Kansas Governor Laura Kelly Urges Other Governors Not to Send State National Guard Troops in DC
UNDATED (KMUW) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is asking other governors not to send members of their National Guard to Washington, D.C. Republican governors from several states have sent Guard members to the nation's capital in response to President Donald Trump's deployment of federal law enforcement there. KMUW reports that Kelly issued a statement in her role as chair of the Democratic Governors Association. The group represents the country's 23 Democratic governors. Kelly says the Guard deployment in Washington is politically motivated. She says the move wastes resources that could be needed for real emergencies in the future.
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Three of Four Kansas Catholic Bishops: Treat Migrants Humanely
UNDATED (Catholic Standard) — Amid ongoing immigration raids across the country, three of the four Catholic bishops in Kansas are urging public officials to “treat undocumented migrants humanely.” In a joint pastoral letter on immigration, the bishops say, “Unnecessary raids, mass detentions, and family separations betray the values of our nation and the Gospel.” The letter was reported in the Catholic Standard newspaper. Addressed to “the people of God in Kansas and to all people of good will,” the pastoral was signed by Archbishop Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, as well as the bishops of Wichita and Salina. The state’s fourth Catholic bishop, John Brungardt of Dodge City, did not sign the letter.
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Kansas Psychiatric Hospitals Work to Cope with Nursing Shortage
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — Psychiatric hospitals in Kansas are dealing with a critical shortage of nurses, despite the state raising salaries and offering bonuses to attract staff. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas is spending more than $60 million a year to hire contract nurses to fill vacancies at state hospitals in Larned and Osawatomie. Republican Rep. Will Carpenter chairs the Legislature’s interim health committee. He suggested moving some patients into private health care facilities to cut costs. “We’re not going to build this staff to take care of the number of people that are out there right now. We have got to shrink that population down to what we can handle,” he said. Officials say state hospitals are some of the only facilities designed to serve patients with serious mental illness, including sexually violent offenders. The state will open a new 104-bed psychiatric hospital in Wichita in 2027.
(–Additional Reporting–)
Kansas Mental Hospitals Hit Hard by Nursing Shortage
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) — The nursing shortage has hit mental health hospitals in Kansas especially hard. A special legislative committee met Wednesday in Topeka to discuss the issue. Larned State Hospital says it’s struggled to recruit more than half the 700 staff members it needs to serve 400 mental health patients. Mental health advocates say the shortage is negatively affecting care for those who need it most.
WIBW TV reports starting pay for a registered nurse at a state hospital is around $40 an hour. To fill the gaps, hospitals must hire contract nurses, who get paid $90, with about $20 going to their agency. Statewide, mental health hospitals spend about $60 million annually on contract nurses.
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Topeka Fire Department Proposes Relocating Three Stations
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — The Topeka Fire Department wants to relocate three firehouses to improve response times. KSNT reports department officials told the city council about the plan Tuesday night. Under the plan, Station One would move first, from North Topeka to Sixth and Fairlawn. Stations Six and Eleven would move later. Fire officials say relocating the three stations would increase the area of the city that firefighters can respond to in four minutes or less from 72% to 77%.
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Wichita to Change Watering and Irrigation Guidelines in September
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) — After a year of drought-related restrictions, Wichita will change its watering guidelines again next month. Gary Janzen is Wichita's director of public works and utilities. He says even though the drought plan that limited watering to one day a week worked,“...this was not normal even by normal standards. We’re fortunate we did what we did, but it’s been tough. And I get it. I hear from a lot of people who had nice yards that are burnt up.” KMUW reports that June rains refilled Cheney Reservoir. Janzen thinks new permanent water restrictions adopted this week could give Wichita an edge. Starting September 15, all outdoor irrigation will be limited to every other day, from before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. No watering is allowed on Mondays. The city estimates it could save a billion gallons of water each year.
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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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FosterAdopt Connect Cutting Back Services Due to Funding Cuts
UNDATED (KNS) — A nonprofit organization serving thousands of Kansas and Missouri families impacted by foster care is scaling back its services in response to funding cuts by both states. The Kansas News Service reports that FosterAdopt Connect is eliminating 15 staff positions because of the $1.3 million worth of cuts, in addition to cutting back services like behavior intervention. Those funds went toward 300-plus employees serving over 15,000 families. The organization said it is actively working with current and potential funders to stabilize the program.
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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 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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Frontenac Police Find Stolen Safe in Middle of the Road
FRONTENAC, Kan. (KSNT) — Police in Frontenac, Kansas, were surprised late Monday night when a caller reported a large object in the middle of the road. KSNT reports the object turned out to be a one-ton safe stolen from a business in Pittsburg, Kansas. A criminal investigation is underway. The safe will be returned to its owner.
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