Three Wounded in Suspected Stabbing in Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — Three people were injured in a suspected stabbing in Topeka Tuesday afternoon. WIBW-TV reports officers responded to a report of an aggravated battery at 722 SW Taylor Street just before 4 p.m. Upon arrival, they found three people who had apparently been stabbed. The victims were taken to a local hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition. Topeka Police say the investigation is ongoing but there is no danger to the public.
==========
Report: Man Shot Dead at Lawrence City Hall Had Schizophrenia
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LT) — More details are emerging about the man who was shot dead inside Lawrence City Hall last week. Omar Dominguez Gavilan, 28, of Buffalo, Minnesota, was shot by a security guard after he entered a restricted area of the building and engaged in a fight. The Lawrence Times quotes Gavilan’s sister as saying he suffered from schizophrenia. Gavilan was reportedly enroute from his home in Minnesota to visit his grandmother in Mexico. State troopers found him acting erratically at the Turnpike rest area east of Lawrence and transported him to the Lawrence Amtrak station. From there, Gavilan made his way to City Hall, where he was shot.
==========
Kansas Governor Calls for Civility in Final State of the State Address
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Governor Laura Kelly is asking for more civility in politics. That was part of the message she delivered Tuesday night during her final State of the State address. "I did not get elected governor—twice—by screaming the loudest or bullying other people to get my way," she said. "I'm here because Kansans were looking for someone who would turn the volume down, do more listening and bring people together to compromise." Since the start of her administration, Kelly said the two parties had come together to pass nearly 600 bipartisan bills.
No More Cell Phones in School!?
Kelly also called on state lawmakers to pass legislation that prohibits cell phone use by students during the school day. That was just one of many policy ideas she presented during her address. "Smart phones and social media have exposed our children to a world they are not ready for ... and to social pressures they don't need or deserve. It's creating a mental health crisis and a learning crisis," she said. Kelly says the research is clear: cell phones and social media are leading to anxiety, depression and even suicide among young people. The idea of banning cell phones in school appears to have bipartisan support in the Legislature.
Click hear for the full text of Kansas Governor Laura Kelly's 2026 State of the State speech.
==========
Kansas Governor's Budget Proposal Features Special Education Funding, Water Management, and More
UNDATED (KNS) — Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is proposing an increase in funding for special education, water management and welfare administration. State lawmakers will consider Kelly’s budget proposal during the legislative session that began this week. The Kansas News Service reports that the budget would put an additional $50 million toward special education. But Kansas budget director Adam Proffitt told lawmakers that state funding will not be enough, saying that “...the governor is calling on the feds again to meet their obligation and increase their level of funding here in Kansas for special education.” A legislative task force is working on a school finance formula that will decide how the state allocates funding for students with special needs in 2027 and beyond.
In addition, Governor Kelly is seeking more money to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. Kelly says federal rule changes will reduce access to SNAP and place new burdens on state agencies. Adam Proffitt told lawmakers that an extra $16 million is needed to keep the program operating as normal. The state could also face tens of millions of dollars in penalties based on how many Kansas SNAP recipients are paid in error.
==========
Kansas and Missouri Small Businesses Deal with Uncertainty of Future ACA Subsidies
UNDATED (KCUR) — Thursday is the deadline to enroll for Affordable Care Act health care plans, but the future of government subsidies is still uncertain. KCUR reports that the uncertainty has put a financial strain on small businesses in Kansas and Missouri. By some estimates, half of all small business owners and employees are covered by Obamacare. Kerri VanMevern says the ACA allowed her to leave corporate America and start her own government contracting consulting business. “It allows me to focus on my business and less on worrying about an unexpected health event that could bankrupt me. Yeah, it’s been a lifeline for me,” she added. The Urban Institute says up to 5 million people will drop their coverage if subsidies aren’t extended. The U.S. House voted to restore most of the subsidies for three years, but the Senate has yet to act.
==========
Man Who Struck Child in Lawrence Dollar General Says It Was Discipline
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — A man arrested for allegedly beating his seven-year-old son with a belt inside a Lawrence Dollar General told a Douglas County judge Tuesday he was only administering discipline. The judge will decide whether the man will stand trial for child abuse. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the incident occurred on November 8. Bystanders who witnessed the incident called police. The man’s attorney told the judge the child has “extremely difficult behavioral challenges.” The incident was captured by the store’s surveillance cameras. The video was played, without sound, at Tuesday’s hearing.
==========
Amendment Would Cap Kansas Property Tax Increases
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Kansas lawmakers are debating an amendment to the state constitution that would cap annual property tax increases at 3%. Of course, that would also limit the amount of tax revenue local governments could collect from property owners. But one of the amendment’s supporters, state senator Mike Thompson, tells KSNT many counties and municipalities are “sitting on piles of reserve cash.” Opponents say the cap would hurt local governments and impede development.
==========
Fifty Pounds of Beef Stolen from Lyon County Food Pantry
ALLEN, Kan. (KSNT) — Fifty pounds of ground beef have been stolen from a Lyon County food pantry. The theft was discovered on Monday at the North Lyon County Food Pantry in Allen. But it may have occurred as early as January 4. KSNT reports Lyon County deputies are investigating the theft. Anyone with information about it is asked to contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.
