Top 5 Kansas news stories
May 12 2026
Boeing to Invest $1 Billion in Wichita Operations
Drought Stalls Kansas Planting as Wheat Tour Begins
Davids Files for Re-Election, Slams Redistricting Push
Sumner County Natural Gas Plant Breaks Ground Tuesday
Hedge Funds Boost Biofuel Crop Bets Amid Iran Conflict
Boeing to Invest $1 Billion in Wichita Operations
WICHITA, Kan. — Boeing Co. will invest $1 billion in its Wichita manufacturing hub over the next three years to upgrade facilities and expand employee training, CEO Kelly Ortberg announced Monday. The capital infusion comes on Ortberg's first visit to the city since Boeing completed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems in December, reuniting the company with 13 million square feet of production space and more than 13,000 workers it spun off two decades earlier. The investment arrives as Boeing prepares to lift 737 Max production from 42 to 47 planes per month this summer under an FAA-imposed cap tied to prior safety incidents, with Wichita workers building more than 70% of the 737 Max and components for every other Boeing commercial aircraft. WSU Tech announced Friday that it will establish a 35,000-square-foot Boeing training center on its south Wichita campus to teach the manufacturer's specific procedures. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and State Rep. Nick Hoheisel both praised the announcement, with Hoheisel calling it a "huge win for the Air Capital."
Drought Stalls Kansas Planting as Wheat Tour Begins
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Persistent drought has made this spring one of the most difficult growing seasons in years for central Kansas farmers, with little measurable moisture since mid-February. Adam Baldwin told Brownfield Ag News that the dryness has prevented many growers from planting corn and that his wheat crop could rival or exceed losses from the 2007 freeze event. USDA reports 52% of Kansas corn has been planted, three points behind the five-year average, with 32% emerged, while soybean planting stands at 36% complete. The agency rates 51% of the state's winter wheat as poor-to-very poor, with 86% of the crop headed. The Wheat Quality Council's Hard Red Winter Wheat tour begins Tuesday in Manhattan and will survey fields across Kansas, southern Nebraska and northern Oklahoma, with results released Thursday.
Brownfield Ag News
Davids Files for Re-Election, Slams Redistricting Push
TOPEKA, Kan. — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in the Kansas congressional delegation, filed for re-election at the Kansas Secretary of State's office on May 11, ending speculation about her plans following the state legislature's October 2025 attempt to redraw congressional maps. Davids called the redistricting effort "outrageous" and linked it to President Donald Trump's nationwide push for Republican legislatures to redraw districts ahead of the midterm election. She said the practice is wrong regardless of which party pursues it, citing similar moves in Texas and California. As she seeks a fifth term in the 3rd District, Davids is focusing her campaign on the cost of gas, food and housing and blaming Trump's tariff policies and actions related to the war in Iran. The Kansas Republican Party responded that Davids' support of the Biden-era Democratic agenda has driven up inflation; the primary is set for Aug. 4 and the general election for Nov. 3.
FOX4 KC
Sumner County Natural Gas Plant Breaks Ground Tuesday
CONWAY SPRINGS, Kan. — Evergy is set to break ground Tuesday on a new natural gas plant in Sumner County, a project local leaders hope will bring jobs and new business to Conway Springs and surrounding communities. The plant, first announced in 2024, will be built near the intersection of Milan Avenue and 50th Avenue, with construction equipment already on site. Tiffany Vaughan, owner of the Stock Tank Bar and Grill in Conway Springs, said the construction workforce is expected to top out around 800 and could provide an immediate boost to local businesses. Conway Springs Mayor Lori Gerber said the project has been years in the making and reflects long-running efforts by Sumner County economic development officials to attract investment to the area. The plant is not expected to be fully operational until 2029, when Evergy says it will support several dozen high-skilled permanent jobs.
KWCH
Hedge Funds Boost Biofuel Crop Bets Amid Iran Conflict
NEW YORK — Hedge funds are aggressively building positions in agricultural commodities used to produce biofuels as the war in Iran drives a surge in energy markets and stokes fears of prolonged supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Net bets on soybean oil, a key biodiesel feedstock, have nearly tripled since the conflict began, according to data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In corn, an ethanol ingredient, funds have shifted from being positioned for falling prices to their highest level of net-long bets this year. With oil already having soared since the outbreak of the conflict, many fund managers and traders say agricultural prices are the next market poised to take off.
Financial Times
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!)
