Kansas Governor Declares State of Disaster Emergency Due to Flooding
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Governor Laura Kelly has declared a state of disaster due to flooding in counties in the north central and south central parts of the state. This proclamation will allow resources to be used to provide state assistance. “Heavy rains and flooding impacted several counties Monday and we will do what we can to support those counties,” Kelly said. “Do not drive into standing water, just 12 inches of rushing can carry away most cars. Turn around, don’t drown.” The Kansas Division of Emergency Management has partially activated the State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka to monitor flood activity, assist counties with their potential needs and coordinate state resources.
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Severe Storms Batter Southern, Central and Western Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW/KWCH) - Parts of southern, central and western Kansas were battered by severe storms Monday night - storms that included large hail and heavy rains. KSNW TV reports that tennis ball sized hail pummeled Minneola, in Clark County, and baseball-sized hail fell in Comanche County. Earlier in the day, Stafford and Saline counties were also hit with large hail and torrential rains.
Flooding has become a problem at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. Fair officials have closed all parking lots on the fairgrounds and will be running a shuttle service. The fair runs through Sunday.
Parts of central and western Kansas received significant rainfall Monday, ranging from 7.5 to 10 inches of rain west of Salina. Heavy rains caused flooding in some places. Ottawa County was especially hard hit. In the town of Prescott, rising water stranded people in their homes.
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Planning Commission Delays Vote on KCK Waste Processing Plan
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - A planning commission has once again delayed a vote on an industrial waste processing plant project in Kansas City, Kansas. The planning commission for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas already put off the decision once. In August, the commission asked the company behind the project to hold public forums with Armourdale residents. But the New Jersey-based company, Reworld, has yet to hold any public meetings on the proposed plant.
Many residents of the Armourdale neighborhood oppose the plant opening near their homes and an elementary school. Beto Lugo-Martinez of the group Rise for Environmental Justice showed up to the meeting Monday night to raise those concerns. “There was no hearing for it,” Lugo-Martinez said. “They just pushed it over until November.” It’s unclear when Reworld will hold a public meeting
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Kansas Health Officials Report 12 Cases of West Nile Virus This Year
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Kansas Department of Health and Environment is reporting that one person is dead and several others are ill after being infected with West Nile Virus, a disease that can cause neurological problems. The KDHE says it has recorded 12 cases of the virus in the state so far this year and health officials say that one person is dead as a result of the virus. KSNT TV reports that WNV is typically carried by mosquitos and has about a 10% fatality rate among those infected with the most serious strain of the virus. KDHE says that all parts of Kansas are considered to be at “moderate” risk for West Nile infection except for the north-central area region, which is in the “high” risk category.
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Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area Receives Delayed Federal Funding
UNDATED (KNS) — Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area finally received $500,000 of federal funding that had been withheld for six months. The Kansas News Service reports that the organization preserves Kansas and Missouri history by supporting rural museums and Civil War sites. Funding to the organization was already allocated. But the Trump administration set it aside for review. It was finally released this month, just weeks before the end of the fiscal year when the funding would have expired. Johnny Szlauderbach of Freedom’s Frontier says the wait hurt planning efforts for the 2026 World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding next year. “We had hoped to spend these last six months… to prepare and host that influx of people,” Szlauderbach explained. He says federal lawmakers from Missouri and Kansas helped secure the funding and are trying to ensure it is not withheld in the future.
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Driver, Pilot Walk Away After Small Plane Clips Car During Landing
BENTON, Kan. (KWCH) - A small airplane was trying to land in Benton, Kansas, over the weekend when it clipped the roof of a car. The plane flipped upside down after landing short of the runway at Stearman Field late Sunday afternoon. KWCH TV reports that the pilot of the plane - and the driver of the car that was clipped - walked away from the incident without major injuries.
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Pair Accused in Scheme to Steal $900,000 from Kansas Court
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) - A federal grand jury has indicted two former Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers in connection with an alleged scheme to steal nearly a million dollars from the court. Two Kansas women are facing charges: 65-year-old Julia Roberts, of Kansas City, Kansas and 63-year-old Vicki Robinson, of Bonner Springs. The women have been charged with wire fraud. ID theft and other crimes. Investigators say the women generated more than 400 fraudulent checks totaling more than $900,000. Prosecutors say the pair operated the scheme between 2018 and 2023.
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Wyandotte County Inmate's Death Ruled a Homicide
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) - The death of an inmate at the Wyandotte County jail this summer has now been ruled a homicide. The KBI says 50-year-old Charles Adair died of complications from mechanical asphyxia, with contributing factors of heart disease and cirrhosis. The KBI says they've concluded their investigation and has presented their findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney. (Read more.)
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Drawing Down Water from Central Kansas Lake
ELLSWORTH, Kan. (KSNT) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is draining water out of a lake in central Kansas as part of a “drawdown” procedure. The Corps has announced on that it is beginning a lake drawdown at Kanopolis Lake. KSNT TV reports that the procedure is expected to continue through September 30.
Officials at the Kansas City District of the Army Corps of Engineers say the agency is working to drain the lake down from its current elevation of around 1465 feet to 1461 feet, a reduction of about four feet. A spokesman says the drawdown is necessary because the lake is suffering from the effects of erosion and this could hamper the agency’s ability to make regular releases from the lake.
Kanopolis Lake will be kept at the adjusted water elevation level until outlet construction on the dam is complete in 2026.
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Who Is The Richest Person in Kansas? Forbes Magazine Names The 400 Wealthiest Americans
UNDATED, (KSNT) — Forbes Magazine has released its annual list of the wealthiest Americans. The latest Forbes 400 ranking shows that the 400 wealthiest people in the country combined are worth a record-setting $6.6 trillion dollars. That’s up $1.2 trillion over last year.
Elon Musk is at the top of the list with a net worth of more than $400 billion. Alice Walton, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, remains the wealthiest woman in America, with an estimated net worth of $106 billion.
KSNT TV reports that Forbes lists Charles Koch, chairman of Koch, Inc. of Wichita, as the richest man in Kansas, with an estimated worth of $73.8 billion dollars. Koch Inc. is the second-largest privately held company in the United States.
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World Cup Tickets Go on Sale This Week
UNDATED (KCUR) — The first World Cup ticket sales will begin this week (Sept. 10) for soccer fans in Kansas City and worldwide. KCUR reports that between September 10th and 19th, Visa cardholders can enter a lottery for the chance to buy tickets starting October first. That will include tickets for all 104 World Cup matches and includes the six at Arrowhead Stadium. Team match-ups will be announced in December. Prices will start at 60 dollars for group stage games and rise for later matches. And, many outlets, including ESPN, report that FIFA will use dynamic pricing, meaning ticket costs could fluctuate over time. Additional lotteries are also planned, and exclusive “hospitality packages” are already available.
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