Top 5 Kansas news stories
December 18 2025
High Winds Prompt Fire Warning, Power Outage Concerns Across Central Kansas
Extreme Wind Gusts Close I-70 Between Colby and Goodland Overnight
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Exits Federal ICE Detention Center Contract
U.S. Accepts Fault for Reagan Airport Collision That Killed 67, Including Wichita Passengers
McPherson CBD Store Owner Sues State Over October Raid, Product Seizures
High Winds Prompt Fire Warning, Power Outage Concerns Across Central Kansas
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for central Kansas on Thursday, with sustained winds of 30-40 mph and gusts reaching 60 mph expected between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The dangerous conditions triggered a Red Flag Warning due to extreme grassland fire danger, with forecasters cautioning that any fires will be difficult to contain. Areas along Interstate 70 west of Salina face additional hazards from blowing dust that may reduce visibility and create dangerous driving conditions, prompting officials to urge residents to secure outdoor objects and prepare for potential power outages.
Citizen Journal
Extreme Wind Gusts Close I-70 Between Colby and Goodland Overnight
The Kansas Department of Transportation reopened Interstate 70 between Colby and Goodland on Thursday morning after closing the highway for several hours overnight due to low visibility caused by extreme wind gusts. Goodland recorded an 84 mile-per-hour wind gust in the same area where a dust storm caused a 70-car pile-up earlier this year.
KWCH
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Exits Federal ICE Detention Center Contract
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation announced Tuesday that its company, Prairie Band LLC, has terminated a $29.9 million contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to design Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers nationwide. Tribal Board Chair Joseph "Zeke" Rupnick told the nation that Prairie Band LLC is no longer affiliated with any ICE projects, contracts or operations, marking a complete exit from the controversial agreement. The contract, awarded October 31 for design work on ICE processing centers and mega centers throughout the United States, was scheduled to run through October 2026. The tribe fired senior leadership of the LLC on December 9 following public outcry over the contract, and Rupnick said the Tribal Council will discuss preventive measures at its January general council meeting.
CJOnline
U.S. Accepts Fault for Reagan Airport Collision That Killed 67, Including Wichita Passengers
The U.S. government accepted responsibility Wednesday for a midair collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people in September, agreeing to pay damages to families of the victims. The Justice Department filing responded to a lawsuit alleging systemic failures by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Army, American Airlines and its subsidiary PSA Airlines contributed to the crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. American Flight 5342, traveling from Wichita, collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter conducting a training exercise along the Potomac River. The flight carried numerous young figure skaters and coaches returning from a national development camp.
The military helicopter had its enhanced tracking technology turned off as it crossed the flight path of commercial aircraft approaching the airport. Two hours after initially approving legislation that aviation experts warned would increase similar collision risks between military and commercial aircraft, the Senate reversed course Wednesday and unanimously passed comprehensive restrictions. The bipartisan measure requires military aircraft to use location-broadcasting technology when flying near busy airports with limited exceptions, and nullifies provisions in the defense bill that loosened existing tracking requirements.
WSJ, NYT
McPherson CBD Store Owner Sues State Over October Raid, Product Seizures
A McPherson County lawsuit filed by local CBD store owner Mike Ballinger challenges state enforcement operations that led to the seizure of $7,000 in cash and hemp-derived products from his Hanging Leaf business during an October statewide raid. The suit, filed Monday by Kansas City attorneys Barry Grissom and Jake Miller, names Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Tony Mattivi and Attorney General Kris Kobach as defendants, seeking a court injunction to stop similar raids and compel the return of seized property. Ballinger's attorneys argue that Kansas law permits hemp products containing no more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC, but claim KBI testing methods cannot properly distinguish between legal hemp-derived products and illegal substances, alleging the state's enforcement actions violate constitutional protections through "unconstitutionally vague" laws that foster "arbitrary enforcement."
Greg Loving
Sources
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