Top 5 Kansas news stories
May 27 2026
Lawmakers Extend Hantavirus Emergency as Exposed Kansans Discharged
Five Kansas Universities Seek Tuition Hikes for 2026-27
Kansas Tag Modernization Fee Diverted to KDOT Since 2013
KDOT to Shut I-70 in Downtown Topeka Through December
Ex-Leawood Priest Ordered to House Arrest in Parish Theft
Lawmakers Extend Hantavirus Emergency as Exposed Kansans Discharged
TOPEKA, Kan. — The three Kansans exposed to a now-deceased MV Hondius cruise ship passenger during a flight have been discharged from the University of Kansas Hospital, Gov. Laura Kelly's chief of staff Will Lawrence told the Legislative Coordinating Council at a May 26 meeting. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the patients were released on May 21 and continue to be monitored by public health officials, with all three remaining asymptomatic and in voluntary home isolation. The LCC voted 7-1 the same day to extend Kelly's hantavirus emergency declaration through June 7, the end of the 42-day potential incubation period for the Andes strain. Sen. Tim Shallenburger, a Baxter Springs Republican, cast the sole dissenting vote, while Senate President Ty Masterson confirmed the isolation arrangement is entirely voluntary. KDHE spokesperson Jill Bronaugh said there are still no confirmed cases of the Andes hantavirus in Kansas and the risk to the general public remains extremely low.
CJ Online · KSHB · Kansas Reflector
Five Kansas Universities Seek Tuition Hikes for 2026-27
TOPEKA, Kan. — Five of the six Kansas public universities are seeking in-state undergraduate tuition increases ranging from 3.5% to 6% for the 2026-2027 academic year, while Emporia State University proposes to hold tuition flat for a third consecutive year. University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod recommended a 4% in-state and 5% nonresident undergraduate tuition increase, with overall costs rising 5% and 5.5% respectively after fees. Fort Hays State University requested the system's highest increase at 6% for on-campus undergraduates, Kansas State proposed 4% for residents and 5.5% for nonresidents, Wichita State sought 4.9%, and Pittsburg State requested 3.5%. Campus officials attributed the proposals to the 2026 Legislature's multi-million-dollar cuts to the state university system and a 4.1% Midwest consumer price index increase through April. The Kansas Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on the proposals in June.
Lawrence Times · Kansas Reflector
Kansas Tag Modernization Fee Diverted to KDOT Since 2013
WICHITA, Kan. — A modernization fee Kansas residents pay every time they renew a vehicle tag has been routed to the Kansas Department of Transportation highway fund since 2013, even as the Sedgwick County tag office contends with long lines and wait times. Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, attributed the original diversion to budget concerns during the 2008 recession, saying lawmakers feared the highway fund would run short. Former state Rep. Brandon Whipple, D-Wichita, who served in the House at the time, said the redirection stemmed from a budget deficit tied to the Brownback-era tax cuts and was one of several fund sweeps used to balance the budget. A bill that would have modernized the tag office by raising the fee slightly to fund additional staffing passed the Senate but died in the House earlier this year. Masterson said he would support privatizing tag office operations, while Whipple argued the work is a government service that should focus on customer service.
KWCH
KDOT to Shut I-70 in Downtown Topeka Through December
TOPEKA, Kan. — All lanes of Interstate 70 between Topeka Boulevard and 8th Avenue will close beginning Monday, June 8 and remain shut through December as Kansas Department of Transportation crews demolish and rebuild the Polk-Quincy Viaduct. KDOT Metro Engineer Steve Baalman said the full closure is required to tie the new I-70 alignment into the existing roadway, with viaduct removal slated to begin Tuesday, June 9. Through-traffic will be detoured to Interstate 470 around the work zone. Downtown access will remain available via the MacVicar, Topeka Boulevard, 8th Avenue and 10th Avenue ramps. The shutdown is the most significant phase to date of the multi-year Polk-Quincy Viaduct reconstruction project.
WIBW
Ex-Leawood Priest Ordered to House Arrest in Parish Theft
OLATHE, Kan. — A Johnson County District Court judge on May 26 ordered former Curé of Ars pastor Richard Storey to house arrest after he was formally charged with felony theft of more than $100,000 from the Leawood parish; prosecutors say the embezzled total is approximately $160,000. The order requires GPS monitoring, drug screening and a no-contact directive barring Storey from contact with victims or witnesses, with the next hearing scheduled for June 2. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said it uncovered the theft through an internal audit conducted after Storey's September 2025 resignation. The archdiocese said it intends to file an insurance claim to attempt to recover the losses. The charge is a felony under Kansas law; Storey has not entered a plea.
KCTV5
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