Topeka Police, FBI Investigate Threat Against Topeka Middle School
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — Police are investigating a threat made against a Topeka school this week. The threat was made against Eisenhower Middle School on Tuesday morning. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Topeka police and the FBI are investigating the threat, which was made online. Further details have not been released, but police have increased patrols at the school.
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Kansas Farmers Union Wants Country-of-Origin Labeling for Beef
UNDATED (KSN) — Kansas farmers are calling on the Trump administration to mandate country-of-origin labeling for beef. That call comes after the administration recently increased beef imports from Argentina. The Kansas Farmers Union says consumers have a right to know where their beef is coming from. KSN reports the union says country-of-origin labeling would support U.S. farmers and ranchers. Trump has said increasing imports from Argentina will bring down the price of beef. But U.S. cattle producers say Trump is manipulating the market for political purposes.
Earlier reporting:
U.S. Ranchers React as Executive Order Increases Beef Imports from Argentina
UNDATED (HPM) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order quadrupling beef imports from Argentina. Harvest Public Media reports that has aggravated some of Trump’s biggest supporters. President Trump promised to bring down food costs, and he supports the president of Argentina. So, he is quadrupling low tariff beef imports from Argentina for at least one year. But, Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, says added imports will hurt ranchers who are trying to rebuild the US cattle herd, which is at its lowest level since the 1950s. "As we continue to see imports displacing domestic production, displacing domestic producers and their cattle. This is going to delay the needed expansion of the US cow herd," Bullard said. While cattle prices dropped when Trump announced plans to increase imports last fall, Bullard says consumers will likely see no change in beef prices.
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Two Companies Announce Expansion Plans in Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW-TV/KSNT) — Two Topeka companies have announced plans to expand. WIBW-TV reports HF Rubber says it will add 19 new jobs over the next five years, with salaries ranging from 50- to 80-thousand dollars a year. HF Rubber manufactures the heavy machinery other companies use to manufacture rubber. And KSNT reports J.M. Smucker is expanding its factory in Topeka. The company manufactures food products. The Smucker project includes a capital investment of $17.8 million in property and $2.7 million in equipment. The company will receive nearly $400,000 in economic incentives for the expansion.
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CDC: Kansas Flu Levels Are “Very High”
UNDATED (KSN) — Flu levels in Kansas are “very high,” according to the CDC. While Influenza A remains the most prevalent strain, health officials say cases of Influenza B are rising. But the good news is that the overall levels have stabilized. KSN reports Kansas is one of seven states in the “very high” category. Twenty other states are experiencing “high” flu activity.
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Kansas Senate Advances Bill to Verify At-Risk Student Family Incomes
UNDATED (KNS) — The Kansas Senate has advanced a bill that critics say could strain school resources for students who are at risk of struggling academically. The amount schools receive in at-risk funding is based on the number of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. The Kansas News Service reports that the proposed law would force schools to gather income information from more families in order to receive at-risk funding.
Supporters say the bill will not lower access to free or reduced lunch. Republican Senator Doug Shane said many students are receiving free meals in error, causing the state to improperly pay schools millions of extra dollars. “A little bit of effort, I think, to make sure that...we are allocating our funds and distributing funds appropriately, I think, is certainly worth it,” Shane said.
Some critics say the policy will take a lot of staff time to verify each family’s income. Democratic Senator Marci Francisco also worries that the extra requirements will burden families and school districts. “Even though they may qualify, if a family doesn't return that information, the school district will stand to lose at risk funding,” she cautioned.
About 200,000 students in Kansas qualified for free lunch in the 2023-24 school year
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Kansas Education Commissioner Calls Special Education Underfunding "A Crisis"
UNDATED (KMUW) — Education Commissioner Randy Watson says Kansas schools are in a crisis due to the state’s consistent underfunding of special education. KMUW reports that Watson says special education funding has been far below what’s needed for several years. Estimates indicate a shortfall of about $226 million dollars this fiscal year. That leaves local school districts using general education dollars to cover excess costs for special education. Watson says some districts are closing schools, even in urban areas like Leavenworth, Olathe and Wichita. “It is at a stage right now, that – I don’t use this word lightly – it’s a crisis. It’s a crisis in every one of the schools,” he emphasized. The Kansas Board of Education asked lawmakers to allocate about $145 million in budget savings toward the shortfall. Watson says lawmakers are considering allocating a small fraction of that...between zero and $10 million.
