Salina daily brief

Salina, Kansas and US news for busy people - Aug 31, 2026 edition

Salina daily brief
Courtesy of City of Salina, Kansas

Salina

  • Salina Police met with media to detail how Flock license plate cameras aid investigations while addressing community privacy concerns.
  • Central Kansas Mental Health Center will host a ribbon-cutting and open house for its new Youth Campus in Salina on Sept. 3.
  • Salina firefighters and rural crews contained a blaze on West Water Well Road that destroyed two hay barns with no injuries reported.
  • Salina reached a record high of 107 degrees on Sunday as temperatures are forecast to exceed 100 degrees throughout the week.
  • Expect a hot and sunny day across Salina with breezy conditions and a high near 103°F.

🌾 Kansas

  • Republican Ty Masterson and Democrat Cindy Holscher debated property taxes, data centers and energy costs at a Kansas Chamber governor forum Thursday in Olathe.

  • U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall met with Stormont Vail Health executives Friday in Topeka to review Kansas's $221.9 million share of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.

  • A 20-year-old Kansas City man died early Sunday after being wounded near Seventh and Massachusetts streets in downtown Lawrence, and the suspect remains at large.

  • Wichita's Orpheum Theatre reopened Sunday after a $13.0 million restoration, marked by a solo piano concert from Grammy winner John Legend.

  • The National Weather Service extended heat advisories across central and eastern Kansas through 7 p.m. Monday, with heat index values forecast as high as 105 degrees.


🇺🇸 US

  • President Trump announced Friday that the U.S. will hold a 55% controlling interest in a venture to develop 17 Venezuelan oil fields containing more than 65 billion barrels of proven reserves.

  • Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Friday at Jackson Hole that inflation remains too high, pushing futures markets to about 57% odds of a September rate hike.

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that state agencies are removing Flock Safety license plate readers, days after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott barred state funding for the cameras.

  • Michigan Democrats finalized their statewide ticket Saturday in Lansing, nominating Winnie Brinks for lieutenant governor and Eli Savit for attorney general as Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed apologized to Jewish Democrats and Attorney General Dana Nessel stayed away citing safety concerns.

  • U.S. Central Command said American forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island Sunday, prompting Iran to fire ballistic missiles at U.S. installations in Jordan.


Weather

Weather



AUGUST 31 1955: GENERAL MOTORS DEMONSTRATES FIRST SOLAR-POWERED CAR

William G. Cobb of General Motors unveiled his 15-inch “Sunmobile” at the Powerama auto show in Chicago, showcasing the first automobile powered by photovoltaic cells converting sunlight into electricity. The tiny solar-powered car introduced the concept of photovoltaics to the gasoline-dominated automotive industry, hinting at a future of alternative energy vehicles.

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