> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.citizenjournal.us/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Top 5 Kansas news stories - URL: https://www.citizenjournal.us/top-5-kansas-news-stories-256/ - Published: 2026-08-25T11:41:44.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-25T11:41:44.000Z - Description: August 25 2026 - Author: Greg Loving - Tags: hcj, #summary # Finney County Planners Back 600-Megawatt Gas Plant # Candidates Clash Over Property Taxes # Superintendent Arrested on 10 Allegations # Mexican Cattle Return as Markets Fall # Kansas Senators Oppose Beef Import Plan --- # Finney County Planners Back 600-Megawatt Gas Plant GARDEN CITY, Kan. — The Holcomb-Garden City-Finney County Area Planning Commission recommended approval of a special use permit for Triple Oak Power's proposed 600-megawatt Sherlock Generation natural gas plant near Holcomb. The plant is part of Home Range Clean Power, the developer's proposed Finney and Kearny county energy project combining wind, solar, battery storage and natural gas generation. Triple Oak's filings describe up to 14 jet-engine-derived turbines on about 80 acres, complementing its permitted 400-megawatt solar array and battery storage site near the Holcomb power station. The Home Range website says the project began as a wind development in 2021 and is now in discussions with a large electricity customer considering the area for a data center, although no power contract or customer has been announced. Several residents opposed the gas plant permit, citing unanswered questions about health effects and water and electricity use. Triple Oak says Home Range has agreements with more than 75 farming and ranching families and projects more than 500 construction jobs over two to three years and more than 25 permanent operations and maintenance positions across its energy facilities. The developer also says the combined energy development and planned data center would use less water than is currently permitted and used for irrigation at the site, and it promises property tax payments and voluntary county donation agreements; those projections and commitments have not yet been realized. The Finney County Commission has final authority, and the gas project would still need site plans, building permits and separate agreements covering roads, decommissioning and community benefits in a region facing aquifer decline and pressure on the electric grid. Western Kansas News · Greater Garden City · Finney County · Kansas Public Radio · KMUW · Server Country · Home Range Clean Power --- # Candidates Clash Over Property Taxes WICHITA, Kan. — Republican Ty Masterson and Democrat Cindy Holscher offered competing property tax proposals Monday during a Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association gubernatorial forum at Century II. Masterson called for property tax cuts and raised the possibility of a taxpayers' bill of rights limiting state tax increases, while Holscher said his roughly two decades in the Legislature had not stopped Kansans' property tax bills from rising. The candidates also addressed Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization, issues that have repeatedly stalled in the Republican-controlled Legislature under term-limited Gov. Laura Kelly. Masterson advanced to the general election after winning the Aug. 4 Republican primary, and he will face Holscher on Nov. 3\. The one-at-a-time forum produced no vote or decision, but it underscored property taxes as a central campaign issue and gave energy producers a chance to press both nominees on taxes and regulation. WIBW · KCTV --- # Superintendent Arrested on 10 Allegations RANSOM, Kan. — Ness County deputies arrested Western Plains USD 106 Superintendent Jeff Michael Jones at Western Plains High School shortly before noon Friday on 10 allegations. The booking record includes misuse of public funds, permitting a false claim, making false information, official misconduct, theft, interference with law enforcement, interference with the judicial process, contributing to a child's misconduct by encouraging a felony and aggravated intimidation of a witness or victim. Jones was released on bond that evening, and the school board placed him on administrative leave. The sheriff's office said the anticipated allegations could be amended, and no public charging document, plea or conviction was reported in the source material. The Ness County attorney said there was no known continuing danger to students, staff or the community, while the case leaves one of Kansas' smallest school districts without its active superintendent during the investigation. KSN · WIBW · KAKE · KWCH · Salina Post · Great Bend Post · KMAN --- # Mexican Cattle Return as Markets Fall DOUGLAS, Ariz. — The United States allowed the first Mexican cattle shipments in more than a year to enter Monday as the U.S. Department of Agriculture began a 30-day trial reopening at the Douglas port. The border had been closed since 2025 to block the New World screwworm, and USDA said the nearest active case was found about 325 miles from the border July 22 and that each animal crossing would receive a full inspection. Kansas feedlots rely on young Mexican cattle, while the closure contributed to a smaller U.S. herd and record retail beef prices. Cattle futures fell Monday, with August live cattle down $2.97 to $220.07, October live cattle down $4.32 to $213.60 and September feeder cattle down $4.80 to $324.22; Brownfield Ag News also reported lower cash showlists in Kansas and Texas. USDA has only said it will consider reopening the Santa Teresa and Columbus ports next, and the estimate of up to 80,000 head a month remains a forecast, but the initial reopening could begin easing the tight