Top 6 Kansas news stories
August 13 2025
Kansas Communities Battle Water Contamination, Infrastructure Costs
Kansas to Convert Old News Racks Into Naloxone Distribution Boxes
Evergy Reports $191 Million Profit While Seeking Rate Increases
New Green Street Farmers Market Opens Friday in Kansas City
Kansas State Football Ranked 17th in Preseason AP Poll
Kansas Receives Record $300 Million Athletic Gift from David Booth
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1. Kansas Communities Battle Water Contamination, Infrastructure Costs
The small town of Pawnee Rock exemplifies Kansas' growing water crisis, with uranium contamination forcing one city well offline and leaving the community of 186 residents dependent on a single water source. The Kansas Water Program Task Force heard Monday that solving Pawnee Rock's problem requires $4.1 million for a new water source, while nitrate pollution from agricultural runoff threatens water supplies across the state. Cities and counties statewide face mounting challenges from contaminated groundwater, skyrocketing infrastructure costs, and aging water systems. In Anthony, a $6 million water treatment plant completed in 2016 now requires $275,000 to $350,000 annually in pipeline repairs, with replacement costs estimated at $22 million to $32 million.
Kansas Reflector
2. Kansas to Convert Old News Racks Into Naloxone Distribution Boxes
Attorney General Kris Kobach's office received a $177,000 state grant Friday to transform unused newspaper racks into naloxone distribution boxes, making the life-saving overdose-reversal medication more accessible across Kansas. The initiative, inspired by a successful South Dakota program, aims to reduce stigma around drug use while providing emergency access to naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan.
Kansas.com
3. Evergy Reports $191 Million Profit While Seeking Rate Increases
Electric utility Evergy earned $191.1 million in profits during the second quarter of 2025, down $16 million from the previous year due to milder weather and higher operational costs. The earnings announcement comes as the company seeks rate increases from Kansas utility regulators to serve its 1.7 million customers across the state.
CJOnline
4. New Green Street Farmers Market Opens Friday in Kansas City
A decade-long project culminates Friday when Green Street's farmers market and gathering space opens to the public in Kansas City. The nearly 3-acre development features a new indoor-outdoor farmers market pavilion, public art installations, and a lawn area with outdoor canopy at Southeast Third and Southeast Green streets.
Kansas City Star
5. Kansas State Football Ranked 17th in Preseason AP Poll
Kansas State University's football team earned a No. 17 ranking in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll, positioning the Wildcats as a contender heading into the 2025 college football season.
AP News
6. Kansas Receives Record $300 Million Athletic Gift from David Booth
The University of Kansas received a historic $300 million donation from donor David Booth, believed to be among the largest single gifts in college athletics history. The university plans to allocate $75 million toward Phase 2 renovations of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and construction of the surrounding Gateway District, marking a significant investment in the football program's future.
ESPN
Sources
- https://kansasreflector.com/2025/08/11/kansas-task-force-keeps-working-to-resolve-conflicting-forces-shaping-future-of-water-policy/
- https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article311670049.html#storylink=cpy
- https://www.cjonline.com/story/business/energy-resource/2025/08/12/evergy-reports-191-million-in-profits-while-asking-for-rate-increases/85560203007/?tbref=hp
- https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/community/lsjournal/article311591892.html#storylink=cpy
- https://apnews.com/live/ap-top-25-college-football-poll?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2025-08-11-AP+Top+25+poll
- https://www.espn.com/contributor/pete-thamel/b8d33e6960e41
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