Kansas
When Colorado leaf-peeping season ends, head for Kansas
I grew up in the Midwest, and if there’s one thing I really miss, it’s the long, drawn-out falls of years past. Here in Colorado, autumn is a blip, a frantic shoulder season that usually includes one nightmarish day stuck in I-70 traffic with my kids, all of us racing to Kenosha Pass, hoping to arrive before the last aspen leaves drop.
Back home, the harvest period is expansive. Authoritative, even. Fall stretches itself out like a lazy cat that won’t budge, and there’s never any rush to peep the silver and sugar maples, native bur oaks, ash, giant sycamores, American elms and Eastern redbuds, with their bifurcated trunks and leaves as yellow as sunbeams.
Trees are everywhere in the Midwest, so it’s no wonder Nearmap, an aerial technology company, recently ranked one of Denver’s closest capital cities, Topeka, Kan., as one of the top “leafiest” capitals in the U.S.
Tree canopy shades more than 30% of The Golden City, making it a forest metropolitan, according to Bob Ross of the Greater Topeka Partnership. Early settlers gave Topeka its nickname upon observing its sunlit rolling hills and autumn elms. Mother Nature doesn’t feel rushed in Kansas: Glimmering leaves can glow into Thanksgiving, in a fierce rainbow of red, deep orange, gold, lingering green, purple and rich brown.
Bright days and cool nights seem to bring out the best colors, and according to a 2024 fall foliage prediction map created by Smoky Mountains National Park, smokymountains.com, the northern half of Kansas will begin to see leaves change in early to mid-October. Full peak is expected between Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, with a partial peak happening the week before. Leaves should continue popping well into November. For families and budget travelers — or any Coloradans who just can’t resist a bonus round of leaf peeping — Topeka is only a road trip away.
Here’s the first thing I really want you to know: Topeka has one 4-star boutique hotel, the Cyrus Hotel, 920 S. Kansas Ave., a Marriott property in the heart of downtown with views of the Kansas Capitol Dome. Rooms start at about $189 a night, and I don’t think I have to tell any Denverites that this is a screeching good deal for luxury rooms and service.
“If that’s too much, there’s always — ” Ross begins. I try to stop him right there, but he’s insistent. Two even more affordable Topeka lodging options are the SpringHill Suites Topeka Southwest, 2745 SW Fairlawn Road, and the Hilton Garden Inn, 1351 SW Arvonia Place.
In addition to offering upscale accommodations, the Cyrus’ lobby, with its high ceilings and modern aesthetic, opens to a variety of restaurants and bars, all plotted along South Kansas Avenue, Topeka’s main street, running from the Kansas River to the turnpike. A few suggestions for meals within walking distance of this hotel include Iron Rail, 705 S. Kansas Ave.; The Celtic Fox, 118 SW Eighth Ave.; Brew Bank, 822 S. Kansas Ave.; The White Linen, 112 SW Sixth Ave., with its compact, chef-driven menu; and a new wine and champagne bar, Royal Society, 913 S. Kansas Ave.
Topeka is ready for its close-up. Over the last decade, the city has invested about $500 million in its historic downtown district, Ross tells me. Evergy (not a typo) Plaza, 630 S. Kansas Ave., opened in 2020, and this newish public venue, complete with interactive fountains and a firepit, offers 400 events a year, including a free concert series on Thursdays, Friday night movie screening (April through October), and regular cultural events, including Fiesta Topeka in July and India Mela in August. On Oct. 19, Evergy Plaza hosts its Outset event, with trick-or-treating, live music and vendors.
There are plenty of ways to experience fall colors in Kansas, but for active Coloradans, hiking stands out as a familiar and enjoyable option. Start your adventure by climbing 296 steps at the Kansas Capitol Dome, 300 SW 10th Ave., where tourists gain a bird’s-eye view of the town’s forests. Free tours take guests to the peak of the dome. Walk outside onto the cupola to see up to 20 miles in any direction. Fun fact: The Kansas Statehouse is the only U.S. capitol building where guests can go up to the top of the dome and walk along the outside balcony.
From here, it’s a 1.5-mile drive to Ward-Meade Historic Site, 124 NW Fillmore St., one of the best places in town to see fall colors. Park in the lot off NW Clay Street, and start your day by strolling through history at Old Prairie Town. The 1800s village is part of a 6-acre historic site that includes the Ward-Meade mansion, a national historic landmark and a 2.5-acre botanic garden shaded by a variety of trees. Paved trails take walkers through several distinct zones, including a national conifer reference garden.
