Kansas News Service

More than 100 news laws are taking effect in Kansas this month. Here's a review of some of them.

The Kansas River is cleaner today than half a century ago, but pollution and trash remain problems. Kayakers and others who love this river are helping the river's sandbars by hauling away tons of garbage.

An Overland Park high schooler traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for cancer research funding after the Trump administration proposed slashing the National Institutes of Health budget.

Well-designed lighting lets people see at night while reducing the negative impacts of artificial light on pollinators and birds. It's also better for human sleep.

Pay raises approved unanimously by the Kansas Board of Regents range from 4% to 12% and come as most Kansas colleges have cut budgets and raised tuition to address projected enrollment declines.

In a meeting with Wichita Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld last fall, members of the Greater Wichita Ministerial League and the NAACP questioned how the district’s graduation rate is increasing while scores on state assessment tests remain low.

Next year, transgender teens in Kansas will no longer be able to access puberty blockers and hormone treatments for gender-affirming care. One family in Wichita is worried about navigating the changes. Plus, aircraft manufacturing is a big part of the Kansas economy, but new tariffs by the Trump administration have some companies scrambling.

The Kansas Historical Society’s archaeological field school this year gave volunteers a chance to dig into the state's territorial history at the site of an 1850s-era mansion near Lecompton.

Many towns in western Kansas lack gyms and fitness centers. Some small communities are building outdoor walking trails to encourage better health and attract new residents.

Kansas' ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender minors takes effect next year. This family is trying to navigate the changes — and give their daughter a normal teen life.

Advocates say understaffing at the Kansas agency that regulates adult care homes puts elderly and disabled residents at risk of abuse and neglect.

Federal lawmakers from Kansas have introduced legislation that would transfer control of Haskell Indian Nations University from the U.S. Department of Interior to Haskell’s Board of Regents but continue federal funding for the school.