Authorities Identify Hays Police Officer Killed in the Line of Duty
HAYS, Kan. (KPR) — The Hays police officer who was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call on Sunday has been identified. Sgt. Scott Heimann was a nine-year-veteran of the force. The officer was struck by a bullet fired from inside a house. The suspected shooter was later found dead inside, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot. Sgt. Heimann is the fourth officer in Kansas to be killed in the line of duty in just the past four months.
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Federal Shutdown Could Jeopardize Some Critical Kansas Services
UNDATED (KNS) — A federal government shutdown is looming over Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that could jeopardize critical safety net services. The first to feel an impact might be Kansas families who rely on federal assistance to put food on the table. Since the shutdown coincides with the start of the fiscal year, the food program supporting women and children would run out of funds if the shutdown lasts more than a week. Others who could feel immediate impact are federal workers and active duty military service members, who would not be paid during a shutdown. Staff at National Parks, like Brown v. Board of Education Historic Park in Topeka, may also go unpaid. During the last shutdown, parks were accessible to the public, but many employees had to stay home.
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Judge Dismisses Kobach Lawsuit over SNAP Recipient Private Data
UNDATED (KNS) — A Kansas judge has dismissed Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach’s lawsuit that aimed to force the state to hand over private data to federal officials. The Kansas News Service reports that Kobach filed the lawsuit against Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s administration for withholding personal information about Kansans who receive food assistance. He argued the Department for Children and Families was violating state and federal law. But state officials said turning over the information would violate recipient privacy. Judge Teresa Watson ruled that Kansas law does not require the state to grant the data request.
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Kansas GOP Takes First Steps Toward Congressional Redistricting
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas Republicans have taken the first steps to redistrict the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections. Republican lawmakers say a petition is circulating to call a special legislative session this fall. The goal would be unseating Democratic Representative Sharice Davids in the Kansas City area. But Republican leaders need near-unanimous support to make that happen. Republican representative Mark Schreiber says he will not support a GOP gerrymander, adding “...to me that's not the purpose of redistricting. It's not used as a political tool to increase your majority, it's to adjust for population changes.”
If leaders collect enough signatures, the special session could start in November. (Read more.)
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Kansas Farmers Concerned as Farm Bill Set To Expire
UNDATED (KSN) — Unless President Trump and congressional leaders reach an agreement, the farm bill will expire at midnight on Tuesday night, and the Kansas Farmers Union is warning that would affect not just farmers, but nearly every household in the state. The farm bill covers crop insurance, something Kansas farmers rely on to manage risk. But it also covers food assistance programs. In fact, the Farmers Union told KSN nearly 80% of the farm bill goes to nutrition assistance.
The farm bill comes up for renewal at a time when many Kansas farmers are already dealing with uncertainty around the Trump administration’s trade policies. For example, China, usually the country’s biggest customer for sorghum, has not placed any orders for this year’s crop.
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Why Is the Health of Kansans Getting Worse?
UNDATED (KPR) — What happened to health in Kansas? That’s the question a new report from the Kansas Health Institute tries to answer. Kansas has experienced one of the steepest long-term declines in health ranking in the nation. In 1991, the state was ranked eighth in America’s Health Rankings. By 2024, it had fallen to 28th. The report attributes the decline to numerous factors, including the closure of rural hospitals and health care services, the failure to expand Medicaid, and the limited availability of mental health services. The report was based on surveys of more than 100 health leaders and experts.
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Sierra Club Report Card Gives Evergy an ‘F’
UNDATED (Lawrence Times) — The Sierra Club has given the power company Evergy an “F” for its failure to meet minimum climate targets. In a report, the Sierra Club cited the company’s “multi-year backslide” from renewable investments for the failing grade. The report grades 75 utilities nationwide on plans to retire coal plants, stop building new gas plants, and transition to clean energy. Evergy has delayed the closure of a coal-burning plant and recently announced plans to build two new gas-burning plants. An Evergy spokesperson told the Lawrence Times the utility is delaying its expectations of a 70% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030.
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U.S. Senator Jerry Moran Declines to Weigh in on Federal Lawsuit over Wichita-Based Plane Crash
UNDATED (KMUW) — Kansas Senator Jerry Moran says that the Senate subcommittee he chairs will continue to investigate the crash of a Wichita-based American Airlines flight, but he won't weigh in on a new federal lawsuit. KMUW reports that Moran said “...we're planning another hearing...to get to an additional set of facts and try to resolve more as to what is the fault? Where's the fault lie?...but I'd leave it to the family members to make decisions in consultation with their attorneys about what the appropriate legal response is."
67 people died in January when American Airlines flight 5342 collided with an Army helicopter near Washington D.C. The family of a Connecticut man killed in the crash filed the first wrongful death suit in federal court last week. Attorneys representing the family say they think as many as 35 other people plan to sue American Airlines, its regional carrier PSA Airlines, and the federal government for negligence.
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Olympian Visits Lenexa to Promote STEAM Education
UNDATED (KCUR) — Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky ditched her swimming cap for a lab coat Tuesday to teach Kansas students about science and technology careers. KCUR reports that the most decorated American woman in Olympic history visited Cedar Trails Exploration Center in Lenexa as part of her collaboration with Panasonic to promote education in science, technology, engineering, art, and math, or STEAM. Ledecky, who has nine Olympic gold medals, says she developed a love of math during her swimming career. "I'm a distance swimmer, so I was always calculating pace times and running all the numbers in my head. And I also had some really great science teachers growing up," she said. Panasonic opened a 4-billion-dollar plant in De Soto in July. Officials there say they look forward to working more with the school district to increase STEAM education.
