By Clay Wirestone | opinion editor
Good morning! Here in Lawrence, the school year begins in earnest today. I’ll be dropping off my child for his sophomore year of high school. Where does the time go? While we ponder the ineffable mysteries of chronology, let’s take in the news.
Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector
Kansas jury finds former Neosho County prosecutor guilty of perjury
ERIE — A jury Wednesday convicted former Neosho County Attorney Linus Thuston of lying under oath two years ago when he offered an excuse for why he was meeting a woman alone at night in a discreet location after they had exchanged explicit photos.
Thuston could face prison time for the low-level perjury conviction. He retired as county prosecutor in 2024, shortly before he pleaded guilty to a pair of misdemeanor financial crimes.
Kansas Reflector began reporting on concerns about Thuston’s conduct in 2022. He was accused of trading diversions for cash, which he didn’t account for, and a disciplinary panel reprimanded him for blurring the lines between his private practice and public position.
The sheriff also found that Thuston, through Facebook messages, had persuaded about 50 women to send him nude photos in exchange for legal services.
But the Kansas Attorney General’s Office agreed not to pursue charges for more serious crimes in exchange for Thuston’s guilty plea in the misdemeanor case.
Sherman Smith / Kansas Reflector
OPINION
Payouts mushroom in Kansas newspaper raid. But officials still haven’t taken responsibility.
By Clay Wirestone
Three years after the law enforcement raid on the Marion County Record newspaper, serious settlement money is flowing.
Reporter Phyllis Zorn just settled with the town for $850,000. Late last year, Marion County paid out $3 million to journalists and a city councilor. Lawsuits against the city by Record editor and publisher Eric Meyer and councilwoman Ruth Herbel continue.
What hasn’t happened, so far, is a full-throated apology from those who authorized and conducted the raid, from the people who shredded the First Amendment in their vendetta against the Record. We can’t put the raid behind us — we can’t hope to move forward as Kansans — until those responsible take accountability.
Sam Bailey / Kansas Reflector
Kansas lowers food assistance error rate but still may face federal penalties
TOPEKA — The error rate in a Kansas food assistance program has dropped since Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025, but the state still faces the possibility of paying a $20.6 million penalty to the federal government, a state spokeswoman said.
Schools spend billions on AI, but struggle to figure out what’s worth buying
As school districts make decisions on which tools are safe and worth spending thousands or millions of dollars on, some officials feel overwhelmed by the array of choices. Some states and districts have begun offering guidance for vetting AI purchases, but educators and experts say districts are still carrying much of the burden on their own.
Trump administration urges Supreme Court to rule soon on limiting vote-by-mail in midterms
The Trump administration on Wednesday renewed its request to the U.S. Supreme Court to quickly decide a case over an executive order restricting voting, a day after a Massachusetts federal judge expanded an injunction on the order nationwide.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kansas Reflector staff will participate in the following free public forums.
6 p.m. Aug. 12, Celtic Fox in Topeka. Editor-in-chief Sherman Smith will answer audience questions about Kansas Reflector reporting on the primary and general elections. Host: Capital Area Democratic Women's Club.
3 p.m. Sept. 26, Washburn Library in Topeka. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone will participate in the panel “Why UPK: University Press of Kansas Celebrates 80 Years.” Host: Kansas Book Festival.
2 p.m. Sept. 27, Red Rocks Visitor Center in Emporia. Host: Red Rocks.
7 p.m. Sept. 29, Raven Book Store in Lawrence. Book release event for opinion editor Clay Wirestone’s “Opinionated.” Editor-in-chief Sherman Smith will moderate.
6 p.m. Oct. 12, Riverbank Brewing in Council Grove. Opinion editor Clay Wirestone talks about his book and the latest news. Host: Flint Hills Books.
6 p.m. Dec. 3, Prairie Star Restaurant in Manhattan. Host: League of Women Voters of Manhattan and Riley County.
If you're interested in having us talk in your town, email Sherman Smith at [email protected].
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