News

K-State Research and Extension news service MANHATTAN – Modern technology has brought home-packed school lunches along for the ride. Today’s lunch bags “are made with a high tech material that kids can use to keep their food cold,” said Kansas State University food scientist Karen Blakeslee.

TOPEKA — Republican gubernatorial nominee Derek Schmidt challenged Friday an assertion by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly all 157,000 jobs lost in Kansas during the global economic tsunami created by the COVID-19 pandemic had been recovered.

WICHITA, Kansas — The Derby school board has rejected a proposed strategic plan for the district because it calls for diversity and a focus on students’ mental health. Dozens of parents, students, employees and community members developed the plan over the past several months before the board rejected it this week.

WASHINGTON — Over the course of the next year, lawmakers on the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture committees will draft a new federal farm bill that will shape food, farm, conservation and nutrition programs across the country for the next five years. The omnibus law that began 90 years ago as crop supports now has an impact far beyond the farm, with programs to create wildlife habitat, address climate change and run the nation’s largest federal nutrition program.

First day of school arrives The first day of school for Newton USD 373 will arrive this week, with first- through fourth-grade elementary school and Santa Fe 5/6 students will begin school Aug. 17.

While county administration believes they notified everyone of possible federal funding from the CARES act in 2020 two fire districts maintain they did not know funds were available to them. The county went through a months-long process to allocate funds to non-profits, businesses, long-term care facilities, private schools, and senior centers for expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.