Unified Government OKs STAR Bond District for Chiefs Stadium
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KSHB) — The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, has approved a new STAR bond district for the Kansas City Chiefs’ proposed stadium. The U.G. commission voted 7-3 in favor of the proposal Thursday night. That means the U.G. will use tax revenue from the district to help repay the state-financed bonds that will partly finance the $3 billion project. The new development will include a domed stadium as well as an “entertainment district” on 236 acres near State Avenue between 118th and 126th streets. KSHB reports most residents who spoke at Thursday night’s meeting opposed the approval of the new STAR bond district. In a statement, the Chiefs said they were “grateful for the process and remain very excited for the collaboration with Wyandotte County.”
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New Kansas Legislation Aims to Increase Penalties for Sextortion
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are pushing a bill that would criminalize teenage sextortion and now, Kansas lawmakers are discussing a similar measure. On Thursday, a legislative committee heard from Morgan Moore, an El Dorado mother, who lost her son Caleb in 2025 to a sextortion scheme. KWCH TV reports that Caleb was just 14 years old and heading into 8th grade when he took his own life, an action his mother says he was pressured into doing.
Sextortion is when victims are coerced into sending revealing photos or videos to someone online. Then, victims are blackmailed into sending money to prevent those images from being shared online.
Morgan wants her son’s story to bring awareness to the dangers of sextortion. She advocated for the new bill that would increase the penalties for sexual extortion especially when the victim is under the age of 18 and the offender is 18 or older.
The bill also aims to define severity levels of each sextortion case including when it causes the victim to commit bodily harm or suicide. The bill doesn’t just increase penalties. If passed, it would provide more educational information for kids and parents about the dangers of sextortion and talking to people online.
In Washington D.C., a bill known as the Combating Online Predators Act has already passed unanimously in the House and is making its way through the Senate. If it clears and is signed by the president, it would modernize federal law to keep pace with cyber criminals.
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Bills Decriminalizing Marijuana Introduced in Kansas House
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A group of bills decriminalizing marijuana have been introduced in the Kansas House. One bill would legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes only. The other would extend legalization to adult recreational use. WIBW TV reports that supporters also introduced a pair of constitutional amendments that would guarantee the right for adults to use and possess marijuana for medicinal or recreational use. Advocates say marijuana has shown benefits. Critics contend the drug is harmful and poses public safety risks.
Three of the four states surrounding Kansas have legalized the drug to one degree or another, including Colorado, Missouri and Oklahoma. Marijuana is not fully legal in Nebraska
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Prosecutors Rebut Self-Defense Claim in Lawrence Shooting
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Douglas County prosecutors are rebutting a defendant’s claim that he is immune from prosecution because he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot someone outside a Lawrence bar last month. Attorneys for the shooter, 18-year-old Daitron Daniels Strickland, say he believed his life was in danger when he fired the fatal shots. But prosecutors argue video evidence and eyewitness testimony contradict Daniels Strickland’s claim of self defense. They say Daniels Strickland was walking away from the bar when he turned and fired into a group of three unarmed people, killing one and wounding another. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Daniels Strickland and another defendant are each being held on $1 million bond.
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Report: ICE Agents Active in Manhattan
MANHATTAN, Kan. (Manhattan Mercury) — Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents were active in Manhattan, Kansas, on Thursday. The Riley County Police Department confirmed ICE activity in multiple locations in the city. But local police said they were not involved in the operations and could not comment further. The Manhattan Mercury reports ICE agents were spotted at a construction site and at a roofing company.
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Anti-ICE Protest Targets Topeka Target
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Anti-ICE protestors gathered outside a Topeka Target store to protest the company’s alleged policy of cooperating with the federal immigration agents. The protest was organized by members of the Southern Hills Mennonite Church. KSNT reports it took place outside the Target on Wanamaker Road. ICE agents were allowed to enter a Target in Minnesota to arrest two employees last month, but the company says it is not formally “cooperating” with ICE.
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Advocacy Group Calls for New Gun Safety Regulations in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — A gun safety group held a rally at the Kansas statehouse on Thursday to call for new regulations on the way guns and ammunition are stored. Moms Demand Action wants lawmakers to pass legislation that would require gun owners to store guns unloaded and locked, with ammunition stored separately. Supporters of the measure say it’s an easy way to reduce gun-related deaths in Kansas. WIBW-TV reports Democratic governor Laura Kelly spoke at the event.
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Kansas Bill Would Change Pre-Sentencing Release for Some Convicted Criminals
UNDATED (KNS) — People convicted of certain serious crimes in Kansas could soon be required to stay in jail while awaiting sentencing. Survivors of sexual abuse by a Kansas chiropractor are seeking a change in state law after their abuser was released post-conviction. The Kansas News Service reports that last year, a state judge in Manhattan found Clark Peterson guilty on dozens of counts of rape and other sexual offenses against former clients. But the judge allowed Peterson to walk out of the courtroom before his sentencing. Kate Cashman, one of the people Peterson assaulted, said the decision to release him was jarring. “To see Clark Peterson walk out of the courtroom (...) me realize that the trauma of sexual violence is not understood,” she testified. One opponent of the bill wrote that it would undermine judges’ ability to make decisions on a case-by-case basis.
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Suicide Deaths by Firearms Reach 20-Year High in Johnson County
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KCUR) — Suicide deaths involving a firearm reached a 20-year high in Johnson County, Kansas, last year. KCUR reports that preliminary numbers show 96 Johnson County residents died by suicide last year. Of those 2025 deaths, nearly two-thirds involved a gun. The numbers have alarmed public health officials, who are adjusting their approach.
Shana Burgess helps lead gun safety awareness efforts for the county mental health center. “Talking about mental health awareness, specifically firearm owners and retailers and then safe-storage options, whether that’s gun locks, safes or voluntary, out-of-home storage,” Burgess said, when asked about what those awareness efforts include. Johnson County currently works with two gun stores to provide out-of-home firearm storage for people in crisis.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, visit the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can call, text, or chat 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Services are free and confidential.
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Argentina Selects Kansas City as Its Base Camp for World Cup 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — The reigning World Cup champions, captained by perhaps the greatest player in the world, picked Kansas City as their base camp for the summer tournament. In a statement, the Argentinian national team called Kansas City ideal because it’s centrally located and the delegation will be most comfortable. Argentinian forward Lionel Messi was named the World’s Best Player eight times by FIFA. KCUR reports that the team will train and live in Kansas City for the duration of the monthlong event, which includes its June 16th match at Arrowhead against Algeria. England has reportedly booked the Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village for its stay. Teams haven’t announced yet where they will train, but possible practice sites include the facilities for Sporting Kansas City and the Current, as well as Swope Soccer Village and Lawrence’s Rock Chalk Park.
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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).