Miami County Sheriff’s office and the archdiocese is cooperating fully. According to the archdiocesan newspaper, Arano-Ponce is a Mexican native and once worked at St. Agnes Parish in Roeland Park, as well as Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Topeka.
Archbishop Shawn McKnight was appointed in April. Since then, four priests have been suspended or have had additional allegations made against them.
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ACLU Study: Inmates Who Can't Afford Cash Bail Could Stay in Jail for Months
UNDATED (KNS) — A study shows inmates in Sedgwick County who cannot afford to pay cash bail can end up in jail for months. The Kansas News Service reports that the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas is calling for releasing inmates facing nonviolent charges without charging them money. The study by the ACLU of Kansas found a majority of the Wichita-area inmates were booked for nonviolent crimes and the bail policy unfairly affects low-income people who cannot afford release. ACLU of Kansas executive director Micah Kubic says those inmates are being punished before they are convicted of any crimes. That’s because staying in jail means they may lose jobs or leave their children without supervision. “That harms all of us. It doesn’t improve outcomes and it makes communities weaker,” Kubic said. The study calls for using no-money bail for nonviolent crimes, so low-income people are released at no financial cost while waiting for court proceedings.
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Two Kansas Banks Complete Merger
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) — Two banks in Topeka have completed their merger. Heritage Bank officially acquired Fidelity State Bank, creating a single bank with about $300 million in assets. The merger was announced last year but only became official on Monday. WIBW-TV reports the three branch locations the two banks have in Topeka will remain open. All the branches will now be branded as Heritage Banks.
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Report Issued on Publicly-Funded Anti-Abortion Program
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — A taxpayer-funded anti-abortion program served nearly 4,000 clients in the last fiscal year. That’s according to a new report by one of the program’s contractors. The Kansas Pregnancy Compassion Awareness Program received $2 million in public funding in that same period. The Kansas Legislature approved the funding to “promote childbirth instead of abortion to women facing unplanned pregnancies.” The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the money is overseen by the Kansas State Treasurer's Office. The Kansas Pregnancy Compassion Awareness Program was created by lawmakers in 2023. It was originally known as the Alternatives to Abortion Program.
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K-State Scientists Turn to AI for Prairie Preservation Solutions
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KNS) — Artificial intelligence is helping Kansas State University scientists study the health of prairies. K-State scientists are using aerial imagery that the USDA and the National Science Foundation collect by plane. They feed the data into a computer model and train it to identify problematic plants, like eastern red cedars and shrubs. The Kansas News Service reports the model can now correctly identify this vegetation 97% of the time. The team hopes to map the spread of shrubs and trees across the Flint Hills, where woody plants hurt the wildlife and make ranching harder. The tool could help guide efforts to control trees and shrubs.
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Saving Kansas History Museum's Civil War Flags Is Costly
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Dozens of rare and historic Civil War battle flags stored at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka are falling apart and in desperate need of restoration. But as KPR’s Matthew Algeo reports, repairing just a single flag can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
(The Kansas Museum of History is accepting donations to help pay for preserving the flags. To donate, click here.)
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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).