The Topeka Capital-Journal
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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Open house spotlights data center proposal
More than 100 area residents attended an open house hosted by Dallasbased company Compass Datacenters, which applied July 14 for a Conditional Use Permit for a proposed data center. The event was July 28 at Washburn Rural High School’s Innovation...
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Millions spent on court amendment question
Five organizations have spent at least six figures in 2026 to campaign for their side in the Kansas Supreme Court judicial selection constitutional amendment, according to state data. The data reveal that the leading group against the amendment is...
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‘Find ways to work together’
Adam Hamilton is pitching Kansas Democrats that he is the best candidate to win over the unaffiliated and Republican voters that would be necessary to defeat incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall. Helping make Hamilton’s case is former Gov. Kathleen...
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‘A LOT OF RED TAPE’
A new Kansas law that bans K-12 students from using personal electronic devices during school hours also places new restrictions on how coaches can communicate with athletes, and the potential impact is reverberating through high school athletic...
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Uncovering Statehouse MYSTERIES
Alf Landon liked to put his feet up. The spot he chose? His everyday desk. If you look close enough, you can still tell. Atop the desk, which now sits in the ceremonial office of Gov. Laura Kelly, are scuff marks left by the shoes of the 26th...
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U.S. strikes shipping point on Red Sea
DUBAI – U.S. missiles struck targets across Iran, reaching as far as its Caspian coast, on July 24 after President Donald Trump vowed “major military punishment” for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for extending the war to a second major shipping...
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Need an infusion of courage? Call mayor
Mayor Spencer Duncan wasn’t always a dedicated blood donor. “I never thought about it in my entire life until I met my wife who’s been a religious donator for most of her life,” Duncan said. “When she convinced me, I joke that she guilted me, which is...
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105 Lauren’s Bay lots sell at auction
Dozens of lots at a troubled Topeka housing developing site are under new ownership. More than 105 of Lauren’s Bay lots were sold in a Shawnee County judicial tax foreclosure auction on June 10, 2026. This comes after developer Jim Klausman’s failed...
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See how new airport restaurant is leaning on community
Gate 36 Eatery & Spirits opened at Philip-Billard Airport in early June, replacing SKY Restaurant, which previously occupied the space. J. Engroff is the family-owned Topeka catering and food service company that took over operations. “It’s been...
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KS fighting over data center plans
Influential Kansans met in Topeka last week to discuss data center developments in the state as protesters rallied outside the government building. Several dozen people attended the two-day meeting, including city and county administrators, local...
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KS engineer explains data center water use
Data center developers have three options available to them for securing water in Kansas, and state law would prevent a data center from coming in and drying up water resources. That’s what Kansas Department of Agriculture chief engineer Earl Lewis,...
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Finding new ways to flourish
Topeka decades ago had a prominent queer community with late nights at a variety of gay bars and drag performances. h “It was just a magical time in America,” said Andrew Racker, a former drag comedy performer from the late 1980s to early 2000s....
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U.S., Iran trade attacks on infrastructure
DUBAI – The United States struck bridges and an airport in Iran on July 17 and Tehran responded by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, as the warring foes risked further escalation by expanding their targets to include infrastructure. In...
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Festival is on the move
The upcoming For the Culture KS festival will celebrate Black culture, history and excellence. h Rodney Harmon, co-founder of the festival, said when For The Culture first began, the vision was for the festival to begin in Topeka for a couple of years...
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Hunger rises in Topeka as SNAP benefits disappear
Topeka is seeing a spike in families needing food assistance in recent months, with food insecurity experts pointing to federal spending cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the merging of two local organizations that prompted a...
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Hopefuls debate data centers
When it comes to data centers, the political divide is not Republican versus Democrat. The Kansas governor’s race features candidates of both parties who want a statewide moratorium — a term for a pause during which data center projects can’t move...
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Game encourages starting early savings
The story behind a Rubik’s Cube given to a Kansas state government official illustrates a goal of financial literacy being for all Kansans. It starts with a $1 Rubik’s Cube — as in a cube where the six sides are adorned with the image of a dollar bill...
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City eyes landlord registry program
Topeka could be the next city in Kansas to implement a landlord registry. As renters have faced fires, trash piling up and other unsafe housing conditions, leaders have considered whether a landlord registry could be the solution to keeping...
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Club helps empower women
Owning a gun is more than pointing and shooting. It requires consideration into what kind of gun to buy. It requires education on how to clean, maintain and shoot a gun. Susan Fuller, founder of Topeka’s A Girl and A Gun chapter, said women often get...
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Ceasefire falls apart as Iran buries slain leader
The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to have fallen apart over continued strife over the Strait of Hormuz as Iranians buried their supreme leader, killed by U.S.-Israel forces at the outset of the war. There were no new...
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Kansas town goes penniless
After the federal government stopped making pennies last November, at least one municipal government in Kansas stopped accepting them. The city of Liberal in the southeast part of the state did that effective March 16, it said on its website. The...
