hcj

Top 5 Kansas news stories

October 10 2025

Greg Loving

10 Oct 2025 • 4 min read

Kansas News Service

Kansas Corn Production Continues Despite Water Concerns

Missouri Reports Surge in West Nile Virus Cases

Proposed Ottawa County Swine Farm Exempt From County Approval

Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick Found in Kansas for First Time

Banana Ball Championship League Coming to Wichita in 2026

1. Kansas Corn Production Continues Despite Water Concerns

Kansas farmers are harvesting over 6 million acres of corn this fall, with much of the crop in western Kansas relying on the dwindling Ogallala Aquifer for irrigation. The state's corn industry supports numerous jobs in trucking, cattle feeding and farming, making it an economic staple despite concerns about long-term sustainability in a region where corn is not as well-suited climatically as other potential crops. Most Kansas corn is field corn—a shorter, starchier variety used for cattle feed and ethanol production rather than human consumption. The starchy corn is pressed into a softer, highly digestible, high-protein feed that serves as the staple crop for the beef industry. Despite millions of acres growing across Kansas, much of the corn used in the state still comes from the traditional corn belt in Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois, with truck drivers hauling fertilizer north and returning with corn products. Over the years, hybrid varieties have been developed to capitalize on irrigation and survive drier periods, while federal subsidies have cemented corn's dominance. Since 1995, the federal government has paid out $21 billion in subsidies to corn farmers nationwide, making it the most subsidized crop. Kansas corn acreage has grown by an average of 50,000 hectares annually since the 1880s, driven by reliable demand and steady returns that make it a simple choice for farmers despite long-term sustainability questions.

CJOnline

2. Missouri Reports Surge in West Nile Virus Cases

Missouri health officials are urging vigilance after reporting 16 West Nile virus cases as of Oct. 4, with 15 hospitalizations and three deaths. Two Kansas City-area residents, one each in Jackson and Clay counties, were among those hospitalized, while the three fatalities occurred in St. Louis, St. Charles and Grundy counties.

KSHB

3. Proposed Ottawa County Swine Farm Exempt From County Approval

A proposed 45,000-head swine farm 30 miles north of Salina will not require Ottawa County Commission approval due to its business structure, according to a Sept. 18 opinion from the Kansas Attorney General. The facility, known as Smoky Hills Pork, is owned by a Nebraska-based limited liability partnership, which exempts it from county authority that applies to corporations, trusts, LLCs, limited partnerships and corporate partnerships, despite a November ballot question asking voters whether to ban certain swine facilities.

CJOnline

4. Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick Found in Kansas for First Time

An exotic invasive tick species was discovered in Kansas for the first time last week when an Asian Longhorned Tick was found on a dog in Franklin County, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The small, light brown tick, often smaller than a sesame seed, can reproduce without a male and was first identified in the U.S. in New Jersey in 2017, spreading west to 21 states since then.

Kansas City Star

5. Banana Ball Championship League Coming to Wichita in 2026

Wichita will host a three-game Banana Ball Championship League series next spring featuring the Loco Beach Coconuts and the Firefighters at Equity Bank Park on May 7-9, 2026. While not featuring the Savannah Bananas themselves, the series brings the brand's popular "Banana Ball" entertainment format to Kansas.

The Wichita Eagle

Sources

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