hcj

Top 5 Kansas news stories

August 28, 2025

Teri Hansen

28 Aug 2025 • 4 min read

Claire's To Close Seven Kansas Stores In Bankruptcy.

Wichita Mother Pleads No Contest In Son's Death
Flash Flooding Closes Kansas Turnpike, Injures Six In Crash
Civil Rights Advocate Sues City Of Wichita
Storm Track 3: Flood Concerns Ease As Drier Weather Returns
Claire's To Close Seven Kansas Stores In Bankruptcy

Wichita Mother Pleads No Contest In Son's Death

A Wichita woman has pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in the shooting death of her 16-year-old son. Tesha Florence (Jenkins), 47, entered the plea August 22 in Sedgwick County District Court for the death of Robert Florence, who was shot in the forehead at Claremont Apartments near Harry and Webb Road in October 2024. She also pleaded no contest to aggravated burglary and assault charges, with sentencing scheduled for October 17.

KWCH

Flash Flooding Closes Kansas Turnpike, Injures Six In Crash

Heavy overnight rainfall caused flash flooding in Sumner County that closed the northbound Kansas Turnpike near Wellington Thursday morning and led to a flooding-related crash that injured six people, four seriously, on U.S. 81 west of Belle Plaine. The National Weather Service reported water over I-35 between mile markers 19 and 21, just north of the Wellington exit, with up to five inches of rain falling overnight.

KAKE

Civil Rights Advocate Sues City Of Wichita

Civil rights activist Mary Dean is suing the City of Wichita, Mayor Lily Wu, city council members, City Manager Robert Layton and City Attorney Jennifer Magana. Dean, president of Kansas Justice Advocate Inc., has been seeking city support for a reparations commission for Black residents and filed an ethics complaint against Wu in January after the mayor declined to pursue local reparations ordinances. The city declined to comment on pending litigation.

KSN

Storm Track 3: Flood Concerns Ease As Drier Weather Returns

Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms brought flood concerns to Kansas Thursday morning, with bands of rain dropping at least two inches across the state in 24 hours and over five inches in parts of Sumner and Chautauqua counties. Flash flood warnings were in effect for Sumner County through 9 a.m. and Chautauqua County through 10:30 a.m., with broader flood warnings covering Reno, Kingman, Sedgwick, Cowley and Chautauqua counties through noon Thursday. Drier conditions are expected this afternoon with temperatures in the 70s.

KSN

Claire's To Close Seven Kansas Stores In Bankruptcy

Accessories retailer Claire's will close seven Kansas locations as part of its second bankruptcy filing in seven years, including stores in Emporia (Flinthills Mall), Manhattan (Manhattan Town Center), Wichita (New Market Square), Leawood (Town Center Plaza), and Kansas City, Missouri (Ward Parkway Center). The company is liquidating at least 700 stores nationwide and seeking a buyer for its remaining operations, with closures expected by early September.

KSN

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