Kansas
Rising Star: Former K-State star makes return to Kansas with Wind Surge
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Since he was drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft last summer, former K-State baseball star Kaelen Culpepper has been climbing through the ranks of professional baseball. Once the realization set in that he’d have the chance to play in Kansas once again, he’d had a call-up to AA circled as a goal.
Tuesday night at Equity Bank Park for the Wichita Wind Surge, less than a year from that night he was drafted, he stepped to the plate for the first time in the Sunflower State since his time as a Wildcat.
“I think I worked really hard to get back here,” Culpepper said. “I guess I’m here now and it feels really good because hopefully I’ll get to see some familiar faces. I’m just glad to be back in an area that I’m really familiar with.”
Culpepper is currently the No. 4 ranked prospect in the Minnesota Twins system and has quickly risen through the ranks of the team’s farm system, impressing eyes at every level.
“I wouldn’t say fast tracking because it’s all on my time and on their time,” he said. “It’s just what I’m doing and whenever they feel like I’m ready, that’s when they’ll pull the trigger.”
In his first two nights back in Kansas, he continued to impress. Culpepper crushed home runs in back-to-back nights in his return to his former state.
“Oh, he’s a baller man,” said Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins. “He goes out there and gives it his all. Absolute stud.”
Now as he continues to chase his big league dreams, he will do so for the time being in front of fans that know him well.
“I had a lot of friends, family, ex-teammates and parents reach out to me and say ‘Hey, we’re really excited. Hopefully we can come out and catch a game,’” he said. “So, I’m really looking forward to that.”
Although he is a native of Memphis, Culpepper said that Kansas holds a special place due to his time at Kansas State. He says he will savor his time playing in the state that helped make him the player he’s become.
“I definitely made the right decision [to go to Kansas State,]” he said. “The coaches at Kansas State treated me with a lot of hospitality and treated me like family. I’ll always cherish that. I’m very grateful for the opportunity they gave me.”
“Look where I’m at now. The sky is the limit.”
Copyright 2025 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Kansas
Longtime KCK family-owned Mexican restaurant closing after 61 years
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Jalisco Restaurant has been a staple in the Kansas City, Kansas, community since 1965. But after 61 years, the restaurant is closing its doors.
A sign posted on the restaurant at North 50th Street and State Avenue on Monday said:
Jalisco Restaurant will permanently close at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, May 30, 2026. Thank you for your patronage. Remember us, we will never forget you. The Hernandez Family.
Erika Dominguez, an employee at Jalisco’s, told FOX4 that one of their cooks, who has been there for more than 40 years, is retiring. One of the other cooks is 90, and has been with the family since the beginning.
“The family is getting older, and it is time,” she added.
“Our wall tells the story of generations of families and Jalisco’s little angels, babies who grew up coming through our doors,” Dominguez said in a social media post earlier this year.
The Hernandez family also owned another Jalisco’s Restaurant location in KCK’s Argentine neighborhood for 48 years. That location closed in 2012. They also owned a location in Mission, Kansas, years ago.
Dominguez said the building at North 50th Street and State Avenue is for sale, and there’s also been talk about the family leasing it – but nothing is in the works at this time.
Kansas
Child killed after being struck by Amazon delivery vehicle in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A child is dead after being struck by an Amazon delivery vehicle Monday night in Kansas City.
The Kansas City Police Department responded to the incident just before 6:30 p.m. in the area of East Missouri Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast neighborhood.
Preliminary investigation indicates that a marked Amazon delivery vehicle had just completed a package delivery in the area. Police said after the delivery, the driver of the vehicle began traveling westbound on East 3rd Terrace toward Woodland Avenue.
Police said at the same time, a child, under the age of 5, was playing in a grassy area of a nearby public park. The child entered the roadway and was struck by the Amazon delivery vehicle.
The Amazon driver initially stopped at the scene but left before officers arrived, according to police.
Police said a family member attempted to follow the Amazon vehicle and inform the driver of what had happened. The driver denied involvement and left the area.
The child was pronounced dead as a result of the injuries, according to police.
Kansas City police said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Kansas
Defiance also draw in Kansas City
The Tacoma Defiance continued a weekend of Seattle vs Kansas soccer with a draw against Sporting Kansas City II. The Sporting second team has not been immune to the struggles in Kansas City, as they have started the season with six points through 9 games and a -15 goal difference. With a Defiance starting lineup featuring six players on first-team contracts, taking home three points should have been the expectation.
The first half was eerily similar to Saturday with Defiance dominating the run of play but entering the locker room with a 1-1 draw. They conceded the opening goal in the 40th minute where Charlie Gaffney and Cody Baker did not organize themselves well to cover the cross from the left side. That cross found an unmarked Shane Donovan who was able to score off a header to the near post, past academy goalkeeper Noah Newman in his first start of 2026.
Five minutes later, Baker equalized with a golazo from 25 yards out that was ripped into the upper right corner. This shot came off a clearance but the sequence right before was representative of how dangerous the left side of the team was. Peter Kingston found a cross-field ball to Sebastian Gomez, his combination play with Codey Phoenix and ability to create space on the dribble led to the cross.
The second half was more evenly played throughout but ended the same as the first with a goal apiece. The Defiance first-teamers came through in the 57th minute when Gomez received the ball on the left touchline, dribbled and centered for Osaze De Rosario. He made a nice move around the defender and slotted the ball in the corner from the top of the box.
SKC II scored in the 63rd minute on a corner after the initial ball wasn’t cleared. It bounced around before landing to previous goal scorer Donovan whose shot was on target but got a slight touch from Tega Ikoba.
With regulation ending in a draw, the teams went to a PK shootout where Defiance won 4–2 after Newman made two saves. Edson Carli converted the winning spot kick.
Overview
Lineup

Stats
xG

Shots

Key performers
Sebastian Gomez
Gomez is making the left winger position his own, consistently being a dangerous outlet and getting an assist in his second straight game. His dribbling and passing ability make him a creative machine out wide and he is finding dangerous passes forward illustrated by his four key passes on the evening. He also finds the pass before the pass, like in the 46th minute when he finds a little through ball from top of the box to Tsukanome on the right side of the box. This led to a dangerous cross to De Rosario but was really kickstarted by Gomez. He has grown throughout the year thus far and looks to be hitting a strong run of form.
Peter Kingston
Kingston returned to the double-pivot in this one and showed why this is probably his best position moving forward. He set the tempo for the team, keeping possession with 86% passing on 58 attempts. However, he also knew when to take the chance and had two key passes of his own. His best pass of the evening was in the 11th minute when he broke two lines on a through ball to Mark O’Neill. His versatility is a key factor in getting as many minutes as he has with the first team but performances like tonight make the case on where he should be long term.
Osaze De Rosario
De Rosario got a run out a day earlier with the first team and followed that up with a start for Defiance. He wasn’t quite as involved as is ideal with only 3 total shots but he was also in the right positions and close to finishing in the 2nd and 46th minute. He did ultimately find the back of the net in the 57th minute after receiving the ball at the top of the box, beating his defender to open up space and placing his shot in the corner. The longer run out and seeing the ball hit the back of the net will hopefully get him some rhythm for his next appearance at the first team.
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