Top 5 Kansas news stories
January 7 2026
Saline County Rejects Battery Storage Facility Project Citing Safety Concerns
State Funds Largest Transportation Project in History to Modernize Wichita-Andover Corridor
Police Name Out-of-State Man Killed in Monday City Hall Incident
Five-Year Wichita Water Plant Construction Project Faces Additional Year-Long Delay
K-State Eliminates DEI Training Requirement Following Student Complaint
Saline County Rejects Battery Storage Facility Project Citing Safety Concerns
The Saline County Commission voted 4-1 Monday to deny a conditional use permit for a proposed battery energy storage facility despite a unanimous approval recommendation from county planners. Mountain Peak Energy Storage LLC, a subsidiary of Houston-based Plus Power, sought to construct the facility but faced overwhelming opposition from nearby property owners, with Commission Chairman Monte Shadwick noting the majority of residents within the notification area submitted letters against the project. Commissioners cited concerns about public safety, fire risks and impacts on the area's rural character in their decision to override the Planning and Zoning Commission's approval recommendation.
Greg Loving
State Funds Largest Transportation Project in History to Modernize Wichita-Andover Corridor
The Kansas Department of Transportation awarded a $287.97 million contract to Dondlinger Wildcat EKC1 LLC for the reconstruction of U.S. 54 and K-96 in Sedgwick and Butler counties, marking the largest construction project in the agency's history. The modernization of East Kellogg Avenue will extend from K-96 to 159th Street in Wichita and Andover as part of Kansas' IKE Program, a 10-year, $10 billion initiative focused on preserving, modernizing and expanding the state's transportation system. Final design work is currently underway, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2026.
Greg Loving
Police Name Out-of-State Man Killed in Monday City Hall Incident
Lawrence police identified the man fatally shot by a court security officer at City Hall on Monday as 28-year-old Omar Dominguez Gavilan from Buffalo, Minnesota. Gavilan had been removed from a Kansas Turnpike service station Sunday evening due to erratic behavior and was transported by Kansas Highway Patrol to the Lawrence Amtrak station. He entered City Hall through a locked back door Monday morning, broke through a secure door on the fourth floor and refused to comply when confronted by the security officer, leading to a physical altercation that ended with the officer shooting Gavilan. The court security officer has been placed on administrative leave, standard procedure, pending an investigation expected to be completed within 2-3 weeks.
KWCH
Five-Year Wichita Water Plant Construction Project Faces Additional Year-Long Delay
Wichita's new water treatment plant faces another significant delay due to a design flaw that will keep the facility offline until at least the end of 2026, Public Works Director Gary Janzen told the city council Tuesday. Construction on the plant began more than five years ago with an original completion date of September 2024, followed by a revised spring 2025 opening date. The project is now estimated to cost between $557 million and $574 million.
KWCH
K-State Eliminates DEI Training Requirement Following Student Complaint
Kansas State University resolved a student complaint about diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within its student government by removing a training requirement from its Student Governing Association constitution. An anonymous student report to legislative leadership in July prompted the Kansas Board of Regents to inform K-State of potential issues with language requiring diversity training for student government members. The student senate repealed the training requirement at its September 4 meeting, following 2025 legislation that required state agencies and universities to eliminate DEI-related positions, programs and activities by August 1.
Kansas Reflector
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