Top 5 Kansas news stories
March 18 2026
Two Kansas Guard Units Deploy to Middle East
Kansas Press Groups Challenge Federal Buffer Zone Bill
Kansas Now Home to Five Billionaires Worth $101 Billion
House Passes Bill to Lure Pro Sports Teams to Kansas
Wichita State Survives Wyoming Scare in NIT Opener
Two Kansas Guard Units Deploy to Middle East
TOPEKA, Kan. — Two Kansas National Guard units are currently deployed in support of U.S. military operations in the Middle East, according to U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran. The 190th Air Refueling Wing, based at Forbes Field in Topeka, deployed in early March, while the 130th Field Artillery Brigade, headquartered in Manhattan, has been deployed since last summer. Moran said he is in contact with Acting Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Paul Schneider and Kansas National Guard leadership regarding both units' roles in ongoing operations. Both the 190th Air Refueling Wing and the 130th Field Artillery Brigade trace their histories to before World War II.
Greg Loving
Kansas Press Groups Challenge Federal Buffer Zone Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. — More than 10 news organizations objected Monday to Senate Bill 452, legislation before the Kansas House Federal and State Affairs Committee that would grant federal law enforcement officers authority to impose 25-foot buffer zones in public spaces and secure immunity in lawsuits related to executive orders or federal laws. Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said the bill would violate First Amendment free press rights and 14th Amendment protections, lacked reasonable standards for warning a person before arrest and ignored federal court guidance requiring narrowly tailored restrictions on expression. More than 50 people shared opposition in oral or written testimony, with many alarmed the bill would expand the authority of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement push. Ed Klumpp, representing the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, Kansas Sheriffs Association and Kansas Peace Officers Association, testified in support, saying the bill created a framework for local, state and federal officers to address public interference in official duties. The bill, introduced at the urging of Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican and candidate for governor, passed the Senate on March 5 on a 31-7 vote.
Kansas Reflector
Kansas Now Home to Five Billionaires Worth $101 Billion
WICHITA, Kan. — Kansas is home to five billionaires in 2026 with a combined net worth of $101 billion, a sum four times the state's annual budget, according to the Forbes annual billionaires ranking as of March 10. The state added two names since last year — Peter Mallouk of Leawood, CEO of Overland Park-based Creative Planning, at $16.1 billion, and Douglas Rippel of Maize, founder of American First Finance, at $1.4 billion. Charles Koch of Wichita leads the list at $73.8 billion; Koch Industries' chairman for more than 50 years, he oversees a company involved in gas pipelines, chemicals and manufacturing. Garmin co-founder Min Kao of Leawood is worth $7.7 billion, and Kansas City Chiefs co-owner Lamar Hunt Jr. of Leawood is worth $2 billion. The wealth of the three returning billionaires grew nearly 10%, or $7.5 billion, in the last 12 months, outpacing U.S. inflation of 2.4%.
Wichita Eagle
House Passes Bill to Lure Pro Sports Teams to Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas House on Tuesday narrowly passed HB 2793, a bill that would create a new state-level authority to oversee the construction and financing of major professional sports venues, on a 79-41 vote after intense floor debate. A coalition of Republicans and Democrats argued the measure represents a once-in-a-generation economic development opportunity, with proponents hoping the financing mechanism could entice the Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals to relocate across the state line from Missouri. However, a bipartisan group of opponents raised concerns about the fiscal prudence of subsidizing professional sports teams owned by billionaires, arguing the state has more pressing needs and that economic benefits of such projects are often overstated. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain.
Greg Loving
Wichita State Survives Wyoming Scare in NIT Opener
WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State held off Wyoming 74-70 Tuesday night at Koch Arena in a first-round National Invitation Tournament game that came down to the final minutes. The Shockers led at halftime and pushed ahead again early in the second half but could not shake the Cowboys, who grabbed their first lead of the second half late in the game. Redshirt freshman T.J. Williams, a Wichita native, came off the bench to power the decisive stretch and secure the win. The victory was Wichita State's first home NIT game since 2011 and its first postseason win since 2019, played in front of 3,733 fans.
Wichita Eagle
Sources
Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:
citizen journal offers three flagship products: a daily national news summary, a daily Kansas news summary, and local news and school board summaries from 20 cities across Kansas. Each issue contains 5 paragraph-length stories that are made to be read in 5 minutes. Use the links in the header to navigate to national, kansas, and local coverage. Subscribe to each, some, or all to get an email when new issues are published for FREE!
Brought to you by (click me!)
