K-State president accepts new job at Virginia Tech
Kansas State University President Richard Linton announced Wednesday that he is leaving the university.
Linton has accepted a position as president of Virginia Tech, which is where he earned all three of his college degrees.
He said he will finish the fall semester at K-State and assume his new position in January.
Linton was named the 15th president of K-State in 2022. The Kansas Board of Regents selected him after a closed search process.
He described his time at K-State as one of the greatest honors of his professional life.
Kansas AG joins lawsuit against OpenAI
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has joined a multistate lawsuit against OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT. The lawsuit claims the chatbot has caused harm to children.
The lawsuit accuses the San Francisco–based artificial intelligence company of misleading consumers about ChatGPT’s safety and violating Kansas consumer protection laws.
Kobach alleges the company encourages self-harm, reinforces delusions and helps users plan violence.
The lawsuit also raises concerns about the chatbot collecting personal information from children.
Kansas is among eight states suing the tech company and demanding changes to how ChatGPT operates.
Construction projects will close Kellogg at two places this weekend
Construction projects on two portions of Kellogg will affect traffic starting Thursday evening and through the weekend.
Both sides of Kellogg will be closed between Washington and Hillside from 7 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday. Crews are working on a new overpass in that area.
Farther west on Kellogg, westbound lanes will be closed between Hoover Road and the I-235 interchange from Friday through Sunday evening while crews demolish the bridge over the Big Ditch.
During that construction project, drivers traveling east on Kellogg will not be able to access northbound I-235.
Kansas outlines special tax district for new Chiefs stadium
State officials have finalized the boundaries of a special tax district meant to help pay for the Kansas City Chiefs’ new stadium and surrounding economic development area.
The district will use new sales-tax revenue generated in a five-city area to help repay state bonds used in the financing.
The state says the project will not require new taxes.
The multibillion-dollar project includes a domed stadium in Wyandotte County and training facilities in Olathe.
Opponents say the tax district takes power away from local governments, which are usually in charge of local zoning, taxation and building permits.
Towns along Route 66 are cashing in
Towns along Route 66 in southeast Kansas have seen an increase in tourism and revenue over the past year because of the road’s centennial celebrations.
The economic development office in Cherokee County says new businesses have started popping up along the route to draw in tourists.
Dale Helwig is the office’s director.
"There's a couple of antique shops or, you know, knickknack shops that have shown up," Helwig said. "There's a T-shirt shop that showed up in Baxter. I mean, we have seen increased storefronts being utilized in the downtown area of both Baxter and Galena."
Local businesses had anticipated their revenue would increase due to tourism along the route — and some have exceeded even their higher projections.
Wichita seeking Freedom 250 poster designs
Wichita-area artists are being invited to submit poster designs for the national Freedom 250 Poster Contest.
Artists are encouraged to create designs that convey themes of civic pride and the Wichita community.
The contest is open to all ages. To qualify, an artist must be a Wichita resident. The poster design must include the words “America 250” and “Wichita, Kansas.”
The deadline to submit a design is October 28. Wichita Mayor Lily Wu will select a winner and submit the design to the national contest on November 6.
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