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Top 5 Kansas news stories

October 16, 2025

Teri Hansen

16 Oct 2025 • 5 min read

Kansas Young Republicans Group dissolved after racist chats exposed

Wichita debuts High School Girls Flag Football with strong turnout

Ex-Marion Police Chief ordered to trial for instructing witness to delete texts

State officials warn of invasive Asian longhorned tick found in Kansas

Big 12 fines Kansas, Texas Tech $25,000 each over throwing dispute

Kansas Young Republicans Group dissolved after racist chats exposed

The Kansas Young Republicans organization has been disbanded following a Politico report that revealed racist and violent messages exchanged among its leaders, including vice chair William Hendrix and chairman Alex Dwyer, with content featuring slurs targeting Black and gay people and references to Hitler. Governor Laura Kelly and other state lawmakers condemned the group's actions, while experts say the incident reflects broader concerns about hateful rhetoric among young men influenced by social media and podcasts. Friends University professor Russell Fox noted that while the specific language is alarming, political leaders' own rhetoric plays a role in normalizing such behavior, and he urged those who encounter such speech to make clear it won't be tolerated.

KWCH

Wichita debuts High School Girls Flag Football with strong turnout

Seven Wichita public schools plus Maize and Maize South launched the area's first high school girls flag football season this fall with overwhelming enthusiasm, as Maize coach Shelby Hillman expected only 10 players but saw 40 girls show up at 6 a.m. on the first day. Backed by the Chiefs organization, the new sport has created opportunities for hundreds of Kansas girls to compete in football for the first time, with most players having no prior experience but quickly bonding as teams. The inaugural postseason tournament begins Saturday at Olathe East High School, and coaches hope girls flag football will eventually become a KSHSAA-sanctioned sport.

KAKE

Ex-Marion Police Chief ordered to trial for instructing witness to delete texts

A Marion County judge ruled Wednesday that former Police Chief Gideon Cody will stand trial on a felony charge of interfering with the judicial process after he allegedly instructed restaurant owner Kari Newell to delete text messages they exchanged before, during and after the controversial August 2023 raid on the Marion County Record newspaper. The preliminary hearing revealed that Newell did delete messages spanning a week before to a week after the raid at Cody's request, though investigators later recovered the texts from Cody's attorney, and a Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent testified about discovering a gap in the text message timeline. Judge Ryan Rosauer scheduled trial for February 2026, with Cody entering a not guilty plea and facing presumptive probation if convicted, though Marion County Record publisher Eric Meyer expressed frustration that Cody won't be tried for the raid itself, which he calls the real crime.

KSN

State officials warn of invasive Asian longhorned tick found in Kansas

Kansas health and agriculture officials issued a public alert after the Asian longhorned tick was confirmed for the first time in the state, discovered on a dog in Franklin County through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's tick surveillance program. The invasive species, which can reproduce without mating and carries pathogens harmful to livestock and potentially humans, poses particular concern for cattle as it can infect blood cells and cause weakness, fever, loss of appetite or death. While the discovery doesn't indicate a widespread population, officials urge Kansans to take precautions including wearing long sleeves, using insect repellent and checking for ticks after outdoor activities, as the species has spread westward from New Jersey to more than 20 states since 2017.

Lawrence KS Times

Big 12 fines Kansas, Texas Tech $25,000 each over throwing dispute

The Big 12 Conference fined both Kansas and Texas Tech $25,000 following a contentious dispute after the Red Raiders' 42-17 victory in Lubbock, where fans twice threw tortillas onto the field despite a league ban on the tradition implemented before the season. Kansas received its penalty for coach Lance Leipold's postgame claim that a fan threw a pocketknife that hit a staff member, which Texas Tech video evidence disproved by showing the closed knife was picked up from the field apron by a Kansas player and handed to staff. Leipold apologized Wednesday for his "emotionally charged" reaction and accepted responsibility for making inaccurate statements about both the knife incident and questioning the conference's integrity, while Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire has urged fans to stop throwing tortillas except during the opening kickoff.

ESPN

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