<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Yje1R_1H3Nezpt00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Yje1R_1H3Nezpt00" width="840" height="480" ><figcaption>Emily DeMarchi / KPR</figcaption></figure>Cindy Holscher Wins Kansas Governor's RaceTOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Democrats will hold onto the Kansas governor’s office after all. On Thursday, the Associated Press finally called the race for state Senator Cindy Holscher.Kansas voters decided to keep a Democrat in the governor’s office for a third consecutive term. Governor Laura Kelly will leave office in January after serving two terms. Holscher ran a campaign focused on funding special education, legalizing recreational marijuana and a moratorium on building data centers. She faced Republican state Senate president Ty Masterson. Holscher takes office with Democrats having broken the Republican supermajority in the House, which allows her to veto bills without the threat of a GOP override. (Read more.)==========Kansas Governor-Elect Cindy Holscher Holds Press Conference, Talks About Data Center and Medicaid Expansion LegislationTOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas Governor-elect Cindy Holscher said Friday she wants to unify the state. In her first remarks since the race was called, the Overland Park Democrat says she wants to work with Republicans to pass legislation to help Kansans. Holscher specifically noted that a data center moratorium is something both parties can work on together with her to pass. She says data centers came up in all 80 of her town halls across the state.“It came up in every single town hall. People absolutely concerned about water usage, the possibility of their utility rates going up, and if the local jobs would manifest,” she explained.Holscher says she’s not completely opposed to data centers, but wants the appropriate guardrails put in place to protect the state.She also said during her press conference that she wants to expand Medicaid. Extending government-funded health insurance to more low-income Kansans was a campaign promise for Holscher. It was also something that current Gov. Laura Kelly has repeatedly tried, and failed, to get passed. Holscher is confident she can get it done, but says advocacy groups will have to help by better informing lawmakers. “I see pathways forward. We are working already to get our advocacy organizations activated to work on these new folks coming in," she added. Kansas is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid.==========Kansas Legislature Could Address Issue of For-Profit Companies Filing Veterans' Disability Benefits PaperworkUNDATED (KNS) — Many veterans need to file for disability benefits to cover injuries from their service. Some companies will help them do that – for a fee. The Kansas News Service reports that there are free, accredited services that help veterans navigate that complicated paperwork. Then, there are the services that charge veterans for help...up to $20,000 in extreme cases. The for-profit services operate in a legal gray area. Federal law says only accredited groups, which are always free, can offer the service, but there are no criminal penalties for charging the veterans. One law that is expected to be introduced in the next Kansas legislative session could effectively ban the for-profit services. Another could allow them to continue to operate. Both versions have advanced in the Statehouse before, but Governor-elect Cindy Holscher would likely veto the one in favor of the for-profit companies. The Kansas legislative session will begin January 12th. (Read more.)==========Man Accused of Hit-And-Run That Killed KU Student to Face TrialLAWRENCE, Kan. (LT) — The driver of a truck that allegedly struck and killed a University of Kansas student last year will face trial on one count of leaving the scene of a fatality accident. That’s a felony. The Lawrence Times reports the driver, William Klinger, attended a preliminary hearing in Douglas County District Court on Thursday. The student, 20-year-old Elsa McGrain, was struck while she was out jogging north of Lawrence on November 6, 2025. She was found dead early the next morning. License-plate-reading cameras were used to identify the truck that allegedly struck her. That led police to Klinger. Klinger was previously charged with drunk driving in July 2024. He has at least three prior drunk driving convictions.==========Attorneys Caution Kansans Facing Medical Debt Lawsuits to Explore All OptionsTOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas residents are being sued over medical bills, often for less than $500. Attorneys for Kansas Legal Services say the problem persists across the state. The legal aid organization reviewed medical debt lawsuits in multiple Kansas counties, finding that patients are going to court over mostly small debts.In Shawnee County, 75% of cases reviewed involved debts under $500. In Coffey County, 85% of cases ended without defendants responding or appearing in court. The numbers come from separate one-week reviews of court records.Casey Johnson, Director of Advocacy and Litigation for Kansas Legal Services, says debt collection cases keep increasing. “The numbers just continue to rise, and they are the highest that they've ever been in Kansas,” he added. Johnson says many defendants are low-income Kansans who may not even know they've been sued because they moved.==========Sedgwick County DA Won't File Charges in Soccer Field DeathsWICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett announced Thursday that he will not file charges against the driver in a deadly crash at a Wichita soccer field. The Kansas News Service reports that two people died and 10 others were injured in the crash at the crowded soccer field last month.Bennett says a police investigation determined the driver, a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, was asleep at the time of the crash and did not act with intent or recklessness. He says part of his job is to hold people accountable when he can prove they committed a crime. “I am also charged, also required, also it is my solemn responsibility to stand before the community and say, as bad as this was, it is not a crime,” he explained.Police interviewed more than one hundred witnesses and reviewed at least sixty videos from the scene. (Read more.)