KS - March 18 2025

Kansas Lawmakers Grab Vacancy Powers from Governors

New Dodge City Cheese Plant Boosts Jobs, Economy

Kansas Reports First Measles Case Since 2018

Storm Brings High Winds, Snow to Kansas

Trump Responds to Wichita Church Vandalism

KU’s Hunter Dickinson Earns Third All-America Nod

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1. Kansas Lawmakers Grab Vacancy Powers from Governors

The House and Senate voted to approve a bill Monday placing the Legislature in greater control of decisions traditionally left to governors when temporarily filling vacancies for U.S. Senate, state treasurer and state insurance commissioner. The content of Senate Bill 105 was developed based on the potential of U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall or Jerry Moran, both Republicans, vacating office before completing their Senate terms. The bill also envisioned a scenario in which state Treasurer Steven Johnson and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, also Republicans, departed early. Traditionally, Kansas governors have temporarily filled vacancies in these political offices until a special election or the term of the departed politician was close to expiring and a regularly scheduled election took place.
Source: Kansas Reflector

2. New Dodge City Cheese Plant Boosts Jobs, Economy

A new dairy production facility opened in Dodge City this weekend, creating 250 jobs and bringing a $600 million investment to the area from one of the largest cheese manufacturers in the U.S. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Senator Jerry Moran helped cut the ribbon to celebrate the grand opening of Hilmar Cheese Company’s Dodge City facility on Saturday morning.
Source: KWCH

3. Kansas Reports First Measles Case Since 2018

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Thursday confirmed the first case of measles in the state since 2018. The reported case is in Stevens County in southwest Kansas. The Stevens County Health Department is notifying individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. The Kansas case comes on the back of a measles outbreak in west Texas and New Mexico, where two people have since died.
Source: CJ Online

4. Storm Brings High Winds, Snow to Kansas

A Storm Team 12 Weather Alert continues into the night and Wednesday for high winds (topping 60 mph) and snow that will complicate travel through Wednesday morning. Although snow amounts are likely to remain somewhat light, the combination of snow and wind will make for very poor visibility on I-70 and I-135 early in the day.

Source: KWCH

5. Trump Responds to Wichita Church Vandalism

Speaking with reporters on Monday, President Donald Trump addressed the burglary and vandalism at a Catholic church in Wichita. This comes after police arrested 23-year-old Michael Gonzalez in connection with the crime. A reporter asked the president about the incident at St. Patrick Catholic Church, which the Catholic Church calls a hate crime. President Trump responded to that question, saying he’ll look into what happened. “Well, we’re going to take a look,” Trump said. “I love Wichita, you know, I got big votes there, we won that state by a lot. We’ll take a look at that.” The president asked when the crime happened and with the answer that it occurred over the weekend, was also told that statues were destroyed. “Terrible, I think it’s a terrible thing,” Trump said after asking for clarification that it was a Catholic church that was targeted. Information from the Kansas Department of Corrections shows that Gonzalez, the man arrested in the case, has previous convictions in Saline County for criminal threat, criminal damage to property, and burglary.

Video
Source: KWCH

6. KU’s Hunter Dickinson Earns Third All-America Nod

Hunter Dickinson of Kansas … [was a] third-team pick, making it three straight years … on an All-America team. [He was] honorable mention two years ago, while Dickinson was a second-team pick …last season.
Source: AP News

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Sources

1. https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-senate-house-make-deal-to-weaken-role-of-governors-when-filling-political-vacancies/
2. https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/17/new-cheese-processing-facility-brings-250-jobs-600m-investment-dodge-city/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=organicclicks&tbref=hp
3. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2025/03/17/kansas-confirms-first-measles-case-since-2018-amid-outbreak-elsewhere/82415174007/?tbref=hp
4. https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/18/weather-alert-high-winds-blizzard-some/
5. https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/18/i-love-wichita-president-trump-responds-burglary-vandalism-wichita-catholic-church/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=organicclicks&tbref=hp (Video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/owe3H3qRIII)
6. https://apnews.com/article/ap-allamerica-basketball-teams-881a4bca44508d878dc22b4ede7ad5d6