The Topeka Capital-Journal
Why city wants to hire an auditor
Audits were a point of discussion during the 2025 city election season as several Topeka City Council candidates campaigned on looking further into the city’s finances. About the same time, sitting councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala started...
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Topeka leaders wary of data center proposal
Topeka leaders and community members raised concerns over a proposed data center in Shawnee County. Curtis Sneden, Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority president, on Oct. 13 gave an informational presentation to the Topeka City Council about a...
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Marshall denies setting interest rate
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, denies setting the interest rate his former patients faced in lawsuits to collect medical debt. That rate possibly violated Kansas law. Marshall’s lawsuits against patients included an annual interest rate of 18%,...
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Could a data center transform Forbes Field?
The president of the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority in August signed a nonbinding letter of intent with a developer who hopes to bring a data center to Forbes Forbes. The project would start with two 150,000square-foot buildings but could...
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REBRANDING NICOTINE
An ironic development emerging alongside the “Make America Healthy Again” movement is the portrayal of nicotine as a wellness and performance-enhancing product. Across social media, podcasts, wellness communities and tech startups, prominent wellness...
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Nonprofits fight to fill critical gaps
GraceMed Health Clinic announced in late May that the Highland Park Family Clinic at 2025 SE California would close June 9. The recent closure of an East Topeka community health center and the lack of progress on restoring a full-service grocery store...
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Expect more political AI-generated ads
Tensions heightened in the race for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District between Rebecca Cooke, a Democrat, and Republican incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden on Sept. 30 when Cooke sent Van Orden a cease-anddesist letter directing him to stop posting...
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Racing facility again up for sale
Topeka’s Darana-Heartland Motorsports Park is home to “a legacy of speed that put Topeka on the map,” says the website for an auction in which it is being sold on behalf of its owner, the International Hot Rod Association. Real estate company Tranzon...
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Topeka launches new homeless outreach program
The Topeka City Council on Oct. 6 unanimously approved a $300,000 program contract with Breakthrough House Inc. to help unsheltered residents. This is part of the “Built for Zero” initiative, a comprehensive homeless prevention and intervention...
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Road life to IT pro
As his 27-year information technology career ended last week, Topeka man Scott Crider recalled his previous job — as a tour bus driver in the 1990s for performers who included Martina McBride, Metallica and Mötley Crüe. Crider, 64, drove those tour...
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Veterans home planned for Topeka hasn’t gone forward
It has been more than three and a half years since state officials announced plans to build a new veterans home in the capital city, but the project has not moved forward due to a lack of federal funding. Gov. Laura Kelly announced in January 2023...
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‘GRID RELIABILITY’
Deriva Energy is exploring the potential of developing an energy storage project in Shawnee County. The company held an open house forum on the evening of Sept. 30 at the Shawnee Yacht Club, 3720 SE Yacht Court. Five Shawnee County residents were...
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Residents are embracing trend with game nights, lessons
Popular public personalities, Hallmark movies and other forms of media have created a fascination for the colorful tile game Mahjong and captured the attention of Americans. Topekans are no exception to this snowballing trend. “‘Crazy Rich Asians’...
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Christa Pike’s botched execution was chaotic
For well over an hour, the state of Tennessee tried to kill Christa Pike. Then they raced to save her life. Seven members of the news media who witnessed Pike’s botched execution on Sept. 30 described an increasingly troublesome scene in the death...
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New emergency operations center was necessity
The Kansas emergency management officials tasked with coordinating disaster responses now have a new, larger and more modern space to do their work. It was a necessity, state officials say. “When we broke ground on this project two years ago, I talked...
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KU Health to own 100% of St. Francis Campus
The University of Kansas Health System is securing full ownership of the St. Francis Campus in Topeka, officials announced Sept. 29. The transition, expected to finish by the end of 2026, will end a nearly 10-year joint ownership between KU Health...
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Grid officials eye massive power lines
Multiple massive power transmission lines could be proposed to cross through Kansas, according to a presentation by regional electric grid officials to state utility regulators. One of them would cut through the Flint Hills, connecting a substation...
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End of an era for Beauchamp’s Gallery
Paul Beauchamp was a World War II naval aviator but also a successful businessman who left a long legacy of artistry in Topeka. In 1958, he opened his own Ford agency in Lawrence, Kansas. Five years later, he decided to follow his first love, which...
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REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
The anticipation was unbearable for the dozens of kids waiting to explore the new Playland at Gage Park on the evening of Sept. 24. “Cut it! Cut it! Cut it!” kids chanted in unison as Shawnee County Parks and Recreation director Tim Laurent gave...
