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Johnson County Government today announced it will receive a $21 million Federal Aviation Administration infrastructure grant to support the full reconstruction of Runway 18-36 at New Century AirCenter. The 7,300-foot runway is a critical piece of aviation infrastructure serving corporate, military and general aviation operations across the region. Read more: Johnson County Kansas

When you think of Kansas, you probably don't think of mountains — or mountain lions. But in recent years, the number of sightings of mountain lions in the state has skyrocketed. In the past two years, there have been 117 sightings of the big cats in the state, more than the previous 15 years combined, said Jon Beckmann, a wildlife supervisor for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. As mountain lion populations continue to become reestablished in the Great Plains, increasing across the four states that border Kansas, it's likely that they will rise in this state as well, he [...]

Children all across southeast Kansas are learning the ins and outs of dairy thanks to a mobile class. The Southeast Kansas Community Action Program Mobile Dairy Classroom came to Galena early Wednesday to show kids how their milk gets from the farm to their kitchen table. Children from Galena Head Start got hands on experiences with dairy farming, animal care and more. The 30-minute demonstration included a portion featuring Hazel Grace the milk cow getting milked. Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

The Topeka Fire Department is inviting the public to visit various fire stations around the Capital City as they host open houses. Starting on Oct. 3, the TFD will start holding open houses at different fire stations around the city. The city is inviting the public to visit the 12 different stations around Topeka on various dates through to September 2026. "Everyone is invited to come and take a tour, as well as meet some of the fire staff in their area," City of Topeka spokesman Dan Garrett said. Read more: KSNT 27 News

One of the companies leading the charge to deploy safer, smaller, faster-to-build nuclear reactors is hoping to find a site for one in Kansas. TerraPower, cofounded by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, began construction last month on its first power plant of this kind in southwest Wyoming as a $4 billion demonstration project cofunded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Now it is interested in building one in Kansas to generate power in utility company Evergy’s service area. Read more: The Lawrence Times

Another mixed-use development is on its way to Andover. Kentucky-based housing developer Winterwood Inc. has proposed a new development featuring a mix of commercial uses to be built out in phases, according to documents submitted to the city of Andover. It'll be located across a 19-acre parcel called the Thoroughbred at the southwest corner of Kellogg and Allen, just across from the Buffalo Ridge Apartments. Read more: Wichita Business Journal - Local Wichita News

An officer with the Hays Police Department was killed in the line of duty over the weekend. Just before midnight on Saturday, police received a 911 call from a woman who said she had escaped a domestic violence incident at a home in the 2000 block of E. 21st St. She told officers her significant other had rammed her vehicle with his truck as she tried to flee. She ran to a nearby home for help. Around 1:55 a.m., while officers and a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper were setting up a perimeter near the suspect’s backyard in the 2200 block of [...]

Police didn’t provide an age for the threat maker but described the caller who left a voicemail indicating that there was a bomb attached to an airplane at the airport as “a juvenile male.” Read more: KWCH

Downtown Liberal was once the economic center of the community when the traffic was calm and the parking allowed the district to be pedestrian friendly. Later the avenue was changed to two lanes with the State of Kansas designated the road as Highway 83. But that was changed when the highway was diverted to the east side of Liberal, but the roadway was never returned form four lanes to two lanes. Read more: Leader & Times

Vehicle owners in Barton County may only face the hassle of paying for new or renewed tags once a year, but for Barton County Treasurer Jim Jordan and his team, the financial strain of providing that underfunded state-mandated service is year-round. "County treasurers across Kansas are mandated to provide vehicle tag and title services," Jordan said. "But the monies provided by the state to the county for this work do not match the cost of providing that service." Read more: Great Bend Post