Raids Targeting Kansas Stores Accused of Selling Illegal Products Continue
UNDATED (KAKE) — A second day of raids on Kansas stores allegedly selling illegal marijuana and THC products took place Thursday. The raids are being conducted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Ten stores were raided on Wednesday. Another five were targeted Thursday. KAKE reports the raids have left store owners and customers confused and scared. The owners of stores that sell only legal products worry they will be caught up in the sweep.
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Kansas Attorney General Says He Might Sue Governor Over SNAP Info Again
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Republican Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach says he might go back to court to force Democratic Governor Laura Kelly to give the federal government the personal information of Kansans who receive food assistance. The USDA has demanded that information if Kansas wants federal money for funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Kelly has refused, saying the request is unconstitutional and illegal. A Kansas judge recently dismissed a lawsuit Kobach filed against Kelly over her refusal to turn over the information. KSNT reports Kobach is considering another lawsuit “at a future date.”
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Black Hills Energy Will Pay Fine To Settle Consumer Protection Case
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Black Hills Energy and three of its subsidiaries have agreed to pay more than $300,000 to settle a complaint over alleged violations of the Kansas Consumer Protections Act. The Kansas attorney general’s office accused the energy company of sharing consumers’ sensitive data with third parties without their knowledge or consent. Under the agreement, the company will pay the attorney general’s office $325,000 for consumer protection enforcement and reimbursement of expenses associated with the investigation. KSNT reports Black Hills Energy does not admit to the allegations put forward as part of the consent agreement.
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Kansas 10th Most Religious State, but Number of Non-Religious Is Growing
UNDATED (KPR) — A new report from the Pew Research Center ranks Kansas as the 10th most religious state in the nation. But the number of Kansans who are not affiliated with any religion has doubled since 2007. The report says 38% of Kansans consider themselves “highly religious,” while 63% say they believe in God or a universal spirit with absolute certainty. About 50% say they pray every day. But the Kansas Reflector reports the number of non-religious Kansans has grown from 14% in 2007 to 28% today. Nationwide the most religious state was Mississippi. The least: Vermont.
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Kansas Hospital Association: Don’t Move State Patients to Community Hospitals
UNDATED (WIBW-TV) — While Kansas lawmakers struggle to come up with solutions to the state’s shortage of nurses, hospital administrators are warning against moving patients from state hospitals to community hospitals. The shortage of nurses in the state’s psychiatric hospitals is so severe that the state is paying contractors $60 million a year just to keep them staffed. One solution would be to move some patients into community hospitals. But the Kansas Hospital Association says those hospitals are not equipped to receive those patients. WIBW-TV reports a recent survey found 80% of community hospitals lacked adequate facilities for treating patients with mental or behavioral health issues.
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Extended Federal Shutdown Could Spark Uncertainty in Agricultural Industry
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas farmers are facing uncertainties if the federal government shutdown drags on. The Kansas News Service reports that many farmers are focused on harvesting, but the agencies that support them are closed. Nearly half of all U.S. Department of Agriculture employees will be furloughed. During the last two shutdowns, the agency didn't publish a monthly crop report. Jennifer Ifft, an agricultural economist for Kansas State University, said that the situation "...could really sort of snowball. Maybe your local Farm Services Agency is closed. Maybe they need to be processing payments, different types of reporting need to happen. There’s the loan office at the Farm Services Agencies.” Ifft said farmers won’t be able to keep waiting for those services if the shutdown lasts beyond a week or two. (More about the federal government shutdown from NPR.)
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Director of Eisenhower Library in Kansas Ousted
UNDATED (KNS) — The former director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas, said on Thursday that he was told to “resign or be fired” from his post after refusing to give the Trump administration a historic sword.
The Kansas News Service reports Todd Arrington’s resignation came shortly after he refused to relinquish one of President Eisenhower’s swords from the museum’s collection. President Trump’s administration wanted to give the artifact as a gift to King Charles III on Trump’s most recent state visit to the United Kingdom.
Arrington said his direct superior informed him on Monday evening that he would be asked to resign. The supervisor, whom Arrington declined to name, said he was passing down orders from unknown higher-ups.
All Arrington heard is that he “could no longer be trusted with confidential information” due to conduct related to the sword disagreement.
“I was obviously shocked and saddened and heartbroken,” Arrington said in an interview with the Kansas News Service. “I have almost 30 years of government service. I've never had a bad mark against me.”
The National Archives and Records Administration, which operates presidential libraries, replied to a Kansas News Service inquiry with an automated message that said it was closed due to the U.S. government shutdown that began Wednesday. The White House Press Office sent a similar message.
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Kansans Can Resume Changing Gender Markers on State Driver's Licenses on Monday
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Kansans can resume changing the gender markers on state driver's licenses, beginning next week. The Kansas Reflector reports that the Kansas Supreme Court declined Monday to consider Attorney General Kris Kobach's appeal of a state Court of Appeals decision in the fight over a 2023 law that aimed to define gender by conflating it with sex. According to the Kansas Reflector, gender refers to social or personal identity or expression, while sex refers to reproductive systems. Kobach contended that Kansans should not be allowed to change the gender markers on their driver's licenses.
In June, the Kansas Court of Appeals determined that the state had suffered no harm from the changed gender declarations on the licenses. Kansans have been allowed to modify the gender designations on driver's licenses since at least 2002. The state's highest court refused to hear Kobach's appeal of that appeals court ruling, so Kansans can resume changing those gender markers as of Monday.
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KU Theatre Production Highlights Contributions of Women to the Field of Astronomy
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — University Theatre season kicks off Friday at the University of Kansas with a production about an astronomer whose research changed how we think about the universe. The production, called Silent Sky, tells the story of Henrietta Swan Leavitt and highlights the sometimes hidden contributions of women to the history of science. (See and hear more.)
Silent Sky opens Friday at the Crafton-Preyer Theatre on the KU campus and is playing through October 5th. The Saturday, October 4th matinee performance will feature ASL interpretation for the deaf and hard of hearing. Tickets are available at kutheatre.com. Tickets are also available at the box office in Murphy Hall.
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KU Football Heads to London Next Season
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — It's official: the Kansas Jayhawks will be playing a football game in England next season. With a reduced capacity because of east-side stadium renovations, the Jayhawks will play one of its home games in London next year. In Week 3 of the college football season, the Jayhawks will square off against Arizona State at Wembley Stadium. KU Athletics Director Travis Goff says he likes how the NFL has paved the way for college football abroad. "We’re certainly grateful to have the foundation that the NFL has established," Goff said. The game is set for September 19, 2026. It will be called the “Union Jack Classic.” Earlier this season, the Kansas State Wildcats opened against Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland. The K-State /Iowa State game has been called "Farmageddon" in recent years, but in Ireland, it was known as the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
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Cross-Country Coaching Legend Comes Out of Retirement to Coach High School Team
WINFIELD, Kan. (KSN) — A legendary Kansas cross-country coach has come out of retirement. Jim Helmer coached runners at Southwestern College to 31 straight men’s Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference cross country championships before calling it quits eleven years ago. But when Winfield High School needed a cross-country coach this fall, Helmer came to the rescue. Helmer told KSN he was happy to help out, though he joked he’d had to update his resume for the first time in 50 years. Helmer is a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
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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).