<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Yje1R_1GppVIWf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Yje1R_1GppVIWf00" width="840" height="480" ><figcaption>Emily DeMarchi / KPR</figcaption></figure>State of Kansas Revenue Collections Exceed Initial Estimates for FY 2026TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The state of Kansas collected about $10.1 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2026 which ended June 30, finishing roughly $108 million above initial estimates. But Kansas revenue forecasters project the state will collect nearly $785 million more over the next two fiscal years than it did in 2026. The latest estimate puts state revenue at $10.6 billion dollars for fiscal year 2027 and nearly $10.9 billion for 2028. Stronger individual income and corporate tax collections are helping drive the increase. Forecasters also point to inflation, which can push up tax collections as prices rise. The consensus revenue estimate helps lawmakers build the next state budget.==========Seward County Elects Latina Candidate to County CommissionLIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — Seward County, one of the counties that saw a historic flip from Republican to Democratic in this week's elections, also elected its first Latina to a county commission seat. The Kansas News Service reports that early election data show Latino voters played a huge role in boosting Democrats this November. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity across the state leading up to the election may have helped drive the shift. Lizette Avalos-Morales became the first Latina voted onto the Seward County commission. The county is 70% Latino. She believes ICE coming into her community shifted the election, saying "I feel like the timeline of it was everybody had all of these emotions. Some of them were anger, fear, frustration. But, they could do something about it.” According to Kansas Secretary of State voter registration data, more than 100 people registered to vote following the immigration enforcement operation.==========Topeka Middle School Principal Faces Charges of Child Sex CrimesTOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — A Topeka middle school principal has been arrested for alleged child sex crimes. Police arrested 56-year-old Todd W. Haag of Topeka on Thursday. He was the principal at Jardine Middle School. WIBW-TV reports Haag faces charges including sexual exploitation of a child. In a letter sent to families at the school, the Topeka school district said it is cooperating with authorities. According to a biography on the school’s website, Haag has been in education for 30 years.==========Statewide Races in Kansas Still Too Close to CallTOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — We may not know the official winner of the Kansas governor’s race until next week. Democrat Cindy Holscher holds a 7,000 vote lead over Republican Ty Masterson. Holscher has declared victory, but state election officials say the race is still too close to call. Counties are now auditing ballots, manually double-checking results in some randomly-selected precincts. That could take several days. The races for attorney general and secretary of state are also still too close to call. In the attorney general’s race, Democrat Chris Mann has already declared victory over Republican incumbent Kris Kobach, but that result has not been certified.==========Dems Break GOP Supermajority in Kansas LegislatureTOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — For the first time since 2010, Republicans will not hold a supermajority in the Kansas House of Representatives. Democrats made gains in Johnson and Sedgwick County suburbs to break through the Republican supermajority. The wins for Democrats will force Republicans to work with the minority party on legislation. It also guarantees a nearly even partisan split in most committees, which determine what legislation gets onto the House floor.Kansas House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard says a focus on kitchen table issues sealed the deal for his party. “Our candidates were focused on cost of living and making it more affordable to live, work, and raise a family in Kansas,” he explained. House Republican leadership says the election results were due to national issues, like the war in Iran.==========Data Center Bans Pass in Three Kansas CommunitiesUNDATED (KNS) — Voters across the country overwhelmingly voted to restrict data centers Tuesday, and that includes three Kansas communities. Residents in El Dorado, Ottawa and Emporia voted to ban data centers in the midterm election. The Kansas News Service reports that the measures opposing the centers all received at least 60% of the vote. Emporia passed a ten-year ban on both large data centers and battery storage systems in the city.Jay Vehige is with Emporia Neighbors United, a group formed to fight a proposed data center. He says the referendums show Kansans are concerned about the centers’ environmental impact, adding that “...what it tells me is that Kansans want to protect our state. They want to protect each little nook and cranny of Kansas, and that's a beautiful thing.”Vehige says the three Kansas communities worked together to write their ballot questions and will help other cities craft similar measures.