LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self intends to be on the sideline Saturday night when the No. 19 Jayhawks make the 2-hour trip down Interstate 70 to play Kansas State. He just isn’t sure whether he’ll have Darryn Peterson on the court.

Peterson, who is widely considered a potential No. 1 NBA draft pick, had 16 points while playing 32 minutes in a 75-69 win over Colorado on Tuesday night. But he was less explosive after turning his ankle, and Self said Thursday that it turned out to be a sprain.

“He’s got a pretty severe ankle sprain, but fortunately that’s all it is, a sprain,” Self said. “Hopefully he’ll be able to go and play (on Saturday night), but we’re not at a point where we’ll be able to make a decision on that yet.”

It is merely the latest injury for the freshman guard. Peterson missed several games earlier this season with cramping issues.

Meanwhile, the 63-year-old Self said he was feeling good after a brief trip to the hospital earlier this week because of what he called some “abnormal” chest pain. Self was given some fluids but was unable to accompany the Jayhawks on their trip to Colorado, where former Kansas and NBA star Jacque Vaughn coached them to victory.

“The situation I had was very similar to what many people have. Mine got me pretty good for a short snippet of time and then was under control,” Self said. “That won’t have any impact at all moving forward in any way, shape or form.”

Self has had a series of heart ailments, including one three years ago that kept him from coaching in the Big 12 and NCAA tourneys. He had two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries in that case, then had two more stents inserted last July.

Self said he watched the Colorado game on TV on Tuesday night and was back in the office the following day.

“I know now what it means to be an ‘armchair quarterback,’ because I sat there and watched and I had all the answers,” Self said a wry grin. “I started thinking to myself, ‘Well, I have all the answers now,’ but those would be the same answers I would have if I was coaching, and not all those answers work, nor do people execute the way you think they should. So I saw what it means to be an armchair quarterback. I can agree with many fans when they are doing the same thing.”

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© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

January 20, 20256
Topeka

GOVERNOR’S LAST BUDGET

On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the Governor’s final budget proposal of her term, for fiscal year 2027, was presented to a joint meeting of the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means committees. The budget presentation serves to inform the Legislature of the Governor’s spending and taxing priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.

Overall the proposed budget’s spending increases were lean but did add $171.3 million state general funds (SGF). Below is a sample of five areas where the Governor proposed new spending in her budget.

First was K-12 education. The Governor’s budget increased base spending for special education aid to schools by $50 million SGF, added $2.5 million SGF to eliminate co-payments for reduced lunches provided to students, and added $3.5 million SGF for professional development, scholarships, and mentor programs for school teachers.

Second was spending to cover funding shortfalls created by decreases in federal aid to Kansas. The Governor added $16.1 million SGF in new spending for the Kansas Department of Children and Families (DCF) to cover administrative and new compliance costs of the Supplemental & Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). $5 million SGF was also added to the Adjutant General’s office to reimburse the Emergency Management Performance Grants fund. 

Third was mental health. $3.6 million SGF was added to implement a Community Support Waiver (SDW) program, to provide reduced services for individuals currently waiting on the Intellectual Developmentally Disabled (I/DD) waiver waitlist that require fewer services than provided under the I/DD program. $2.8 million SGF was also added to the Technology Assissted waiver, in response to alleged increase demands for the program’s services.

Fourth was spending for state hospitals. $30.9 million SGF was added to fund the new South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital in Wichita, KS, $5 million SGF was added to state-aid for behavioral beds at local hospitals, and $37 million SGF was added to fund contract nursing staff at Larned and Osawatomie State Hospitals.

Fifth and final was state employee pay. $33 million SGF was added to cover portions of a 2.5 percent salary increase for executive branch employees and $3.3 million SGF was added for a similar increase to judicial branch employees’s salaries, as requested by the Judicial Branch.

HOUSE FLOOR ACTION

The first week of the 2026 Session saw the Kansas House of Representatives introduce 52 bills, on topics ranging from public libraries to hunting. Below is a sample of three bills from those introduced this week.

First is House Bill (HB) 2421. This piece of legislation would strictly limit the use of personal wireless electronic devices by students during school hours in both public and accredited nonpublic schools in Kansas.

Second is HB 2458, which would require that property taxes and public bonds be approved by elected officials within certain tax jurisdictions.

Third and last is HB 2470, which would grant municipalities in Kansas greater freedom in designating neighborhood revitalization districts.

COMMITTEE HAPPENINGS

House Appropriations (HAPP) held its first committee meeting this session on Thursday, January 15, 2026. As usual there were committee staff introductions and a welcome for new and returning committee members. However, this year the committee also worked and passed out nine agency budget reports for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a first for me during my time in the legislature.

The first three of these budgets came from the General Government Budget Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Barbara Wasinger, R-Hays. These were the Office of Administrative Hearings, Pooled Money Investment Board, and the Public Disclosure Committee (previously named the State Ethics Commission). Said budget reports drew several questions from members regarding the agencies’ performance metrics and full-time employee positions (FTEs).

The latter six budgets came from the Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Lisa Moser. These were the Board of Accountancy, Board of Veterinary Examiners, Citizen’s Utility Ratepayer Board, Kansas Corporation Commission, Kansas Department of Credit Unions, and the Office of State Bank Commissioner. Discussion on these budgets involved the same topics of concern.

It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.

Contact My Office
Representative Troy L. Waymaster
300 SW 10th Street
Topeka, Kansas 66612
[email protected]
www.kslegislature.org

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – It is a clear and cold, but otherwise quiet morning across Kansas. Wake-up temperatures in the 20s will eventually climb into the middle to upper 40s this afternoon underneath mainly sunny skies.

Thursday will be the proverbial calm before the (winter) storm. Mostly sunny skies will turn mainly cloudy, and temperatures will tumble into the upper 30s and lower 40s, but no travel troubles are expected.

The next batch of Arctic air will arrive on Friday setting the stage for widespread accumulating snow across the state. Afternoon temperatures in the teens will be accompanied by overnight/early morning temperatures in the single digits. However, when you factor in the wind it will feel like ten to twenty degrees below zero, making frostbite possible in as little as thirty minutes.

While the exact path of a late week storm system remains uncertain, odds are climbing that it will bring snowfall accumulation to the state. Light snow is possible along and north of I-70, while areas farther south will likely see several inches of accumulation. Expect the snow to start falling across western Kansas Friday afternoon and then spread east during the evening and night. The snow will continue Saturday before coming to a stop during the evening or night.

WICHITA AREA FORECAST:

Today: Sunny. Wind: NW/W 5-15. High: 50

Tonight: Becoming mostly clear and cold. Wind: N/E 5-10. Low: 22

Tomorrow: Increasing clouds and cooler. Wind: E/NE 5-15. High: 44

Fri: Low: 13. High: 16. Cloudy and colder; snow arrives in the afternoon.

Sat: Low: 2. High: 8. Very cold with snow.

Sun: Low: -3. High: 15. Decreasing clouds and very cold.

Mon: Low: 2. High: 27. Sunny.

Tue: Low: 15. High: 33. Partly cloudy. Breezy.

Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com