USD 232 in De Soto is gearing up to consider new policies and storage solutions this summer for the state’s new bell-to-bell personal device ban. Assistant superintendent Alvie Cater presented a timeline and potential options for implementing the state’s new ban on personal electronic devices for students during the May 4 Board of Education meeting. The goal is to finalize a storage option later this summer, giving the district time to train staff and communicate the plan with families before the next school year starts in August. Read more: Johnson County Post

A coalition of federal lawmakers from Kansas introduced in the U.S. House this week a bipartisan bill that could offer interest-free loans to rural hospitals “hanging on by a thread.” U.S. Reps. Sharice Davids and Tracey Mann of Kansas and representatives from Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon and West Virginia co-sponsored the Rural Hospital Revitalization Act. Mann and Davids said rural hospitals need resources to continue serving patients and stay open. The bill could help rural hospitals build new facilities or renovate existing ones “so rural Americans don’t have to drive hours to see a health care professional,” Mann said in [...]

The Beloid Police Department announced on its Facebook that a train car derailment in the southeast area of Beloit has prompted the closure of several streets as emergency crews and railroad personnel respond to the incident. Officials said Brooklyn, Elm and Asherville Road are currently closed to all traffic. Motorists are being asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes while crews work at the scene. There is no estimated timeline for when the roads will reopen. Read more: KCLY Radio

Community leaders gathered to learn about potential data center expansion opportunities during a Chamber of Commerce presentation where Evergy Senior Director of External Affairs Jason Klindt highlighted both economic benefits and addressed environmental concerns surrounding the growth of existing facilities. "It's an opportunity to educate our community, especially business and community leaders, city leaders, county leaders, because the more information they've got, the better prepared they are when those opportunities come down the pike," Pittsburg Chamber president Blake Benson said. Benson emphasized the importance of community education, particularly given the proven success of Pittsburg's existing data center operations. Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Bourbon County Clerk Susan Walker filed a lawsuit asking a judge to stop a recall petition tied to ballot errors in the USD 235 school board election. The lawsuit, filed May 22, 2026, asks the court to declare the petition legally invalid, stop signature collection, and block any recall election connected to it. Walker argues Kansas law requires recall petitions to be reviewed for legal sufficiency before circulation. She claims the recall committee submitted an amended petition that was never formally approved before signatures were gathered. Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Officials in northeast Kansas county are asking state lawmakers to tackle a growing problem before it turns deadly. The Marshall County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to send a letter to legislators, senators and the attorney general calling for a task force to figure out how to best regulate storm chasing. It follows an influx of hundreds of chasers who came to the state on May 18 in hopes of catching a tornado. The Marshall County sheriff said he had to drive on the wrong side of the road for two miles because a train of chasers would not pull over. [...]

Early voting begins Thursday for Morton County residents as they decide whether to remove Sheriff Thad Earls from office. Early voting will take place at the Morton County Clerk’s Office during regular business hours. The recall election is scheduled for June 9. Read more: KSN-TV

Kansas City, Kansas, is making it easier for homeowners to get short-term rental permits as the city prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches this summer. The Unified Government loosened its short-term rental requirements ahead of the World Cup and launched a new digital licensing system starting in February. Read more: News

Data centers and battery energy storage systems will not be developed in South Hutchinson for at least one year, after the South Hutchinson City Council approved a moratorium at its meeting Monday evening at South Hutchinson City Hall. The moratorium comes as the first pause on data center and BESS development in the eastern part of Reno County. The ordinance directs the South Hutchinson Planning Commission to review current regulations and draft zoning regulations for data centers and BESS to be approved by the city council before the moratorium ends. Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

The Reno County Commission scheduled possible action on data centers for a Tuesday, June 9, meeting after hearing from seven county residents during public comment during the commission’s Wednesday, May 27, meeting. Susie Ratzlaff of rural Buhler presented the commission with a petition she said had 875 signatures requesting that Reno County establish a moratorium on data center and battery energy storage system (BESS) development. She also cited a national poll conducted by Gallup in March in which 71% of respondents said they opposed the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence in their area. Ratzlaff asked commissioners to give the [...]