==========Junction City Police Attribute Drop in Crime to Flock CamerasJUNCTION CITY, Kan. (KSNT) — Junction City police are attributing a drop in the city’s crime rate to the use of Flock cameras. Those are the cameras that record the license-plate numbers of passing vehicles. As reported by KSNT, police say property and violent crimes have dropped more than 40% since the cameras were introduced in 2023. The Junction City Police Department says the data collected by Flock cameras cannot be shared without the department’s consent and is automatically deleted after 30 days. Critics say the cameras are an invasion of privacy and a form of mass surveillance.==========Survey: Percentage of Uninsured Children in Kansas Tops National Average for 2025TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — A survey published by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that children under that age of 19 in Kansas were more likely to be uninsured than children nationwide. The rate of uninsured children in Kansas was 8.5% in 2025. Nationally, the uninsured rate for kids was 6.2% in 2025.The Kansas Reflector reports that more government red tape, the end of COVID-19 benefits and anxiety about immigration crackdowns are believed to have been responsible for the Kansas surge.Sonder Crane, a pediatric physician in Manhattan and president of the Kansas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said uninsured children were more likely to miss out on preventative health care checkups that could catch illnesses early when maladies could be treated more effectively and less expensively. The lack of regular access to medical care among children promoted inconsistent vaccinations, she said, adding “That is basic care that everybody should have accessible to them.”Crane said the growing health insurance problem in Kansas was also associated with parents who didn’t speak English as their first language, retirements among family physicians, and the lack of easy geographic access to doctors for families residing in rural areas.==========Missouri Woman Sentenced to Prison for Cyberstalking Kansas TeenagerWICHITA, Kan. (KPR) — A Missouri woman has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for cyberstalking a Kansas teenager with threats of rape and murder. Federal prosecutors say 26-year-old Julianne Grace Willis, of Independence, Missouri, pleaded guilty to the charges.In October 2022, a victim in Ulysses, Kansas, noticed a person claiming to be a 24-year-old man had sent demeaning messages to the victim’s minor relative. The victim blocked the account. The FBI later traced the phone number and IP address to Julianne Grace Willis. After being blocked, Willis harassed the victim through telephone calls, text messages, and social media messages with threats to rape and kill the victim and to murder the victim’s family.In addition, Willis created a fictitious dating profile for the victim, which caused men to show up at the victim’s home expecting romantic encounters. Willis’ repeated calls to the victim’s employment with derogatory statements caused the victim to change jobs. Willis also sent communications to the victim’s relatives with accusations of infidelity.In November 2025, Willis was sentenced to two years in state prison after being convicted of stalking in Polk County, Iowa. She must complete that sentence before starting to serve her federal sentence.==========Federal Judge Sentences Wichita Man to Prison for Setting Fire to ApartmentWICHITA, Kan. (KPR) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to nearly 6.5 years in prison for maliciously setting a fire that damaged a Wichita apartment building where families lived. According to court documents, 31-year-old Skyler D. Imel, of Wichita, pleaded guilty to arson. In March 2023, Imel intentionally damaged an apartment complex on West Central Avenue in Wichita by setting a fire inside the bedroom of a vacant unit. Prosecutors say he also disabled a smoke alarm and attempted to set a second fire by throwing a Molotov Cocktail.“There were families living in the apartment complex so this incident could have easily turned into a horrific tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “The fact that the defendant disabled the smoke detector indicates he wanted the fire to have time to spread before it was likely to be noticed, increasing the danger to the building’s residents.”==========Mexican National Deported Six Times Sentenced to PrisonTOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — A Mexico national who had been deported six times has now been sentenced to prison. According to court documents, 57-year-old Ysidoro Martinez-Arguello will spend the next nine years behind bars for returning to the U.S. without permission. Martinez-Arguello had also been convicted and incarcerated seven times on charges related to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He came to the attention of law enforcement after being involved in a fatality traffic accident in Manhattan in August of 2025.