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Tenants fights for SAFE HOUSING
Organizers of a Topeka community organization believe they are making major headway despite tangling with bureaucratic red tape. h What started as renters protesting overflowing trash bins has evolved into a movement advocating for Topekans’ most basic...
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867 ballots would not have counted
If Kansas’ three-day grace period on mail ballots ended as intended, 867 votes statewide wouldn’t have counted in the August primary election. It’s possible that habits would’ve changed to reduce this number had the law remained in effect, but Douglas...
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Rising beef costs put ranchers in pinch
Local cattle producers who were already reeling from severe drought conditions, shrinking herds and high operating costs are now being confronted with high-stakes decisions on whether to sell or retain their herds. Abrupt policy shifts — notably the...
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KBI eyes this site in downtown Topeka
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has identified a location in downtown Topeka for building a new headquarters. It’s at the southeast corner of the intersection of SE 10th and Quincy. Interim KBI director Robert Jacobs presented the plan, along with...
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Local event space adds rooftop with Capitol views
One step ahead of cool autumn evenings, The Beacon debuted its newly renovated rooftop event space at the beginning of September. With a direct view of the Kansas State Capitol and downtown Topeka, owner Courtney Stemler said the patio is ideal for...
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Questions remain after tuition ruling
More than a week after a federal judge ordered the end of in-state tuition for undocumented Kansas students, officials still have questions about the impact on those students. One of those questions is simply whether the Sept. 10 order applied to the...
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Trump to face skeptical world leaders at meeting
WASHINGTON – When President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations a year ago, he touted the U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites just months earlier as “totally obliterating everything” and said he had brought peace between Israel and...
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Death toll increasing for homeless Topekans
Deaths among Topeka’s unsheltered population have increased in recent years, says Barry Feaker, who has worked with homeless people in Topeka since 1986. A former longtime director of the Topeka Rescue Mission, Feaker is founder/CEO of Compassion...
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Marshall, Hamilton address religion
Roger Marshall and Adam Hamilton have at least some things in common when it comes to their Christian faith. They both pray every morning. They both believe in God’s commandment to love your neighbor. They both referenced the exact same Bible verse —...
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KS charges another noncitizen voter
Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office is up to four criminal cases of alleged noncitizen voting, 10 months after he predicted there would be “likely in the thousands” of cases. “I believe the number is four cases have been filed,” Kobach told...
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‘FULL TOOL BELT’ OF LIFE SKILLS
Raising children takes a village, and those impacted by the juvenile system are no exception. However, many who are justice-impacted fail to get the resources they need. “I believe that every kid needs to have an equal opportunity,” said Victor...
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‘THEIR DUTIES WELL DONE’
Jason Nellis was a 28-year-old firefighter in Topeka when he recalled seeing the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Like many of us, he watched it live on TV. “I knew as people were coming out, first responders were running in, whether it was PD or...
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Block Talks sparks community change
Alocal nonprofit is making strides to improve neighborhoods across Topeka. h Block Talks, a subsection of Prevention and Resiliency Services (PARS), began two years ago as a simple idea — events like National Night out, while great, aren’t effective...
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25th anniversary of 9/11 commemorated
NEW YORK – As the United States marked 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Americans across the country gathered to honor the nearly 3,000 people who perished and reflect on the day that forever changed the nation. h A quarter-century...
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A GENERATION OF AFTERSHOCK
Aquarter-century later, 9/11 still echoes. h The worst terrorist attack in U.S. history has been followed by other seismic events, from a once-in-a-century global pandemic to the rise of artificial intelligence that is transforming commerce, education...
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School blends home and classroom
Ignite Hybrid School, located at Faith Lutheran Church at SW 17th and Gage in Topeka, was founded in 2023 as an alternative to traditional public or private education or full-time homeschooling. “We’re a completely different model. We’re not a...
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Politician goes for the gold
Topeka boxing coach and Kansas House Rep. John Alcala has earned the highest certification possible for American boxing coaches. Alcala earned his gold certification Aug. 22 after spending a week in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with some of the biggest...
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NFL in the classroom?
What would happen if you put a fifthgrader in charge of an NFL Team? That’s what the teachers at Jay Shideler Elementary are finding out through a mock draft on Sept. 2. The NFeLementary curriculum comes from a Miami teacher who put her love of the...
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New ‘Most Wanted’ list is seeking fraudsters
WASHINGTON – First, the FBI came for the mobsters and other “Most Wanted” fugitives in 1950. Then it came for the “Most Wanted Terrorists” after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington 25 years ago. Now, the FBI has a third Most Wanted list, this...
