Top 5 Kansas news stories
September 21 2026
Poll Shows Tight Senate Race; Masterson Declines Debates
Farm Credit System's Troubled Asset Share Rises About 7%
Kansas Wins $8.4 Million to Expand Teacher Training
Wichita Police Identify Woman Found Dead in Suitcase
Kansas Falls at Wembley; K-State Stays Unbeaten
Poll Shows Tight Senate Race; Masterson Declines Debates
TOPEKA, Kan. — Democrat Adam Hamilton drew 45% support to Republican Sen. Roger Marshall's 43% in an Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey released Friday, Sept. 18, with Libertarian David Graham at 4% and 8% undecided. The survey of 750 likely Kansas voters, conducted Sept. 15-16, has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. Hamilton's two-point advantage falls within that uncertainty, leaving no clear leader in the Nov. 3 Senate race. Pollsters cited Hamilton's 42%-27% advantage among independent voters as a factor in the close contest in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932.
In the governor's race, the same poll put Republican Ty Masterson at 51% and Democrat Cindy Holscher at 44%, with 6% undecided. Masterson, the Kansas Senate president, declined televised debates planned by Gray Media for Sept. 24 and Nexstar for Oct. 1, Kansas Reflector reported Sept. 18. Holscher, a state senator from Overland Park, said she accepted both invitations and accused Masterson of “hiding” from voters. Campaign spokesman Garrett Henson said Masterson had already debated Holscher and appeared with her at multiple forums, and had no plans to accept further debates. Their 90-minute Sept. 12 debate at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson covered property taxes, data center development, school vouchers and abortion, with the crowd at times drowning out the candidates. Masterson, who won the contested Aug. 4 Republican primary with President Donald Trump's endorsement, and Holscher are competing Nov. 3 to succeed two-term Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who cannot run again because of term limits.
Emerson Polling · Kansas Reflector
Kansas Reflector
Farm Credit System's Troubled Asset Share Rises About 7%
McLEAN, Va. — The share of troubled loans and repossessed property in the Farm Credit System rose about 7% over the year ending June 30, 2026, the Farm Credit Administration reported. The system is a government-chartered network of cooperative lenders that provides credit to farmers and ranchers. The regulator said the system remained financially sound through the first six months of 2026, with modest loan growth, higher earnings and adequate capital, despite rising production costs, uneven livestock profits and increasing farmland values amid weak returns. In Kansas, USDA's sorghum production forecast was roughly one-third below last year's crop, adding pressure on producers who depend on operating credit to finance planting. A southwest Kansas farmer told Brownfield Ag News this month that warm soil and a need for more moisture were delaying his winter wheat planting plans. The cost and availability of farm loans help determine how much producers can plant and whether they can keep their operations running through difficult seasons.
Farm Credit Administration · JC Post · Brownfield Ag News
Kansas Wins $8.4 Million to Expand Teacher Training
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas will receive $8.4 million over three years through the federal Teacher and School Leader Incentive program to recruit, train and retain educators, with an emphasis on high-need schools. The funding, reported Friday, Sept. 18, will support educator development and advancement as the state works to address persistent staffing shortages. State education officials said the grant will expand teacher and principal apprenticeships, establish a training pathway for reading specialists and develop routes from classroom teaching into school leadership. Teacher apprenticeships allow people to keep working in schools while completing degrees and certification. The Kansas State Department of Education reported 1,588 educator vacancies in spring 2026, down from 1,747 in fall 2025 and more than 2,200 in spring 2025. Special education remained the largest shortage area with 378 vacancies, underscoring the need for additional qualified educators despite the statewide improvement.
Little Apple Post · KSDE · KMUW
Wichita Police Identify Woman Found Dead in Suitcase
WICHITA, Kan. — Police identified Lorretta M. Moody, 67, as the woman found dead inside a suitcase at Wichita Fire Station 22 on South Hydraulic Avenue and said they are investigating her death as a homicide. Firefighters called police on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 16, after two people arrived at the station with the suitcase. Moody, who had been reported missing, was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Sedgwick County Medical Examiner's Office. In an update carried Friday, Sept. 18, police said investigators were interviewing people, reviewing evidence and establishing a timeline. The published update did not announce an arrest, charges or a cause of death, and investigators were still working to determine how Moody died and came to be brought to the station. Police said they had no information indicating an ongoing threat to the public and asked anyone with information to call homicide investigators at 316-268-4407.
KWCH · WIBW
Kansas Falls at Wembley; K-State Stays Unbeaten
LONDON — Arizona State defeated Kansas 24-17 on Saturday, Sept. 19, in the first college football game played at Wembley Stadium, whose history includes Olympic finals, a World Cup final, Live Aid and NFL games. The inaugural Union Jack Classic drew an announced crowd of 46,523 and aired on FS1 from a city six hours ahead of Central time. It was the third Big 12 football game in Europe in two seasons, following Kansas State and Iowa State's 2025 opener in Dublin, and organizers have a multiyear Wembley agreement to continue the event. In Manhattan the same day, Kansas State beat Tulane 31-20 before 51,846 fans to improve to 3-0 in Collin Klein's first season as head coach. Avery Johnson threw for 227 yards and ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns, while Jaron Tibbs caught nine passes for 114 yards. The Wildcats also allowed their first offensive touchdown of the season, ending a streak that covered their opening two games.
KU Athletics · K-State Athletics · AP/KWCH · FOX Sports · Kansas on SI · Wembley Stadium · KU Sports
Sources
- Emerson Polling / Kansas Reflector / Kansas Reflector / Kansas Reflector
- Farm Credit Administration / JC Post / Brownfield Ag News / Brownfield Ag News
- Little Apple Post / KSDE / KMUW
- KWCH / WIBW
- KU Athletics / KU Athletics / K-State Athletics / AP/KWCH / FOX Sports / Kansas on SI / Wembley Stadium / KU Sports
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