Daily
Topeka
Tuesday, May 19th, 2026
Good morning, Topeka. Here's your local news at a glance for Tuesday, the 19th of May.
COMMUNITY NEWS
- ➤ Hundreds of motorcyclists and veterans stopped at the Topeka Turnpike Service Area on Monday morning for the annual Run for the Wall as they rode toward Washington, D.C. to honor service members; the ride, founded in 1989, links local history with heartfelt remembrances for Memorial Day. WIBW
ACCIDENTS NEWS
- ➤ Crews responded early Monday to a large mulch fire on Topeka’s northwest side on N.W. Water Works Drive near I-70 & MacVicar Avenue; there were no reported injuries or significant property damage. WIBW
- ➤ Fire crews responded to an incident at Topeka ER & Hospital on Monday after helium escaped through the roof vent of an MRI machine, and hospital and fire officials are investigating the cause. WIBW
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ Animationland opens today at Kansas Children’s Discovery Center at 9 a.m. and invites kids to explore an interactive animation studio (featuring work tables and sound effects) until August 20 at its Gage Park location. WIBW
- ➤ Washburn University unveiled its first conservation art piece on Monday at the Student Union and four more works will appear around town before the Topeka Zoo reveals its own art on Friday; the pieces, made by Washed Ashore from recycled plastics, call attention to protecting wildlife & nature. WIBW
- ➤ The Shawnee Choral Society will perform 'A Night on Broadway' at Washburn’s White Concert Hall on May 23 at 7 p.m. The free event welcomes donations to support the nearly 100-member group. WIBW
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ Graduating seniors at Shawnee Heights High School celebrated on Sunday morning at the Stormont Vail Events Center — they wore red and turquoise as they marked the end of high school and looked ahead to what comes next. WIBW
- ➤ Seniors from Topeka Public Schools' Class of 2026 held their annual senior walk at McClure Elementary Monday — a cherished tradition marking their journey from childhood to graduation. They wore caps and gowns as current students and staff cheered them on. WIBW
- ➤ The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library will host summer reading events nearly every day, featuring Blockbuster Wednesdays at 3 p.m. for kids and teens, special story times for preschoolers, and an interactive Dinosaur Revolution maze to spark reading fun. WIBW
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
- ➤ Wildfires from a recent lightning storm are burning thousands of acres in southwest Kansas as crews work to control a fast-moving blaze near Highway 160 in Clark County and rural homes west of Ashland are being evacuated; firefighters expect full containment by midweek. Kansas Reflector
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ At its May 18 board meeting, Topeka Metro decided to end its On-Demand pilot program on May 30 due to low ridership and high yearly costs (the funds will support fixed-route service enhancements during Polk-Quincy Viaduct closures). WIBW
- ➤ Monroe Street at the intersection of 4th Street and the on-ramp to eastbound I-70 will close today as part of the Polk-Quincy Viaduct project. Monroe Street between 4th and 6th Avenue will switch from one-way to two-way to improve access to the Frank Carlson Federal Building, with construction expected to last several months. WIBW
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ Kansas baseball won its first Big 12 regular-season title in 77 years after key wins in Provo, capping four years of rebuilding. Coach Dan Fitzgerald said the team now enters the postseason as the Big 12 Tournament's No. 1 seed. WIBW
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Evans United Carnival 2026
May 21-31 — Stormont Vail Events Center — $18.30 General Admission, $10.05 Child (3-11) — A vibrant carnival featuring parking lot exhibitions and festivals for family fun.
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Party with The BASH
8-11 p.m. — Thunderbirds Grille — Cost info not provided — Dance the night away with live music at Thunderbirds Grille.
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Doggie Date Night
6-8 p.m. — Evergy Plaza — Free entry — Enjoy a fun evening bonding with your pup in the heart of Topeka.
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Signal Ridge Music Evening
6-10 p.m. — Compass Point: Home of Dirty Girl Adventures — Free entry — Enjoy a night of Appalachian Folk-grass tunes with Redd & The Paper Flowers.
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Green Shoebox Band: St. Marys Community Event
6-10 p.m. — St. Marys Riverside Park — Free entry — Enjoy a night of music with the Green Shoebox Band in a vibrant community setting.
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Kelsey Miles Live Performance
12:30 – 4:30 PM — Mulvane Art Fair, Topeka, KS — Free entry — Connect through music and storytelling with Kelsey Miles.
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Yoga Nidra Session
12:15-1:15 p.m. — Florence Crittenton - Integrative Health — Free entry — Experience deep relaxation through guided meditation rooted in ancient yogic traditions.
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Evergy Fight Night 3
5-10 p.m. — Evergy Plaza — Free entry — Experience high-energy boxing under the stars while supporting Special Olympics Kansas.
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No new community announcements today. You can submit one here.
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together.
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Reveal the authorAbout Daily Topeka
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