Kansas Communities

Family members, friends and law enforcement leaders gathered July 10 at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center to celebrate the graduation of the 359th Basic Training Class as new officers took the oath of office and began their careers serving communities across Kansas.

Audio-Reader, based at the University of Kansas, was recently honored at the 2026 Annual IAAIS Program Awards presentation. Awarded categories include Newspapers, Magazines, Books/Short Story Programs and the Now Hear This category for short works.

The Audio-Reader Network, based at the University of Kansas, seeks donations of stereo equipment, speakers, vinyl records, cassette tapes and musical instruments. Audio-Reader will collect items from the public from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 30 at Fairlawn Plaza in Topeka.

University of Kansas School of Law students provided more than 2,300 hours of free legal services during the 2025-2026 academic year, with 48 earning a spot on KU Law’s Pro Bono Honor Roll.

The Veterans Legal Support Clinic at the University of Kansas School of Law will host a free “Lunch and Learn” program focused on suicide prevention, de-escalation techniques and personal wellness planning for veterans and their family members, law enforcement officers and first responders on June 16, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Kansas Health Care System, Veterans Treatment Courts, Kansas Justice League and Robert Irvine Foundation.

Friends and family gathered at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center to watch 23 graduates take the oath and walk across the stage in Integrity Hall, marking the beginning of their careers in law enforcement.

University of Kansas School of Law student Chris Cummings has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Judge Gregory L. Waller Public Interest Legal Fellowship.

Beginning in late May and continuing until late July, residents of southwest Kansas may see a low-flying helicopter towing a large hexagonal frame. This aerial arrangement is part of a project to map groundwater conditions in the Ogallala aquifer in Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District (GMD) 3.

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, Watkins Museum of History and city of Lawrence will honor current and former public servants living and working in Douglas County for a project that will debut at the city’s Summerfest Fourth of July event at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.