September 30 2024

1. Farmers Struggle as Fertilizer Costs Soar and Crop Prices Plummet, Farm Bill Stalled in Congress
2. Wichita’s Water Crisis Deepens Despite September Rainstorm, Cheney Lake Levels Continue to Drop
3. Kansas' 800-Mile Grain Belt Express Faces Regulatory Hurdles Over Private Property Concerns
4. Textron Aviation Machinists Strike Enters Second Week
5. East and Gulf Coast Ports Brace for Potential Strike, Food and Farm Groups Urge Biden to Intervene
Sports

1. Farmers Struggle as Fertilizer Costs Soar and Crop Prices Plummet, Farm Bill Stalled in Congress

The cost of fertilizer is up; crop prices are down. Farmers have struggled through drought, and ranchers sold off huge swaths of their herd.  To top it all off, Congress has yet to pass a new iteration of the Farm Bill, which expires in a matter of days. And it likely won’t take action on the wide-ranging legislation, which offers everything from nutritional assistance to farm disaster recovery aid, until late this year. The slow action on the legislation isn’t unusual, but as farm income continues to slide, producers are struggling to make ends meet. Tim Gibbons, communications director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, noted it currently costs more to raise a bushel of corn than farmers make when they sell it. The prices farmers receive for major grain crops such as corn and soybeans is down 20 to 40% from highs set in 2022 in the months after Russia invaded Ukraine, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. But that spike was an aberration, Gibbons said. “We haven’t had really high prices for decades … that really support farmers over the long term,” Gibbons said, “so that not only can they stay on the farm, but pass that farm on to the next generations.”

Article Source: KS Reflector

2. Wichita’s Water Crisis Deepens Despite September Rainstorm, Cheney Lake Levels Continue to Drop

One big rainstorm won’t fix Wichita’s water shortage.  Dark storm clouds that hovered over Wichita one mid-September softened the ring of cracked dirt that’s inched wider around Cheney Lake each week, but it didn’t erase the underlying problem.  Kansas is in a drought. For much of the last year, Cheney Lake, Wichita’s primary water source, has drained away under hotter and drier-than-average conditions. The most recent federal drought map casts Cheney Lake under a deep brown blob that signals an ominous designation: Drought persists. Wichita leaders declared a drought in January 2023, kicking off the first stage of the city’s drought plan — voluntary water conservation. In late July, City Manager Robert Layton looked at water levels at Cheney Lake, about 30 miles west of downtown Wichita, and announced the beginning of the second drought stage in August. This triggered mandatory water restrictions and limited watering of most outdoor plants to one day a week.  Water restrictions may continue for many months, if not years, city staff said.

Article Source: Kansas Beacon

3. Kansas' 800-Mile Grain Belt Express Faces Regulatory Hurdles Over Private Property Concerns

An 800-mile, 5,000-megawatt energy transmission line running from southwest Kansas to Illinois is getting pushback as it goes through the regulatory process. The project has been in development since 2010, with the goal of connecting wind power to population centers further east. The Grain Belt Express follows a path that is called a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor, which is a geographic area the U.S. Department of Energy identifies as having transmission limitations that lead to energy congestions and the loss of potentially productive energy. The project, however, has drawn some criticism from people with property along the corridor. They worry it will infringe on private property rights. Three members of Kansas’s congressional delegation proposed a bill that would limit the federal government’s ability to invoke eminent domain for a property in a NIETC.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

4. Textron Aviation Machinists Strike Enters Second Week

A strike for machinists at Textron Aviation entered its second week on Monday. Earlier this month, most of the approximate 5,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers for Textron Aviation voted to reject the company’s offer with a new contract and to go on strike. Eighty-one percent of union workers voted to go on strike after making it clear that Textron Aviation’s contract offer, which included a 26% pay increase, wasn’t enough. Striking machinists said besides pay, major issues concerned improved healthcare and job security. The strike began last Monday, Sept. 23. If the strike continues into a third week, the union will start paying workers $200 per week.

