The Topeka Capital-Journal
Racing return could be boost
New property acquisitions and developments are creating fresh opportunities for tourism and economic growth in Topeka. The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) announced the acquisition of the former Heartland Motorsports Park on Dec. 30, The...
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Candidates pull in donations
The Republicans running for governor in 2026 are raising significant amounts of money to spend on their campaigns, but a lot of those contributions are coming from the candidates themselves. Four of the nine Republican candidates running for governor...
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Flu cases spike in Kansas
Are you coughing, running a fever and feeling a headache, achy muscles or sore throat? You might have the flu. Influenza-like illness activity levels in Kansas have recently become “very high,” says the federal Centers for Disease Control and...
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MORE PAY, LESS WORK?
Lawmakers are returning to Topeka for the start of the 2026 legislative session, but they will be in the capital city for less time than they normally are. After following a compressed timeline in 2025, the Legislature will again have a...
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Furor continues over ICE shootings
Tensions remained high Jan. 9 as shootings involving immigration agents in Minneapolis and in Portland, Oregon, drew protesters to the streets and deepened fractures between federal and state officials. In Portland, a U.S. Border Patrol officer shot...
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Topeka accepting applications for District 8 council seat
Spencer Duncan on Jan. 6 took his oath and officially became mayor. The moment he was sworn into office, his District 8 seat was vacated. “It’s surreal when you become the mayor of your hometown, and so that’s kind of an odd feeling, but in the best...
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Kansas sites named for slavery advocates
President Donald Trump has been restoring names of military bases changed earlier this decade because they honored Confederate soldiers. Nine bases switched back last year to their former names but with new namesakes, said Stars & Stripes. It cited...
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New Kansas transmission line will benefit Missouri
Evergy is planning to build a power transmission line across the land of hundreds of Kansas landowners to send electricity to Oklahoma and Missouri. The extra-high voltage transmission line will start near Wichita at a major connection point for power...
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The Pilgrim’s Keep in St. Marys goes back in time
Giuesseppe Vanderputton drew upon his stonemason and plastering skills to bring a touch of old European and medieval charm for his customers to enjoy. Vanderputton opened Pilgrim’s Keep in St. Marys at 518 W. Bertrand St., after a friend suggested the...
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani promises new era for NYC
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Jan. 1 inauguration and block party reflected a diverse city looking to make good on the 34-year-old democratic socialist’s promises to address affordability. On a freezing New Year’s Day, the Democratic mayor took...
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Governor Kelly rejects reignition of border war
Gov. Laura Kelly doesn’t believe that using economic development incentives to get the Kansas City Chiefs to move from Missouri to Kansas will reignite the border war. In 2019, the leaders of Kansas and Missouri agreed to a truce to end the economic...
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Mamdani captures America’s attention
NEW YORK – He’s Google’s No. 1 “People” trending search for 2025, and his Wikipedia page was among the 10 most-read. Republicans have called for him to be deported, while some Democrats say he reminds them of a young Barack Obama. Fashion magazines...
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Topeka and tariffs?
From January to November 2025, the effective tariff rate in the U.S. rose 17%, reaching the highest it’s been since 1935, according to Yale University’s Budget Lab. Apparel, beef and products with high metal content, such as electronics, computers and...
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Big Kansas’ plan fell short
The Kansas Territory stretched all the way west to the Continental Divide in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains when federal lawmakers created it in 1854. But Kansas gave up roughly half of that land when it gained statehood in 1861. In the wake of a...
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Risky business
Are machines found offering cash payouts in convenience stores, bars and restaurants across the state games of skill or chance? That’s the unanswered question that has allowed the machines to proliferate across the state without regulations or...
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‘DEEP CONNECTION’
The places Indigenous peoples call home have intertwined with their ways of life for millennia. Their stories, foodways and cultures relate directly to their homelands. Lands, waters, plants and animals, the creatures that inhabit the waters below and...
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CHIEFS HEADING TO KANSAS
The Kansas City Chiefs will move across state lines from Missouri to Kansas after the team made a deal to build a new football stadium in the Sunflower State with the help of government tax revenue. A committee of top Kansas lawmakers approved the...
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Penny presses aren’t going away
Robert Hoff was amazed the first time he saw a coin press machine in action in the 1970s. Hoff was in his twenties when a person passed him while carrying the machine and watched as they pressed pennies for a quarter a piece. That moment created a...
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Chama brings taste of Venezuela to Topeka
A sweet and rich taste of coffee is now part of the Topeka coffee scene. Chama at 5005 SW 29th St. — owned by Claudia Osechas and Isabel Godoy — are offering Venezuelan coffee to their new customers. Osechas said she and Godoy have been friends for a...
