The California, Oregon and Santa Fe National Historic Trails span 25 states and 25,000 miles, and they have an extensive history right here in Johnson County. Brown signs mark the places where these three trails crossed through our county, commemorating those who used them for passage and trade between the 1830s and 1860s. Emigrants used the Oregon and California National Historic Trails to find a better life in the west, while merchants established the Santa Fe Trail for commercial purposes. Beginning in Missouri, the trails wound west through Johnson County, splitting off into their three distinct routes. These trails have a [...]

A resident-led group who successfully organized in opposition to selling Westwood’s main city park earlier this month still insists the city should buy the old Westwood View Elementary building nearby in order to build an even larger park on that corner. But the city’s mayor reiterated in a recent email newsletter to residents that the city lacks the money to buy the school property on its own and had been banking on an influx of cash from the developer who wanted to build on the adjacent Joe D. Dennis Park. Now, what happens to the school property as well as Joe [...]

After years of hefty borrowing and financial decisions that have strained public services, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, has pledged to be more financially responsible with its taxpayers’ dollars. Local officials this spring are trying to get a grip on their spending, reviewing past — and recent — practices including frequent dips into reserve funds and rapidly-assumed long-term debt, as they eye the 2026 fiscal year and looming summer cuts. Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

The Salina Airport Authority invites the public to a special event celebrating the first United Express nonstop flight from Salina Regional Airport (SLN) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on Friday, May 2, 2025. The celebration will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the Salina Regional Airport Terminal and conclude with the flight’s departure at 11:30 a.m. This marks the launch of Salina’s first nonstop commercial service to Houston, a major United Airlines hub, opening new travel and business opportunities for the region. Source: KCLY Radio

Members of the Parsons Police Department were recognized with the Bronze Unit Citation for Uncommon Valor at the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police Spring Conference on April 16 in Mulvane. The award honors the department’s efforts—alongside the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—in dismantling a major drug trafficking operation across Southeast Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The investigation, which began in January 2023, was initiated by Detective Brice Dickens following citizen reports of local drug activity. Detective Dickens’ work led to a coordinated effort with the KBI, DEA, and Labette County Sheriff’s Office, resulting in multiple federal [...]

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly will join Kansas Department of Health and Environment leadership and local officials in Garden City for an update on the measles outbreak in Kansas. It will take place at 2 p.m., and KSN News will provide a live stream of the event. As of Tuesday, Kansas has 37 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state, health officials announced Wednesday. Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, and Morton counties each have fewer than five cases. Haskell County has the most cases, with eight, Stevens County has seven, and Kiowa County has six. Source: KSN-TV

The community of Ellinwood wants to convert a now-closed hospital into a behavioral health center for veterans. After a new hospital and clinic were built, discussions began about what to do with the old building, which was built in 1952 "We did some research and discovered there's just a little south of 9,000 veterans in Barton County and the four surrounding counties in this area. We also started talking to community members," Jon Prescott, the manager of swing bed development at Ellinwood Hospital, said. "We got great support." The closest veteran care centers are an hour and 40 minutes away. Source: KSN-TV

On this day 24 years ago, the city of Hoisington in Barton County was struck by a tornado. On April 21, 2001, a tornado that would go on to be rated as an F4 on the discontinued Fujita Scale touched down southwest of Hoisington. Under the previous F ratings, the tornado that hit the community had estimated wind speeds from 207 to 260 mph. After it touched down, the tornado took a path northeast through Hoisington, destroying 212 homes and businesses. Eighty-five homes had significant damage, and 200 had minor to moderate damage. Source: KSN-TV

After 25 years of service, Wichita Fire Department’s longtime mascot Sparky has officially retired — and on Saturday, the department introduced his furry successor. In a special event hosted by the Kansas Humane Society, WFD revealed the name and face of its new mascot: Rigs. The name was selected with help from the public following Sparky’s retirement announcement. Source: KSN-TV

A week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several people in parts of western Kansas, city leaders in Liberal are preparing for more detainments in the coming weeks. Liberal city leaders say because they don't know the whereabouts or identification of some of those people taken, their big concern right now is what could happen to families if someone is taken away. They say last week they had a situation where they lost track of a group of children after adult family members were detained by ICE. They later learned the kids had been taken in by a family member. [...]