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KS - July 3 2025

Spending Bill; Phillipsburg Suspect Cache; Lawrence, Manhattan Homeownership; Gov Kelly Confirms Divorce; Eisenhower Signs Flood Control Bill

Greg Loving

03 Jul 2025 • 5 min read

A photo of Brandon Gaede on his first day with the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office in June 2017. Gaede, now an undersheriff, was killed in a shootout Friday night that also killed the suspect, an official said. Courtesy photo Phillips County Sheriff’s Office

Kansas GOP Lawmakers Back Trump Spending Bill as Democrats Oppose

Deputy, Suspect Die in Phillipsburg Shootout; Explosives Found at Home

Lawrence, Manhattan Among Nation's Lowest Homeownership Rates

Governor Kelly Confirms Divorce After 40+ Year Marriage

July 3, 1958: Eisenhower Signs Flood Control Bill, Funds Major Kansas Dam Projects

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Kansas GOP Lawmakers Back Trump Spending Bill as Democrats Oppose

Kansas and Missouri lawmakers voted along party lines Thursday as the U.S. House passed President Donald Trump's sweeping spending bill that would slash taxes and cut Medicaid spending. All nine Republican House lawmakers from both states supported the legislation, while the three Democrats voted against the bill, which passed 218-214 and now heads to Trump's desk for signature.

Kansas Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids criticized the bill on social media, saying "Trump's budget hurts everyone who isn't already a billionaire." Republican Rep. Derek Schmidt celebrated the passage while acknowledging mixed feelings, stating the bill contained "some provisions I don't support and omits others I favor, but its benefits to the Kansans I represent easily exceed its shortcomings." Kansas voting breakdown: Rep. Sharice Davids (D) voted No, while Reps. Ron Estes (R), Tracey Mann (R), and Derek Schmidt (R) all voted Yes.

Kansas City Star

Deputy, Suspect Die in Phillipsburg Shootout; Explosives Found at Home

A Phillips County sheriff's deputy and a Phillipsburg man died in a fatal shootout June 27, with investigators later discovering 33 pounds of explosives, more than 20 guns and a large ammunition stockpile at the suspect's home. Deputy Brandon Gaede, 30, was investigating a fireworks complaint when he attempted to arrest Kolton Griffith, 27, who broke free from handcuffs, drew a concealed revolver and fired five rounds before Gaede returned fire with eight shots, killing Griffith at the scene. Gaede died an hour later at Phillips County Hospital from gunshot wounds to his bicep, vest, and a fatal hit to his femoral artery, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office investigation.

Kansas.com

Lawrence, Manhattan Among Nation's Lowest Homeownership Rates

Two Kansas college towns rank among the nation's five lowest homeownership rates, according to a National Association of Realtors study released June 11. Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas, had the second-lowest rate nationally at 49.1%, while Manhattan, home to Kansas State University, ranked fifth-lowest at 50.9%, trailing only Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim (48.3%) and College Station/Bryan, Texas (50.4%).

The study attributed the low rates to high rental demand in university communities, where student populations drive the housing market. While higher education often leads to increased future income, it can delay homeownership as graduates pay off student loans and struggle to save for down payments. The national homeownership rate was 65.7% in late 2023, while other Kansas metro areas fared better: Topeka at 69.6%, Kansas City at 65.9%, and Wichita at 65.1%.

CJOnline

Governor Kelly Confirms Divorce After 40+ Year Marriage

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday that she and her husband of more than 40 years have been granted a divorce, speaking publicly about the amicable split due to inquiries about her relationship status. Kelly, 75, said she and retired physician Ted Daughety remain on friendly terms following their October divorce, ending a marriage that began in 1983 and produced two adult daughters.

KAKE

July 3, 1958: Eisenhower Signs Flood Control Bill, Funds Major Kansas Dam Projects

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Abilene native who witnessed firsthand the destructive power of Kansas floods, signed the Rivers and Harbors Flood Control Bill on on this day, July 3, 1958, allocating over $870 million in federal funding for flood protection projects nationwide.The bill allocates funds to improve flood‑control and water‑storage systems across the country, with Kansas receiving priority attention following the catastrophic 1951 flood that exceeded $935 million in damages across eastern Kansas and Missouri, killed 17 people and displaced 518,000. The legislation will fast-track construction of major dam projects already underway in Kansas, including the massive Tuttle Creek Reservoir north of Manhattan and the planned Milford Dam on the Republican River.

The federal action comes seven years after the devastating July 1951 "Black Friday" flood that covered Manhattan's business district with eight feet of water, damaged or destroyed 7,000 buildings in Topeka requiring the evacuation of 24,000 people, and forced 15,000 residents from their homes in the Kansas City area. All told, 14 towns will be moved, razed, or abandoned to make way for the Tuttle Creek and Milford Dam projects, fundamentally reshaping Kansas geography to prevent future disasters. While the massive engineering projects have faced opposition from rural communities facing displacement, Eisenhower's legislation ensures federal funding will complete the ambitious flood control network designed to protect the state's major population centers from future catastrophic flooding.