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Residents urge Topeka to pause data center plans
It was standing room only in the Topeka City Chambers as residents spoke out against the possibility of a data center coming to the community. “Topeka is saying no to data centers tonight,” said Meghan Ryan, founder of Protect Kansas. “We are...
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Bakery serves up Australian treats
From head to toe, Sue Roberts is covered in flour before the end of each workday. The work never stops for the South Australia-born bakery owner, who starts the heavy lifting in the early morning hours — but not before her morning cup of coffee — and...
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SNAP cuts hurting Kansas grocers
Kansas grocery stores are missing out on millions of dollars worth of sales because of federal cuts to the food stamp program. Significantly fewer Kansans are getting food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program since the passage...
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Tilton’s Market keeps it local
A longtime family-owned business in Topeka is closing in on a century in operation by putting its loyal customers first. Tilton’s Market opened its doors to the Oakland Community in 1935 and began as a street produce stand. Since then, it has operated...
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THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Americans are restless. We sought independence 250 years ago as a nation in pursuit of unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. h We moved across the land in covered wagons searching for prosperity. h We raced toward space,...
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The Onion launches new InfoWars with 2 shows
The Onion has pressed ahead with its takeover of InfoWars, the conspiracy-laden media empire formerly owned by far-right provocateur Alex Jones. The satirical news site debuted its initial slate of programming just in time for America’s 250th birthday...
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Sustainable living made simple
Full Circle Sustainability is a hub built around living a full life, without creating waste in Topeka. The nonprofit organization, founded by Robert Riley and Justine Greve, developed after they felt there was a need for easier access to local...
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Downtown church sells Tiffany stained glass window
Topeka’s First Presbyterian Church has sold a Tiffany Medallion window it owned to a private buyer for $1.5 million to help address financial challenges it faces, its senior pastor confirmed June The sale — arranged by Sotheby’s, one of the world’s...
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‘WE NEED TO DECIDE’
Topeka’s utility department is $386,160,564 in the hole, with 25% of its budget in 2026 going to pay off more than $30 million of debt. Those eye-popping numbers could mean raising rates again, the sixth year in a row. How the increase is implemented...
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New law looms over clemency decisions
Amid public outcry about death row inmates applying for clemency, the government board that handles the process is being overhauled by a new state law with provisions taking effect July 1. Under the Kansas Constitution and state law, the governor has...
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Downtown Topeka flood problems back in spotlight
Topeka’s flood problems, which flew under the radar as the city saw belowaverage rainfall for four straight years, are back in the spotlight after recent downpours soaked soil, stranded motorists and damaged houses. Recent flooding has affected many...
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WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NEW LAWS
Lawmakers enacted 157 new laws in 2026. Of those, 126 take effect — either wholly or in part — on July 1. It was a busy legislative session in the capital city for the Kansas Legislature. Lawmakers enacted 157 new laws in 2026. Of those, 126 take...
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Trump sees wins on immigration, guns
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump victories in two immigration cases June 25. In the divide between gun rights and gun violence, the justices struck down another state law, this one in Hawaii, aimed at curbing guns in public...
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Hats have it at new store
The opportunity to purchase a cap — just about any cap — is back in the capital city. h Located on the lower level of West Ridge Mall, Pro Image Sports is now open, offering a variety of hats to purchase. h Casey Richardson, general manager and...
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New law means your license plate frame could be a crime
If you have a license plate frame on your car, you may want to check it before July 1. A new Kansas law takes effect that day, and you could be breaking the law if your frame partially blocks the state name on your license plate. Senate Bill 403 had...
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KTWU finds new path
Topeka’s KTWU is fully funded and operational. Over the past year, the local public broadcasting services has faced challenges after federal funding was stripped. Then Washburn University restructured the station’s status leaving them to finance...
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Kickstart Saloon proves more than a biker bar
Just off US-24 highway in North Topeka sits a crimson red building. Sometimes dotted with motorcycles in its parking lot, a beer poster hangs pinned to the exterior. It reads “Kickstart Saloon” in orange capital letters, the words centered around an...
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Fire transforming West’s public lands
Wildfires are affecting our public lands at an accelerating scale and increasing intensity. Yet how fire affects recreation has remained poorly understood. Colorado’s two largest fires on record, the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires, burned...
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Care partners find footing
Health care hopefuls are getting a chance to dip their toes into the workforce with a role aimed at getting health care workers into the field at an early age. h “I feel like it’s just such a good learning experience because we get good hands-on work...
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Israel, Hezbollah agree to ceasefire
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire that was set to begin at 4 p.m. local time June 19 after escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon complicated President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach a final peace agreement with Iran. Still, the next...
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OVERCROWDED SHELTER NEEDS AID
Topeka’s Helping Hands Humane Society is home to dogs, cats and even “pocket pets” like guinea pigs and hamsters. The shelter, which totaled 310 adoptions in May, takes in about 6,000 animals each year and provides a range of community services,...
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Sunflower Summer back, with smaller budget
Despite another budget cut by state lawmakers, Sunflower Summer is returning with free tickets for Kansas kids to visit state attractions. This year, 230 tourism attractions are participating in the program, which will run from July 9 to Aug....
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