A ballooning housing market. Thinning resources for homelessness services and affordable housing projects: Wichita’s housing challenges remain after voters overwhelmingly rejected a 1% sales tax that could have addressed them. What’s next without a $150 million allocation earmarked for affordable housing and Second Light, the city’s homeless resources campus? That set-aside was only about 18% of the total tax that would have been collected. There’s little evidence that Wichita voters don’t see the need for more resources to go into housing and homelessness. The bigger problem, according to polling done by Wichita Documenters and Wichita Forward, was voters’ lack of trust and [...]

Leaders in Sublette held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new splash pad on Wednesday. The Haskell County Rotary Club raised $400,000 to make this addition to the rec center. The splash pad will be 2,360 square feet, have seven water features and five more water sprays spread through three areas — a toddler bay, family bay and action bay. There will also be a seating wall for parents. The site where it is being built is bordered by a park and athletic fields. Because of its close proximity, the water used at the splash pad will be used to water the [...]

Emporia is facing more layoffs after it was announced Thursday that Michelin would cut 100 jobs and rework its operations there. It’s another blow to Emporia’s job market, which has faced roughly 1,200 job losses over the past few years according to the Regional Development Association (RDA). Eight hundred of those cuts were related to Tyson Foods closing a processing facility there in 2025. On Monday, KSN News spoke with leaders from Emporia organizations, who are focused on workforce and business development, to understand how the community could bounce back from the trend. Read more: KSN-TV

Twenty‑five years ago, Hoisington High School students were preparing for a memorable prom night. It was also the night an F4 tornado struck. The Hoisington tornado of April 21, 2001, caused widespread damage and heartbreak. The storm destroyed 200 homes and 12 businesses, and another 200 homes received minor to moderate damage. One person died, and 28 others were hurt. The tornado touched down southwest of town and quickly moved into the city. Read more: KSN-TV

Residents of Galena are taking matters into their own hands – after they say they’ve lost federal and state support over the city’s landfill. Facebook group Galena Kansas Neighbors for Clean Air has been pushing back against the landfill on the outskirts of the city, which they feel is polluting the environment. Recently, group member and EcoSavvy Insights founder Kaylann Loraine has been collecting signatures for an environmental risk survey through her organization. The survey collects data about symptoms possibly caused by the landfill – where and when odors occur – and any other complaints. Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

The Kansas City Royals are moving from their longtime home at Kauffman Stadium to the downtown Crown Center area, partnering with Hallmark Cards on a $3 billion project that includes a mixed-used development with a new ballpark as its centerpiece. Royals owner John Sherman was joined by Hallmark chairman Don Hall Jr., Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, along with other local and state dignitaries, in making the announcement Wednesday near Hallmark headquarters. While the finalized master plan has yet to be complete, Sherman said the $1.9 billion stadium would break ground next year in the middle [...]

“The (incentives are to) fund both our growing population and also resident demand,” Danielle Gabor, Haysville’s economic development director, said. “...we have several housing developments that are either underway or are on the horizon. So because of that increase, we wanted to increase our dining options.” Read more: Wichita Eagle

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Friday said current economic conditions are complicating the approach to interest rates, with policymakers facing a potentially long-lasting inflation shock and a labor market with no job growth that nonetheless appears stable. Against that backdrop, Waller said the Fed could have to stay on hold for a prolonged period until the economic direction becomes clearer. Read more: CNBC Bonds

A new study that followed thousands through their lives found no evidence that fluoride in drinking water had a negative effect on young people's IQs. Researchers found that children exposed to fluoridated water did not experience lower IQ or reduced cognitive performance later in life, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research followed more than 10,000 people in Wisconsin, tracking fluoride exposure during childhood and measuring cognitive performance over decades. Participants were tested at age 16 and again throughout adulthood into their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.The result: no measurable difference between people [...]

Crews contained a wildfire that started at a dairy in west Kansas on Sunday. The fire started around 1:15 p.m. at Syracuse Dairy. The Kansas Forest Service said embers from burning hay bales and silage spread to grass nearby. Winds gusting up to 40 mph caused the fire to spread. An estimated 10 to 15 haystacks burned, but the exact number is unknown because of heavy smoke. Read more: KSN-TV