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Comanche County School Superintendent Resigns
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — A rural Kansas superintendent has resigned after public backlash over allegations that he sexually harassed and touched a student. The Kansas News Service reports that the resignation follows pressure mounting on Comanche County school officials to take action against Superintendent Ty Theurer. The Kansas Reflector reports that one hundred people gathered at the rural school district’s meeting earlier this month to criticize the school board’s handling of the allegations. Students spoke out in the spring about the inappropriate contact. But Theurer was only placed on administrative leave in September after public outcry. Last week, 10 bullets were shot at a school board member’s empty car.
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Evergy Lineman Electrocuted, Critically Injured
WICHITA, Kan. KWCH — Evergy is investigating an incident in which a lineman was electrocuted and nearly died last week while working to repair an outage near Kingman. Evergy told KWCH the lineman, Brandon Kaufmann, remains in critical condition in a Wichita hospital. Evergy declined to provide further details about the incident. A GoFundMe campaign created to help support the lineman, his wife, and their three children has so far raised more than $130,000.
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Kansas Doctors Express Concern over Mental Health Effects of AI Tech Use
UNDATED (KNS) — Some Kansas doctors are wary about how artificial intelligence technology might further harm youth mental health. Major concerns include the possible loss of social skills and AI replacing human interactions. Dr. Mitchell Douglas of the University of Kansas Health System says he is especially concerned about young people using AI chat bots during a mental health crisis. “It’s going to be telling you that you’re good, that everything’s fine and provide general, vague support, as opposed to making some challenging statements. Like wow, you need help. You need to go talk to a parent right now,” he explained. Douglas encourages parents to talk with their kids at an early age about what AI is, and the possible risks.
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Small Fire at Lawrence High School Forces Evacuation, No Injuries Reported
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) — Students at Lawrence High School were evacuated yesterday when a small fire was reported in the girls’ locker room. A district spokesperson says the fire was discovered shortly before 11:30 a.m. Firefighters were dispatched, and students and staff were evacuated. There were no injuries. But some parents told the Lawrence Times they were unhappy with the way the incident was communicated to them. Administrators did not send a message to parents fully explaining the situation until more than two hours after firefighters were called.
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Sedgwick County Teacher Charged With Child Endangerment
DERBY, Kan. (KWCH) — A Derby High School English teacher has been arrested for crimes involving children. The Sedgwick County school says the first-year teacher, Caleb Thornton, faces charges including contributing to child misconduct, child endangerment, and possession of marijuana. KWCH reports Thornton was arrested Monday. The Derby High principal says the teacher is on immediate suspension and the district “is working closely with the Derby Police Department regarding this matter.”
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Abortion Providers Go to Court in Challenge of Kansas Abortion Restrictions
UNDATED (KNS) — A trial underway in Johnson County will determine whether some Kansas abortion restrictions are overturned. The Kansas News Service reports that abortion providers took the stand first. Many of the laws under scrutiny during the first day of deliberation surround the information that must be disclosed before an abortion. Two Kansas providers took the stand, focusing on the potential risks, like delaying care. Attorneys for the state questioned the expertise of the providers. Objections during testimony were frequent and just as frequently batted aside by the district court judge overseeing the trial. The case continues this week (Sept. 29-Oct.3, 2025) before a two-week pause.
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KU Study Urges More Transparency in State Disability Services Waitlist
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) — A University of Kansas study says the state needs to be more transparent about the waitlist for disability services. The Kansas News Service reports that the study aims to develop ways to shorten the wait. Kansans who need intellectual or developmental disability aid can wait for nearly 10 years for services like overnight care or residential treatment. More than 4,900 Kansans are currently waiting for services. That’s 600 more than at the end of 2024. Evan Dean of the KU Center on Disabilities told lawmakers that the state needs a public dashboard with important information about the waitlist. “We can monitor both the overall numbers and geographical regions and demographic information so we can monitor the performance of the system,” Dean said. The study also recommends boosting the workforce that cares for people with disabilities.
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USDA Cancels Food Access Survey
UNDATED (HPM) — The Trump administration is ending a survey that tracks food access across the country. Harvest Public Media reports that anti-hunger advocates say less information means it will be difficult to know what is working to address food insecurity. Federal officials are scrapping the Household Food Security Reports, saying they are "redundant, costly, politicized and extraneous studies.” Gina Plata-Nino with the national advocacy group Food Research and Action Center says the survey is the main source for understanding how people are experiencing food insecurity across the country. “It's difficult for advocates, for policymakers to understand or to be able to say what is working. If you don't have the data to support whatever point or analysis you wanted to make,” she added. She says the cancellation is even more concerning on top of the administration’s recent cuts to federal food benefits.
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Royals Front Office Plans on Salvador Perez Playing for KC in 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — The Kansas City Royals expect to have Salvador Perez back for the final year of his current contract in 2026. Salvador Perez reached two major milestones this year when he hit his 300th career homer and drove in his 1,000th career run. The team’s general manager, J.J. Picollo, says the Royals expect Perez to play out the last year of his current contract in Kansas City. "I think it’s safe to say that, one way or another, Salvy will be in a Royals uniform in ’26. What we do beyond that is still to be determined. There are still some things we need to work through and talk about," he said at a press conference on Tuesday. Perez, who will turn 35 next season, finished this year with 30 homers and 100 runs batted in, second on the team to first baseman and designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino.
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KPR Seeks New Kansas Statehouse Bureau Chief
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas Public Radio is seeking a new Statehouse Bureau Chief. This position works primarily at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka and is primarily responsible for reporting on state government. This includes, but is not limited to, covering the Kansas Legislature, the governor, attorney general, supreme court, the state's congressional delegation and statewide elections. (Click here for more details.)
Best radio and multimedia news job in Kansas? Maybe. Must apply online.
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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).