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Top 5 Kansas news stories

November 19 2025

Greg Loving

19 Nov 2025 • 5 min read

A potential solar farm spanning nearly 1,500 acres may be coming to Sedgwick County. A California-based company wants to put the panels on agricultural land between Clearwater and Haysville. - KSN

Solar Farm Proposal Near Clearwater Faces Community Pushback

KBI Detains 10 Convicted Non-Citizens for Federal Immigration Officials

Kansas Avoids Penalties After Paying Full SNAP Benefits Amid Federal Confusion

Kansas Congressional Delegation Votes to Release Epstein Files

Widespread Rain Expected Thursday and Friday Across Kansas

1. Solar Farm Proposal Near Clearwater Faces Community Pushback

A California renewable energy company's plan to build a solar farm near Clearwater has drawn concerns from area residents about property values, environmental impacts and where the electricity will go. Mission Clean Energy says the project would generate more than $2 million in annual tax revenue for Sedgwick County, but no decision has been made on the proposal. Sedgwick County Commissioner Jeff Blubaugh said the project must still go through the planning process and county commission approval, with a decision likely delayed until after the New Year. At a recent informational meeting, most attendees expressed worries that the solar farm could lower nearby property values.

KWCH

2. KBI Detains 10 Convicted Non-Citizens for Federal Immigration Officials

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation detained 10 non-U.S. citizens convicted of serious crimes and turned them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation between Oct. 24 and Nov. 14. The individuals from Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Ethiopia and Somalia were found in Hutchinson, Newton, Garden City and Dodge City, with each convicted of sex offenses, drug offenses or violent crimes including a Somalian refugee convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a Garden City traffic accident. The roundup stems from a February agreement between the KBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that allows state officers to receive ICE training for executing federal immigration warrants. KBI Director Tony Mattivi said anyone without citizenship who commits serious crimes against Kansans should not be allowed to remain in Kansas communities.

Kansas Reflector

3. Kansas Avoids Penalties After Paying Full SNAP Benefits Amid Federal Confusion

Kansas paid full November food assistance benefits to 180,000 recipients on Nov. 7 despite conflicting federal guidance during a government shutdown, but state officials say they don't expect penalties after the confusion was resolved. The state issued full payments based on court orders and initial U.S. Department of Agriculture guidance, but the USDA issued a memo the next day calling the full payments "unauthorized" and ordering states to "undo" them. Kansas was among at least four states that paid benefits before the reversal order, joining New York, Wisconsin and Oregon. After the shutdown ended, the USDA issued a Nov. 13 memo ordering states to transmit full November payments, and Kansas Department for Children and Families spokeswoman Erin La Row said the state doesn't expect problems from its Nov. 7 payout.

Kansas Reflector

4. Kansas Congressional Delegation Votes to Release Epstein Files

The U.S. House and Senate voted to release files on Jeffrey Epstein held by the House Oversight Committee, with all four Kansas representatives voting in favor once the measure reached the House floor. Rep. Sharice Davids was the only Kansas representative to sign the discharge petition that forced the House vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, while Reps. Derek Schmidt, Ron Estes and Tracey Mann all voted yes when the bill came to the floor. The Senate passed it unanimously the same day.

CJOnline

5. Widespread Rain Expected Thursday and Friday Across Kansas

A storm system moving into Kansas will bring widespread rain and cooler temperatures Thursday and Friday, with 1-2 inches of rainfall expected across the state and localized higher amounts possible. Isolated storms will develop across south central and southeast Kansas late tonight, with widespread showers moving into southern Kansas Thursday afternoon and evening before lifting north into central Kansas overnight and continuing Friday morning, with rain wrapping up by 4 p.m. Friday.

KWCH

Sources

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