Top 5 Kansas news stories
March 31 2026
Woodland Wins Houston Open in Comeback After Brain Surgery
Three Finalists Named to Succeed Retiring Commissioner Watson
Royals Owner Addresses Stadium Future Beyond 2031
Child Dead, Sibling Critical in Ellsworth County Shooting
KBI Investigates Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting in Hutchinson
Woodland Wins Houston Open in Comeback After Brain Surgery
HOUSTON, Texas — Topeka native and University of Kansas graduate Gary Woodland won the Texas Children's Houston Open on Sunday, his first PGA Tour victory in nearly seven years and his fifth career title. Woodland shot a tournament-record 21-under 259 to finish five strokes ahead of Nicolai Højgaard. The win marks a remarkable comeback for the 41-year-old, who underwent brain surgery in September 2023 to remove a lesion on his amygdala that had caused severe anxiety, tremors and episodes of intense fear. Woodland, who won the 2019 U.S. Open, told reporters he felt "in complete control" of his game this week and said going public about his struggles with PTSD lifted a weight off his shoulders. "The true reflection of who you are as a man is how you handle life when things aren't going your way," said former Kansas teammate Pete Krsnich of Woodland's journey. The victory earns Woodland a spot in the Masters Tournament, set for April 9-12 in Augusta, Ga.
KSN
Three Finalists Named to Succeed Retiring Commissioner Watson
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas State Board of Education has named three finalists to succeed retiring Commissioner Randy Watson as the state's top education official. The candidates are Lisa Coons, who most recently served as Virginia's state superintendent of public instruction before resigning in March 2025; Reginald Eggleston, superintendent of Geary County Schools in Junction City and the reigning Kansas Superintendent of the Year; and Jake Steel, director of strategy and operational alignment at the Kansas Department of Education and a former senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education. Watson, who previously led the McPherson school district, announced his retirement in September and said he would remain in the post until a successor is named. The State Board of Education plans to announce the next commissioner during its April 14 meeting.
KMUW
Royals Owner Addresses Stadium Future Beyond 2031
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Royals owner John Sherman acknowledged that the MLB franchise feels a sense of urgency in deciding where it will play beyond the 2031 season, when its lease at Kauffman Stadium is set to expire. The team has considered several stadium sites across the Kansas City metropolitan area, including locations in downtown Kansas City, Mo., across the Missouri River in Clay County, Mo., and potentially in Kansas City, Kan. The decision carries major implications for the team's long-term future and regional development, as the aging Kauffman Stadium no longer meets modern facility standards. No timeline for a final decision has been announced.
National Today
Child Dead, Sibling Critical in Ellsworth County Shooting
BROOKVILLE, Kan. — A 5-year-old girl is dead and her 8-year-old brother is in critical condition after the two siblings were shot by a third child with a loaded, unsecured shotgun Saturday afternoon near Brookville, about 100 miles north of Wichita. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, assisting the Ellsworth County Sheriff's Office, said the shooting occurred around 3:15 p.m. at a home south of the intersection of Kansas Highway 141 and Avenue N after a young child picked up the weapon and fired it. The girl died at the scene, and the boy was flown to a Wichita hospital, where he remains in critical condition. The investigation is ongoing.
Wichita Eagle
KBI Investigates Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting in Hutchinson
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting that left a Hutchinson woman dead Sunday evening. Officers with the Hutchinson Police Department responded around 9:11 p.m. March 29 to reports of an armed woman pointing a rifle at residences near N. Adams St. and W. 28th Ave. and located Cassondra M. Scott, 50, in the street. Preliminary information indicates Scott pointed the weapon at officers at approximately 9:20 p.m., prompting one officer to fire multiple times. Scott was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and later transferred to Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, where she was pronounced dead. Investigators subsequently recovered the weapon at the scene and determined it was a pellet rifle. When the investigation concludes, findings will be presented to the Reno County district attorney for a charging decision.
Rica Simpson
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