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Kansas Lawmakers Considering Bill to Honor Linda Brown
UNDATED (KMUW) — Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would honor Linda Brown, the central figure in the landmark Brown versus Board of Education Supreme Court case. Linda Brown’s parents, Oliver and Leola Brown, sued the Topeka Board of Education in 1951 after Linda was denied access to an all-white school. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the Brown family, finding school segregation unconstitutional.
KMUW reports that a bill in Kansas would encourage school districts to adopt a “Linda Brown and Family Walk-to-School Day” in August or September. Linda Brown died in 2018. The bill is awaiting a hearing in Topeka.
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Lyon County Town Votes to Dissolve Police Department
AMERICUS, Kan. (KVOE) — A Lyon County town is pulling the plug on its police department. KVOE reports the Americus city council voted unanimously this week to disband the department. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office will take over policing in the town. Americus has a population of less than 800. The city council says it doesn’t have the money required to comply with state and federal guidelines for law enforcement agencies. No date has been set yet for the official dissolution of the department.
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Boil Water Advisory Issued for Parts of Pottawatomie, Jackson Counties
DELIA, Kan. (KPR) — A boil water advisory has been issued for some residents of Pottawatomie and Jackson counties after a major water main break. The advisory affects customers of Pottawatomie County Rural Water District #4 on the east side of the district. That includes the town of Delia. The boil water advisory was issued shortly before noon on Wednesday. It will remain in place until repairs and testing are completed. In the meantime, residents are also being asked to conserve water.
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Kansas Ranks Fifth in National Survey of Road Quality
UNDATED (KPR) — A new survey by the consumer group ConsumerAffairs finds more than 96% of Kansas roads are in acceptable condition. That’s the second highest rate in the country, trailing only Indiana’s 97.4%. Overall, ConsumerAffairs says Kansas roads are fifth-best in the nation, behind Indiana, Minnesota, Vermont, and Georgia. The rankings are based on factors such as road quality and fatality rates. Missouri finished 39th in the rankings. Coming in last: New Mexico.
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Kansas House Committee Changes Course on School Phone Ban Recommendation
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas lawmakers are rapidly changing tack on a proposed statewide ban on cell phones in schools. The Kansas News Service reports that a Kansas House committee voted on Monday to recommend that schools ban phones, rather than having the state require it. But the committee has reversed course again. The new proposal would force public schools to lock phones away for the entire school day, but private schools would not have the same requirements. Democratic state Representative Linda Featherston opposed the required phone ban. She says a statewide mandate undermines the authority of individual communities to set their own policies. “I think we have a lot of local schools who have figured this out. We should respect local control while still making it known that we consider the phones an issue that need to be addressed,” she added. Supporters of the ban say it would improve student mental health and academic performance.
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Kansas Governor Comments on Offensive Trump Social Media Post
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) — Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says a racist social media post by President Trump should not have happened. KMUW reports that Governor Kelly was dismayed by the video clip depicting former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as primates in a jungle. "I was offended and actually appalled and saddened that in today’s world in 2026 that that can still happen," Kelly said. In terms of Kansas, Kelly added, it's been made clear years ago that we are a free state. The Democratic governor says we value people of all different backgrounds, colors, creeds and religions. "What matters is what kind of contribution are you making to our communities, to our state," Kelly insisted. Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran also says the now deleted post was racist and not who we are as a nation.
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Kansas Colleges and Universities Get Ready for Looming Drop in Enrollment
PITTSBURG, Kan. (KRPS) — Colleges and universities across Kansas are bracing for what’s known as an enrollment cliff starting in 2028. People were having fewer babies around 2008 because of the nationwide financial crisis. Now children born in 2008 are in high school. KRPS reports that data from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education estimates Kansas will see a 12% decline in high school graduates in the next sixteen years. Karl Stumo with Pittsburg State University says the school’s leaders are bracing for the decline. We have to continually change and innovate to produce the right products that students and employers want in order to be a good partner for our region. Stumo says PSU is recruiting students for two-year certificate programs. That might attract people who otherwise wouldn’t pursue four year higher education.
