Topeka

• The Topeka City Council approved its 2027 budget, which includes $10 million in spending cuts. →
• Topeka Mayor Spencer Duncan asked the Public Infrastructure Committee to pause the Westboro detention pond project over notice concerns. →
• The Topeka Public Infrastructure Committee voted 2-1 to pause a $46,630 flood mitigation detention pond project on Lakeside Drive. →
• Topeka Public Infrastructure Committee Chair David Banks voted against pausing a flood project, warning against bowing to public pressure. →
• Legal advisors told Topeka officials the city faces no liability under discretionary immunity for delaying a Westboro flood control project. →
• Unmapped underground pipes and broken valves delayed Topeka Boulevard repairs between 15th and 21st streets in Topeka to early 2027. →
• Grab your umbrella for a few morning scattered showers and storms, but expect partly sunny skies by afternoon with a high near 87°F.

🌾 Kansas

• Kansas diesel prices hit a record $5.91 a gallon statewide on Sept. 14 as drilling activity remained below last year's pace, according to a Sept. 15 industry report. →

• Leawood police said Sept. 14 that skeletal remains were found in a car belonging to Jay Flekier, missing since 2016, after volunteer divers recovered the vehicle from a retention pond. →

• Cowley County commissioners directed legal counsel Sept. 15 to research intervening in the Kansas Corporation Commission's review of Evergy's proposed Buffalo Flats-to-Delaware transmission line route. →

• Southwest Kansas farmer Gary Millershaski estimated Sept. 14 that only 5% to 10% of the region's dryland corn will be harvested for grain after heat and drought damaged the crop. →

• The Kansas Supreme Court will hold a special evening session Sept. 22 at Liberal High School to hear oral arguments in State of Kansas v. Douglas Moser. →

🇺🇸 US

• The Senate voted 74-24 Tuesday to advance the Protect College Sports Act of 2026, which would set federal rules for athlete compensation and give the NCAA limited antitrust protection. →

• The Senate failed Tuesday to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act in a 49-50 procedural vote, leaving federal crypto oversight rules unresolved. →

• Google is exploring a data center in Lea County, New Mexico, as Blackstone Infrastructure proposed $300 million in customer benefits to win regulatory approval for its $11.5 billion acquisition of TXNM Energy. →

• Meta Platforms said Tuesday it will begin deploying its in-house MTIA 450 "Arke" AI chips in 2027 to reduce its reliance on Nvidia processors. →

• U.S. crude oil topped $105 a barrel Tuesday as Iran-backed Houthi advances near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait threatened Red Sea oil shipments and raised the risk of higher gas and diesel prices. →

Weather

SEPTEMBER 16 1893: SETTLERS RACE TO CLAIM LAND IN OKLAHOMA

More than 100,000 settlers surged into the Cherokee Strip as a pistol shot signaled the start of the largest land run in U.S. history, staking claims to former Native American lands in a frantic dash for homesteads. Some participants cheated by sneaking into the territory ahead of time to hide and claim prime parcels the instant the run began, earning the nickname “sooners,” which later became a lasting symbol for Oklahoma itself.

This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our AI policy.