Lawrence

• The Lawrence City Commission voted 3-2 to adopt the 2027 city budget, which increases the local property tax rate. →
• Lawrence Public Schools is adding two bus bays to its operations campus to support new transportation contractor Durham School Services. →
• Cordley Elementary School in Lawrence launched a grant-funded bike bus program allowing students and families to bike safely to school. →
• Nine Lawrence high school seniors have qualified as semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. →
• Costco announced it will open its new Lawrence location on Oct. 29 and is currently hiring for multiple positions. →
• The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board elected Lee Ice as chair and John Nalbandian as vice chair. →
• The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board endorsed a privately funded $150,000 performance platform in South Park. →
• Grab an umbrella for scattered morning storms that could bring heavy rain, but look for mostly sunny skies by the afternoon with a high of 88°F.

🌾 Kansas

• Kansas diesel prices hit a record $5.91 a gallon statewide on Sept. 14 as drilling activity remained below last year's pace, according to a Sept. 15 industry report. →

• Leawood police said Sept. 14 that skeletal remains were found in a car belonging to Jay Flekier, missing since 2016, after volunteer divers recovered the vehicle from a retention pond. →

• Cowley County commissioners directed legal counsel Sept. 15 to research intervening in the Kansas Corporation Commission's review of Evergy's proposed Buffalo Flats-to-Delaware transmission line route. →

• Southwest Kansas farmer Gary Millershaski estimated Sept. 14 that only 5% to 10% of the region's dryland corn will be harvested for grain after heat and drought damaged the crop. →

• The Kansas Supreme Court will hold a special evening session Sept. 22 at Liberal High School to hear oral arguments in State of Kansas v. Douglas Moser. →

🇺🇸 US

• The Senate voted 74-24 Tuesday to advance the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, which would set federal rules for athlete compensation and give the NCAA limited antitrust protection. →

• The Senate failed Tuesday to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act in a 49-50 procedural vote, leaving federal crypto oversight rules unresolved. →

• Google is exploring a data center in Lea County, New Mexico, as Blackstone Infrastructure proposed $300 million in customer benefits to win regulatory approval for its $11.5 billion acquisition of TXNM Energy. →

• Meta Platforms said Tuesday it will begin deploying its in-house MTIA 450 "Arke" AI chips in 2027 to reduce its reliance on Nvidia processors. →

• U.S. crude oil topped $105 a barrel Tuesday as Iran-backed Houthi advances near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait threatened Red Sea oil shipments and raised the risk of higher gas and diesel prices. →

Weather

SEPTEMBER 16 1893: SETTLERS RACE TO CLAIM LAND IN OKLAHOMA

More than 100,000 settlers surged into the Cherokee Strip as a pistol shot signaled the start of the largest land run in U.S. history, staking claims to former Native American lands in a frantic dash for homesteads. Some participants cheated by sneaking into the territory ahead of time to hide and claim prime parcels the instant the run began, earning the nickname “sooners,” which later became a lasting symbol for Oklahoma itself.

This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our AI policy.