Top 5 Kansas news stories
March 16 2026
Oklahoma Fire Department Rejects $250K Google Donation
Kelly Signs Four Bills Into Law
Senate Advances Homeschool Activities Bill in 23-16 Vote
KC World Cup Prep Rolls On Despite $59M Funding Limbo
Kansas Earns No. 4 Seed in NCAA Tournament
Oklahoma Fire Department Rejects $250K Google Donation
SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — The Rock Volunteer Fire Department, which operates on a $180,000 annual budget, unanimously voted to decline a $250,000 donation from Google after the tech company announced plans to build a data center on 827 acres of rezoned farmland near Sand Springs, a western suburb of Tulsa. Chief Charley Pearson said the money would have helped, but accepting it would have meant turning against the community members who have funded the department's two stations and equipment for decades. Residents have raised concerns about potential effects on utility bills, farmland, water supply and what they describe as a lack of transparency in planning. A group of Sand Springs residents has filed lawsuits seeking to block the data center and void the annexation and use of the land for the campus, which would sit about eight miles north of downtown Sand Springs.
New York Times
Kelly Signs Four Bills Into Law
TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday signed four bills, including HB 2223, which modifies optometry scope of practice, definitions and credentialing requirements, and HB 2274, which designates Kansas as a Purple Heart state and allows homeless veterans to use alternative identification when applying for nondriver ID cards. Kelly also signed SB 335, requiring public construction contracts to include a mutual waiver of consequential damages, and SB 348, which exempts certain nonprofit electric cooperative subsidiaries from State Corporation Commission jurisdiction. The signings clear the deck as dozens of other bills, including major policy and budget items, continue to work through the legislative process.
Greg Loving
Senate Advances Homeschool Activities Bill in 23-16 Vote
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Senate on Thursday advanced SB 515, which would allow non-accredited private school students, often homeschoolers, to participate in activities at nonpublic schools and places a moratorium on certain interscholastic event rules. The bill passed 23-16, with proponents arguing it provides equal opportunities for all students and opponents, including some school administrators, raising concerns about eligibility and oversight. The chamber also gave unanimous support to HB 2250, expanding the definition of emergency opioid antagonist to include expired doses for those rendering aid, and HB 2413, making livestock theft a severity level 5 nonperson felony. House-originated bills now head to the governor's desk, while SB 515 goes to the House for further consideration.
Greg Loving
KC World Cup Prep Rolls On Despite $59M Funding Limbo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City's first World Cup match kicks off June 16, but organizers say $59 million of the nearly $80 million the city was awarded from the federal government for extra personnel and security preparations has yet to be distributed, with no timeline for release due to the partial government shutdown. Deputy Police Chief Joseph Mabin told a congressional hearing last month that the need for commitments from mutual aid partners is immediate, given the scope, scale and duration of the games. Despite the uncertainty, local organizers say the delay is not disrupting planning and they remain confident the money will come. Preparations continue at full speed, including coordination with Argentina, England, the Netherlands and Algeria — the four teams basing operations in the region — along with volunteer recruitment, small business readiness and fan fest logistics.
KCUR
Kansas Earns No. 4 Seed in NCAA Tournament
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Kansas Jayhawks received an at-large bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the East Region, earning their 53rd all-time tournament appearance and 36th consecutive since 1990. Kansas will face No. 13 seed Cal Baptist in the first round on Friday, March 20 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, with tip at 8:45 p.m. CT on CBS, marking the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Jayhawks enter the tournament at 23-10 overall after tying for third in the Big 12 with a 12-6 conference record. Kansas holds an all-time tournament record of 113-50, with 15 Final Four appearances and four national titles, most recently in 2022.
KU Athletics
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