“As Judge Tony Mattivi stated at sentencing in this matter, more lenient sentences have tried and failed for Mr. Martinez-Arguello,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “With his numerous offenses, removal alone will not keep the public safe given Mr. Martinez-Arguello’s numerous re-entries after deportation and other crimes. Illegal aliens who ignore our laws and harm our communities will be prosecuted before they are removed.”==========Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Using Forged Immigration DocumentsKANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) — An illegal alien from Nicaragua has pleaded guilty to using forged immigration documents to unlawfully gain employment in the United States. Federal prosecutors say 33-year-old Rolando Ariel Gonzalez-Gonzalez, pleaded guilty to fraud of misuse of a visa. According to court documents, Gonzalez-Gonzalez was not in the country legally. He admitted paying someone $250 for a fraudulent green card. He also used a Social Security number that was not issued to him.==========Police Investigate Vandalism at Manhattan CemeteryMANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW-TV) — Police in Manhattan are searching for the people responsible for vandalizing a local cemetery, causing an estimated $20,000 in damages. WIBW-TV reports the vandalism occurred Tuesday night at Sunset Cemetery. Officials say some 49 headstones were toppled. The cemetery is owned by the city of Manhattan. The Riley County Police Department is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department.==========Summit Convened to Discuss Possible Use of Grass Perennial as Cash CropUNDATED (HPM) — Researchers, farmers, and policymakers recently gathered in Illinois for the first international summit on a grass that could become a new crop in the Midwest. Miscanthus is a perennial grass plant, meaning it grows back every year without having to be replanted. Harvest Public Media reports researchers have found it can be grown alongside soy and corn and be harvested and burned for heat and power. Andy VanLoocke, an agronomy professor at Iowa State University studying miscanthus, says his research has found the plant to be very stable.“At the end of the day,” he said, “weather, soils, fertilizer rates and that sort of thing, for the most part, it had about the same amount of yield as what our colleagues in Europe are getting.” VanLoocke says grain farmers have expressed interest in growing miscanthus as a way to diversify their revenue. He says he hopes the summit will lead to new innovations and partnerships that will grow the use of the grass in the Midwest.==========Lawrence Delegation to Visit AlgeriaLAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — A delegation from Lawrence is going to Algeria. The group will include the city’s mayor and a city commissioner. Lawrence hosted Algeria’s national soccer team during the World Cup last summer. The city’s embrace of the team drew international attention. In a press release, the city says the Algerian government is paying for the trip. The visit is “expected to include cultural experiences, historic sites, and opportunities to strengthen relationships between the two communities.” The delegation will leave for Algeria next week.==========Chiefs Wide Receiver Files for BankruptcyKANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) — A Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver has filed for bankruptcy. KCTV reports Rashee Rice filed for Chapter 7 in Dallas. Rice is in his fourth season with the Chiefs. He owes millions of dollars in settlements and legal fees, much of it resulting from a six-vehicle crash he caused in 2024. In the filing documents, Rice claims assets of about $675,000 and debts totaling more than $3 million. Among the assets: the Super Bowl ring he won in his first season with the Chiefs. The ring is valued at $160,000. Rice is due to become a free agent after this season.==========This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers. Our headlines are generally published by 10 am weekdays and are updated through 7 pm. 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State of Kansas Revenue Collections Exceed Initial Estimates for FY 2026. TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The state of Kansas collected about $10.1 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2026 which ended June 30, finishing roughly $108 million above initial estimates. But Kansas revenue forecasters project the state will collect nearly $785 million more over the next two fiscal years than it did in 2026. The latest estimate puts state revenue at $10.6 billion dollars for fiscal year 2027 and nearly $10.9 billion for 2028. Stronger individual income and corporate tax collections are helping drive the increase. Forecasters also point to inflation, which can push up tax collections as prices rise. The consensus revenue estimate helps lawmakers build the next state budget.

Headlines for Friday, November 6, 2026

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State of Kansas Revenue Collections Exceed Initial Estimates for FY 2026. TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The state of Kansas collected about $10.1 billion in revenue

Headlines for Friday, November 6, 2026

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