Storm System Sweeps Kansas With Tornadoes and Large Hail

Lockton Reveals Plans for $766M Leawood Headquarters

Fort Hays State AI Lab Accelerates Student Research

Lightning Sets Derby Dinosaur Attraction Ablaze

Kansas Democratic Governor Hopefuls Clash Over CoreCivic Ties

Storm System Sweeps Kansas With Tornadoes and Large Hail

TOPEKA, Kan. — A widespread severe weather system raked Kansas from Sunday afternoon into early Monday, producing tornadoes, large hail and structural damage across central, eastern and southeastern parts of the state. Sunday's midday round dropped 1- to 2-inch hail across Rice, McPherson, Marion and adjoining central Kansas counties, with golf-ball-sized stones reported in Hillsboro and Lehigh, where a tree fell on a house. By late afternoon, tornado warnings were issued for portions of Douglas, Osage, Shawnee and Franklin counties, and a tornado-warned storm damaged more than 10 structures in Miami County near West 247th Street and Pleasant Valley Road — the third severe weather hit on the area in two weeks; no injuries were reported. Multiple tornado touchdowns were reported Sunday evening in Labette and Montgomery counties, with damage in Sycamore and funnel clouds spotted near Mound Valley, the Parsons Tri-City Airport and Cherryvale. A second wave struck north-central Kansas overnight, prompting an early-morning severe thunderstorm warning along I-135 and I-70 from Salina to Ellsworth and Lincoln; National Weather Service public reports recorded 2-inch hail in and around Salina, with broken car windows.

KSAL · Ad Astra Radio · KSHB · Four States Home Page

Lockton Reveals Plans for $766M Leawood Headquarters

LEAWOOD, Kan. — New renderings show that independent insurance brokerage Lockton Cos. is planning what its CEO calls a "future-focused destination" rather than simply a new headquarters. The company will move its headquarters from Kansas City's Country Club Plaza to a $765.7 million development in Leawood called Hallbrook North. Plans call for a headquarters tower, a child-care facility, retail and restaurant space, additional commercial or office space, and a potential headquarters expansion. The Leawood Planning Commission is scheduled Tuesday to consider a final development plan for the main headquarters tower and a retreat space. Lockton anticipates beginning construction this summer.

Kansas City Business Journal

Fort Hays State AI Lab Accelerates Student Research

HAYS, Kan. — A new artificial intelligence lab at Fort Hays State University is allowing students to run large-scale experiments in a fraction of the time previously required. Dr. Anas Hourani, associate professor of computer science, said projects that once took a month can now be completed in days, and that students previously had to limit themselves to small data samples because their laptops could not run full experiments. Master's student Adarsha Shrestha said a project processing more than 700,000 images that used to take two to three days now takes seven to eight hours. Hourani said the added speed lets students experiment more freely and prepares them to compete nationally in AI-related careers and research. The university said the lab was made possible through internal grant funding.

KSN

Lightning Sets Derby Dinosaur Attraction Ablaze

DERBY, Kan. — Lightning struck and set fire to a three-story-tall animatronic dinosaur at Field Station: Dinosaurs during severe weather Saturday night, leaving only the figure's metal skeleton intact. Sedgwick County dispatch confirmed the strike, and the Derby Fire Department responded around 8:30 p.m., preventing the flames from spreading to other dinosaurs at the attraction. Crews cleared the scene by 9:50 p.m. The destroyed figure, a long-necked sauropod measuring 93 feet from head to tail, was one of the park's largest. Operations manager Steven Howe said the park is weighing its options, including the possibility of leaving the figure skeletal as an educational display showing how the animatronics are built. Howe said the incident has drawn new visitors curious to see the aftermath after photos and videos circulated online.

KWCH

Kansas Democratic Governor Hopefuls Clash Over CoreCivic Ties

SHAWNEE, Kan. — Kansas Sens. Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson, both Johnson County Democrats, sparred over private prison ties and party establishment loyalty during a 50-minute forum Sunday night at the Aztec Shawnee Theater. Holscher positioned herself as the anti-establishment candidate with a record of winning in formerly Republican legislative districts, while Corson argued he is the only Democrat who can win the November general election. Both candidates staked out nearly identical policy positions on raising the minimum wage, expanding voting access and protecting reproductive health care, but Holscher accused Corson of accepting CoreCivic-linked contributions, including a maximum donation for his 2024 state senate campaign and money from partners at a law firm representing the company. Corson said his gubernatorial campaign has never taken CoreCivic money and pledged to oppose any private prison or ICE detention facility in Kansas, adding that a 2023 state senate contribution from CoreCivic was refunded once discovered. About 150 people attended, though a third Democratic candidate, Marty Tuley of Lawrence, was not part of the forum. The August primary will decide the nominee.

Kansas Reflector

Sources

1. KSAL / Ad Astra Radio / KSHB / Four States Home Page
2. Kansas City Business Journal
3. KSN
4. KWCH
5. Kansas Reflector

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