Top 5 Kansas news stories
September 17, 2025
Downtown Dodge City Streets Closed As Fire Crews Battle Quilt Shop Blaze
Colorado Motorcyclist Dies In Highway Collision With Tractor In Washington County
Kansas School Board Member Who Celebrated Conservative Activist's Death Leaves State Education Department
Kansas Department Of Corrections Receives $1.4 Million Grant For Youth Mental Health Services
Kansas ACLU Calls Cash Bail System Unfair To Low-Income Residents As Trump Pushes Federal Ban On Cashless Bail
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Downtown Dodge City Streets Closed As Fire Crews Battle Quilt Shop Blaze
Dodge City Fire Department closed multiple downtown streets Tuesday night as crews battled a large fire at Birds of a Feather Quilt Shop at 314 W Spruce St. Street closures include 3rd Avenue between Vine Street and Gunsmoke Street, Spruce Street between 2nd Avenue and 4th Avenue, and Vine Street between 2nd Avenue and 4th Avenue. The fire department has not yet released additional details about the cause or extent of damage.
KAKE
Colorado Motorcyclist Dies In Highway Collision With Tractor In Washington County
A 68-year-old Colorado man was killed Tuesday afternoon when his motorcycle struck the rear of a tractor on U.S. Highway 36 in Washington County. Thomas Lewis of Firestone, Colorado, was riding a 2022 Moto Guzzi motorcycle eastbound when it collided with a 1981 John Deere tractor also traveling east, ejecting Lewis into the eastbound lane where he was pronounced dead at the scene. The 26-year-old tractor driver from Diller, Nebraska, was not injured. It is unknown whether Lewis was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
KSN
Kansas School Board Member Who Celebrated Conservative Activist's Death Leaves State Education Department
The Kansas school board member who commented online that the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was "well deserved" is no longer an employee of the Kansas State Department of Education. Katie Allen, previously a KSDE research analyst, has parted ways with the agency, as The Mercury in Manhattan first reported on Monday. "I can confirm that Katie Allen is no longer an employee at KSDE. We won't be providing any additional comment," agency spokesperson Denie Kahler said in an email to The Star. Allen, who was elected to the Manhattan-Ogden school board in 2023, previously apologized for the remark posted in the aftermath of last Wednesday's attack, when 31-year-old Kirk was gunned down while speaking outside at Utah Valley University. Two prominent Kansas Republicans vying for next year's GOP gubernatorial nomination took victory laps on social media late Monday after news broke that Allen had left KSDE. Senate President Ty Masterson called for Allen to also step down from the school board, while former Gov. Jeff Colyer called for "a full legislative review of hiring policies and practices across our public-education system." Because Allen was elected to the Manhattan-Ogden school board, she cannot be fired and any effort to oust her would require a recall election in Riley County. Law enforcement officials announced Friday that they had arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice, with state authorities indicating they intend to pursue the death penalty.
Kansas City Star
Kansas Department Of Corrections Receives $1.4 Million Grant For Youth Mental Health Services
The Kansas Department of Corrections received a $1.4 million grant to provide behavioral services for juveniles in the state's nine juvenile centers. All juveniles will be tested as part of the arrival process to help identify specific needs for mental health and substance abuse services, with the goal of putting young people on the right track. The state's juvenile centers take in 250 to 300 young people per month, and Sedgwick County Corrections reported that about 85 percent of children taken in this year were tested and determined to need treatment.
KWCH
Kansas ACLU Calls Cash Bail System Unfair To Low-Income Residents As Trump Pushes Federal Ban On Cashless Bail
The ACLU of Kansas argues that low-income residents in Sedgwick County are disproportionately affected by cash bail, creating an unfair two-tiered justice system where outcomes depend on wealth rather than guilt or innocence. The organization's study found that the most common bail cost is $1,000 and the average is $1,500, representing one-third of the average monthly income for Sedgwick County residents of roughly $3,000. President Donald Trump is pushing to eliminate cashless bail nationwide, arguing it leads to increased crime, though criminal justice reform advocates dispute those claims and cite studies showing cashless bail does not statistically correlate with rising crime rates.
KMUW
Sources
- https://www.kake.com/home/downtown-dodge-city-streets-closed-as-crews-work-to-put-out-business-fire/article_4176aba5-8ea4-4445-8194-c2a08ca06bfe.html
- https://www.ksn.com/news/state-regional/colorado-man-dies-after-motorcycle-collides-with-tractor-on-kansas-highway/
- https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article312130149.html
- https://www.kwch.com/2025/09/17/kansas-department-corrections-gets-grant-childrens-mental-health-services/
- https://www.kmuw.org/2025-09-16/kansas-aclu-says-cash-bail-is-hurting-low-income-residents-but-trump-wants-to-require-it
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