De Soto Data Center Nearly Doubles in Size

Shrinking Herd Sends Beef Prices to Records

Wichita Lands Two March Madness Opening Rounds

Participation Fee Frames Kansas GOP Governor Debate

Argentina Advances to Kansas City Quarterfinal

De Soto Data Center Nearly Doubles in Size

DE SOTO, Kan. — Construction is underway on Beale Infrastructure's $3 billion data center campus, which has grown from four buildings totaling 1.14 million square feet to four buildings totaling almost 2.9 million square feet on 300 acres near 103rd Street and Edgerton Road. The California developer broke ground in April, the same month the De Soto Planning Commission approved the enlarged plans for the site west of Panasonic's electric-vehicle battery plant. The first phase, comprising buildings of 300,000 and 863,000 square feet, is expected to be completed by 2028. Texas-based Digital Realty presented plans June 4 for a nearby 1,400-acre campus as residents raised concerns at City Council meetings about water use, wells, a persistent low-frequency hum and a lack of transparency. The projects, which would house computers that power artificial intelligence and cloud services, bring one of Kansas' largest waves of private investment while increasing pressure on water and electricity and reshaping fast-growing Johnson County.

KCUR · Johnson County Post

Shrinking Herd Sends Beef Prices to Records

DODGE CITY, Kan. — The U.S. cattle herd has fallen to about 86.7 million head, its smallest size since 1951, after years of Plains drought pushed up feed costs and forced ranchers to sell breeding animals. The tighter supply helped lift May averages for ground beef to about $6.75 a pound, up roughly 13% from a year earlier, and steak to $12.80 a pound, a 16% increase. Much of Kansas remains in drought, keeping hay in strong demand, while recent Kansas fed-cattle trade ranged from roughly $256 to $258 per hundredweight. High prices benefit producers who retained cattle, but rebuilding the diminished herd will take years. The pace of that recovery will influence grocery bills as well as rural jobs and land values in southwest Kansas communities such as Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal, where cattle and beef processing anchor the economy.

KMUW · USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

Wichita Lands Two March Madness Opening Rounds

WICHITA, Kan. — The NCAA announced July 9 that Wichita will host the Opening Round of the Division I men's basketball tournament in 2027 and 2028 at INTRUST Bank Arena. The new round follows the tournament field's expansion from 68 to 76 teams. Wichita and Dayton, Ohio, will each host three games per day. The 2027 games in Wichita are scheduled for March 16-17.

KSN

Participation Fee Frames Kansas GOP Governor Debate

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Republican Party required candidates to pay to participate in Thursday night's gubernatorial debate, which drew three of the seven primary contenders less than a month before the election. Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Overland Park businessman Philip Sarnecki and former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O'Hara took part at WIBW's studios, while Ty Masterson, Nick Reinecker, Stacy Rogers and Vicki Schmidt did not. Some nonparticipants criticized the party's requirement, although Masterson had not objected to the rules. KWCH's Michael Schwanke and WIBW's Melissa Brunner moderated questions on property tax relief, rural health care, data centers and solar farms, and marijuana legalization. The health care discussion came amid a warning that nearly 70% of Kansas hospitals are at risk of closing.

KWCH

Argentina Advances to Kansas City Quarterfinal

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Reigning World Cup champion Argentina scored three times in about 13 minutes to erase a deficit and beat Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16 on July 7, advancing to a quarterfinal at Kansas City Stadium, the tournament name for Arrowhead Stadium. Lionel Messi and Argentina will face Switzerland at 8 p.m. Central on July 11 in one of six World Cup matches the metro area is hosting from June 16 through July 11. The region, where base camps and matches straddle the Kansas-Missouri line, is preparing for an estimated 650,000 visitors. Argentina has been headquartered at the Sporting KC Performance Center in Kansas City, Kansas, and Gov. Laura Kelly declared a limited state of emergency so state and local agencies could coordinate federal assistance for the crowds. The knockout match places Kansas before a global audience, brings more business to hotels, restaurants and transit, and tests months of security and logistics planning on both sides of the state line.

KCUR · Visit KC · KSHB

Sources

1. KCUR / Johnson County Post / Johnson County Post
2. KMUW / USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
3. KSN
4. KWCH
5. KCUR / Visit KC / KSHB

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