A few minutes past Ward Meade Historic Park, there’s Gage Park, 635 SW Gage Blvd., a great place for families to enjoy the colors while riding on a historic mini-train or taking a spin on the Herschell-Spillman carousel (circa 1908). You’ll find the inexpensive Topeka Zoo on the northeast corner of Gage Park — a destination for kid-approved leaf peeping. If you’re vying for caregiver of the year, check out the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, 4400 SW 10th Ave., which maintains an incredible outdoor space for curious young guests.
Continue west to MacLennan Park, SW Fairlawn and Cedar Crest Drive, in northwest Topeka. There are multiple places to park, including along Sixth Street, just west of Fairlawn Road. I’d recommend starting up north, though, near the Governor’s Mansion, aka Cedar Crest, a castle-like estate built on a 244-acre wildlife refuge overlooking the Kansas River.
You’ll see some spectacular color from the moment you step out of your vehicle. From here, hikers gain access to the Cedar Crest, Governor’s Mansion and MacLennan trails, offering miles of looping dirt and limestone singletrack that drop you into the colorful timber. The terrain is mild by Colorado hiking standards, but still enjoyable and drop-dead gorgeous this time of the year. Since the Kansas River is currently experiencing low water levels, it’s possible to walk onto the riverbed and explore the sandbars.
While you’re on this side of town, continue down SW Sixth Avenue to reach the Kansas Museum of History, 6425 SW Sixth Ave. The museum is currently closed to the public through January as it undergoes a major redevelopment. But the building sits on an 80-acre lot featuring a modest, absolutely lovely trail system bypassing the historic one-room Stach School from 1877.
You’ll have to drive across town to reach the Ted Ensley Gardens, 3650 SE West Edge Road, a 37-plus-acre free botanical garden featuring panoramic views of Lake Shawnee. With more than 450 trees in its arboretum, including 87 varieties rare to Kansas, it’s hard to image a better place to stroll through fall foliage. Golfers can do their leaf peeping from the links since the Lake Shawnee Golf Course, 4141 SE East Edge Road, is surrounded by trees. Cyclists, meanwhile, might want to enjoy the colors from the Shunga Trail, an 8.5-mile concrete path beginning at SW 29th and SW McClure, continuing to the Deer Creek Trail, which offers another 3.7 miles of riding in East Topeka.
If you’re up for a side trip, Echo Cliff Park, 24927 Echo Cliff Road, located near Dover, Kansas, is only about 30 minutes west of Topeka. You won’t regret the stunning country drive to the site’s 50-foot cliffs. For a taste of Kansas, picnickers can grab a sandwich or salad at Somerset Hall Café, 5701 SW Douglas Road, open daily until 2 p.m. Housed in a can’t-miss-it white building that opened as the Sage General Store in the late 1800s, the homestyle restaurant dishes up one of the best pies in America, I’m told. You can also order chicken fried steak, and you’re in the Midwest, so why not?
About 30 miles east of Topeka, the college town of Lawrence is another fun pit stop. Grab lunch at one of the many restaurants lining Massachusetts Street before renting a SUP or kayak for some leaf-peeping on the river. Great Blue Heron Outdoors, 823 Massachusetts St., is a reputable local outfitter.
In Colorado, fall isn’t quite complete without a little agritourism, and Topeka has that base covered, too. Located off Highway 24, between Topeka and Lawrence, Gary’s Farm, 5991 17th St., Grantville, runs its annual Fall Festival through October. There are more than 30 attractions to explore on the farm, including a pumpkin patch, corn maze and petting zoo, to name just a few.
The Maple Leaf Festival, held on Oct. 19 and 20 in the nearby town of Baldwin City — which looks like something straight out of a Hallmark movie — is another seasonal offering with more than 300 craft exhibits, quilt shows and displays, performing arts, music and activities.
What are you waiting for? Grab the car keys, and don’t believe for one second that leaf season is nearly over.
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Kansas
Kansas bills would end grace period for mail ballots and ban ranked-choice voting
Fact-checking Trump’s claims about windmills and the Panama Canal
President Trump made some questionable claims about birthright citizenship, renewable energy costs and voter turnout in the 2024 election.
Kansas’s two election committees are fast at work in the Kansas Statehouse this year and have already had hearings on some of the more controversial election bills being considered.