Article Source: KWCH

5. East and Gulf Coast Ports Brace for Potential Strike, Food and Farm Groups Urge Biden to Intervene

As East and Gulf Coast ports prepare themselves for a potential labor strike, food and farm groups are calling on the Biden administration to prevent a work stoppage that could have significant impact on agricultural trade. The International Longshoremen’s Association may strike if its master contract with the United States Maritime Alliance is not renewed by Sept. 30. A strike or work stoppage would cause several marine terminals to close across ports in the East Coast and Gulf Coast, limiting the amount of cargo that can be processed.

Article Source: Agriculture Dive

Sports

Royals clinch first postseason berth since 2015  

One year after finishing 56-106 — tied for the worst record in club history — the Royals on Friday clinched a spot in the AL postseason field for the first time since 2015. Despite a 3-0 loss to the Braves in Atlanta earlier in the night, the Royals claimed a wild-card spot when the Twins fell 7-2 to the Orioles, completing a late-season collapse. Kansas City’s turnaround represents one of the greatest in baseball history. The Royals, 85-75, are just the third team in MLB history to make the playoffs one year after losing 100 games. The others are the 2017 Minnesota Twins, who lost 103 games in 2016 — and the 2020 Miami Marlins, who claimed a wild card in a 60-game COVID-19 season. The record for most wins following a 100-loss season is 87, held by the 1987 Cubs and 1989 Orioles.   

MLB announces times and TV details for Kansas City Royals’ Wild Card games 

Here is the seeding for the American League playoffs: 1. Yankees 2. Guardians 3. Astros 4. Orioles 5. Royals 6. Tigers  

(5) Royals at (4) Orioles 

Game 1: Tuesday at 3:08 p.m. on ESPN2, (Ragans vs. Burnes) at Baltimore 

Game 2: Wednesday at 3:38 p.m. on ESPN, (Lugo vs. Eflin) at Baltimore 

Game 3: Thursday at 3:08 p.m. on ESPN (Wacha vs. Kremer) at Baltimore    

Kansas City Royals Struggle Against Atlanta, but Bounce Back Late in Series 

The Kansas City Royals were shut out 3-0 by the Atlanta Braves on September 27 but managed to improve with a narrow 2-1 loss the next day. The Royals finally came out on top with a 4-2 victory in the final game of the series on September 29. 

K-State Wildcats Secure Upset Victory

On September 28, the #23 Kansas State Wildcats dominated #20 Oklahoma State 42-20. 

Sporting Kansas City Falls Short Against St. Louis City SC 3-1

Kansas City Chiefs Edge Out Los Angeles Chargers 

The Kansas City Chiefs held off the Los Angeles Chargers for a 17-10 victory on September 29, improving to 4-0.  

KSU #20 in AP poll, up from #23  

TCU beats Kansas 38-27 at Arrowhead Stadium  

By Clark Goble  

The hits keep on coming for KU football. The Jayhawks lost to TCU 38-27 at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday. Kansas won the turnover battle but came up short in a few key scoring situations. The crowd was vocal about a few refereeing decisions, though poor tackling on defense led to some big plays for the Horned Frogs without the help of the officials. QB Jalon Daniels completed less than half of his passes. Next up for the Jayhawks is Arizona State on the road.

Article Source: NYT, KC Star

Sources

1. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/09/30/farmers-struggle-with-bleak-situation-as-congress-waffles-on-new-farm-bill/

2. https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/09/30/levels-are-dropping-at-cheney-lake-despite-drought-restrictions/

3. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/09/30/what-to-know-about-grain-belt-express-and-energy-corridor-in-kansas/75389935007/

4. https://www.kwch.com/app/2024/09/30/strike-enters-second-week-textron-aviation-machinists/

5. https://www.agriculturedive.com/news/east-gulf-coast-port-contingency-plans-if-ila-usmx-strike/728248/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202024-09-30%20Agriculture%20Dive%20%5Bissue:66347%5D&utm_term=Agriculture%20Dive

6. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5771785/2024/09/27/royals-clinch-playoffs-al-wild-card/?source=user_shared_article; https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article293228409.html