Food Desert: Osawatomie, Kansas, gains greater access to grocery products

Published

1 year ago

April 11, 2025

Food Desert: Osawatomie, Kansas, gains greater access to grocery products

OSAWATOMIE, Kan. — The Osawatomie Chamber of Commerce, alongside Oz Mart owner, Tony Singh, cut a ribbon Tuesday night to celebrate the city’s newest store.

The store will offer some of the same items found in a traditional grocery store.

“This is an investment in Osawatomie,” Shay Hanysak, Chamber of Commerce director told community members.

Ryan Gamboa/KSHB

Shay Hanysak and Tony Singh

For 17 years, Singh and his family have operated a gas station near U.S. Highway 169.

‘Oz Mart’ will offer traditional convenience store items in downtown Osawatomie.

In addition, it will sell fresh fruits, vegetables, and other household staples.

“Just the fact I can shop in my own town, where I live, when you get to be my age that’s awesome,” Osawatomie resident Kathy Baldwin said.

The United States Department of Agriculture designated Osawatomie, Kansas a Food Desert.

The USDA classifies an area a food desert when 33% of a population is greater than one mile from a large grocery store or supermarket.

The nearest traditional grocery store to Osawatomie is 10 miles north in Paola, Kansas.

“I don’t always have to go to Paola anymore,” Baldwin said. “I will support Tony.”

This new store won’t pull that designation from Osawatomie, but residents say it’s exactly what the town needed.

“I am so proud of Tony for taking this on,” Baldwin said.

Singh told KSHB 41 his inspiration comes from residents concerned about food access.

His ultimate goal is to offer local farmers the opportunity to sell their products in his store.

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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.

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Kansas man sentenced to 4 years in connection with 13-year-old Linn County boy’s death

Published

2 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Kansas man sentenced to 4 years in connection with 13-year-old Linn County boy’s death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Bates County Circuit Court judge Friday sentenced a Linn County, Kansas, man in connection with the December 2025 death of Airen Andula, 13.

Damon Leonard, 47, was sentenced to four years in prison for abandonment of a corpse, according to court records.

He pleaded guilty to the charge of abandoning a corpse on May 22.

Andula disappeared from his Pleasanton, Kansas, home on Dec. 21, 2025. A day later, law enforcement found the boy’s body in a ravine in Bates County, Missouri. He had died from multiple dog bite injuries.

Police were led to the boy’s body after a phone call from Leonard.

Court documents said Leonard “admitted that he transported the deceased child from Kansas to Missouri and left the body in the bottom of the creek” before he returned home.

KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva spoke with Andula’s family earlier this week — after the guilty plea and ahead of Friday’s sentencing.

His family shared that the guilty plea brought a small sense of justice, but it didn’t do much to ease the pain of their loss.

READ MORE | Family of Airen Andula speaks out ahead of sentencing

“We’re missing our kid every day of our lives,” the boy’s father Charles Andula told Silva.

Leonard received credit for time served of 158 days in his sentence, per court records.

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Gas, diesel fuel prices down over past week across nation, Kansas

Published

14 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

Gas, diesel fuel prices down over past week across nation, Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – It may not seem like a lot of relief, but gas and diesel prices have declined over the past week.

Friday morning’s national average for a gallon of unleaded gas was $4.39, according to the Automobile Association of America.

That’s down three cents from $4.42 on Thursday; down 16 cents from a week ago; but was up 17 cents from $4.22 a month ago and up $.23 from $3.16 a year ago.

Gas and diesel fuel prices are down this week in Kansas and across the nation, according to the American Automobile Association.(KALB)

In Kansas, AAA says, unleaded gas on Friday was averaging $3.96 a gallon — down four cents from $4.00 on Thursday; down 13 cents from $3.96 a week ago; but up 26 cents from $3.70 a month ago; and up $1.07 over $2.89 a year ago.

Diesel fuel also was dropping in price. AAA says Friday’s national average for a gallon of diesel was $5.52 a gallon — down three cents from $5.55 on Thursday; down 12 cents from $5.64 a week a go; but up six cents from $5.46 a month ago and up $1.98 from $3.54 a year ago.

Kansas diesel fuel prices, according to AAA, checked in at an average of $4.98 on Friday. That’s five cents below $5.03 on Thursday; down 16 cents from $5.14 a week ago; but up 24 cents over $4.74 a month ago; and up $1.72 from $3.26 a year ago.

In Topeka, GasBuddy.com on Friday morning showed unleaded gas prices ranging between $3.77 and $4.09 in Topeka, with diesel fuel going for between $4.94 and $5.29 a gallon.

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