Kansas has taken on a flurry of election security bills since 2020, when President Donald Trump baselessly blamed widespread voter fraud for his defeat. Some of the laws that passed in the Statehouse fell flat in the courts, namely the prohibition of “impersonating an election employee.”
Democrats have signalled that they’re not willing to work on many of the bills being considered.
“Anything that makes voting more difficult for Kansans is going to be a nonstarter with us,” said Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa.
Kansas bill considers ending the ballot grace period
In 2017, the Kansas Legislature approved a three-day grace period for ballots that were sent before Election Day, but received by a county election office up to three days after the election. A bill that would make a hard deadline of 7 p.m. on Election Day for ballots was recommended to be passed by the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs despite substantial pushback from opponents.
Identical bills have passed the Senate and House over the past few years, but they’ve failed to overcome Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.
Election Day is the mail-ballot deadline for most states, with 32 states requiring the return of mail-in ballots as the polls close. The other 18, plus Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands allows ballots after Election Day if it is postmarked with the date it was sent.
Written testimony for the bill largely skewed oppositional, with more than 50 organizations and private citizens asking the committee to reject the bill compared to 10 proponents.
Proponents argued that the U.S. Postal Service postmarks are unreliable, would speed up tabulation and would make elections more secure.
“Nothing in this bill does anything to change voters access. Kansas makes it very easy to vote. This law would also make it harder to cheat,” said Jason Sneed, executive director of Honest Elections Action Project, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates for tougher election security laws.
Sneed previously managed the Heritage Foundation’s election fraud database, which found 16 cases of voter fraud in Kansas since 2005.
Opponents included several civil rights groups and civic organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters and the Disability Rights Center. Opponents argued that the bill was uncontroversial when it passed in 2017, and responded to delayed USPS service that has only gotten worse since. Some also said this would throw out ballots and cause confusion among voters.
“Could you tell me your mail delivery time? How long it’s going to take for any letters? You don’t know,” said Davis Hammet, president of the youth voter access and engagement advocate Loud Light. “Weather events can happen that create mail delays that are outside of anyone’s control. So this is just a common sense simple thing. It’s about protecting people from some of the failures of the federal government.”
Ann Mah, former Democratic representative from Topeka and former Kansas State Board of Education member, called the bill “pure voter suppression” of Democrats, who are more likely to vote by mail than Republicans.
The bill was also opposed by the Kansas County Clerks and Election Officials Association, which represents the county clerks and election officials in the state.
“Most properly mailed advance ballots are returned the day after the election but diminishing quantities continue to be received after Election Day,” said Rick Piepho, the elections committee chair of the KCCEOA.
An identical bill, House Bill 2017, is submitted to the House, but so far the House Elections Committee hasn’t scheduled a hearing on it.
Bill would ban ranked-choice voting in Kansas
Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, introduced a bill that would ban ranked-choice voting in Kansas, which hasn’t been adopted by any city thus far. Current state law doesn’t have a method for ranked-choice voting outlined in statute, meaning cities couldn’t do it unless lawmakers passed a law allowing it according to the Kansas Revisor of Statutes.
Madeline Malisa, a visiting fellow at Opportunity Solutions Project, argued that ranked-choice voting has been a “nightmare” in Maine, where she lives. She said the tabulation process throws out ballots, is too complicated and increases the chance of less-popular candidates to gain office.
Maine adopted ranked-choice voting in 2018, but several Republican-led states have soured on the idea after Alaska elected its first Democrat in decades in its first ranked-choice election.
Ranked-choice voting advocates argued that the practice could improve the voting process and that several of the proponents’ ideas aren’t backed up by evidence. About 75% of Utah voters who participated in a ranked-choice voting pilot found it easy, though neither ranked-choice or single-vote plurality voting reached majority support.
Resolution would say noncitizens can’t vote in Kansas
A House resolution proposed slightly altering the Kansas Constitution to more explicitly state that noncitizens aren’t allowed to vote, though Kansas’s laws have interpreted the current language as doing just that for over 100 years.
Some municipalities across the country have allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, though they’re barred from participating in federal elections. No city in Kansas has followed suit.
The bill was supported by two out-of-state advocacy organizations, Americans for Citizen Voting and Opportunity Solutions Project. The ACLU, Loud Light and League of Women Voters opposed it.
Currently, Kansas enfranchises “every citizen of the United States who has attained the age of 18 years and who resides in the voting area in which he or she seeks to vote.” Proponents of the bill argue that it still leaves some wiggle room for municipalities to allow noncitizen voting.
