Kansas
Kansas City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade doubles as World Cup welcome party
KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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The annual Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day parade, themed “Irish Kicks in 2026 — A Celebration of Sport,” wound through Westport and down Broadway on Tuesday, marking the last major event in Kansas City before the World Cup.
Soccer balls bounced down the route, were tied to the tops of trucks and dangled behind trolleys.
Kansas City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade doubles as World Cup welcome party
Anna Scholten, who watched the parade, said the dual celebration felt natural.
“They’re supporting the World Cup coming. So we’re all kind of tying communities together,” Scholten said.
John Batten/KSHB
Mayor Quinton Lucas and other parade participants walked past security measures that included a large police presence and public works trucks barricading the route.
“Whether it’s the World Cup or an annual tradition like the St. Patrick’s Day parade, Kansas Citians love to come together,” Lucas said. “They love to bring families out and have great events like this one.”
John Batten/KSHB
Tuesday’s parade brought Clyde Griffin out for the first time in his more than 60 years of living in Kansas City.
“I figured at my age, this is the time to do it,” he said. “I wanted to make this off my bucket list.”
John Batten/KSHB
Among the crowd was a young boy named Dakovin. He hopes to march with a drill team one day — and see the World Cup in Kansas City. His mother, Myasia, said big events bring people together.
“I feel like once they do the big events, everybody comes together and actually enjoy when they get a chance,” Myasia said.
John Batten/KSHB
The Irish national soccer team still has work to do before it can join the party. The team must win two more matches to qualify for the World Cup, with its next game scheduled for March 26.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Kansas
Omaha Bound: Social media reacts to Oklahoma Sooners series clincher
The Oklahoma Sooners are heading back to Omaha for the College World Series for the first time since 2022 after OU swept Kansas in the super regionals. Oklahoma outscored the Jayhawks 21-3 in the two games that took three days to play due to a rain delay on Sunday.
The Sooners head to Omaha as one of the hottest teams in college baseball after knocking off Georgia Tech in the regionals and sweeping Kansas to punch their ticket to Omaha.
Oklahoma hit seven home runs in the two games against Kansas, and on Sunday and Monday, the Sooners pitching staff limited the Jayhawks lineup to just four runs.
The Sooners are one of five SEC teams heading to Omaha, joining Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, and Georgia. The Sooners will open College World Series play against Alabama on Saturday. But before we get to that, here’s how social media reacted to the Sooners series clinching win.
On Fire
Hot heading to Omaha
Rocked Em
Dangerous Team
Where they belong
Here we go!
What a performance
The moment
The Celly
Heading to Omaha
Truly Special
The Field
Go win it all
They have what it takes
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Kansas
K-State football lands top-ranked recruit in Kansas
Collin Klein and the K-State coaching staff made a major statement on the recruiting trail over the weekend. Cooper Ohnmacht, a four-star recruit and the top-ranked player in Kansas in the 2027 recruiting class, committed to K-State on Sunday. The Wildcats defeated Penn State, Wisconsin and several other power four programs in securing the services of Ohnmacht.
The Great Bend, Kan., native is ranked as the No. 304 player nationally and the 10th-best athlete in the country in the 2027 class, according to the Rivals industry consensus rankings, which incorporates the evaluations of the three major recruiting services nationally.
Ohnmacht is a big-time athlete who has excelled at both safety and wide receiver while also earning major accolades in track and field. The 6-0, 185-pounder, recorded 52 receptions for 755 yards as a junior to lead his team, which also featured national recruit in tight end Ian Premer, who has signed with Notre Dame. Ohnmacht, who is projected to play safety at K-State, had 57 tackles along with five interceptions during the 2025 season.
Ohnmacht is also a two-time state champion in the triple jump in Class 5A. His triple jump of 48-3 as a sophomore was the best all-class jump during the 2025 track season by seven inches, according to Catch it Kansas. He placed 14th in the triple jump at the Nike Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., in 2025.
The commitment of Ohnmacht marks the third time the Wildcats have landed the state’s No. 1 recruit since 2023. Avery Johnson’s decision to sign with K-State in 2023 ended an 18-year drought of the top player in Kansas going elsewhere. Offensive tackle Gus Hawkins, a top-200 player nationally from Mill Valley in the 2024 class, made it back-to-back years the No. 1 player in the state elected to continue their career in Manhattan. The Wildcats landed another national recruit in 2025 when Linkon Cure, a top-50 recruit in the country, chose K-State over Oregon and others. However, the Goodland, Kan., native was the second-ranked player in the state behind Andrew Babalola, who signed with Michigan.
K-State also earned the commitment of Correll Buckhalter Jr. on Sunday. The Texas native is the son of former Nebraska running back and NFL veteran Correll Buckhalter. He is ranked as the No. 742 player nationally and a top 100 prospect in Texas for the 2027 class.
Klein and his staff have now secured 17 commitments in the 2027 class, which is ranked 40th nationally and fourth-best in the Big 12, per the Rivals industry consensus rankings.
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Kansas
One dead, one critical after late-night shooting along Kansas City’s Westport Road
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – One man is dead and another is in critical condition after a shooting overnight on Westport Rd., police say.
The Kansas City Police Department said it responded to the area of Mercier and Westport Rd. just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, after reports of a shooting.
Officers indicated that they entered a nearby business and found two men unresponsive. They began rendering medical aid until EMS arrived.
First responders reported that one man was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. The other was pronounced dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives noted that they began to gather evidence and collect witness statements. As of Sunday morning, police do not know what led to the shooting and no one is in custody.
Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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