==========Federal Task Force to Train Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Southwestern KansasLIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — The U.S. Attorney’s office launched a program this week (November 13) in Finney County to help prosecute more crimes at the federal level. The Kansas News Service reports that the Southwest Kansas Task Force will train county attorneys as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys.U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser says those individuals then will be able to help local, state and federal law enforcement determine whether a criminal case qualifies for federal prosecution. “They will come back to the community and to spread that knowledge and be points of contact for law enforcement here locally. We'll be able to just have a streamline a way to take in federal cases,” he explained. It’s not yet clear what kinds of cases this task force will focus on. But major funding for the partnership comes from the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which hopes to curb drug trafficking.==========Food Insecurity in Kansas Increases over Last YearUNDATED (KNS) — More Kansas households need food assistance this year compared to last year. The Kansas Food Bank supports food pantries and soup kitchens in 85 counties in the state. Its data shows the amount of households served by hunger relief programs across the state has jumped by 88%.CEO Brian Walker told the Kansas News Service that people need more help this year because of the higher cost of groceries. He says many families also are no longer able to receive government food assistance. "It's really hard to get rent assistance or it's really hard to get assistance with gasoline and you have to put that in your car to get to work. So food is one of those things that is the first to change for them," he explained.Walker says older residents are the most affected population because they’re often on a fixed income.==========Children’s Mercy to Be In-Network for ACA After AllKANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — Children’s Mercy Hospital will be in-network for an Affordable Care Act insurance plan after all. Last month the hospital said no ACA plans would provide coverage beginning January 1. But on Tuesday, Children’s Mercy announced ACA coverage will be available through UnitedHealthcare. Hundreds of patients are insured through the ACA, which is also referred to as Obamacare. Without an ACA plan, many would not be able to afford care. Families must enroll in the new plan by December 15 for coverage to take effect on January 1.==========Newton Residents Raise Concerns over Proposed AI Drone HangarWICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — Some residents of Newton in southcentral Kansas are raising concerns about a proposed Shield AI drone hangar at the city’s airport.Many Newton residents are part of the Mennonite community, which practices non-violence. They have objected to a company that develops drones designed for the military. The Kansas News Service reports that during a recent meeting, city staff responded to questions about potential noise from a drone facility, as well as the environmental impact.City Manager Daniela Rivas says city leaders are listening to residents’ ethical misgivings. “These are questions of community values. There's, it's not a black and white answer, and we leave it to this body to drive that strategic direction for the growth of our city,” she stated.Shield AI says the facility would create nearly 3,000 jobs. The Newton city manager, however, says that number is actually closer to 75.The city commission will consider the lease for the drone hangar later this month.==========Research Shows Surprising Consequences of Herbicide DriftUNDATED (HPM) — New research finds a common herbicide used to protect corn and soybeans from weeds can change some plants rather than killing them. Harvest Public Media reports that scientists now say dicamba can have untended consequences for nearby weedy plants.The herbicide dicamba can drift on the wind, miles away from the crops to which it’s been applied. When exposed to low doses of dicamba, a common weed known as wood sorrel was found to produce more flowers. That’s according to research from the University of Michigan led by ecologist Gina Baucom. “But those flowers are smaller. And so we find that really interesting. We want to know what that means. Does it mean that the smaller flowers are producing reduced nectar or pollen for the pollinators?” she explained.Baucom says it’s unclear what that means for plants and surrounding ecosystems. She says researchers at University of Michigan are also interested in studying how the herbicide may influence the health of pollinators. (Read more.)==========Manhattan Time Capsule to Be Sealed; Will Be Opened in 2076MAHATTAN, Kan. (KSNT) — Riley County officials are seeking messages from local residents to put into a time capsule that won’t be opened until America celebrates its tricentennial in fifty years. The time capsule will be sealed in a ceremony on Sunday ((NOV 15)) at the Midwest Dream Car Collection in Manhattan. The Manhattan/Riley County America250 Committee says anyone in attendance will be able to add a message to be read in 2076. KSNT reports the time capsule will also include items donated by the community. It will be buried on the grounds of the Riley County Historical Museum.==========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. This ad-free news summary is made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on X (formerly Twitter).</div></body>

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TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Democrats will hold onto the Kansas governor’s office after all. On Thursday, the Associated Press finally called the race for state Senator Cindy Holscher. Kansas voters decided to keep a Democrat in the governor’s office for a third consecutive term. Governor Laura Kelly will...

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TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Democrats will hold onto the Kansas governor’s office after all. On Thursday, the Associated Press finally called the race for state S

Headlines for Friday, November 13, 2026

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