Kelly Names Jayaram to Kansas Supreme Court

Drought Shrinks Kansas Wheat Harvest

Home-Schooled, Virtual Student Participation Surges

Kansas Firefighters Deploy to Colorado Wildfires

Kansas Voter Registration Deadline Arrives

Kelly Names Jayaram to Kansas Supreme Court

TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly on July 13 appointed Johnson County District Judge K. Christopher “Chris” Jayaram of Lenexa to fill an opening on the seven-member Kansas Supreme Court. Jayaram, whose legal and judicial career has focused on civil law, was selected from three finalists submitted by the Supreme Court Nominating Commission under the state’s merit-selection system after Kelly appointed him to the district court in 2021. The selection is Kelly’s fifth appointment to the court since she took office in 2019, giving her a majority of appointments before her term ends in January 2027. On Aug. 4, Kansas voters will consider a proposed constitutional amendment that would replace merit selection with elections for Supreme Court justices. The court shapes state policy through rulings on school funding, abortion, elections and government power, and Jayaram could remain on the bench for years.

WIBW · KSN · FOX4 · Hays Post

Drought Shrinks Kansas Wheat Harvest

WICHITA, Kan. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 13 lowered its national winter-wheat estimate to about 990 million bushels, part of the smallest overall U.S. wheat harvest since the early 1970s, and rated Hard Red Winter wheat among the poorest in more than 30 years. Kansas, the nation’s leading wheat-producing state, was nearing the end of a harvest that was 91% complete a week earlier and ahead of the five-year pace despite an early freeze and rain delays. A May crop tour projected about 218 million bushels in Kansas at an average of 38.9 bushels per acre, but farmers reported yields ranging from 30 bushels per acre in some fields to 50 to 65 in others as drought persisted across much of western Kansas. A smaller national crop can support prices for growers with wheat to sell while increasing costs farther along the supply chain. Because wheat anchors farm income, exports and many rural communities, the thin harvest could have broader effects across the Kansas economy.

KSNT · KWCH · Price Futures Group · Farm Progress

Home-Schooled, Virtual Student Participation Surges

TOPEKA, Kan. — The number of home-schooled and online-only students participating in Kansas public-school sports and activities rose 154% over three years, the Legislative Division of Post Audit told lawmakers at a July 8 hearing. Participation increased from 514 students in the 2023-24 school year to 1,307 in 2025-26, when 1,510 students applied. The increase followed a 2023 state law requiring districts to allow home-schooled and virtual middle- and high-school students to join activities governed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, including sports, music, drama and debate. Auditors examined 20 districts and found that one lacked a written compliance policy, although officials there said the district followed the law in practice. The growth shows how the access law is changing participation in public-school programs while renewing questions about roster spots, fairness, funding and the role of district schools.

KMUW · The Lawrence Times · HPPR · KAKE

Kansas Firefighters Deploy to Colorado Wildfires

WICHITA, Kan. — About 60 Kansas first responders from Johnson, Sherman and Reno counties deployed to Colorado to help fight four large, actively spreading wildfires, according to reports July 13. The Hutchinson Fire Department sent a brush truck and three firefighters to the Gold Mountain Fire near Ouray, Colorado, which had burned 34,848 acres and remained difficult to contain. Kansas Forest Service State Fire Management Officer Bill Waln said the assignments often last about two weeks and operate through a national mutual-aid system that moves crews and equipment between states during major emergencies. Kansas relied on the same system during its own wildfire outbreaks, including large grass fires in the state’s southwest earlier in 2026, while local departments plan staffing around outbound rotations. The deployments temporarily reduce staffing at home and show how a demanding western wildfire season is straining shared emergency-response resources.

WIBW · KAKE · Emporia Gazette

Kansas Voter Registration Deadline Arrives

TOPEKA, Kan. — July 14 is the final day Kansans can register to vote in the Aug. 4 primary, meeting the state’s 21-day cutoff before an election. The primary features crowded fields in both parties for the open governor’s seat created by Gov. Laura Kelly’s term limit, along with contested congressional and legislative races. Voters also will consider a proposed constitutional amendment that would replace the appointment of Kansas Supreme Court justices with popular elections. Residents can check their status or register online through the secretary of state’s website, while county election offices accept in-person and mail registrations. Because August primary turnout is typically low, the registration cutoff determines who can help narrow the field for the state’s next governor and decide the future selection method for its highest court.

WIBW · Kansas Secretary of State · KCUR

Sources

1. WIBW / KSN / FOX4 / Hays Post
2. KSNT / KWCH / Price Futures Group / Farm Progress
3. KMUW / The Lawrence Times / HPPR / KAKE
4. WIBW / KAKE / Emporia Gazette
5. WIBW / Kansas Secretary of State / KCUR

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