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Top 5 Kansas news stories

August 27 2025

Greg Loving

27 Aug 2025 • 4 min read

KCK Police Officer Killed During Pursuit, Suspect Arrested

Kansas Analyzes Federal Funding Changes From Trump Administration

Kansas School Districts Must Return $11 Million in Medicaid Overpayments

DNA Identifies Skull as Missing Southeast Kansas Man From 2016

Royals Rally for 5-4 Comeback Victory Over White Sox

1. KCK Police Officer Killed During Pursuit, Suspect Arrested

Kansas City, Kansas police officer Hunter Simoncic, 26, died Tuesday morning after being struck by a fleeing suspect's vehicle while deploying stop sticks during a pursuit on State Avenue. Dennis Mitchell III, 31, of Kansas City, Kansas, has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, vehicular homicide, and other charges following the incident that began when officers responded to reports of shots fired around 12:30 a.m. Simoncic, a 2023 police academy graduate with degrees from Pittsburg State and Oklahoma State universities, volunteered weekly reading to children at Benjamin Banneker Elementary School. The pursuit began after officers found Mitchell unconscious in a stolen truck, leading to a chase where Mitchell abandoned one vehicle for another before striking Simoncic and continuing to flee until crashing and being taken into custody.

KC Police

2. Kansas Analyzes Federal Funding Changes From Trump Administration

The Kansas Legislative Research Department presented a 25-page analysis to lawmakers Tuesday examining how recent federal policy changes, including the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" and Department of Government Efficiency cuts, may impact state funding. The memo identified potential increases in some areas like agriculture while noting significant costs to Kansas taxpayers, including increased SNAP cost-sharing that could cost millions and rescission of unobligated funds from state agencies.

Capital Journal Online

3. Kansas School Districts Must Return $11 Million in Medicaid Overpayments

A major Medicaid billing error by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has prompted school districts statewide to return more than $11 million in overpaid funds, with Wichita Public Schools facing the largest payback of over $3 million. The mistake, which went unnoticed for years, affects districts across Kansas, though most owe less than $25,000, and the state is offering flexible repayment plans to ease the sudden financial burden.

KWCH

4. DNA Identifies Skull as Missing Southeast Kansas Man From 2016

DNA testing has confirmed that a skull found in 2023 belongs to Jay Shumate, a 60-year-old man who disappeared in 2016 after leaving his elderly mother alone in a pickup truck on a Sunday morning in Erie, southeast Kansas. The Neosho County Sheriff's Office received the DNA analysis results Monday, though Shumate's cause of death remains unknown.

Capital Journal Online

5. Royals Rally for 5-4 Comeback Victory Over White Sox

The Kansas City Royals overcame offensive struggles to score five late runs against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday night, securing a 5-4 comeback victory at Rate Field. Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey each delivered crucial two-run singles in the eighth inning, helping the Royals batter Chicago relievers Jordan Leasure and Grant Taylor to shift momentum back in their favor.

The Wichita Eagle

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