Kansas
Kansas influencer SB Mowing raises over $750K for elderly homeowner who faced fine from city for overgrown lawn
A Kansas influencer raised over $793,000 to save a disabled elderly woman who faced a hefty fine from her town for failing to trim her overgrown yard.
Spencer, a content creator known for his landscaping business SB Mowing, said he met homeowner Beth last summer when a town official familiar with his social media videos contacted him and asked if he could help fix her lawn.
He was warned that Beth, who uses a cane to move around her property, needed to trim the yard or pay $240 for the town, which was not revealed in the video, to cut it for her.
‘I’ve spent a month trying to get someone to come mow,” Beth said in a video uploaded on Jan. 10. “They won’t answer their phones.”
Beth revealed that the town officials had implemented a date for when she was required to have the yard cut before she faced the financial loss.
Spencer described the lawn that surrounded Beth’s small white house as unkept and was “getting crazy.”
“I can get that taken care of for ya,” Spencer assured her, offering his landscaping service at no cost.
“I can’t believe it that’s great,” Beth replied.
Spencer transformed her lawn by clearing grass from the driveway cracks, trimming the bushes, removing trees and mowing very tall grass.
“I cried on and off just listening to your machine,” Beth told Spencer after the big reveal.
Spencer added that he was happy to help Beth as she became emotional over the gesture.
“Your work makes me twinkle so I really appreciate you. I can’t tell you how much. No one’s been happy to help me,” she added.
On top of the lawn issues, Spencer then noticed the home needed improvements to accommodate Beth, who was “in desperate need of help.”
Spencer launched a GoFundMe when he noticed how Beth’s old stairs posed an issue for her to walk on and that the driveway cracks could cause her to fall.
The small business owner raised over a half million dollars within a day to help her “gain accessibility and comfort” on other parts of her property.
Funds raised will help address accessibility issues she faces including building a new ramp outside so it’s easier for her to get to her front door, a smooth driveway and a chair lift that will allow her to get up and down stairs for her laundry.
The money will also pay a lawn care company to maintain her yard for the “next few years” because Spencer lives too far away.
The elderly homeowner was stunned when she received the life-changing donation.
“I can’t even cry,” Beth said. “I can’t even think.”
“I never expected help ever, ever, ever. I always help people until I got down and out,” Beth added.
“We’re gonna be able to do a little bit more than just your driveway and your ramp here,” Spencer revealed.
Spencer is making sure all the money that was raised doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
“I am also working with an attorney to set up a trust for her to make sure that all of the funds are protected,” Spencer wrote in an update on the GoFundMe page. “I don’t want anybody trying to take advantage of her and I want to make sure that the funds are used properly.”
Kansas
Rural Kansas fire department reports record number of calls in 2025
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A rural Kansas fire department says it saw yet another increase in calls in 2025.
On Tuesday, Butler County Fire District #3 posted data about last year on social media.
It responded to 782 alarms in 2025, which is a new record.
The majority of the calls were for rescue and emergency medical services, followed by service calls.
The department’s data show the number of calls has been trending upward over the last 20 years.
From 2006 to 2010, the department handled an an average of 550 calls a year. From 2021 through 2025, that average was 720, a 31% increase.
Officials said continued growth in the community has increased the demand for emergency services.
“These numbers reinforce the importance of ongoing training, staffing, equipment planning, and community support to ensure we can continue to provide timely and effective service,” the department said on Facebook.
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Kansas
Clay County Commissioner says he’s ‘done’ negotiating with Kansas City Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is “done” negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.
According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.
Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.
Withington took to Facebook to explain that “the joy has been drained” out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.
He called negotiations with the team “a closed chapter” and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.
“It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one,” Withington wrote.
The Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.
KSHB 41’s political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.
While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.
A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.
Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.
KSHB 41 News reached out to the Royals for comment, but has not heard back.
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Kansas
Arizona-Kansas State free livestream: How to watch Big 12 basketball game, TV, time
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The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats play against the Kansas State Wildcats in a Big 12 basketball game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. CT on FS1. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.
The Arizona squad has played at a high level this season, as it enters this matchup with a 14-0 record. The team is coming off a 97-78 win against the Utah Utes.
In order to win tonight’s game, Arizona will need to rely on its forward Koa Peat. He leads the team in scoring this season, as he averages more than 14 points per game.
The Kansas State squad enters this matchup with a 9-5 record, but the team is coming off an 83-73 loss against BYU.
In order to bounce back tonight, Kansas State will need a great performance from its guard P.J. Haggerty. He averages 23 points per game, which leads the team.
Fans can watch this Big 12 basketball game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.
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