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Voters can break historical trends
When Kansas voters fill out their ballots for the November 2026 general election, they will have the opportunity to break long-standing historical trends. h A Democrat winning the U.S. Senate would break a nearly 100-year winning streak by Republicans....
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AN IDLE THREAT
Abus company that left its buses’ engines running while parked in Boston neighborhoods has settled a lawsuit by agreeing to pay $5.6 million in damages for the resulting air pollution. The settlement came in a citizen-enforcement lawsuit under the...
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EXTREME HEAT HAMPERS TEAMS
While player safety remains a top priority, local high school coaches are also expressing concern over a lack of practice time because of unrelenting heat that has gripped the area in recent weeks. “I feel like we haven’t had a legit practice in so...
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Schwab seeks consistency in Kansas mail ballot rules
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab is concerned about judges changing the rules on mail ballots during election season, whether it’s a state court dealing with a grace period law or the U.S. Supreme Court grappling with a Trump administration...
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Inside jail’s new health unit
The Shawnee County Department of Corrections opened its doors to its newly constructed mental health unit last month. The new unit features modules with a total of up to 60 beds with soft furniture, ADA compliant cells, individually controlled...
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‘HIDDEN GEM’
The opportunity to get away for a family or business retreat doesn’t have to be outside of Kansas. In fact, it’s about 25 miles from Topeka. Eastbank on Mill Creek at 121356A Bouchey Road in Maple Hill is a renovated 84-acre retreat property along...
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Hobby evolves into popular business
The owner of Butternut Bites bakery cart began pursuing her culinary passion in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic derailed her earlier plans. “I think food is so beautiful and fun. It’s a great way to express creativity, and it makes people want to...
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Racing facility’s future UNCERTAIN
From years of vacancy, new ownership and shifting gears, the future of Darana-Heartland Motorsports Park has kept racers and fans on edge. Events returned to the track earlier this month, but big questions still hang over the facility: Will it stay...
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Cup of care &ambition
In 1973, Dolly Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” to soften the blow of leaving her business partner Porter Wagoner after years of producing hit country duets together. h Parton was ready to pursue a solo career. So she played the song for Wagoner...
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USD 501 reaches agreement in federal investigation
Topeka USD 501 has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to halt transgender student policies that federal officials said broke the law. The department on Aug. 25 announced the agreement to end a yearlong investigation into the...
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Booth on investing, life
Investor, philanthropist and Kansas native David Booth has some advice about investing that also applies to life. “Stay calm.” That’s the message of Booth’s book, which publishes Sept. 1. The title is “Stay Calm: Learn to Embrace Uncertainty in...
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Kassebaum Baker blazed trails in career
When Nancy Kassebaum Baker began her first full term in the U.S. Senate in January 1979, she was the only woman among its 100 members. It took awhile for her to adjust to her singular status. She avoided the Senate members’ private dining room because...
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Taking public health approach to violence
Freshly grilled burgers awaited students as they got off the school bus Aug. 20 at Highland Park Townhomes. “This is cool, this is stuff that we need in this neighborhood,” said Highland Park Townhomes resident Rayvin Jenkins. “Any neighborhood that’s...
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History and legacy of streets
TOP: Fittingly, a willow tree stands along SW Willow Avenue in Topeka’s Potwin Place Historic District, where various streets have tree-related names. Charles Wolcott Potwin envisioned the development he created in what is now Topeka as resembling a...
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Iran vows ‘devastating’ response to new threat
DUBAI – Iran said on Aug. 21 that its response to any new U.S. threats would be “devastating” after Washington pledged to impose the toughest financial penalties in history with the aim of toppling the Iranian leadership. Washington prepared for...
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Aspire offers more than tumbling
A local gymnastics club expanded its operational blueprint by moving into a 14,000 square-foot, custom-built facility earlier this month. Aspire Gymnastics Club is located at 3315 NW Hunters Ridge Terrace in the Hunters Ridge development at NW 46th...
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Friends launching upscale wine bar
The ability to engage in a fine dining experience in Topeka just became a little easier, thanks to the bond of three longtime friends. Board and Barrel Wine Bar, 1709 SW Gage Blvd., is a new fine-dining wine bar and restaurant founded by friends and...
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Game controllers on the job
Descending into Topeka’s underground sewers to inspect them is unsafe for a person — but not for a machine. City employees consequently use remote-control devices on wheels called “rovers” to roll through and inspect those pipes, said Keith Wagers, a...
