Kansas
Here’s where in Topeka food safety inspectors found rodent droppings, other problems
Kansas food safety and lodging inspectors found several Topeka establishments to be out of compliance with state law in March.
Kansas law delegates to the Kansas Department of Agriculture the authority to regulate food establishments, food processing plants and lodging establishments. Violations — particularly priority violations linked to causes of foodborne illness — can lead to various consequences, including the immediate closure of an establishment.
Kansas Department of Agriculture records show that while most Topeka service establishments passed inspections in March with either no violations or no serious ones, several failed. Most inspections were routine, but inspectors also visited after complaints, for licensing, follow-ups and other reasons.
Out-of-compliance food establishments in Topeka
The following establishments were listed as out of compliance with state law after inspections in March.
- Breakers Sports Bar and Grill, 8429 S.W. 10th Ave.
The March 26 routine inspection found two violations.
The cold make table in the kitchen had sour cream, ranch, blue cheese, lettuce and shredded cheese that were all too warm. The person in charge told the inspector that they unplug the table at night and plug it back in in the morning, but the inspector said they should leave it plugged in all night to ensure food remains cold.
The walk-in cooler was not keeping raw eggs, raw bacon, shredded cheese and sliced cheese cold enough. The person in charge said he turned it off that morning because an ice block was growing, and a work order had been made to have the equipment looked at.
The foods were thrown away and the kitchen voluntarily closed, as the establishment was without any fully functioning refrigeration equipment.
The inspector wrote that with the cold make table not keeping food cold enough and the walk-in not fully functioning, “The establishment does not have significant equipment to keep foods cold.”
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 27 reopening inspection.
- Travelers Inn, 3846 S.W. Topeka Blvd.
The March 26 follow-up inspection found one violation for a room that was inaccessible because the lock was not programmed to accept the key card.
The lodging establishment was in compliance after another follow-up inspection later the same day.
- Gage Center Bowl, 4200 S.W. Huntoon St.
The March 15 routine inspection found two violations.
Inspectors found rodent droppings around a pop shelf and under the counter for the snack bar, plus holes that could have been entry points for pests. The person in charge told inspectors that “they have been dealing with a rodent problem for a few months that was worse during the winter,” but they had been working with a pest control company.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 25 follow-up inspection.
- Cafe Barnabas, 1801 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite G24.
The March 14 complaint inspection found four violations.
A refrigerator had raw eggs stored on a shelf above sticks of butter. A reach-in cooler had a carton of half and half that was too warm, which the inspector suggested was because the cooler was overstocked. Tea was discarded because the keg cooler did not keep it cold.
The mop sink had issues with the backflow device. The floors were “very sticky” and the walls needed to be cleaned.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 27 follow-up inspection.
- West Ridge Lanes and Family Fun Center, 1935 S.W. Westport Drive.
The March 11 routine inspection found three violations.
The inspector found rodent droppings in the kitchen, as well as holes in the wall and gaps in the doors. The person in charge said they have been working with pest control, and the pest control report showed the holes and gaps had been reported.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 25 follow-up inspection.
- Holiday Square-Phillips 66, 2901 S.W. Topeka Blvd.
The March 7 routine inspection found four violations.
Inspectors cited beef hot dogs held longer than seven days after opening, as well as cheddar dogs, black olives and mushrooms that did not have open or discard dates.
An employee was washing dishes without sanitizing them. She told the inspector “she did not know what the sanitizing process was and had never been trained.” Additionally, the hot water temperature in the ware-washing sink was not getting hot enough.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 8 follow-up inspection.
- Artismo Gallery and Bistro, 816 N. Kansas Ave.
The March 1 routine inspection found four violations.
There was no food thermometer, there were no test strips for the dish sanitizer, a quesadilla maker and a panini bread press were dirty and the business had been operating for a month without a license.
The establishment was back in compliance after a March 22 follow-up inspection.
Inspections found these Topeka establishments were in compliance
The following service establishments were in compliance when inspectors visited in March with either no violations or only relatively minor ones.
- Five Guys Burgers and Fries, 1191 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite B.
