News

Two Federal Reserve officials who voted this week against holding a key interest rate in place explained their decisions Friday, both indicating that the central bank is making a mistake by waiting to ease policy amid rising threats to the labor market. Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman both said they wanted a quarter percentage point reduction, as they see tariffs having only a temporary impact on inflation. They said staying on hold, as the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee has done since December, poses risks to the economy. Read more: Finance

Wyandotte County is expected to serve as a base camp for one of 48 nations participating in World Cup 2026 at Compass Minerals and also welcome teams who hold practices at Children's Mercy Park before heading to Arrowhead Stadium for six matches in June and July next year. Thursday night, the Mayor's Wyandotte County World Cup Readiness Task Force convened to brief Unified Government commissioners on progress so far in getting ready for the event and other ways it can welcome fans to the community and engage residents. Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports

A proposal to extend Johnson County’s public safety sales tax is headed for the voters four months later than originally planned, so the county can prepare for legal opposition likely to come from Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. County commissioners voted Thursday to withdraw the item from this November’s general election ballot and instead schedule it for a special mail-in election on March 3, 2026. The change will come with about a $950,000 price tag for the election expenses, but commissioners said the delay will give them time to ask a judge whether county commissioners can ask for the election under [...]

The city of Prairie Village could soon become the next Johnson County city to deploy drones as front-line emergency responders. Last week, the Prairie Village City Council discussed entering a contract with Houston-based Paladin Drones during a committee of the whole meeting for its own “Drone as First Responder” program. This is the same program that the city of Lenexa has been using since March and expanded in June, also under contract with Paladin. Lenexa Police now have a total of seven drones docked on various city properties that can be operated remotely, lifting off and flying to the scene of [...]

The Abilene Kansas History GeoTour, launched by Visit Abilene Kansas at the end of March, is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about geocaching destinations in the Midwest. In just three months, nearly 300 geocachers from 24 states have completed the GeoTour, which leads visitors on a GPS-guided treasure hunt through Abilene’s most iconic historical sites and attractions. Read more: KCLY Radio

Based on where you’re standing, Wichita’s first 24/7, year-round homeless shelter, now located in a sprawling red-brick, former school building, can look very different. From the chair of an organizer, the emerging one-stop shop, known as Second Light, is the next chapter in the story of Wichita’s efforts to address homelessness. Almost everybody agrees it can be a lifesaver, a haven not just from the cold of the winter but also from late spring thunderstorms and oppressive summer heat. The people who sleep there would like more of the services they’ve been assured would be offered and better conditions inside the shelter. [...]

Kechi Police, with assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, have conducted a raid of a warehouse of a local business selling CBD products. Kechi Police say on Tuesday, they received a tip about the "illicit sale and distribution of illegal substances" in their community. The department says a three-day investigation began involving assistance from Bentley Police, the KBI, and the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office. A search warrant was executed on Thursday at a small warehouse located in the 1300 block of East Kechi Road, belonging to CBD Plus USA, which Kechi Police says also serves as the company's corporate [...]

A coordinated community effort in Grinnell is helping people recover from the tornado that hit back in May. A mission group from Dighton, along with other Kansas churches, spent a week rebuilding a family's home. KSN News talked to the pastor who was compelled to do it. Read more: KSN-TV

A local rural school district is struggling to find bus drivers before the new year, a problem that means longer wait times for kids and more work for faculty. Officials say there are many different problems causing the shortage. Issues like mandatory training for commercial driver's licenses, scheduling, and pay are just a few reasons these roles are hard to fill, leaving faculty from Northeast USD 246 no choice but to step up to the plate, and leaves schoolchildren with a longer wait. Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

While Marion County and its cities are still pondering their 2026 budgets, Council Grove’s already is proposed and is being reviewed by the public online. It’s posted prominently on the city’s website, not just as a bunch of numbers but with easy-to-understand narratives about individual projects, initiatives, and changes and the rationale for them. Read more: Marion County RECORD