K-State Fires Men's Basketball Coach, Fight over Buyout Looms
MANHATTAN, Kan. (Manhattan Mercury) — Kansas State University has fired head men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang. Tang was fired after Sunday’s game, a 78-64 loss to Houston. The loss dropped K-State to 1-11 in the Big 12 this season. Tang is due an $18 million buyout, but the school says it won’t pay it. The Manhattan Mercury reports the school is firing Tang “for cause” for disparaging statements he made about the team after a loss to Cincinnati last week. Tang is likely to take the school to court over that decision. Assistant coach Matthew Driscoll has been named the interim head coach. (Read more.)
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Report: Forests Rapidly Overwhelming Kansas Prairie
UNDATED (KSNT) — A new report finds forests are swallowing up Kansas prairies at an alarming rate. The report comes from the State department of agriculture. KSNT reports many ranchers are stunned by how quickly the trees are taking over. Officials say the loss of prairie has widespread effects far beyond ranching. Trees use up much more groundwater than grasslands. They can also be a greater fire hazard.
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Weather Service Issues Fire Weather Watch for Eastern Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The National Weather Service is warning that the risk for wildfires this week will be high. The Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Tuesday. The watch covers most of eastern Kansas. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for western Kansas Tuesday. The Weather Service says low humidity and strong winds are increasing the fire danger in the state. Click here for the latest forecast.
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Lawrence Shelter Sees Spike in Pet Surrenders from Worried Immigrants
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LT) — The Lawrence Humane Society says it’s seen an uptick in animals being surrendered to the shelter due to their owners’ fears of being deported. So far this year three dogs have been dropped off by people who say they were worried they might be arrested by immigration agents. The shelter tells the Lawrence Times it’s also received “at least three or four phone inquiries” from people concerned about their immigration status. Humane Society officials say they expect those numbers to grow. In Minneapolis, where immigration enforcement was recently ramped up, shelters have reported a jump in pet surrenders from immigrants.
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KDHE Launches Website to Aid Health Care Providers During World Cup 2026
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas health officials are prepping for the more than half a million World Cup visitors coming to the Kansas City area. That huge gathering means it’s an ideal place for diseases to spread. The Kansas News Service reports that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment recently launched a website aimed at helping physicians recognize and stop the spread of infectious disease. State epidemiologist Farah Ahmed says diseases including respiratory illnesses spread quickly in large gatherings. She says they’re training physicians to “Think Travel History.” “Even though it'll be summertime for us, we will have a lot of travelers coming from the southern hemisphere and they will be in their respiratory season, so they'll be bringing those illnesses in,” she cautions. Ahmed says KDHE will also publish weekly domestic and international infectious disease reports, so doctors know what to watch for. (Read more.)
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Kansas Women Sentenced for Lying about “Space Crime”
WICHITA, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — A Kansas woman has been sentenced to three months in federal prison for lying to police about a space crime. Fifty-one-year-old Summer Worden of Wichita told police her estranged spouse, who is a NASA astronaut, had illegally accessed Worden’s bank account from the International Space Station. Worden repeated the claim to multiple news outlets. An investigation proved the claim was false. Worden was sentenced on Friday. WIBW-TV reports she was also ordered to pay over $200,000 in restitution.
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Winters Warming Faster in Kansas and Missouri
UNDATED (HPM) — In Kansas and Missouri, climate change is particularly affecting temperatures in the winter. The nonprofit organization Climate Central analyzed the weather in about 250 U.S. cities going back to 1970.The four seasons aren’t all getting warmer at the same rate. And the situation is different in different regions. For the cities that Climate Central examined in Kansas and Missouri, winter is the season that has warmed up the most since 1970. Harvest Public Media reports this is the case for many eastern U.S. cities, as well. Many cities in the western U.S. have seen temperatures rise the most in the summer or fall.
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Lawmakers Consider Making Kratom a Schedule 1 Drug in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KWCH) — Kansas lawmakers are considering making a popular substance sold in gas stations and smoke shops a Schedule 1 drug. The bill would put kratom in the same category as hard drugs like heroin. Kratom is technically legal. It gives users an opioid-like high. Most doctors say it has no acceptable medical use. KWCH reports the bill would also ban a similar drug known as 7-OH.
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Unified Government Sues Fire Truck Makers for Alleged Price Fixing
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) — The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is suing the nation’s leading fire truck manufacturers, alleging the companies have conspired to fix prices. The suit alleges the conspiracy has caused the price of fire trucks to double from about $500,000 each to a million dollars. The U.G. is suing six companies and subsidiaries in all. The suit claims the delivery time for new trucks has also increased, from seven to twelve months to more than four years. KCTV reports the companies have not yet responded to the suit. The U.G. is seeking damages under federal antitrust laws.
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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.
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