News

Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Secretary Calvin Reed today announced in Lindsborg nine new modernization and expansion highway projects. These projects, which represent a total investment of more than $442 million, are moving into the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE) construction pipeline. This is the fourth round of projects moved to KDOT’s construction pipeline under the Kelly administration’s bipartisan 10-year IKE program.  Read more: Ad Astra Radio

Coffey County has declared a strong interest in becoming the home for the TerraPower Natrium reactor that is expected to be built in Kansas. The Coffey County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution of support and says that they will send letters of interest to both TerraPower and Evergy, the two companies involved in the construction of the new reactor. Read more: www.emporiagazette.com/*

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is updating a process that allows people to legally take home deer killed in car crashes or other roadkill. But there are a few requirements to know before you get the call to salvage any game animals on the side of the road. Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

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 [...]