“It does not prohibit a municipality from allowing a non-citizen to vote legally. It is granting the right to vote to citizens of the United States but not reserving the right to vote to only citizens of the United States,” Becky Arps, director of research for Americans for Citizen Voting, wrote to the House Elections Committee.
About 15 states have language explicitly barring noncitizens from voting. Arps said some states with similar language to Kansas’s statutes have cities that allow noncitizen voting. But Arps couldn’t point to any currently existing city in Kansas that allows noncitizen voting.
“I am unaware of any situations where noncitizens are voting,” Arps said. “You are at risk for a municipality that maybe even considers themselves a sanctuary city, I don’t know if you have any of those or that consider themselves that, they would be a municipality that might decide to allow noncitizens to vote.”
The committee hearing turned contentious when Hammet, president of Loud Light, could give people the impression that illegal immigrants are voting in elections and increase incendiary rhetoric surrounding immigration. He referred to the Garden City bombing plot in 2016 as an example of violence targeted at immigrants.
“In their legal defense, they tried to say that they thought it was OK because of the political rhetoric about immigrants. And I know that’s no one’s intention here, to be clear, but I just want you to think about this. Legally and practically, it won’t do anything, but it could create fuel on the fire for some radical groups,” Hammet said.
Lawmakers grilled Hammet, who is frequently an oppositional voice in committee hearings, for invoking political violence and his use of the term xenophobic.
“It’s a little distasteful that we got into this,” said Rep. Ricky James, R-La Cygne.
If it passes, the resolution would require approval by voters in a statewide election.
Bill would require comparison of voter rolls to temporary drivers’ licenses
House Bill 2020 was the least controversial of the election bills that got a committee hearing this week, with even opponent testimony saying it agreed with the concept of the bill but had concerns about how it would work in practice. The bill would require the Division of Motor Vehicles to provide a list of all temporary drivers’ licenses issued to noncitizens to the secretary of state, who would compare the list with voter registration rolls and delete any noncitizens on the rolls.
General counsel for the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office said the process is similar to what the office has been doing on its own.
“Essentially what this bill does is it makes a statutory requirement of something that’s been going on for about 15 years, and we recently worked with Gov. Kelly on this where the Department of Motor Vehicles would give us a list of people that have a temporary driver’s license, and we would compare it to the voter rolls, trying to identify anyone that might be a noncitizen,” Clay Barker said.
Loud Light and the ACLU submitted testimony in opposition to the bill, but Hammet said the system should required investigation and due diligence before removing people from voter rolls.
“The most dangerous thing you could do is assume that you can take two lists and perfectly compare them,” Hammet said.
Kansas
The Best Kansas City Chiefs Merch for Every Fan (and Swifty)
From special-edition Patrick Mahomes jerseys to Travis Kelce puffer jackets, here’s the best Chiefs gear to pick up ahead of Super Bowl LIX
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After a 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl. That’s nothing new — this will be their fifth Super Bowl appearance since 2020 — but history is on the line this time. If Patrick Mahomes and Co. can take down the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs will be the first team in NFL history to hit a three-peat.
If you’re looking to rep Kansas City (or Taylor Swift) during this year’s Super Bowl LIX, read on. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best Chiefs merch to buy online — whether you’re supporting from the stands, a Super Bowl party, or a sports bar.
Best Kansas City Chiefs Merch to Buy Online
Some of our favorite places to buy Chiefs merch are Nike, Fanatics, and ‘47. We also love Amazon for Chiefs merch and memorabilia, although be aware that not everything on the Everything Store is officially licensed. Another place we check for any merch is Etsy, which is all fan-made, but you can score fun pieces like this Go Taylor’s Boyfriend sweatshirt that you won’t find through official vendors.
Here are some of our favorite pieces of Chiefs merch to buy right now:
Off Season x NFL Travis Kelce Puffer
Can you guess who made this Off Season Kelce puffer jacket go viral? Correct, it was Taylor. Prior to the jacket’s release this January, the superstar wore it to one of the Chiefs games and everyone noticed. We think it’s one of the best pieces of Chiefs merch because it’s more unique than a jersey and well-suited to the frigid winter we’ve been having.
Chiefs New Era 2024 AFC Champions Hat
With their win over the Bills, the Chiefs picked up their fifth AFC Championship. If you’re looking to celebrate that milestone, check out this official 2024 AFC Champions locker hat, complete with commemorative graphics.