- The Forgotten Grain, 841 N. Washington St., Suite B in Auburn.
- Gambino’s Pizza, 844 N. Washington in Auburn.
- Highland Park High School, 2424 S.E. California Ave.
- Pine Ridge Prep School, 1110 S.E. Highland Ave.
- Qdoba Mexican Eats, 1025 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite A.
- Hotel Topeka at City Center, 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd.
- Arby’s, 1820 S.E. 29th St.
- Little Caesars’s, 5329 S.W. 21st St.
- Sonic Drive In, 5922 S.W. 21st St.
- Wingstop, 2121 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite 103.
- Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs, 2060 N.W. Topeka Blvd.
- Logan Elementary School, 1124 N.W. Lyman Road.
- Pollos Junior, 2601 S.W. Sixth Ave.
- Tecumseh South Elementary, 3346 S.E. Tecumseh Road in Tecumseh.
- Wendy’s, 728 S.W. Topeka Blvd.
- Dillons fuel kiosk, 2101 S.W. Fairlawn Road.
- Dillons, 2815 S.W. 29th St.
- Eddy’s Mexican Restaurant, 2911 S.W. 29th St.
- Marjorie French Middle School, 5257 S.W. 33rd St.
- McClure Elementary School, 2529 S.W. Chelsea Drive.
- Godfather’s Pizza, 5300 S.W. 17th St.
- Panda Express, S.W. 1920 Wanamaker Road, Suite 160.
- Chartwells at Falley Field of Washburn University, 1700 S.W. College Ave.
- Washburn University softball field and complex, 1700 S.W. College Ave.
- K Fast Track 2, 1401 S.W. Huntoon St.
- Pie Five Pizza Co., 1129 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Sonic Drive In, 3520 S.E. 29th St.
- Dairy Queen, 1700 S.W. Medford Ave.
- Howdy Come In, 1901 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Super 8, 5968 S.W. 10th Ave.
- West Ridge 8, 1727 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- China Express, 514 S.W. 10th Ave.
- Fat Shack, 1418 S.W. Lane St.
- Baskin-Robbins, 4400 S.W. 21st St.
- PB Gas Station-Phillips 66 on I-70, 1000 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Arbor Court, 4200 S.W. Drury Lane.
- Church’s Chicken, 3001 S.W. 10th Ave.
- Pizza Hut, 2007 S.E. 29th St.
- PT’s Coffee Roasting Co., 929 S.W. University Blvd., Suite 2704-D2.
- Casey’s General Store, 600 S.E. Rice Road.
- Christ the King School, 5973 S.W. 25th St.
- Jay Shideler Elementary School, 4948 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Scott Magnet School, 401 S.E. Market St.
- Shawnee Heights Elementary School, 2410 S.E. Burton Road.
- The Smoothie and Pretzel Co., 1801 S.W. Wanamaker Road.
- Holy Family Catholic Church, 1725 N.E. Seward Ave.
- Schlotzskys, 2019 S.W. Gage Blvd.
- Subway, 2003 S.E. 29th St.
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
Kansas
Suit challenges Kansas law that revoked trans people’s updated IDs
Rep. Abi Boatman gives her thoughts on transgender bathroom bill
Kansas Legislature overrode Gov. Kelly’s veto for transgender bathroom bans. Hear what this trans legislator has to say.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit challenging Kansas’ new sweeping anti-transgender law, the first in the nation to rescind previously issued IDs with updated gender markers.
Senate Bill 244 took effect Feb. 26 after the Republican supermajorities in the Kansas Legislature overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
“This legislation is a direct attack on the dignity and humanity of transgender Kansans,” said Monica Bennett, the ACLU of Kansas’ legal director, in a statement. “It undermines our state’s strong constitutional protections against government overreach and persecution.”
The lawsuit was filed Feb. 26 in Douglas County District Court on behalf of two anonymous plaintiffs. The lawyers on the case are from the ACLU and Ballard Spahr LLP. They argue “that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.”
The law prohibits transgender Kansans from changing the sex or gender marker on their driver’s license and birth certificates. It also immediately invalidated identification documents for more than 1,000 transgender Kansans who already had changes approved.