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Topeka baking shop celebrates year of growth
The Sweet! Shoppe inside Fairlawn Plaza Shopping Center is celebrating one year of transformation. Previously known as Sweet! Baking Supply, current owner Nadira HazimPatrick took over operations July 2025. Along with her husband, James Patrick,...
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‘AMAZING’
IOLA — The typical Kansas landscape doesn’t include clear waters, sheer limestone cliffs and rock islands, but the state’s newest state park is anything but typical. Lehigh Portland State Park officially cut the ribbon at the new visitors center Aug....
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Flood reshaped city policies
The flood killed 24 people and exceeded $760 million in damages. The flooding began in June and continued into mid-July. When a river breaks through a levee, it doesn’t just flood city streets — it reshapes the future of families, businesses and the...
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U.S. tells Iran it will step up pressure
LONDON – Transit through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to grind to a near standstill on Aug. 14 after two more ships were attacked there and the United States said it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely. A senior Iranian source said...
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Developer defends tax incentive plan
Chuck Dultmeier was ready to come to Topeka city leaders with a deal to develop a large portion of Lauren’s Bay, which has been sitting untouched for ages. However, what he didn’t expect was community pushback because he asked for a similar tax...
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NBA coach hosts basketball clinic
Remy Ndiaye, a member of the Miami Heat coaching staff, held his inaugural co-ed basketball skills clinic at Topeka High School on Aug. 8 — and in doing so, achieved a long-sought dream by giving back to the Topeka community. “This experience was...
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‘HE DECIDED TO SOURCE AMERICA’
A Trump administration official and a local congressman believe a Topeka company helps tell the story of what they believe are pro-business policies from the federal government. Clint Rusch is president and managing partner of Cabinetry & Millwork...
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Governor’s race is not typical
For the first time since 1994, the governor’s race in Kansas will be a two-person affair. The Aug. 4 primary election established that Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, will face off in the Nov. 3...
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Kansas commemorates PURPLE HEART DAY
For the first time, the Kansas state government has commemorated Purple Heart Day. In an Aug. 7 ceremony at the Statehouse, Gov. Laura Kelly issued a proclamation with several Purple Heart recipients in attendance. “Being a Purple Heart State means...
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Solar farm dividing Jackson County
Brandon Kerwin, a Delia native, knows farming. The 32-year-old is up and running during the summer months about 6 a.m. Some of his days are well over 12 hours long. He’s a fifth-generation farmer in a family farm operation. On top of raising crops and...
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Reports: U.S. missile supply badly depleted
The war on Iran has severely depleted key U.S. missile stockpiles and left the nation and its allies in a vulnerable position for potentially years to come, several experts and reports say. U.S. missile stockpiles were low before President Donald...
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Republican congressmen prioritize budget items
The three Kansas Republicans in the U.S. House are prioritizing additional funding for the Iran war, farm subsidies and election integrity as Congress begins another budget reconciliation process. Congressional Republicans are in the early stages of...
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Hamilton will take on Marshall
Kansas Democrats have chosen Kansas City-area pastor Adam Hamilton as their candidate against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall. Hamilton won a crowded 11-candidate primary on Aug. 4. “Thank you, Kansas,” Hamilton said in a social media...
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Los Mandiles launches at new Topeka location
This Mexico City street-style restaurant has opened its doors at a new location in Topeka. Los Mandiles moved to 2841 SE Croco Road in early July after three years at a former SW Quincy Street location that is now closed. Yolk House Had been at the...
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It’s Election Day in KS
Today is Election Day. The Aug. 4 primary features a hotly-contested constitutional amendment vote, as well as a mix of contested and uncontested primaries for local, state and federal office. Here’s what to know before voting. Constitutional...
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More dark money equals more confusion
Dark money has infiltrated the Kansas gubernatorial race with an intensity usually only seen during the general election, particularly within the Republican primary. “It’s unusual,” Washburn University political science professor Bob Beatty said about...
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LEADERS DRIVING U.S. ELECTION TALK
Gov. Laura Kelly, former Gov. Sam Brownback and President Donald Trump aren’t on the ballot in the 2026 elections. Or at least not in a literal sense. But voters will likely hear the three politicians’ names a lot during the election season — if they...
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Attack sparks fears wars could merge
WASHINGTON – Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States insisted that leaders in Kyiv are not playing “a game of chess” with their recent drone strike on an Iranian ship and have no interest in leveraging their conflict with Russia into a wider, global...
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Candidates promise property tax relief
Property tax relief is a major campaign talking point in this year’s governor’s race as candidates pitch their ideas and make promises to voters. It’s especially a major issue in the Republican primary, where multiple candidates are talking about it...
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