Nike Patrick Mahomes Chiefs Super Bowl LIX Jersey
You can’t go wrong with an official jersey, and you definitely can’t go wrong with a jersey for one of the best quarterbacks of all time. This special edition Super Bowl LIX Mahomes jersey is already selling out on Nike, so grab one fast if you want it for the big game.
Nike Travis Kelce Chiefs Super Bowl LIX Jersey
Another one of the best jerseys to pick up right now is this Super Bowl LIX Travis Kelce kit. Fanatics has both white and red variants in stock.
Go Taylor’s Boyfriend Sweatshirt
Taylor Swift might not be an official member of the Chiefs, but she’s certainly one of the team’s biggest stars. If you’re watching the game to join her in cheering on boyfriend Kelce, pick up this “Go Taylor’s Boyfriend” sweatshirt on Etsy.
‘47 Chiefs Snapback
We’re big fans of ‘47, a brand that specializes in throwback-inspired merch like this fresh Chiefs snapback. The Chiefs logo is embroidered on the front, and the whole thing looks (and feels) more high-quality than your typical sports gear.
‘47 Chiefs Beanie
Another great pick from ‘47 is this Chiefs beanie. It features a low-key style, a cozy microfleece build with raised front embroidery, and a pom up top.
Junk Food Clothing x NFL Chiefs Tee
If you just want a straightforward, affordable piece of Chiefs merch, check out this officially licensed T-shirt from Junk Food. It’s currently on sale at Amazon for 20% off, bringing the price to just $24.
YouTheFan Chiefs Party Bowl
Throwing a Chiefs Super Bowl watch party? Pick up this Kansas City snacks bowl. The large vessel is dishwasher and microwave-safe, and it features Chiefs branding on the inside and out.
Simple Modern Chiefs Tumbler Cup
This large 30-ounce tumbler is a great Stanley Cup replacement if you want a more celebratory cup. It’s insulated to keep drinks hot or cold for hours and works well for Super Bowl party beverages as well as daily drinks.
Kansas
Kansas tuberculosis outbreak becomes largest ever in US
An unprecedented tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in Kansas has reached historic levels, becoming the largest recorded in U.S. history.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has reported 67 active cases since 2024, with 60 in Wyandotte County and 7 in Johnson County.
Additionally, 79 latent infections—77 in Wyandotte County and 2 in Johnson County—have been identified.
“Currently, Kansas has the largest outbreak that they’ve ever had in history,” Ashley Goss, a deputy secretary at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), told the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on January 21, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
A KDHE spokesperson later clarified the statement, explaining that the current outbreak “is the largest documented outbreak in U.S. history.” Newsweek contacted the KDHE via email for further comment.
Why This Matters
TB, though treatable, remains a serious infectious disease that can lead to complications and fatalities if untreated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate 13 million Americans live with inactive TB and about 10 percent of these individuals could develop active TB without treatment.
The sharp rise in TB cases—from 51 statewide in 2023 to 109 in 2024—has placed a spotlight on public health measures. Kansas health officials are actively working to contain the outbreak, partnering with the CDC to prevent further transmission.
What to Know
TB is caused by bacteria that primarily attack the lungs but can affect other parts of the body. The infection spreads through the air via coughs or speech but requires prolonged contact for transmission.
Active TB disease makes individuals sick and is infectious, while latent TB infections are dormant, non-contagious and symptom-free but can become active.
Treatment is available for both active and latent TB infections and involves a several-month regimen of antibiotics. Active TB patients are typically non-contagious after 10 days of treatment.
Wyandotte County has been the hardest hit, but health officials maintain that the general public remains at “very low risk.”
What People Are Saying
Goss told the Senate Committee: “Some of you are aware, we have and still have mobilized staff and resources addressing an unprecedented tuberculosis outbreak in one of our counties. We are working collaboratively with CDC on that. CDC remains on the ground with us to support. That’s not a negative.
“This is normal when there’s something unprecedented or a large outbreak of any kind, they will come and lend resources to us to help get a stop to that.”
What Happens Next
Kansas health officials and the CDC are continuing their collaborative response to the outbreak.
Their efforts include identifying and testing individuals who have been in close contact with TB patients and ensuring that both active and latent cases receive proper treatment.
Vaccinations for TB are available in the U.S., though they are seldom used, according to the CDC.
For now, Goss said that infections are “trending in the right direction.”
Is there a health problem that’s worrying you? Do you have a question about low blood pressure? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice and your story could be featured in Newsweek.
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