Overall enrollment down at Kansas universities
Overall enrollment at Kansas universities is down slightly this fall, showing a reversal from several years of growth.
While some of the state’s largest universities saw a modest gain, enrollment was down at many community colleges.
The University of Kansas reported a small increase to continue years of record enrollment. K-State had a smaller gain, and Wichita State’s numbers decreased for the first time since the pandemic.
The largest enrollment bump was at Emporia State, which is up 6%.
Overall enrollment at the state’s technical colleges dropped by nearly 7%. Up until this year, Kansas trade schools followed a national growth trend.
Diesel fuel prices are affecting shipping costs
Fuel prices are rising, and so is the cost of shipping grain by train, which is affecting farmers.
Railroad fuel surcharges have more than doubled in the past year as diesel prices have reached over $6 a gallon.
Railroad surcharges aren’t unusual. However, when they happen, those costs often lower the price farmers can fetch for their grain.
Soy Transportation Coalition Director Mike Steenhoek said farmers are already paying more for their own diesel.
“It really is just an example of how these fuel cost increases really have a pernicious effect and can really find their way into a farmer's wallet,” he said.
Harvest season has just started. So it might take some time for these surcharges to affect crop prices.
Senate passes resolution honoring Nancy Kassebaum
The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution to honor former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum.
Kassebaum, who was the first woman to represent the state of Kansas in the Senate, died in August at age 94.
Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall presented the resolution on the Senate floor, where it passed unanimously.
Kassebaum served from 1979 to 1997 and was largely known for her political independence.
She helped establish the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPPA, and was an advocate of equal rights.
Wichita school district to hold digital citizenship night
Wichita Public Schools will host a digital citizenship night for kindergarten through eighth-grade families on Thursday.
The event is being held in collaboration with Common Sense Media from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday at the school district headquarters building, at Lincoln and Edgemoor.
The event will give families a chance to explore district technology tools and resources through hands-on activities.
People can get more information or register for the event at usd259.org.
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