Kansas

The Boston bombings have put a spotlight on student visas. An alleged accomplice of suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was allowed to re-enter the United States although his student visa had expired. Tuesday, The Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to boost security around the student visa program, ensuring federal agencies communicate with each other. FactFinder 12 looked into international students in Kansas using student visas. There are thousands of them and they bring in an estimated $23 million to the Wichita economy and more than $200 million to the state.

As you stare into the wheat fields near Andale, there's a different crop that catches the eye. "It's easy to get excited about a crop that's this beautiful," says Larry Reichenberger. "All my neighbors are gathering up their grandkids to come out here and take pictures. " Reichenberger is talking about his lovely field of yellow flowers.  But these aren't Kansas sunflowers, they're part of his new canola crop. "We just got tired of growing five bushel soybeans," says Reichenberger.

The top recruit in the nation, and the brother of a Wichita State basketball player has made his choice for college next season, and it's in the state of Kansas, but not where Shocker fans had hoped. Andrew Wiggins announced this morning he will be a Jayhawk next season. Andrew's brother Nick is a senior-to-be for Wichita State, but the Shockers were considered a long-shot at best to get the top-rated younger brother. For the University of Kansas, this is a big win, as the Jayhawks are looking to replace their top five scorers from last season.

The idea of winning a jackpot always gets a lot of attention.  That's why many lined up in Wichita Monday to buy Powerball tickets. This week's jackpot is expected to be about $350 million. Your odds of winning are very slim, but still Buddy Presnell likes to play.  "You can't win if you don't play, it's $350 million for  a couple of bucks, might as well see what happens".  We asked Curtis Bruce what he would do with the money if he won..  "Pay off my bills build another home, that's it. Sit back and take it easy from now until whenever I leave and whatever I got left,the kids can have".

Happy Mother's Day! The weather looks beautiful - just like all the Mom's across Kansas.    It should be a "good" hair day, as the wind will be light and the humidity will be low.  A few more clouds across central and eastern Kansas compared to yesterday.  Don't be surprised by a sprinkle or shower in the Eastern half of Kansas, however most areas should remain dry.  Overall, a fabulous afternoon with highs in the upper 60s and 70s east,...

Email to American Family Insurance Media Relations - Brian Heap - May 2, 2013 Dear Am Fam, I am an investigative reporter for KWCH-TV in Wichita, KS.  I am working on a story about what appears to be a sudden increase in the number of Kansas homeowners being dropped by their insurance carriers. It seems several large insurers, including American Family, are reevaluating the risk level of customers with a history of filing claims and determining those customers are no longer insurable by that company.

Kansas is making one of the biggest gains for commercial casinos. Last year Kansas had a 603% increase in revenue. The American Gaming Association says revenue at non-Indian casinos hit more than $37 billion last year.  That's just under the all time high in 2007. Click here to see the gaming report Kansas along with Maryland, New York and Maine are the four states with the biggest gains.  All four states opened new casinos in 2012. In Kansas, the Hollywood Casino in Wyandotte County opened in February 2012.  And 2012 was the first full year for Mulvane's Kansas Star casino.

A Dodge City native is now a part of the coaching staff at the University of Kansas.  Kale Pick was recruited as a quarterback for the Jayhawks but ended up playing wide receiver. Here is the full release from the University Athletic Department: Kale Pick, a recently graduated Kansas wide receiver, has traded in his cleats for a whistle as head coach Charlie Weis announced Monday Pick is joining the Jayhawk staff as a graduate assistant for offense. In his new role Pick will work closely with the KU wide receivers and assistant coach Rob Ianello.

Recent rains have helped fill up Kansas rivers and back yard ponds, but it's only making a dent in our ongoing drought. This week, much of the state is still experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions. Click here to see US Drought Monitor The Arkansas River is full again and flowing strong. A few people kayaking were on the water Sunday, something that hasn't been possible in months due to dry conditions. They can thank a wet spring for some of that extra water.

To most Kansans, fresh, clean water "goes with the territory. " They turn on the tap and there it is, good water. We assume water for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, lawns, gardens, livestock, industry, etc. will last forever. Not true. Good, clean water is fast becoming a scarce commodity. Seas and oceans contain 97 percent of the water on earth. Snow, glaciers, and polar ice account for 2.25 percent. Rivers, lakes, and groundwater represent only .6 percent of the total water that produces the world's food supply.