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RATES GOING UP
Students who live and eat on campus at most of the state’s public universities will have to pay more for housing and dining plans next school year. The Kansas Board of Regents on Dec. 17 approved housing and food service rate adjustments for fiscal...
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Topekans celebrate winter holidays
Tis the season to be jolly. But Christmas isn’t the only season of celebration happening this December. h Each year, billions of people come together to celebrate winter holidays, whether it’s Chanukah, Kwanzaa Christmas or Yuletide. h While these...
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Brown shooting suspect found dead
PROVIDENCE, RI – Though the suspect connected to the deadly Brown University attack and the fatal shooting of an MIT professor was found dead in New Hampshire, the questions and fallout have only begun. Providence Police Chief Col. Oscar Perez...
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Smell worsening across Oakland
Residents have been complaining of a persistent odor around the Oakland Wastewater Treatment Plant for months — it’s getting worse. Robert Soria, Oakland Neighborhood Improvement Association president, said he’s heard complaints calling the smell...
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Topeka schools expand partnership with Walmart
What started off as a small partnership with one Walmart and Highland Park High School has blossomed. The Topeka Public Schools Foundation and all of the Walmarts in Topeka have come together to create a partnership. “So many of the employees at...
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Police gets ‘bomb squad truck’
The Topeka Police Department unveiled its new “bomb squad truck” purchased via a federal grant. The truck will respond to instances where either deliberately or accidentally there is hazardous material that could ignite. Previously, the TPD’s unit...
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‘PART OF THE FAMILY’
When Bingo first joined forces with the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s in 2017, she was young, had an overabundance of energy and was paired with her partner special agent Chris Mercer. Nine years later — longer than most K9 dogs remain in service —...
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These tips can help keep the ‘happy’ in your holidays
“There’s no place like home for the holidays,” says Perry Como’s classic 1954 Christmas song, echoing a sentiment felt by tens of millions who travel at this time of year to reconnect with their roots. But traffic snarls, airport delays and bad...
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Noem asked to explain deportation of veteran
WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was grilled on Capitol Hill, facing questions related to her department’s immigration efforts, including whether United States military veterans have been deported under the Trump administration’s...
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Lettuce Feed You is taking off
Lettuce Feed You owners Michael and Laura Mallory sit with their 6-year-old daughter Mya Mallory at a table at their new location at the Docking State Office Building on Dec. 6. Since Kansas legalized sports wagering on Sept. 1, 2022, it has attracted...
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Prairie Band LLC gets $29.9M ICE contract
A company owned by Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has landed a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement department. The Department of Homeland Security gave a $29.9 million contract to Prairie Band LLC, which is used as a revenue...
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From Model UN to real deal
Emma Brace was in Model UN as a Topeka High School student in the early to mid-2000s. Twenty years later, her life would come full circle and she was invited to go to an actual United Nations summit. “I applied to be part of BC’s (Boston College’s)...
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Love, redemption and giving
Bringing a different point of view to the Christmas spirit and how everyone celebrates is what Gary Piland is focused on portraying this season. h Piland, owner of Umbrella, a local website design and video production company, is bringing his new stage...
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Window valued at $1.5M-plus
The estimated value of a Tiffany window Topeka’s First Presbyterian Church plans to sell at a live auction in New York City is listed at $1.5 million to $2 million on the website of Sotheby’s. h That estimate is the second-highest among the 48 Tiffany...
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Supermercado opens its doors in Topeka
A new Hispanic-based grocery store is ready to open its doors and greet new customers on the southeast side of Topeka. Supermercado at 2075 SE 29th St. in the California Crossing Shopping Center, is based out of Omaha, Nebraska, and has four...
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What sites in Kansas got the most snow on Dec. 1?
The heaviest reported snowfall Dec. 1 in Kansas came four miles west of Topeka. The National Weather Service said 5.5 inches fell that day at that site as Kansans weathered their first snowstorm of the cold weather season. The weather service...
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Check out these holiday activities this December
It’s the season for snow, hot cocoa and wintertime adventure. Whether you’re out with the family or looking for a date night spot, there are plenty of holiday activities to do in Topeka. From themed cocktails to parades or holiday shopping to...
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Displays lighting up Topeka
For those who are ready to kick off the Christmas season with friends and family by seeing light displays around town, the time is here and it’s in full swing. To start the season off, TARC announced that the 28th annual Winter Wonderland , a...
