AJ Dome

Some Kansans are spooked by data centers as the likelihood of the state hosting more big tech facilities is rising. They're worried about potential harmful impacts to the environment and just being heard during preliminary public meetings. One positive to all the hullabaloo? Heightened civic engagement early in local proceedings.

The only public radio station serving the five-state, mostly rural High Plains region is organizing a fresh era of community-based journalism after $1 billion in cuts to public broadcasting. A grant to create a brand-new network for local news and information arrived, according to High Plains Public Radio founders, with serendipitous timing.

A growing population in Kansas is falling victim to increasing inflation and rising costs of living, placing them years behind financially and harming their long-term independence.It’s the difference between paying rent for the month or having enough food on the table – a reality thousands of Kansas families face. Those who are struggling and the challenges they tackle each day are now being illuminated through tough, intimate conversations.

Kansas officials have recorded 22 cases of humans being infected so far this year. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a warning of high-risk of the mosquito-borne disease for almost the entire state.