Category Archives: News
Zoo birds still doing well as avian influenza outbreak continues
Avian influenza is still affecting operations at the David Traylor Zoo, but it's not affecting any of the birds. A month ago, the zoo moved its trumpeter swans, nene geese, Cape Barren goose, snow gee...
Feb 09, 2026 Chuck Samples/KVOE News.
RDA board set for open records policy approval Friday
The Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas Board of Directors is meeting this week. The agenda for Friday's meeting includes approval of the agency's open records policy, comments fro...
Feb 09, 2026 Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas logo.
Results of recent climate survey ahead for USD 253 board
What's the perceived climate for USD 253 Emporia? Board of Education members will get the results of a special survey as part of their meeting this week. The survey, conducted through a partnership wi...
Feb 09, 2026 Emporia Public Schools graphic.
Kansas Senate considering bill to replace property tax with new retail purchase surcharge
There's a chance you may not be paying property taxes by 2028 if a bill in the Kansas Senate gets passed and then signed by Governor Laura Kelly. That won't get you from paying the state in another wa...
Feb 09, 2026 KVOE News file photo.
Very high fire danger expected Monday, Tuesday
Now that the snow from late last month is largely gone, expect fire danger to be a weather-related concern in the short term. Fire danger will be very high across the area and most of Kansas, thanks t...
Feb 09, 2026 National Weather Service graphic.
City Engineering designing KDOT project to widen K-99 between Kansas Avenue, Soden Road
The city of Emporia will benefit from a significant highway improvement project in the city limits, and the Engineering Department is taking an active role in the Kansas Department of Transportation's...
Feb 09, 2026 Kansas Highway 99, also known as Commercial Street for most of its north-south track through Emporia, will be widened from Kansas Avenue to Soden Road later this year. Chuck Samples/KVOE News.
2025 Wreaths Across America local effort ends with rescheduled wreath retirement effort
A small amount of volunteers had a big task Saturday: Locate all the nearly 2,400 wreaths at veteran gravesites inside Maplewood Memorial Lawn Cemetery and get them ready for transport elsewhere. Wrea...
Feb 07, 2026 Volunteers of all ages helped to pick up wreaths laid at Maplewood Memorial Lawn Cemetery to conclude the 2025 Wreaths Across America effort. Chuck Samples/KVOE News.
KCPD has active investigation underway to find missing former Emporian Monique Brooks
A former Emporia woman has been missing for nearly a week, according to the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department. KCPD says Monique "Twin" Brooks was reported missing Monday and there is an active...
Feb 07, 2026 Monique Brooks. Social media photo.
Zoo, PAROC collaborate on Kansas Day activities Saturday
The David Traylor Zoo and Emporia State's Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center welcomed residents to the Zoo Education Center to celebrate Kansas Day. The event was designed to introduce peopl...
Feb 07, 2026 Residents attending the rescheduled Kansas Day activities at the David Traylor Zoo had a lot of information about native animals and plants as part of the event. Chuck Samples/KVOE News.
Rodriguez charged with exploitation
An Emporia man recently arrested on suspicion of sexual exploitation has now been charged. Nicholas Aaron Rodriguez faces two counts of sexually exploiting a child who was no older than 16 years old a...
Feb 07, 2026 Nicholas Rodriguez. Lyon County Jail photo.
