News

The top state lawmaker in the Sunflower State expects a stadium proposal from the Kansas City Royals at an upcoming Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) meeting. In an interview with FOX4 Friday, Republican State Senate President Ty Masterson said it was his understanding the only site the Royals were considering on the Kansas side of state line was the old Sprint campus, now known as Aspiria. Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

The big ball of twine in Cawker City. The giant Van Gogh painting in Goodland. The Big Brutus electric shovel in West Mineral. All are included on an elite list of quirky roadside attractions in Kansas that are famous for being unusually large. And all reside in Kansas towns that are unusually small. Now, a small town near Wichita is attempting to join that list, and it has until 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, to raise enough money to pull it off. The community foundation in Belle Plaine, a town of around 1,450 that’s 26 miles south of Wichita, is [...]

A split Wichita City Council rejected proposals Tuesday to protect tenants from income discrimination and to establish a registry of landlords with serial housing code violations. The proposed ordinances were defeated 4-3 after hours of passionate public comment from landlords, property owners and tenants. However, the council did vote 4-3 to move forward with consideration of an updated property enforcement code. The regulations, which would mandate sanitary conditions in rental units, are set to return to the council on Dec. 9. Read more: Wichita Eagle

Douglas County commissioners voted to allow a proposed solar farm to begin environmental testing on land in Grant Township amid pending litigation and opposition from the township board. The county’s next step is to seek judicial review on the action. The 5-0 vote to approve all requests for environmental testing will now move to judicial review, as the commissioners want to ensure they are not violating an injunction that is currently prohibiting construction or land modification for the solar farm. Read more: The Lawrence Times

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday voted 3-1 to end an impasse and approve raises for the firefighters union at the rate city staff members offered — less than the raises the union and an independent fact-finder had recommended. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical employees and City of Lawrence negotiators had agreed on most, but not all, aspects of the union’s 2026 contract. An impasse on wages reached the commission for a public hearing and final decision on Tuesday. Read more: The Lawrence Times

Marshall County voters will face a special question on the November 4 general election ballot regarding the sale of liquor by the drink in public establishments. The measure asks voters to decide whether to eliminate the current food sales requirement for venues that sell liquor by the drink. This change would allow establishments to sell alcoholic beverages without needing to meet a minimum percentage of revenue from food sales. Read more: The Sunflower State Radio Network

The Riley County Jail has been operating close to its maximum capacity for several years, and this year has exceeded its population limit, with the average daily population increasing by 12% to 15% since 2019. Riley County Police Department Lt. Jason Deehr told the Riley County Law Enforcement Agency Board Monday that while the jail’s bed count for inmates is 147, its actual operational capacity according to the jail’s classification is 120. Deehr presented a graph showing the average daily population for 2025 as about 125 inmates. Though RCPD Director Brian Peete told the board Riley County enjoys a low crime [...]

While the sale of the Halstead Hospital, Halstead Inn, and Nun House was through a private transaction, Halstead city leadership, as well as representation from the Harvey County Economic Development Commission met with the new owners at certain points during negotiations while they were doing their due diligence regarding a potential purchase of the properties and provided background or other information related to the community or as requested, according to Halstead City Manager Ethan Reimer. Read more: Harvey County Now

How should large, portable buildings, such as prefabricated sheds and workspaces, be valued and assessed for taxes in Jackson County? That question was discussed at a recent Jackson County Commission meeting with Kate Immenschuh, the county appraiser and zoning officer. More than 300 new agricultural structures in the county were identified from December 2021 to December 2024 through EagleView aerial imagery. Read more: The Holton Recorder

Community and municipal leaders, elected officials and water professionals from around Johnson County and the state of Kansas gathered Friday, Oct. 17, at the 2025 Johnson County Water Summit for a morning of learning and collaboration. The summit featured welcome remarks from Commissioner Becky Fast, Johnson County Board of County Commissioners, and Whitney Wilson, WaterOne Board Chair. It took place from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave., in Overland Park. Read more: Johnson County Kansas