Reno County Crash Kills Two, Injures Three, Including Infant
RENO COUNTY, Kan. (JC Post) — Police are investigating a head-on collision in south central Kansas that left two people dead and three others, including an infant, injured. The crash occurred Monday morning on North K-14/96 in northern Reno County. The Reno County Sheriff’s Office told the Junction City Post a northbound SUV crossed the center line and veered into the southbound lane, colliding with a Ford F-150. Two of the four people in the SUV were killed. The two others, including the infant, were injured. The driver of the pickup was also injured.
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Gov. Plans Tour for Input on “People’s Budget”
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas governor Laura Kelly will embark on an eight-city tour to hear what Kansans’ priorities are for the next state budget. The Democratic governor will hold the town halls over the next two months. She is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. On Monday, Kelly said she wants feedback from Kansans to come up with what she calls “The People’s Budget” ahead of next year’s legislative session. Kelly has cautioned Republican lawmakers against tax cuts that she says would jeopardize the state’s financial well-being.
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Lawrence Transit Proposes $3 Fare for On-Demand Service
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — With federal grant money drying up, Lawrence Transit is proposing a new $3 fare for its on-demand service, which is currently free. The agency says buses on regular routes would still be free to ride. Lawrence Transit says about 8% of its scheduled on-demand trips are no-shows. By imposing a $3 fare, the agency says there would be fewer no-shows, leading to more reliable service and better availability. The Lawrence Transit Advisory Board will hear a presentation on the proposal later this month. The new fare would take effect next year.
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Emporia Hospital Announces New Tele-Health Initiative
EMPORIA, Kan. (Emporia Gazette) — An Emporia hospital has announced plans to significantly increase tele-health services. Newman Regional Health says the program will target emergency room visits, outpatient clinics, primary care, cardiology, and OB/GYN services. The Emporia Gazette reports it will be funded by a half-million-dollar grant from the Patterson Family Foundation. Patients will be able to meet with doctors over the internet. Newman Regional says the initiative will help close gaps left by a lack of healthcare services in rural areas.
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Police Warn of Scams in Lyon, Coffey Counties
UNDATED (KVOE) — The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a scam involving a caller pretending to be a sheriff’s deputy. The caller identifies himself as “Deputy Williams” and offers to settle unpaid tickets or outstanding warrants by accepting Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. The Sheriff’s Office says residents should always be wary of calls from people claiming to be government officials or bank employees. KVOE reports the Sheriff’s Office does have a Deputy Williams but he has nothing to do with the calls.
Meanwhile, police in neighboring Coffey County are warning of a different scam targeting the families of people who are incarcerated. In this scam, the callers pretend to be county officials who can get their loved ones out of jail if they pay $1,200. The Coffey County Sheriff’s Office told KVOE only approved companies should be used for posting bonds.
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Geary County School Superintendent Named Best in State
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (JC Post) — The Geary County School District superintendent has been named the 2026 Kansas Superintendent of the Year by the Kansas School Superintendents Association. Reginald Eggleston was announced as the winner on Monday. The Junction City Post reports Eggleston’s name will now be submitted to the National School Superintendents Association for consideration as the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year. Eggleston has served as Geary County’s superintendent since 2019. During his tenure, he has promoted financial planning and community partnerships. Eggleston is also a colonel in the Army Reserves
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K-State, Dodge City Community College Collaborate to Offer 4-Year Degree Access
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas State University is teaming up with a southwest Kansas community college to help more rural students earn bachelor’s degrees. The Kansas News Service reports that’s an area without a local four-year college. The initiative will allow students to spend the first two years of their four-year degree programs at Dodge City Community College. They will then finish the remaining two years by taking K-State courses remotely at the community college. The K-State degrees are offered in agriculture and education. Mechele Hailey is the vice president of academic affairs for Dodge City Community College. She says the program could help produce more teachers for the region. “There’s a huge educational need out here. We’re losing teachers faster than we can replace them,” she explained. K-State leaders say the effort is part of the university’s mission to provide educational opportunities throughout the state.
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Wildfire Smoke Contributing to Premature Deaths in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) — A new report says wildfire smoke is contributing to premature deaths in the Midwest. The nonprofit organization Climate Central estimates the smoke caused up to 2,500 people to die prematurely in Kansas from 2006 to 2020. The smoke contains fine particles that can trigger asthma attacks or exacerbate conditions such as heart disease. The Kansas News Service reports Kansas and Missouri residents tend to experience 40 to 80 days per year of wildfire smoke pollution.
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Advocates Help Rural Workers Cope with New Tax Regulations
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas advocates are helping rural workers navigate the fine print of new federal tax deductions for tips and overtime—but workers . might not see as much relief as they hoped. The Kansas News Service reports one in six southwest Kansans work at the meatpacking plants and regularly work overtime. That means they could benefit from tax relief outlined in the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill. But Adrienne Olejnik of Kansas Action for Children says the provision that eliminates taxes on tips and overtime can only be claimed when filing taxes in the spring. And the deductions only apply to some of the extra income earned during overtime hours. She says rural families should be aware of that before planning their finances. “So,” Olejnix says, “making sure that they don't assume one thing and another thing happens, we would hate for that to happen.” Olejnik also points out that the law also removed immigrants and their children from eligibility for some welfare programs.
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Historic Kansas Drive-In Closes Due to Broken Projector
KANOPLOLIS, Kan. (KWCH) — A popular source of entertainment in western Kansas will have to close down for the rest of the year. KWCH reports the drive-in movie theater in Kanopolis is now closed due to a broken projector. The owners say the future is uncertain because the broken part is no longer made and a new projector would cost $100,000. The outdoor theater in Ellsworth County first opened in 1952. It’s one of about 280 drive-ins left in the U.S. and one of just three that survive in Kansas. At the height of their popularity, there were more than 5,000 drive-in theaters nationwide. The drive-in has started an online fundraiser online to help pay for repairing or replacing the projector.
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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).