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Visually impaired Topekan earns Eagle Scout badge
When Evan White was 2 months old, his doctor determined that he was blind. h While his vision isn’t completely dark, it is heavily impaired and he needs a magnifier to see. h “His vision has gotten worse the last few years,” said his father Eric White,...
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Kirk death fuels revival and renewal at churches
The assassination of Charlie Kirk changed Danika Meyerson in a way that, at first, made her deeply uncomfortable. She wanted to develop a relationship with God. She couldn’t stop thinking about it. But Meyerson, a 45-year-old mom of two boys, wasn’t a...
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Dive bar serves vibes
USA Today highlighted the top dive bars in America, but no bars in Kansas made their list — so we decided to visit one of the top dive bars in the capital city. The Boobie Trap Bar, 1417 SW 6th Ave., has been a Topeka staple since Feb. 11, 1993....
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How gratitude builds community
Incorporating themes of gratitude during the Thanksgiving season is how Maria Martinez helps build a classroom community with her fifth-grade students. This year is Martinez’s fifth year teaching at Scott Dual Language Magnet Elementary School, 401 SE...
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Bring a little joy this season
A local business is asking for your help to support foster children this holiday season. Topeka’s AAA location and KVC Kansas have partnered together to collect donations for foster care children in the area as part of a “Joy Drive.” KVC stands for...
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Kansas monitoring wastewater for germs
When you flush the toilet in Topeka, your sewage will now feed into a staterun public health monitor of the level of flu, RSV and COVID-19 in the community. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Nov. 19 announced the launch of a new...
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Data names 10 snowiest cities in KS
If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you might live in Colby, Kansas, comedian Jeff Foxworthy has joked about the fast-changing nature of the weather in that area. Colby, a community of about 5,500 people in northwest Kansas, is the...
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Driver’s license suit back in court
The ongoing legal battle over driver’s licenses and gender marker changes by transgender people is headed back to a Topeka courtroom. After the Kansas Supreme Court declined in September to hear an appeal on Senate Bill 180, the case is now back in...
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‘MORE LIKELY IN THE THOUSANDS’
A case of a noncitizen accused of illegally voting in Kansas elections has two Republican state officials believing they will find more — perhaps hundreds or thousands more. “Noncitizen voting is a real problem,” said Attorney General Kris Kobach. “It...
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‘I like talking to people’
Topeka has a new mayor, and he said he’s ready to do the work come January. Unofficial final results from Election Day, Nov 4, showed 12,723 Topekans picked Spencer Duncan has their next mayor, topping Henry McClure who garnered 4,111 votes. “(I’m)...
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Church outgrowing its space
Jonas Franko was living in Denver in 2021 when he heard a call from God. His journey in ministry, he learned, was meant to be elsewhere. “I was praying and I felt the Lord lead me and speak to me and tell me, ‘Hey, you’re done here, I’m going to take...
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SNAP disruptions could hurt grocers
Like the millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, retailers are bracing for the effects of reduced or delayed funding to a program that typically injects billions of dollars into the U.S. economy each month. The...
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Partisan redistricting battle is not over
While Kansas Republican lawmakers won’t call a special session, that doesn’t mean the redistricting battle is over. Republicans are promising to continue the effort to gerrymander the congressional maps for the express purpose of ousting the only...
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Duncan sails to victory
Topeka City Councilman Spencer Duncan received 75.1% of the vote Nov. 4 to win election as the city’s mayor over Henry McClure, who got 24.3% Final, unofficial results showed Duncan had 12,723 votes compared to 4,111 for McClure, according to the...
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Addition nears completion
The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center is nearing completion of its new building expansion. Since Shawnee County commissioners approved the expansion last year, efforts to keep the expansion moving forward have been persistent. Phase one of the...
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Governor encourages voting in local elections
Today is Election Day for local races in Topeka and Shawnee County. The races on the ballot include Topeka mayor and city council, as well as school board races, a school bond and a fire station bond. “I want to tell the people of Topeka and Shawnee...
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Docking reopens downtown
After demolition and reconstruction of a state government building changed the skyline of downtown Topeka, the office space for multiple public employees is now officially open. “This truly is a great day as we gather to celebrate the next chapter of...
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FORTRESS OF INTRIGUE
Seraphin Matrot feared his political enemies might follow him when he narrowly escaped more than 140 years ago from France to the U.S. So Matrot, an architect, traveled all the way inland to Topeka, said Clint Whitney, president of a nonprofit group...
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Trump eyes filibuster to break deadlock
WASHINGTON – As the shutdown drags on, President Donald Trump is urging Senate Republicans to go around Democrats to break an impasse with growing ramifications, with millions of Americans poised to lose federal food assistance. Trump called for an...