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Kansas Flint Hills Burn Season Collides with a Shortage of Volunteer Firefighters
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) - Every spring, pastures in the Flint Hills are set ablaze. The controlled burns - primarily in March and April - help clear away underbrush, suppress invasive species and promote the growth of new grass for grazing. Sometimes, those controlled burns get out of control. And that presents a problem for states like Kansas, which rely heavily on volunteer fire fighters.
Bill Waln, the fire management officer with the Kansas Forest Service, says the state has lost about 30% of its volunteer force during the past 25 years. "We're losing firefighters... daily, right now. And we have many departments out there that have less than 10 firefighters on there, so one, one call and you've depleted the fire capacity, so... volunteer fire departments are just really struggling with numbers and people," he said. "So, that's, that's pretty significant... you know, especially as you move west and you have smaller departments out there that are 100% volunteer." Kansas consistently ranks in the Top 5 states in the nation for wildfires.
This week is Wildfire Awareness Week in Kansas. Learn more at KansasForests.org.
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Kansas High School Cancels Baseball, Not Enough Players
HORTON, Kan. (KPR) — A northeast Kansas high school has announced it won’t field a varsity baseball team this spring. Horton High School in Brown County says it just doesn’t have enough players. The high school only has about 150 students. In a statement posted on social media, the school says it still hopes to field a junior varsity team.
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Dutch Team Announces Base Camp in Kansas City for World Cup
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — The Netherlands Men’s National Team will join Argentina and England in making Kansas City its official base camp for this summer’s World Cup. KCUR reports that Oranje, as the Dutch team is known, will use the Kansas City Current’s training facility in Riverside, Missouri for its World Cup practice site. The team’s coach said climate conditions, the quality of facilities, location and travel distance all factored into choosing Kansas City. The Netherlands has one early-stage match at Arrowhead Stadium, against Tunisia on June 25th. It will also play two games in Texas. England claimed Swope Soccer Village, and Argentina will use Sporting Kansas City’s training facility – so the last possible base camp in the area is in Lawrence, Kansas. (Read more.)
(–Related–)
England Chooses Kansas City as Home Base for 2026 FIFA World Cup
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — England has chosen Kansas City as its home base for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. KCUR reports that the English men's national squad is joining Argentina in setting up its main base of operations in Kansas City for the tournament. It had previously been reported that England would operate from Prairie Village, Kansas, where it has booked all 54 rooms at the Inn at Meadowbrook. However, the team announced Wednesday that it would use practice facilities at Swope Soccer Village, the former base of Sporting Kansas City.
England will not play any of its early games in Kansas City, but reportedly chose Kansas City for its central location. The team is slated to play its group stage matches in Dallas, Boston and New York. With Argentina over at Sporting KC’s training facility, sites in Lawrence and Riverside are still available for two more teams. (Read more.)
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Man Facing Charges for Threatening Chiefs Players
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) — Prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, say it was no joke when a man made online threats against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce at a 2024 concert at Arrowhead Stadium. KCUR reports that the attorneys want the prosecution to continue despite the accused man saying he did not intend to carry out the threats.
Aaron Brown from Illinois went by the handle "Gooey Bag" on the social media platform X. Police say he threatened to shoot Mahomes or Kelce if he saw them at a Morgan Wallen concert. Court documents say police saw a tweet from Brown saying if he saw either Chiefs star player he would, quote, “take the F-ing shot.” Brown asked the court to dismiss the charges, saying it wasn’t a true threat and came from an account where he admitted saying stupid things. Prosecutors oppose dismissal, and in a filing Monday, said Brown recklessly communicated a threat – which delayed the concert 40 minutes while police searched the stands for Brown. If the case is not dismissed, a jury trial is set for April.
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