Sign in Subscribe
hcj

KS - March 10 2025

KC affordable housing drops; Mail ballot grace ends; Haskell rehires 14; Worthy charges dismissed; Wichita hosts March Madness

Greg Loving

• 4 min read
KS - March 10 2025

Johnson County Faces Sharp Decline in Affordable Housing

Kansas GOP Nears Repeal of Mail Ballot Grace Period

Haskell University Reinstates 14 Laid-Off Employees

Domestic violence charges dropped after arrest of Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy

March Madness Brings NCAA Tournament to Wichita’s INTRUST Arena

GET THE CITIZEN JOURNAL APP - FREE!

FLASH …Official count: Wichita Public Schools’ $450M bond question fails by 309 votes….

1. Johnson County Faces Sharp Decline in Affordable Housing

In 2018, nearly 100,000 homes in Johnson County were considered affordable and attainable. Last year, the county classified fewer than 25,000 homes as attainable. Attainable housing refers to homes that cost $300,000 or less, Johnson County Interim Appraiser Kara Endicott told the County Board of Commissioners last Thursday.
Source: KC Star

2. Kansas GOP Nears Repeal of Mail Ballot Grace Period

Kansas Republican lawmakers are getting close to repealing the three-day grace period for mail ballots, a law that was broadly popular when it was enacted eight years ago. The Republican-led Legislature has passed Senate Bill 4, sending it to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's desk. While the bill faces a likely veto, the GOP supermajorities appear to have the votes for an override. Under Kansas election law, voters are allowed to advance vote by mail. As long as they are postmarked by Election Day, the ballots can be counted if they are delivered within three days. That three-day grace period would be repealed by SB 4, meaning all mail ballots would have to arrive by 7 p.m. Election Day in order to be counted. The proposed change would take effect in 2026.
Source: CJ Online

3. Haskell University Reinstates 14 Laid-Off Employees

Some of the Haskell University employees laid off last month are being reinstated. A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, confirmed late Thursday afternoon that 14 Haskell employees would be reinstated. The spokesperson said Moran's office received word from the Department of Interior earlier in the day about the reinstated employees. They said they are unaware whether the other employees will be asked to return to work. Which employees are being reinstated and the reasons why haven't been made public. The Bureau of Indian Education declined to comment on personnel matters.
Source: CJ Online

4. Domestic violence charges dropped after arrest of Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy

Charges have been dropped against Chiefs Wide Receiver Xavier Worthy after he was arrested in Texas over the weekend. Worthy’s attorney, Sam Bassett, confirmed to KCTV5 on Saturday evening that all charges filed against the rising Chiefs star had been dismissed. Information in the court records system had also been recalled. Bassett noted that the District Attorney chose not to go forward with the case. His office will continue to cooperate. According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office jail record, 21-year-old Xavier Worthy was arrested on March 7, 2025, in Georgetown, Texas. Worthy had been booked on one charge of “ASSAULT FAM/HOUSE MEM IMPEDE BREATH/CIRCULAT,” which, according to Texas law, is a third-degree felony assault charge.
Source: KWCH

5. March Madness Brings NCAA Tournament to Wichita’s INTRUST Arena

Wichita is set to become a hub of college basketball excitement as INTRUST Bank Arena prepares to host the First and Second Rounds of the 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship on March 20 and 22. While Kansas City will NOT host the NCAA Tournament, it WILL host the Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship at T-Mobile Center this week (March 11-15). Basketball fans in the Sunflower State have a lot to look forward to.

The public is invited to watch free open practices for all eight competing teams on March 19, running from 11 a.m. to 4:55 p.m., with each team allocated 40 minutes on the court. Fans can come and go throughout the day with general admission seating and access to merchandise and concessions. Doors open at 10 a.m. with no tickets required for these practice sessions. The tournament schedule includes two games each in Sessions 1 and 2 on March 20, followed by two more games in Session 3 on March 22. Practice times with seeds and team matchups will be announced following Selection Sunday on March 16.
Source: Citizen Journal

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TO GET THE HEARTLAND CITIZEN JOURNAL IN YOUR INBOX - FREE!

SUBSCRIBE

Sponsors (click me!)

Alt text Alt text Alt text Alt text Alt text Alt text Alt text Alt text Alt text Alt text

Sources

  1. KC Star: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article301423764.html#campaignName=kansascity_morning_newsletter&linkType=nmeintro
  2. CJ Online: https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/03/10/kansas-gop-lawmakers-close-to-repealing-mail-ballot-3-day-grace-period/80693656007/
  3. CJ Online: https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/education/2025/03/06/after-mass-layoffs-14-haskell-university-employees-are-reinstated/81814707007/
  4. KWCH: https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/08/chiefs-xavier-worthy-arrested-texas-domestic-assault-charge/
  5. Citizen Journal

Sign up for more like this.

Enter your email
Subscribe