Top 5 Kansas news stories
August 20 2025
Federal Officials Deny Water Rights to Kansas Wildlife Refuge
Topeka Police Deploy Data Analytics to Drive Crime Prevention Strategy
Wichita Implements Permanent Lawn Watering Restrictions
Kansas's Castle Rock Badlands Named State's Most Beautiful Destination
KU Football Showcases New Stadium in Social Media Flyover
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1. Federal Officials Deny Water Rights to Kansas Wildlife Refuge
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not allocate water in 2026 to the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, a critical 22,000-acre habitat for hundreds of migrating bird species in central Kansas. Republican Sen. Jerry Moran praised the federal decision to take no action on the refuge's water rights, continuing a pattern established in 2020 and 2023 despite state findings that the refuge received insufficient water in two-thirds of the years between 2008 and 2021.
Kansas Reflector
2. Topeka Police Deploy Data Analytics to Drive Crime Prevention Strategy
Topeka Police Chief Chris Vallejo is implementing data-driven policing through the department's new PACT program, using crime mapping and statistical analysis to identify hot spots and deploy resources more effectively. The analytics-based approach, which processes thousands of 911 calls and crime patterns, has contributed to a 7% decrease in violent crime and 10% drop in property crime compared to five-year averages, with officers responding to 5,495 calls between April and July while using real-time data to guide patrol strategies.
Capital-Journal
3. Wichita Implements Permanent Lawn Watering Restrictions
Wichita City Council approved permanent every-other-day lawn watering restrictions, with odd-numbered addresses allowed to water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, while even-numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The new ordinance prohibits all watering on Mondays and between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.
KWCH
4. Kansas's Castle Rock Badlands Named State's Most Beautiful Destination
Travel + Leisure magazine designated Castle Rock Badlands in northwest Kansas as the state's most beautiful location, featuring 70-foot chalk pillars that tower over the prairie landscape. The travel publication's nationwide survey placed the geological formation alongside iconic destinations like Colorado's Garden of the Gods and Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park.
Capital-Journal
5. KU Football Showcases New Stadium in Social Media Flyover
The University of Kansas football program released a flythrough video of its new stadium construction on social media, giving fans a preview of the upgraded facilities.
Welcome to the home of Kansas Football. pic.twitter.com/25tK1NHig1
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) August 20, 2025
X (formerly Twitter)
Sources
- https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/federal-officials-wont-take-action-on-kansas-wildlife-refuges-lost-water/
- https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/local/2025/08/20/topeka-police-chief-gives-breakdown-of-summer-crime-data-and-practices/85717533007/
- https://www.kwch.com/2025/08/20/wichita-moves-permanent-water-restrictions/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=organicclicks&tbref=hp
- https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2025/08/20/travel-leisure-says-this-is-the-most-beautiful-place-in-kansas/85710558007/
- https://x.com/KU_Football/status/1957963523151085815
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