New Lawrence Commissioners Take Office, Question New Rec Fees
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) — Two new Lawrence city commissioners were sworn in at Tuesday night’s commission meeting. Mike Courtney and Kristine Polian were the winners in last month’s election. During their campaigns, both raised concerns about the city’s plan to begin charging residents a fee to use the city’s recreation centers. The Lawrence Times reports Courtney and Polian requested the issue be discussed at a future commission meeting. It’s expected the commission will take up the issue at its December 16 meeting.
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States in Jeopardy of Losing Federal SNAP Funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP/KPR) — The Trump administration is threatening to withhold federal food assistance from Kansas and other states that refuse to turn over personal information about the people who receive it. AP reports the administration said on Tuesday it would withhold the funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, starting next week unless it receives the information, including names and immigration status of recipients. However, Governor Laura Kelly's press secretary Grace Hoge told KPR via e-mail that Kansas has not yet received the new data request from the USDA. She said the state's appeal is still pending with the USDA.
The administration says it needs the personal information to root out fraud. The resisting states say they are protecting recipients’ privacy. The administration is giving them until December 8 to turn over the information. More than 6% of all Kansans receive federal food assistance.
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Kansas Pediatric Neurologist Loses Medical License Following CSAM Conviction
UNDATED (KNS) — A Kansas pediatric neurologist has lost his medical license after being convicted of secretly recording children. The Kansas News Service reports that Brian M. Aalbers formerly practiced at Overland Park Regional Hospital. He was sentenced to 25 years without parole in federal prison earlier this year. Last fall, Aalbers pleaded guilty to secretly recording 13 children for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material. Federal officials say no evidence suggests any of the victims were his patients.
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State of Kansas Wins Behavioral Health Care Grant
UNDATED (KNS) — More Kansans will have access to comprehensive behavioral health care for mental health or substance use issues. The Kansas News Service reports that the state won a grant from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Kansas will split more than $72 million with Illinois and Michigan over the next 3 years. The money will support Kansas’s 26 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, which serve children, families, adults and veterans. According to a release from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the clinics offer services like outpatient treatment for substance use disorder and mental health issues, crisis services and resources for psychiatric rehabilitation.
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Questions Remain About Topeka McDonald’s Shooting
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Police have released more information about a murder-suicide that occurred took place at a Topeka McDonald’s last month, but many questions remain. Police say they believe Dallas Dehart, 51, shot two men before taking his own life. One of the men died, the other survived but remains hospitalized. But the gunman’s motive remains unclear. Police say they have been unable to establish any connections among the three men. KSNT reports the investigation remains active, though no charges are expected to be filed.
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Pack of Coyotes Spotted in Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — A Topeka woman’s Ring doorbell camera captured some unusual footage early Monday morning: a pack of coyotes chasing a stray cat. Rebecca Rogg lives near Southeast 43rd and Illinois Avenue. She said she heard a disturbance outside and checked the Ring footage. KSNT reports Rogg says she sometimes feeds stray cats in the neighborhood but is now worried for their safety. State wildlife officials say coyotes sometimes appear in urban areas to seek food. But the state will only remove coyotes after they become more visible during the day.
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Longtime Gay Rights Advocate Seeks State Senate Seat
WICHITA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Longtime Kansas gay rights advocate Tom Witt has announced he’s running for a seat in the Kansas senate. Witt tells the Kansas Reflector he’s added his name to the list of candidates seeking to replace Mary Ware, a Wichita Democrat who resigned from the state senate last month. Witt is the former executive director of Equality Kansas. Democratic precinct committee members will choose Ware’s successor in a special nominating convention on Thursday. State representative Silas Miller and former Wichita mayor Brandon Whipple are also being considered for the seat.
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After Long Fight, CoreCivic May Finally Apply for Leavenworth Permit
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — The private prison company CoreCivic may be ready to throw in the towel in its fight with the city of Leavenworth. The city says the company needs to get a special use permit before it can reopen its prison to house detained immigrants. CoreCivic has insisted it doesn’t need a permit from the city, but after a series of legal defeats, the company now says it may apply for one after all. CoreCivic tells the Kansas Reflector it’s “assessing all available avenues to find a successful conclusion to this matter … up to and including filing for the Special Use Permit.”
