August Tax Collections in Kansas Come in 3.9% Above Estimate
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – The State of Kansas took in more money than expected in tax revenue last month. The state ended August with total tax collections of $692 million. That's about $26 million, or 3.9%, above projections. Total tax collections were up 4% from August of last year. Governor Laura Kelly praised the stronger-than-expected numbers, but said she remains concerned about the budget’s impact on the long-term fiscal health of the state.
Individual income tax collections were up in the latest report. Corporate income tax collections came in lower than expected. Click here to view the August 2025 revenue numbers.
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Judge Dismisses One of Two Topeka Fire Department Suits
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — A federal judge has dismissed one of two discrimination lawsuits filed against the Topeka Fire Department. Brently Dorsey sued the city after being passed over for a promotion in the department. He alleged discrimination on the basis of his race and a disability. But federal judge Holly Teeter dismissed the suit, saying Dorsey failed to present any evidence to support his claims and that he retired voluntarily. WIBW-TV reports the department still faces another suit alleging discrimination. That suit is scheduled for trial in December.
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Teen Stabbed in Salina Brawl
SALINA, Kan. (KSN) — A brawl in Salina last week ended up with a 17-year-old boy getting stabbed. The boy was treated and released from a local hospital. Police say the brawl began around 11 p.m. Friday at Indian Rock Park, where a large group of teenagers had gathered. KSN reports a 17-year-old girl from Salina was arrested in connection with the stabbing. She faces charges of aggravated battery, simple battery, criminal threat, and marijuana possession.
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Scammers Target Northeast Kansas Church
SENECA, Kan. (KWCH) — Police are warning of a scam targeting churchgoers in northeast Kansas. The scam targets members of NorthRidge Church in Seneca. Church members have received emails from a scammer pretending to be a pastor at the church. The scammer asks them to purchase gift cards. KWCH reports the Seneca Police Department is investigating the scam. Nationwide, the FTC says impersonation scams cost Americans more than a billion dollars in 2023.
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Kansas Highway Patrol Issues Clarification After Trooper’s Facebook Post
TOPEKA, Kan. (KWCH) — The Kansas Highway Patrol is distancing itself from a state trooper’s social media post asking for gas money. Trooper Ben Gardner, who goes by the online moniker “Trooper Ben,” has 31,000 followers on Facebook. On Monday, he posted about a trip he was making to Michigan to attend his father’s funeral. He said he would “use a lot of gas,” and said his followers could send him money via apps like Venmo or PayPal. KWCH reports the Highway Patrol later issued a statement clarifying that the trooper’s page was personal and his posts were “neither approved by nor associated with KHP business.”
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Lawrence High Bathroom Policy Criticized
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LT) — Students at Lawrence High School are complaining about a policy that makes it harder for them to use the bathroom. Under a policy implemented last school year, all bathrooms are closed and locked during class periods, except for the less numerous gender-neutral stalls. Staff members are supposed to unlock the bathrooms between periods. Administrators told the Lawrence Times the policy addresses behaviors like vaping and skipping class. But some students say bathrooms often aren’t unlocked between periods, leaving them unable to use them.
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Two People Killed in DUI-Related Crash over Labor Day Holiday Weekend
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — State troopers in Kansas say they worked one DUI related fatality crash that claimed two lives over the long holiday weekend. Statewide, a total of 22 DUI arrests were made. The Kansas Highway Patrol released its Labor Day Holiday Activity report Wednesday. According to the report, nearly 600 speeding tickets were issued and troopers assisted nearly 650 motorists. The holiday reporting period ran from 6 pm Friday, August 29, until midnight Monday morning.
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Federal Appeals Court Overturns Ruling in Kansas Gun Case
UNDATED (TCJ/KPR) — A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court’s ruling in a Kansas case with Second Amendment implications. The lower court had dismissed the case against a Kansas man accused of illegally possessing a machine gun. But the appeals court has now reversed the dismissal and returned the case to the lower court for further proceedings. The defendant, Tamori Morgan, was indicted in April 2023 by a federal grand jury in Wichita on two counts of unlawful possession of a machine gun. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports his attorney argued a federal law banning possession of machine guns was unconstitutional. The lower court agreed, but the appeals court did not.
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Legal Protections Proposed for Douglas County Renters Facing Eviction
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Housing advocates are calling on the Douglas County Commission to pass a measure that would guarantee legal representation for all renters facing eviction, regardless of income. The Lawrence Journal World reports the measure is supported by the advocacy group Lawrence Tenants, as well as Kansas Holistic Defenders and the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel. It would require the county to provide tenants counsel for legal proceedings in which they could lose their housing or housing subsidy. If enacted, it could take effect before the end of next year.
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Small Kansas High Schools Embracing Six-Man Football
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Small western Kansas high schools are switching to six-man football to keep their teams alive, while their towns' populations shrink. The Kansas News Service reports that it’s a trend likely to grow, as low-enrollment schools are switching to a smaller teamed version of football in order to keep the Friday night lights on. It’s where there are only six players on both sides of the ball, as opposed to 11. The high-flying and high-scoring game was sanctioned by the Kansas State High School Activities Association in 2021. Its popularity has grown since. Mark Lentz with the association says even with fewer players on the field, the fundamentals are the same. “It's just an opportunity for smaller schools who don't have the enrollment, or may not have a lot of boys in their school to play the game of football,” he said. Twenty-three teams played last season. Lentz projects more small-town schools will field six-man teams in the future.
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Generous Rainfall Gives Some Parts of Kansas Drought Relief
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas is getting some rare relief from drought after some places in the state experienced their wettest summer in decades. The Kansas News Service reports that at this time last year, only 8% of the state was facing no dry conditions. But right now, 80% of Kansas is without any dry conditions, which the state hasn’t experienced since September 2016. The tenfold change in dry conditions is because of high amounts of rain this year. The National Weather Service reports some southern Kansas towns like Wichita and Sedan had their top ten wettest summers. Soil moisture is mostly in good condition, along with crop conditions for most of the state.
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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).