Top 5 Kansas news stories
June 15 2026
Storms Cut Power to Over 100,000 in Kansas, Missouri
Panasonic Eyes Data-Center Batteries at De Soto Plant
Kansas Wheat Harvest Races Ahead in South-Central Counties
Wichita Avionics Executive Sentenced in Russia Smuggling Case
England Arrives at Kansas Base Camp for World Cup
Storms Cut Power to Over 100,000 in Kansas, Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Severe storms swept across Kansas and the Kansas City metro the evening of Saturday, June 13, 2026, knocking out power to more than 100,000 Evergy customers across the utility's two-state service area. Evergy said the wide band of storms stretched from Wichita, Kansas, to Marshall, Missouri, bringing high winds, lightning and heavy rain that downed power lines and trees and caused outages across the region. The most significant damage was concentrated in the Kansas City metro, including Liberty, Oak Grove, Platte City and Gladstone. By Sunday afternoon, Evergy reported that crews had restored power to about 90% of those affected, with additional contract crews from across Kansas and Missouri working around the clock to finish repairs. Farther south, more than 30,000 customers lost power across southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma, where downed trees and flooded roads prompted urgent warnings from local emergency officials.
Evergy
Panasonic Eyes Data-Center Batteries at De Soto Plant
DE SOTO, Kan. — Panasonic confirmed June 12, 2026, that it is exploring whether to repurpose production lines at its $4 billion De Soto battery plant to make energy-storage cells for data centers. The company pointed to slowing electric-vehicle sales and changes to federal consumer tax credits as factors behind the review. Panasonic said the first data-center battery cells could be produced in mid-to-late 2028 or early 2029, though planning remains in early stages. The roughly 5 million-square-foot plant, which opened last July, is currently operating at about half its capacity.
Lawrence Journal-World
Kansas Wheat Harvest Races Ahead in South-Central Counties
WELLINGTON, Kan. — Wheat cutting was well underway across south-central Kansas by mid-June 2026, according to a Kansas Wheat harvest report. Rusty Morehead of Progressive Ag in Wellington reported that Sumner County was 65% to 70% finished, averaging about 55 bushels per acre with 10% protein and 63-pound test weights. Statewide, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service rated the drought-stressed crop poorly, at 14% good and 0% excellent, with harvest 5% complete for the week ending June 8. Sumner County growers expected to finish within about a week.
Kansas Wheat
Wichita Avionics Executive Sentenced in Russia Smuggling Case
WICHITA, Kan. — A federal court sentenced former Kansas avionics executive Douglas Robertson to 32 months in prison on June 13, 2026, for violating U.S. export laws by selling and shipping controlled aviation technology to buyers in Russia. The case stemmed from a scheme to evade post-invasion export controls through a Wichita-area avionics business. Robertson must serve the prison term following his conviction on the export-violation charges.
KWCH
England Arrives at Kansas Base Camp for World Cup
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. — England's national soccer team touched down in the Kansas City region the afternoon of June 13, 2026, becoming the fourth nation to arrive for a 2026 FIFA World Cup base camp, following Argentina, Algeria and the Netherlands. The team will stay at The Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village on the Kansas side while training at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri. Governor Laura Kelly's emergency proclamation covering Douglas, Johnson, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties remains in effect as matches and base-camp activity ramp up.
KSHB 41
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