==========
Kansas Officials Say State Making Progress on Reducing Food Assistance Overpayments
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas officials say they are making progress to reduce how often the state overpays residents for food assistance. The Kansas News Service reports that the state must drop its error rate below 6% or risk losing some federal funding in the future. The Kansas error rate last year was just over 9%, which would mean a $40 million federal funding cut in 2028. In the past, the state had an error rate between 10% and 12%. Carla Whiteside-Hicks of the Kansas Department for Children and Families says the state is training to reduce documentation issues and adding technology to double check complicated scenarios, saying the state is in a position to “...go back and review, and make sure that you really did get this right, because this is one of those cases that is at a high risk for error." She says the state’s goal is to reach compliance by the end of the fiscal year. The state’s most recently reviewed monthly error rate was 5.5%.
==========
Experts Urge Awareness of Possible Radon Exposure in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) — Recent data shows one in three Kansas homes has radon exposure. The Kansas News Service reports that radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that naturally forms in the soil and is linked to lung cancer. It’s more prevalent in certain parts of the country. Average Kansas radon levels are higher than the recommended safe levels. Brian Hanson with the Kansas State University Radon Program recommends testing homes in the winter. "The mechanism by which radon leaves the soil and comes into homes in particular is maximized when we are running our furnaces. So winter is the ideal time to screen the home for radon," he explained. Most K-State extension offices offer radon kits starting at ten dollars.
January is National Radon Action Month.
==========
Former Kansas Cybercrime Investigator Charged with Making Child Porn
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Kan. (KPR/KSNT) — A former southeast Kansas sheriff's deputy is charged with making child pornography. Federal prosecutors say Garrett Gayoso, 25, of Baxter Springs, is accused of sexually exploiting a child in the production of child porn. The former Cherokee County sheriff's deputy is scheduled to appear in federal court in Wichita next month. Last year, Gayoso was charged in Massachusetts when authorities say he traveled there to have sex with a 16-year-old girl he met online. At the time, Gayoso was a detective assigned to investigate online crimes against children. KSNT reports that Gayoso was indicted in December, but the indictment was only recently unsealed.
==========
Kansas Leading the Nation in Confirmed Bird Flu Infections
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KNS) - Human cases of influenza are high in Kansas. So too are the number of bird flu cases. In fact... Kansas has the highest confirmed number of bird flu infections in the nation. That includes cases of the disease in commercial and backyard flocks. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 400,000 Kansas birds are affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza. There are outbreaks in four Kansas commercial flocks and six backyard flocks. 380,000 of the birds are from a commercial egg-laying flock in Pottawatomie County. 65 total flocks in the U.S. have confirmed cases. The federal government has recorded 71 human cases of the bird flu. None were in Kansas. The CDC’s website says the risk to the public is low.
=========
Kansas Governor's Office Warns Fed Data Request Could Put Information in Hands of Foreign Governments
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s office says the federal government’s request for data on food benefit recipients could be shared with foreign governments. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas is one of more than 20 states is challenging the federal government’s request. State officials say it amounts to federal overreach. The governor’s office says a provision allows the data to be shared with foreign governments, and there’s no reason that should happen.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has requested the personal information of Kansans who have applied for food assistance, including Social Security numbers and birth dates. Kansas is withholding the data. State officials have said turning over the information would violate recipient privacy.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families says 730,000 Kansans live in households that applied for and/or received SNAP benefits between 2020 and 2025.
==========
Internationally-Renowned KU Fungi Collection Faces Federal Funding Problems
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - A fungi collection at the University of Kansas that supports research into agriculture is facing money problems. KU houses the world’s biggest collection of special fungi that can help plants grow, including many crops. It was funded by the National Science Foundation but that money ran out. So, the team that runs the collection has launched an endowment account to try to keep it afloat.
Jim Bever, a professor at the Kansas Biological Survey, says they are spending down money earned by shipping samples to other scientists and labs. But, he says that’s not enough to sustain this collection - the biggest of its kind in the world. “You know at this point we’re just trying to do everything. You know, try all approaches to keep this going," he said. It’s still possible that more federal funding might come through. But - appropriations for science are uncertain right now. Competition is fierce and the Trump administration has shrunk the National Science Foundation.
Bever says KU's collection of fungi helps researchers around the globe. “There are very few institutions that have the facilities and have the expertise to grow and culture out these fungi. They’re very important organisms to understand," he said. Bever's team has launched an endowment to try to keep the collection afloat if more federal funding doesn’t come through. The new endowment is an account at the KU Endowment Association. The fungi collection is housed at the Kansas Biological Survey.
(The fungi collection at KU is called the International Collection of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi.)
==========
Former K-State Cornerback Named to College Football Hall of Fame
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) — Former Kansas State University cornerback Terence Newman has been named to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2026. Newman is the seventh K-State player or coach to be selected to the College Football Hall of Fame, and the fourth in the last 15 years. He was a consensus All-American in 2002 as a cornerback and returner, and won the 2002 Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the nation's top defensive back.
In addition, Kansas native Gary Patterson will be inducted as a coach in the College Football Hall of Fame this year. He was the head coach for Texas Christian University from 2000 until 2021. He's a native of Rozel, Kansas, and played football at Dodge City Community College and at Kansas State University.
The induction ceremony will take place on December 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
==========
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).