Top 5 Kansas news stories
June 18 2026
Panasonic Pivots De Soto Battery Lines
Regents Raise Tuition for Kansas Universities
Coroner Identifies Kansas Crash Victims
USDA Opens Research Facility Grants
Topeka Panel Backs Housing Loans
Panasonic Pivots De Soto Battery Lines
DE SOTO, Kan. — Panasonic announced June 17 that it will convert part of its electric-vehicle battery plant in Johnson County to make batteries for AI data centers. CEO Yuki Kusumi said Panasonic Holdings plans to invest about $3 billion between fiscal years 2027 and 2029 in AI-related systems. The company aims to increase related sales from nearly $2 billion in FY2026 to $6.2 billion by FY2029. The first data-center battery cells from the converted De Soto lines are expected in mid-to-late 2028 or early 2029.
Kansas Reflector
Regents Raise Tuition for Kansas Universities
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Board of Regents approved tuition increases June 17 for state universities for the 2026-27 school year, citing state funding cuts and rising costs. KU in-state undergraduates face a minimum 4.8% increase, raising tuition and fees to $6,635 per semester for a 15-credit-hour student, while out-of-state undergraduate tuition will rise 5.3% to $16,602 per semester. K-State's resident undergraduate tuition and fees are proposed at $6,024.78 per semester, a $234.99 increase, while KSU Salina's resident undergraduate total is proposed at $5,842.50, a $394.05 increase. Fort Hays State is proposing a 6% tuition increase, Pittsburg State 3.5%, K-State 4%, and Emporia State is not increasing tuition but is proposing a $3 fee increase. The increases follow a 2.5% cut to operating appropriations for KU, Kansas State and Wichita State, totaling about $9.2 million, and the elimination of student success block funding for FY2027.
Lawrence Times · Kansas Board of Regents
Coroner Identifies Kansas Crash Victims
BUTLER, Mo. — The Bates County coroner has identified the 12 people killed when a skydiving plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in western Missouri on June 14. The identifications were reported in continuing coverage June 17. At least four of the victims were Kansans: William Fischer, 23, of De Soto; Marcus Miller, 30, of Lawrence; Blake Thacker, 24, of Olathe; and Dustin McKinney, 44, of Stilwell. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. FOX4 KC reported that it is the deadliest U.S. skydiving crash in decades.
FOX4 KC
USDA Opens Research Facility Grants
TOPEKA, Kan. — Land-grant universities in Kansas and across the country can apply for a $125 million annual federal investment to rebuild aging agricultural research facilities. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the funding opportunity Monday in Washington, and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture will administer the program. The funding comes through the Working Families Tax Cuts recently signed by President Donald Trump. Grants range from $100,000 for preliminary planning and site surveys to $30 million for large research complexes and specialized labs, and they require a dollar-for-dollar non-federal cash match. The program could affect institutions such as Kansas State University, where officials and agriculture advocates have sought funding to replace outdated dairy teaching and research infrastructure.
Citizen Journal
Topeka Panel Backs Housing Loans
TOPEKA, Kan. — Topeka's Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee has recommended three of six applicants to receive about $931,000 in city funding to build or rehabilitate affordable housing. The Topeka City Council reviewed the recommendations in coverage reported June 17. The proposal would draw on the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The recommended projects would create or improve roughly 229 affordable housing units. The full council is expected to vote on the loans next month.
KSNT
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!)