cattle supply that helped lift Kansas ranch prices. Drovers · USDA · APHIS · Brownfield Ag News · DTN · The Texas Tribune · Western Livestock Journal --- # Kansas Senators Oppose Beef Import Plan TOPEKA, Kan. — Republican U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall criticized President Donald Trump's plan to allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef into the country without tariffs and sell it at about 25% below current market prices. The administration says the plan would reduce grocery-store beef prices, but Marshall attributed high prices to a domestic cattle herd near its smallest size in roughly 75 years. Kansas agriculture groups and producers also said additional imports could weaken the price incentive ranchers need to rebuild their herds. The dispute follows a February executive order that increased the duty-free allowance for Argentine lean beef trimmings, another step opposed by the nation's largest cattle industry group. No legislation has been introduced and no beef has entered under the new announcement, but the proposal carries particular weight in southwest Kansas counties with major feedyard and packing capacity. Kansas Reflector · Kansas Public Radio · KSN --- ## Sources 1. [Western Kansas News](https://www.westernkansasnews.com/planning-commission-to-consider-natural-gas-special-use-permit/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Greater Garden City](https://greatergardencity.org/2026/06/county-approves-triple-oak-renewable-projects-special-use-permits/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Finney County](https://www.finneycounty.org/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/864?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Kansas Public Radio](https://kansaspublicradio.org/daily-headlines/2026-08-24/headlines-for-monday-august-24-2026?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KMUW](https://www.kmuw.org/community/2026-05-15/want-to-pack-a-public-meeting-in-kansas-just-say-its-about-a-data-center?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Server Country](https://servercountry.org/policy/kansas/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Home Range Clean Power](https://homerangecleanpower.com/?ref=citizenjournal.us) 2. [WIBW](https://www.wibw.com/2026/08/24/kansas-independent-oil-gas-association-hosts-gubernatorial-forum-century-ii/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KCTV](https://www.kctv5.com/2026/08/05/ty-masterson-wins-republican-primary-advances-kansas-governors-race/?ref=citizenjournal.us) 3. [KSN](https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/kansas-superintendent-arrested-on-suspicion-of-misuse-of-public-funds-9-other-charges/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [WIBW](https://www.wibw.com/2026/08/24/school-superintendent-arrested-financial-crimes-ness-county/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KAKE](https://www.kake.com/home/kansas-school-superintendent-arrested-on-10-counts-amid-ongoing-investigation/article%5F2fc9c71b-be4d-402c-9061-ce4da59627fe.html?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KWCH](https://www.kwch.com/2026/08/24/man-arrested-western-kansas-high-school-friday/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Salina Post](https://salinapost.com/posts/69206099-0681-4bc8-aef7-b3ae9229b77e?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Great Bend Post](https://greatbendpost.com/posts/477ea367-207e-432a-bbb1-7dcf4da410bb?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KMAN](https://1350kman.com/2026/08/west-central-kansas-school-superintendent-arrested-faces-10-charges/?ref=citizenjournal.us) 4. [Drovers](https://www.drovers.com/news/u-s-mexico-border-re-open-rollins-announces-douglas-arizona-port-open-30-days?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [USDA](https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/07/24/usda-announces-phased-reopening-southern-ports-livestock-trade?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [APHIS](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-announces-phased-reopening-southern-ports-livestock-trade?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Brownfield Ag News: Closing Markets](https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/market-news/closing-grain-and-livestock-futures-august-24-2026/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Brownfield Ag News: Cattle Futures](https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/market-news/cattle-futures-lower-to-start-the-week-24/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [DTN](https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/livestock/article/2026/07/27/us-resume-mexican-cattle-imports-aug?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [The Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/24/united-states-mexico-cattle-industry-imports-resumption-screwworm/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Western Livestock Journal](https://www.wlj.net/market-wrap-up-monday-aug-24/?ref=citizenjournal.us) 5. [Kansas Reflector](https://kansasreflector.com/2026/08/24/kansas-agriculture-political-leaders-dubious-of-president-trumps-beef-import-strategy/?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [Kansas Public Radio](https://kansaspublicradio.org/daily-headlines/2026-08-24/headlines-for-monday-august-24-2026?ref=citizenjournal.us) / [KSN](https://www.ksn.com/news/agriculture/kansas-ranchers-arent-fans-of-trumps-beef-import-plan/?ref=citizenjournal.us) --- *This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our [AI policy](https://www.citizenjournal.us/ai-policy/).* --- Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? 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