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WHAT HALT WILL MEAN LOCALLY
The federal government will pause the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which distributes payments for food for low-income households, due to the ongoing government shutdown. In Shawnee County, 16,877 people accessed SNAP benefits in 2022,...
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Learning for Life reopens
LaVetta Westphal-Rolfs began the Learning for Life Center in 1998 as a hub for community engagement and education. Since then, the center at 1709 SW Rudolph Ave. in Topeka has hosted a wide range of activities, from art exhibits, poetry slams, yoga...
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Local man lived in disrepair
A stubborn yet proud man. That’s how Chauncey McBride remembers his father, Joseph McBride, who had lived in a home at 502 SE 21st St. in Topeka for more than 25 years. That home was condemned and later demolished by the city of Topeka last year,...
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GHOSTS AS GUESTS?
LAWRENCE — Taryn Thomas didn’t think it odd when she saw two men wearing cowboy hats and drinking coffee one morning early this year in the Big Six Room event space of the Historic Eldridge Hotel in downtown Lawrence. One man sat while the other...
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HALLOWEEN DISPLAYS
With Halloween creeping near, those who enjoy the holiday can’t deny the thrill of spotting a good display in the neighborhood. h Some homeowners begin working on their displays as early as August to extend the holiday cheer and get more bang for their...
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‘UNDER A BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT’
Mayor Michael Padilla was recently named the 2025 Kansas Mayor of the Year by the League of Kansas Municipalities and the Kansas Mayors Association. Nathan Eberline, executive director of the League of Kansas Municipalities, emphasized the...
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Persistent inflation up again last month
Inflation rose again in September, revealing the persistence of rising prices as the job market showed signs of cooling and consumers begin to think about the holiday season. Consumer prices increased 3% from a year earlier, slightly up from 2.9% in...
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Washburn nursing students help Topekans
Washburn University’s 23-year-old mobile medical clinic is up and running with with some improvements. The Harmony Hines School of Nursing mobile clinic went to the Oakland community Oct. 21 for its first outing since it went out of commission last...
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Food stamp benefits at risk
If the federal government shutdown continues, the state government won’t issue food stamp benefits next month. That would mean about $34 million for food assistance would not be distributed to about 94,000 families, where the benefits help feed about...
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Singer entertains, educates
Singer, songwriter and storyteller Michael Eichten didn’t begin his live performance career until later in life. Today, Eichten, 67, performs up to nine shows a week and is part of Midland Care’s free concert series. His mission is to advocate for...
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‘Just not enough dollars’
The Shawnee Heights community has a decision to make this election season. Whether they are voting by mail, advanced voting or voting in person on Election Day, those who live in the Shawnee Heights School District will see a bond issue on their...
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‘CRINGEWORTHY AND CHILDISH’
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and the Kansas Republican Party exchanged criticisms after Politico revealed that leaders of the Kansas Young Republicans used racist and violent language in a group chat with Young Republican leaders from across the...
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Love of birds launches business
“Go bird, go,” Murray Dines would say to coax young birds to return to the wild after he nursed them back to health as a boy growing up in Topeka. Dines plans to soon launch a groundbreaking product called “Go Bird Go,” which he says will become the...
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President seeking charges for more foes
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton on Oct. 16 became the third high-profile Trump critic to be criminally charged after the president repeatedly attacked him publicly. All three maintain their innocence...
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‘That’s my little battery pack’
Alocal educator is being recognized for going above and beyond. h Phillip Wrigley, Topeka High School social studies teacher, has won the 2025 American Civic Education Teacher Award. h The American Civic Education Teacher Awards are given each year to...
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GOP using Kelly’s words against her
Republicans pushing gerrymandered redistricting in Kansas are using the Democratic governor’s words against her. “There’s a bigger risk in doing nothing.” That comment was first used by Gov. Laura Kelly two months ago to support partisan...
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Business gives new life
Maintaining kitchen sustainability and safety is improving with an eco-friendly service being offered in Topeka and area communities. Tim and Kalene Sanders, franchisee owners, are offering Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions, a company specializing...
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Soybean farmers are reeling
Kansas soybean farmers are in the middle of harvest season, but with China boycotting American soybeans, farmers are struggling to find a market for their staple crop. Soybeans are the fourth most sold agricultural product from the state, with Kansas...
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West Ridge Mall concept gels
The owners of West Ridge Mall in Topeka have purchased the former Sears building, 1781 SW Wanamaker Road, on the north side of the mall. Owners made the announcement in a news release Oct. 9 that also shared final designs for what the mall will look...
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