The law also bans transgender people from using bathrooms, locker rooms and similar facilities in government buildings that align with their gender identity. They must instead use the restroom corresponding to their sex assigned at birth. Additionally, the law bans gender-neutral bathrooms with more than one stall.
The law has various enforcement provisions, including allowing anyone to sue someone else who they think is transgender and suspected of using a restroom that is different from their sex assigned at birth.
Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach lobbied for lawmakers to explicitly ban gender marker changes after state courts allowed them to resume amid litigation over a predecessor law, Senate Bill 180. Lawmakers then added the bathroom bill provisions through a gut-and-go without a public hearing.
The state of Kansas, represented by Kobach, is a defendant in the case. Other defendants include agencies and agency leadership under the Kelly administration, including the Kansas Department of Revenue and Kansas Department of Administration.
Spokespeople for Kobach and Kelly did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The plaintiffs have filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and asked for a hearing on Feb. 27 “or as soon as possible.”
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
Kansas
Kansas Orders Trans Drivers to Surrender Licenses With One Day’s Notice
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The Kansas Division of Vehicles (DOV) has instructed transgender residents to surrender their updated driver’s licenses, as one of the nation’s most extreme anti-trans laws takes effect this week.
Trans Kansans received letters from the DOV on Wednesday informing them that licenses and other state ID papers that do not match a person’s assigned sex at birth are considered invalid and must be surrendered to the state effective immediately, ostensibly giving them less than 24 hours to make accommodations, according to multiple copies of the letter reviewed by the Kansas City Star.
“Please note that the Legislature did not include a grace period for updating credentials,” the letter read in part. “That means that once the law is officially enacted, your current credentials will be invalid immediately, and you may be subject to additional penalties if you are operating a vehicle without a valid credential.” Affected residents were “directed to surrender your current credential to the Kansas Division of Vehicles” and receive a new ID — at their own expense, as SB 244 did not provide state funding to cover the reversions, the Star noted.
The move comes as a result of Kansas’ SB 244, which became law on Thursday and instructs state agencies to reverse gender marker changes on official documents. Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the legislation, but the Republican supermajority overrode her veto last week.
Kansas officially recognizes only “male” and “female” as recorded at birth as valid sexes, per a state law passed in 2023. About 1,700 people are expected to have their licenses invalidated as a result of the new law, according to a legislative analysis of SB 244 conducted by the state House. The law will also invalidate amended birth certificates that were issued with a corrected gender marker.
The LGBTQ Foundation of Kansas shared a copy of one letter on Instagram, with identifying information redacted. Representatives for the nonprofit noted that some Kansas counties will hold special elections next week, and trans residents without valid photo ID cards will not be able to cast a vote under existing state law.
At least three other states have passed laws banning gender marker changes on driver’s licenses, but Kansas is now the only U.S. state to require such previous changes be reverted, according to KCTV.
“The persecution is the point,” said Rep. Abi Boatman, Kansas’ only trans state legislator, in a statement to the Star on Wednesday. “It tells me that Kansas Republicans are interested in being on the vanguard of the culture war and in a race to the bottom,” she added in a comment to KCTV.
Kansas
Kansas City man charged with murder in fatal shooting of reported missing teenage girl
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man has now been charged in the death of a teenage girl who was reported missing and found dead a day later from a gunshot.
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced Wednesday that Eric R. Phillips II has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandoning a corpse, following the girl’s November 2025 death.
Elayjah Murray had been reported missing on Nov. 28, 2025. As investigators looked into her disappearance, the Independence Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit learned that she’d possibly been shot.
Multiple witnesses and surveillance footage helped detectives identify Phillips as the shooter. Court documents say he shot Murray multiple times while she was in the back of his car during the early morning hours of Nov. 28.
A day later, police with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department found Murray in Kansas City. Phillips’ cell phone pinged in the area where Murray’s body was located.
Phillips’ bond has been set at $350,000 cash only.
Johnson said Phillips was charged on Dec. 3, 2025, under seal. The case was unsealed Wednesday in an effort to help locate Phillips.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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