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Topeka Hospital, Blue Cross Struggle to Reach Agreement
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Topeka’s St. Francis Hospital have until the end of the month to reach a new contract agreement. If they don’t, St. Francis will become out-of-network for people who are insured by Blue Cross. That means the cost of seeing their health care providers at St. Francis could go way up. The current contract expires December 31. A Blue Cross spokesperson tells the Kansas Reflector he’s still optimistic the two sides will reach a deal.
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Company Withdraws Plans for KCK Industrial Waste Plant
UNDATED (KNS) — A New Jersey-based company has withdrawn plans for an industrial waste plant in a low-income Kansas City, Kansas, neighborhood. The Kansas News Service reports that the move comes after residents raised safety and pollution concerns. The company, Reworld, says it withdrew plans for the Armourdale neighborhood because of quote “changing business circumstances.” The withdrawal comes after residents demanded more transparency. The facility would have taken in more than 1,000 trucks of industrial waste each weekday, and would have been located near homes and an elementary school. City officials repeatedly delayed approving permits for the plan and asked the company to hold public forums. Residents say the company failed to do so.
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Federal Law Change Could Affect Hemp Farmers in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) — A federal law change could hamper the hemp industry in Kansas, which has grown to one of the largest in the country. The Kansas News Service reports that the law lowers the amount of THC allowed in hemp. THC is the psychoactive compound in cannabis. The change is meant to close a loophole that allowed stores to sell hemp-derived THC products that can get users high, similar to marijuana. But Kelly Rippel, a hemp advocate, says the change is so restrictive that it would affect Kansas farmers. They mostly produce non-consumable hemp products like fiber. “And only certain producers or processors would be able to meet that and those would include pharmaceuticals and researchers,” Rippel explained. Federal data shows Kansas planted the fifth most hemp in the country in 2025. The law change is set to go into effect in November 2026.
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KC2026 Reveals Regional Transportation Plan for World Cup
UNDATED (KPR) — Kansas City is one of the World Cup soccer tournament host cities next summer. On Tuesday, the organizing committee unveiled its transportation plan. There are 15 sites around the Kansas City metropolitan area for fans to board buses, including six in Kansas. Mike Kelly, chairman of the Johnson County board of commissioners, says Lawrence is one of the six sites in Kansas because of the possibility that Rock Chalk Park will serve as a base camp for one of the teams. "Fans that will follow a team that hopefully will be based in Lawrence will want to experience all that the region has to offer. So we wanted to make sure we’re intentional about giving them the connection to do so," Kelly said. All the bus routes will lead to the World Cup FanFest at the Liberty Memorial site in Kansas City. The World Cup draw will be announced on Friday of this week to determine which countries will be represented at each site in the early rounds. (Read more.)
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Wichita Teachers Union Seeks Revision on Parent Contact Policy for Failing Students
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — A teachers union in Wichita wants the district to reconsider a policy that requires teachers to contact parents if a student is in danger of failing a class. United Teachers of Wichita president Katie Warren told the Kansas News Service that the district's Parent View program allows parents to check their child's grades online anytime. Despite that, she says, some principals are requiring teachers to call and e-mail parents, often multiple times, to alert them about failing grades. "If these phone calls are truly a priority, we would like you to provide designated time once a quarter for teachers to make those calls. That's definitely something we could take off the plates of our high school educators," she argues. Warren says a recent survey shows that nearly 70 percent of Wichita teachers think their workload has increased since last school year.
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KSU Head Football Coach Stepping Down
UNDATED (KPR) — Kansas State University announced Wednesday that football coach Chris Klieman is stepping down. Klieman capped his seventh season as the Kansas State head coach with a home win last weekend over Colorado. That gave him 54 career victories with the Wildcats, the second most in program history after the legendary Bill Snyder. This season, the Cats are bowl-eligible with a 6-6 season. But for only the second time in his seven years with K-State, the Cats failed to win at least eight games. The only other time was during the COVID year in 2020.
K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor was asked at a press conference Wednesday afternoon about the replacement process for finding Klieman's successor. "It's going to be fast, and it's going to be efficient," Taylor said.
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