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KS - July 14 2025

Panasonic Plant Opens; World Cup Tickets; Train Service?; Multi-County Chase; Ukrainian Grain Terminal

Greg Loving

14 Jul 2025 • 3 min read

Panasonic

Panasonic Opens $4 Billion EV Battery Plant in De Soto

World Cup Tickets Now Available for Kansas City Stadium

Heartland Flyer Train Service Continues, Kansas Extension Still Planned

Multi-County Chase Ends in Chase County Arrest

US Investors Revive Ukrainian Grain Terminal in Odesa Port

1. Panasonic Opens $4 Billion EV Battery Plant in De Soto

Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor David Toland joined federal and state dignitaries Monday to celebrate the grand opening of Panasonic Energy's electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in De Soto, marking the largest economic development project in Kansas history. The Japanese company has invested $4 billion in the 300-acre plant and already employs approximately 1,000 workers, with plans to create up to 4,000 jobs and generate $2.5 billion in annual economic activity for the state. The state-of-the-art facility, located in De Soto's Astra Enterprise Park, produces approximately 66 lithium-ion batteries per second and represents what Governor Kelly called "a bright new era in Kansas." The project is expected to support an additional 4,000 jobs through suppliers and community businesses, plus 16,500 construction jobs, according to a Wichita State University economic impact study.

Governor’s Office

2. World Cup Tickets Now Available for Kansas City Stadium

FIFA announced Monday that hospitality packages are now on sale for the 2026 World Cup, with six matches including two knockout games scheduled at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which will be renamed Kansas City Stadium next summer. The men's tournament begins June 11, 2026, across the United States, Mexico and Canada, with single-game tickets for Kansas City ranging from $1,350 to $2,050 and match series packages costing $9,375 to $21,200 per person.

Kansas City Star

3. Heartland Flyer Train Service Continues, Kansas Extension Still Planned

The Heartland Flyer passenger rail service connecting Oklahoma City to Dallas-Fort Worth will continue operating after the North Central Texas Council of Governments' Regional Transportation Council voted to provide $3.5 million in funding for another year. The service was scheduled to end October 1 after the Texas Legislature failed to approve funding, but the reprieve keeps alive plans to extend the route northward into Kansas with stops in Wichita and Newton.

KAKE

4. Multi-County Chase Ends in Chase County Arrest

A high-speed chase that began when Kansas Highway Patrol attempted a traffic stop in Wichita ended Monday morning in Chase County near Strong City. The pursuit traveled through Sedgwick and Harvey counties before Chase County Sheriff's deputies successfully deployed stop sticks near P Road and U.S. Highway 50, leading to the suspects' arrest around 7:30 a.m. near the Kansas Highway 177 junction.

KSN

5. US Investors Revive Ukrainian Grain Terminal in Odesa Port

US investment funds Argentem Creek Partners and Innovatus Capital Partners have taken control of the Olimpex grain export terminal in Ukraine's port of Odesa after winning a legal battle over alleged loan fraud, marking a test of Ukraine's ability to attract foreign capital during its fourth year of war with Russia. The investors secured victory in enforcing a $95 million debt against previous Odesa owners who allegedly misrepresented grain collateral during Russia's invasion, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government seeks private investment for reconstruction efforts estimated at over $500 billion.

Financial Times

Sources

Hutchinson

Salina

McPherson / Lindsborg