Anti-Trump Protestors Rally at Kansas Statehouse
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Hundreds of people gathered at the Statehouse on Wednesday to protest the Trump administration’s policies. The rally was organized by a coalition of fourteen groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, and Planned Parenthood. Some demonstrators chanted a profanity to condemn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Speakers addressed other issues such as food insecurity, voting rights, climate change, and health care. The Kansas Reflector reports the crowd also sang a number of protest songs, including Woody Guthrie’s “All You Fascists.”
==========
KCK to Add Police Officers Ahead of Chiefs Move
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KMBC) — The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department plans to hire more officers ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs’ move across the state line to Wyandotte County. KCK police chief Karl Oakman said his department will play a key role in public safety around the new football stadium. KMBC reports KCK currently has around 330 police officers. Its budget allows it to hire about 50 more, but the department has struggled to recruit more officers. KCK officers are required to live in Wyandotte County within a year of their appointment, though Chief Oakman says he’s willing to consider changing that policy.
==========
Kansas Regents Approve Tougher Tenure Policy
TOPEKA, Kan. (LJW) — The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday unanimously approved a new policy that makes it easier for the state’s public universities to fire tenured professors. The Regents hope the move will satisfy state lawmakers who have indicated they wanted the policy to change. Under the new policy, a tenured professor must undergo an annual review to determine if they are still qualified for the rank. The Lawrence Journal-World reports a professor who receives two consecutive unsatisfactory reviews may be dismissed. An earlier version of the policy that made dismissal mandatory after two negative reviews was scrapped by the Regents.
==========
Illnesses Force Kansas District to Close Schools
LANGDON, Kan. (KPR) — A school district in rural Kansas is canceling classes for the rest of the week after an outbreak of illnesses. Fairfield USD 310 announced the closure on Wednesday. The district is located in Reno County in south central Kansas. In a message to parents, superintendent Richard Spencer said the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and well-being of our students, staff, and families.” The nature of the illnesses was not specified. But reported cases of influenza are currently widespread across the country, including in Kansas.
==========
Bill Would Allow Some Kansas Hunters to Use Drones
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — A bill introduced in the Kansas legislature would allow hunters to use drones to locate wounded or recently deceased deer. The hunters would have to be federally licensed drone operators. KSNT reports Kansas law currently prohibits hunters from using drones during hunting activities. If the bill passes, it would still be illegal to use drones in a manner that “disturbs, worries, herds, or chases wildlife.”
==========
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.
==========
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.
=========
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).