Chad Thompson once won $1,500 from the game Dragon’s Ascent, and it only cost him 10 cents to play. The game looks like something from an arcade. Players work a joystick and a button to shoot at the dragons swarming the screen. The bigger the dragon, the bigger the payout for a kill. Thompson, from […]
Blaise Mesa
Blaise Mesa is The Beacon’s former Kansas Statehouse reporter. He covered the Kansas Statehouse for The Beacon from 2023 to 2026 after reporting on social services for the Kansas News Service and crime and local government for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He has a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in radio from Columbia College Chicago.
Posted inKansas
Johnson County could be key to breaking the GOP’s supermajority in Kansas
A few moderate Republicans are the only reason transgender minors can still get gender-affirming care in Kansas. The GOP’s legislative supermajority tried to ban the practice until age 18. But conservatives fell two votes short of overriding Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto — thanks to those Republicans. Kansas Republicans have a veto-proof majority in both the […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas families helping intellectually disabled kids are burnt out, doing care for free, KU study says
Kansans helping friends or family who have intellectual disabilities are burnt out. They miss work, sometimes get a new job entirely and regularly offer daily care while paying for that help from their own pockets, a University of Kansas study said. Those families appealed to the state for help, but the intellectual developmental disability, or […]
Posted inState Government
Medical marijuana still faces opposition from Kansas law enforcement
Kansas police are once again saying no to drugs — including medical marijuana. On Tuesday, groups representing police chiefs, sheriffs and peace officers across the state continued to shoot down the idea of legalizing medical marijuana. They argued that legal weed would create a more lawless Kansas where cartels roam the streets and opioid deaths […]
Posted inState Government
Missouri sports betting: What MO can learn about sports gambling addiction from other states
Gambling addiction resources can be found online or Kansans can call 1-800-GAMBLER for help. In states with legal sports betting, more Americans are gambling on the talents of sports stars like Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. more and heeding the advice of certified financial advisers less. Households across the country are skipping the stock […]
Posted inElections
How do I view my sample ballot? Your Missouri and Kansas guide
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Posted inElections
Kansas Board of Education: Your election guide to the 2024 showdowns
Half the seats on the Kansas Board of Education are up for election. The 10-seat board is losing three of the more moderate elected officials, which could swing the political leanings of the board to the left or right. The Beacon asked Board of Education candidates the same list of questions to see their priorities […]
Posted inElections
Kansas’ top election official suggests drop boxes over USPS for your mail ballot
This story was updated to include comments from the most recent conversation between Kansas and USPS officials. Kansans should think twice before mailing their ballots this election, the state’s top election official said. The warning comes after Scott Schwab, the secretary of state, said the U.S. Postal Service likely won’t address problems that led to […]
Posted inElections
Jeffrey Jarman, Debby Potter and Kent Rowe seek open Kansas Board of Education seat
Two locally elected officials and a former substitute teacher are running for an open seat on the Kansas Board of Education after a three-term incumbent didn’t run for reelection. Republicans have won this seat in the past five elections Election day is Nov. 5, Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote and […]
Posted inElections
Melanie Haas defends Kansas Board of Education seat against two challengers
Democrat Melanie Haas is trying to keep her Kansas Board of Education seat from two challengers. Republicans have won this seat three times in the past five elections. Election day is Nov. 5. Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote. Early voting starts Oct. 16. You can find your polling place and […]