Kansas

Kansas lawmaker working to help family with oil-contaminated water after veto impacts assistance

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2024

Kansas lawmaker working to help family with oil-contaminated water after veto impacts assistance

BUTLER COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) – Following a FactFinder investigation we’ve carried out for months, a Kansas lawmaker hopes to make a difference for a Butler County family whose only water supply was left contaminated with seemingly no help to fix the problem.

“It is not their fault, they had no knowledge that the oil existed or would ever exist in their water system,” said Kansas Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta.

Williams shared the message after losing her battle to get funds to the family that continues to fight for clean water.

Williams heard the family’s pleas for help, but bringing in rural water wasn’t an option, at least not an immediate one. Williams helped to convince state budget negotiators to direct $500,000 from a state abandoned well remediation fund to compensate Jenna Krob’s family and others in Butler County impacted by the contamination. However, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the line item, saying it was outside the scope of the program.

Kelly said the use of the money was “squarely outside the statutory scope of the program” and that while the policy was well-intended, it needs to be carefully debated to avoid unintended financial or legal obligations for the state.

For Jenna Krob and her family, the problem came to light in September, with a small.

“Water-contaminated by oil. It almost burned your nostrils,” Krob said.

In October, the problem escalated with oil seeping up into the toilet. The oil then clogged the family’s water well pump, leaving them with nothing.

A neighboring property owner had the same issue. Testing showed that the oil was from historical drilling. So, according to the state, no company could be held responsible.

The only solution was rural water. But with a $3.5 million price tag, that was out of reach. Williams, who represents the impacted area southwest of Augusta, had another idea.

“Originally, I added a proviso into our budget bill that would allow for abandoned well money that’s used for mitigation or capping of wells to be used for demolition of these two properties,” Williams explained.

But the governor didn’t agree with how that money was going to be used.

“Ultimately, the governor vetoed it, which was devasting to the families that were counting on this, Williams said.

Williams tried with an omnibus bill to cover the cost but she said the state senate wouldn’t hear it.

“That means that right now, it’s at the end of the line for at least this legislative session,” Williams said.

Krob said losing the expected funding was “a hard blow.”

“It was hard to hear that day that it got vetoed when we had a plan and we were hoping for something to happen,” she said.

Krob said the now-vetoed plan wasn’t perfect for her family, but it would have worked.

“I’d like them to come out and live with us for a week, always conserving water, living with five people in one bathroom and only utilizing half of your home,” she said. “There’s no productive plan for what’s gonna happen now.”

But Williams isn’t giving up.

“We have got to take care of little specific instances such as the Prohaskas and the Krobs, and I want to do this, and I’m not done,” she said.

For Krob and her family, the game of waiting and hoping for whatever comes next continues.

“Going through this for six months. “I’m defiantly learning what hope is,” Krob said.

Williams said she’s looking at other ways to find funding, including working with the Kansas Corporation Commission to determine who is responsible for the water contamination.

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Kansas

Kansas Basketball Makes the Cut for 5-Star SF Demarcus Henry

Published

21 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Kansas Basketball Makes the Cut for 5-Star SF Demarcus Henry

One of the top prospects in the 2027 boys’ high school basketball recruiting class recently trimmed his list of suitors, and the Kansas Jayhawks find themselves firmly in the mix.

KU is one of eight schools to make the cut for 2027 five-star small forward Demarcus Henry, according to On3 National Basketball Reporter Joe Tipton. His list of eight includes some of the best programs in the country: Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina, BYU, Arkansas, UConn, and Louisville.

The 6-foot-7 Charlotte, North Carolina, native is one of the best players in the 2027 class. He’s currently ranked as the No. 5 player overall and the No. 1 player at his position, according to the most recent On3.com 2027 player rankings.

As a junior this past year at Compass Prep High School in Chandler, Arizona, Henry averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game as he helped lead his team to a 25-3 record.

He followed that up with an impressive performance at the NBPA Top 100 camp this summer, leading all attendees in scoring (20.0 points per game) and rebounding (9.3 rebounds per game). He was also a member of the 2026 USA Men’s U18 National Team that earned a silver medal at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup earlier this summer in León, Mexico.

When speaking about his game, Henry mentions his versatility and how he’s developed over the past year.

“I’m just very versatile,” Henry told Rivals in a previous interview. “I can play one through four and just help my teammates and hit shots and play defense. I watch a lot of KD (Kevin Durant) and Paul George. How they score it, and how they could shoot off the dribble, shoot off the catch. I’ve gotten tougher and just more aggressive when I transferred AZ Compass and just being able to get downhill, I feel like that’s really developed for me.”

When asked about what he’s looking for in a potential home at the college level, Henry says he wants to be challenged and grow his game for the NBA.

“What I’m looking for in school is someone that just pushes me to be better,” Henry said. “Help me grow into the person I know I can be and someone who will help me reach my potential. I want to play for a coach that will hold me accountable and help me make me uncomfortable and keep growing and keep getting better and just help me reach the NBA, which is my ultimate goal.”

Early Contenders

Right now the early favorite to land Henry may be the basketball program with the least amount of notoriety of the final eight schools – and that is Ohio State.

Henry has a lot of familial ties to the university as his older brother Chris Henry Jr. is a five-star incoming freshman wide receiver for the Buckeyes football team this year, and his older sister Seini Henry is a talented women’s basketball player at Ohio State.

He’s already taken an unofficial visit to the school and has also taken an unofficial visit to BYU. Thus far, they are the only schools to have received a visit.

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Kansas

Kansas City Royals news: MLB draft still coming into focus

Published

1 day ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City Royals news: MLB draft still coming into focus

The Royals have been linked to shortstop Jacob Lombard out of Gulliver Prep (Fla.) — if he makes it that far — left-hander Gio Rojas out of Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS, outfielder Eric Booth Jr. out of Oak Grove (Fla.) HS, UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, among others. Maybe they shake up the board and go with Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS left-hander/outfielder Jacob Grindlinger, who is just 17 years old after reclassifying for this year’s Draft and has legitimate upside as a two-way player. Grindlinger is No. 16 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects list and is rising on boards as Draft day nears.

Prep players usually mean a lot of upside but with more risk, while college players bring a higher floor and more experience — often with a chance to move quickly. Over the full Draft, the Royals are going to value both.

“There’s a good mix of high school and college,” Bridges said. “To tell you the truth, our range is pretty broad. There’s a clear-cut four players, five players in this Draft, and then believe it or not, where we’re picking, you can go a number of different directions. So we have a pretty good balance of what we’re looking at, both high school and college.”

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Kansas Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for July 7, 2026

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing

02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing

Midday: 4-2-9

Evening: 2-7-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from July 7 drawing

Red Balls: 07-26, White Balls: 12-18

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 7 drawing

27-43-48-49-50, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.

By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:

Kansas Lottery Headquarters

128 N Kansas Avenue

Topeka, KS 66603-3638

(785) 296-5700

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.

When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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