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KS - June 23 2025

Fake GoFundMe; New Kansas Laws; Ancient Possum Discovered; Nebraska Meatpacking Plant; Thunder Win NBA Title

Greg Loving

23 Jun 2025 • 4 min read

A reconstruction of Swaindelphys, made by University of Kansas scientific illustrator Kristen Tietjen. University of Kansas

Fake GoFundMe Targets Fallen I-135 Chimney Sweep Statue

101 New Kansas Laws Take Effect July 1

KU Scientists Discover Ancient 'Big Possum' Species in Texas

New Nebraska Meatpacking Plant Tests Whether Americans Will Work There

Thunder Capture First NBA Title Behind Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP Season

1. Fake GoFundMe Targets Fallen I-135 Chimney Sweep Statue

The beloved “Happy Chef” statue that fell during last week's storm along Interstate 135 north of Moundridge has become the target of a fraudulent fundraising scheme. McPherson's Chimney & Stone Specialists, which owns the iconic roadside figure known as "Mac," warned that a GoFundMe created by someone named Amanda Bidwell claiming to restore the statue is fake and has no affiliation with the company, which has already hauled the damaged statue away for legitimate repairs.

KWCH

2. 101 New Kansas Laws Take Effect July 1

Kansas residents will see 101 new state laws take effect July 1, part of 129 total laws enacted this year through a mix of bipartisan agreements and Republican supermajority overrides of Governor Laura Kelly's vetoes. Democrats celebrated the creation of the Office of Early Childhood to streamline 20 state programs, while Republicans claimed victory with Senate Bill 63, which bans gender-affirming care for minors including puberty-suppressing drugs, cross-sex hormones and gender reassignment surgery—the first new law of 2025 after overriding Kelly's veto.

Capital-Journal

3. KU Scientists Discover Ancient 'Big Possum' Species in Texas

University of Kansas paleontologists have identified a new species of ancient near-marsupials called Swaindelphys while analyzing decades-old fossils from Big Bend National Park in far west Texas. Doctoral student Kristen Miller led the research team that determined the "big possum" species lived 60 million years ago in the warm, tropical ecosystem of what is now the 800,000-acre park located 500 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Kansas City Star

4. New Nebraska Meatpacking Plant Tests Whether Americans Will Work There

A $400 million Sustainable Beef slaughterhouse opening in North Platte, Nebraska, is betting that higher wages and better working conditions can attract American workers to an industry dominated by immigrants, offering a glimpse at challenges Kansas meatpacking facilities may face amid immigration crackdowns. The plant offers $22-per-hour starting wages, single daytime shifts, and improved facilities, but faces skepticism from locals worried about an influx of migrants and competition from the Big Four meatpackers who control 85% of the beef industry.

President Trump's immigration policies have ended parole programs for workers from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, nations that provide 10-20% of the meat industry's workforce, potentially affecting similar operations across the Midwest including Kansas.

WSJ

5. Thunder Capture First NBA Title Behind Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP Season

The Oklahoma City Thunder brought home their first NBA championship Sunday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 as MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points and 12 assists. The Pacers lost star Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes, sealing their fate against the league's best team all season.

ESPN

Hutchinson

Salina

McPherson / Lindsborg