Record Diesel Prices Raise Costs as Wheat Planting Lags

A Third of Kansas Counties Sign ICE Agreements

Lindsborg Residents Push to Remove License Plate Cameras

Lawrence Planners Back Special Permits for Data Centers

Gunfire Kills Man, Strikes Kansas City School Bus

Record Diesel Prices Raise Costs as Wheat Planting Lags

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas diesel reached a record $6.23 a gallon Sept. 21, compared with $6.51 nationally, WIBW reported; Cimarron livestock hauler Steve Hilker Trucking told KWCH it spends about $1,200 daily on fuel. Wars in Iran and Ukraine have cut diesel production and exports, leaving less fuel on world markets and pushing U.S. prices higher: the Iran war has disrupted Middle Eastern refineries and shipping, while Ukrainian attacks have damaged Russian refineries and prompted Russian export restrictions, Reuters reported. AAA's Sept. 21 regular gasoline averages were about $4.15 in Wichita, $4.18 statewide and $4.48 nationally, with Kansas below its June 2022 record of $4.67 and the national figure up roughly 16 cents in a week despite the usual decline after Labor Day. An outage at ExxonMobil's Joliet refinery in Channahon, Illinois, which normally produces about 11 million gallons of gasoline and diesel daily and accounts for 6% of Midwest refining capacity, added pressure to regional fuel supplies; a Sept. 18 report by 24/7 Wall St. said no firm restart date had been announced. Those higher diesel prices come as Kansas farmers harvest this year's corn and plant winter wheat for harvest next summer. By Sept. 20, farmers had harvested 40% of the corn crop, ahead of the five-year average, and planted 10% of winter wheat, slightly behind the average, according to USDA.

WIBW · KWCH · Reuters · EIA · AAA · 24/7 Wall St. · ExxonMobil · USDA

A Third of Kansas Counties Sign ICE Agreements

TOPEKA, Kan. — Thirty-six of Kansas' 105 counties, 10 cities and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation have signed immigration enforcement agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a Sept. 20 Topeka Capital-Journal tally. Named for a section of federal immigration law, the 287(g) agreements authorize specified immigration duties, including identifying people in local custody and holding them for federal pickup. Only Finney and Jackson counties had agreements before 2025, with the remaining counties joining after President Donald Trump returned to office. Attorney General Kris Kobach says the partnerships improve public safety and expects roughly 70 counties to participate eventually, while acknowledging that all 105 is unlikely. Larger Kansas City-area jurisdictions have declined to participate, and immigrant advocates warn that the agreements could discourage crime victims and witnesses from contacting police. Lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of House Bill 2372 in April to ease legal barriers to the partnerships, whose expansion changes local officers' role in federal immigration enforcement from one jurisdiction to another.

Topeka Capital-Journal · KCUR · Kansas Legislature

Lindsborg Residents Push to Remove License Plate Cameras

LINDSBORG, Kan. — Residents urged the city to end its Flock Safety camera program Sept. 21, when automated license plate readers were the only subject raised during public comment, following similar objections Sept. 8. DeFlock Lindsborg, co-founded by Brandon Burch, wants the cameras removed from the McPherson County community of about 3,300 residents. The city operates three readers that photograph passing vehicles and check plates against law enforcement databases, while supporters describe them as tools for recovering stolen vehicles and locating missing people. The council renewed a $6,000 annual subscription for two existing cameras in August and required a policy review ahead of a possible October expansion. KWCH reported that the city tabled the discussion Sept. 21 for further policy review, with no cancellation or camera removal reported. The dispute centers on the investigative value of the cameras and residents' concerns about searchable records of their movements.

Lindsborg City Council Summary

Week of September 22, 2026

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KWCH · Ad Astra Radio · Citizen Journal

Lawrence Planners Back Special Permits for Data Centers

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission voted 6-1 Sept. 21 to recommend requiring special use permits for future data centers, replacing approval by right in certain zoning districts. The change would require hearings before both the Planning Commission and City Commission, allowing residents to comment and commissioners to impose conditions or reject proposals. Commissioner Gary Rexroad, the lone opponent, warned the language could affect businesses such as biotech companies operating their own servers, while city staff said server rooms supporting another business are generally considered ancillary uses. Roughly two dozen residents spoke at City Hall, most supporting the change, although some urged an outright ban. The recommendation requires City Commission approval and would not alter the 24-month moratorium adopted in July 2026, which allows developers to seek exemptions. If adopted, the permit requirement would continue after the moratorium ends, giving residents and elected officials a role in reviewing projects that currently need no special approval.

Journal-World · Lawrence Times

Gunfire Kills Man, Strikes Kansas City School Bus

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A man died and a school bus carrying 10 high-school-age students was struck by gunfire Sept. 21 near North 18th Street and Longwood Avenue, south of Quindaro Boulevard. Police responded about 6:39 a.m. and found the man with gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police and Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools said no students were injured when a bullet hit the bus during its morning route near a middle school. Investigators said they believed the gunfire targeted the man rather than the bus, and no suspect was in custody as of Monday afternoon. The district offered students the option of staying home and provided counseling at school, addressing the shooting's impact on children traveling to class while the homicide investigation continued.

KWCH · KSHB

Sources

1. WIBW / KWCH / AAA Kansas Prices / AAA National Prices / AAA Weekly Update / Reuters / EIA / 24/7 Wall St. / ExxonMobil / USDA
2. Topeka Capital-Journal / KCUR / Kansas Legislature
3. KWCH / Ad Astra Radio / Citizen Journal
4. Journal-World / Lawrence Times / Journal-World
5. KWCH / KSHB

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