Daily
Topeka
Wednesday, May 20th, 2026
Good morning, Topeka. Here's your local news at a glance for Wednesday, the 20th of May.
COMMUNITY NEWS
- ➤ Prince of Peace Lutheran Church is recruiting over 100 local vendors for its annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church on SW Wanamaker Rd — featuring magic, live music by High Five Band, games, activities, giveaways, and food. WIBW
- ➤ Riley Stark, an Indiana University graduate, joins 13 NEWS as a new anchor + she will anchor First Alert at 4:30 p.m. and co-anchor the 10 p.m. broadcast with David Oliver. WIBW
ACCIDENTS NEWS
- ➤ An EF-1 tornado struck a barnyard near Holton Monday night and heavily damaged a longtime resident’s family barn, though no one was injured and cleanup efforts have begun. WIBW
- ➤ On Tuesday, a Lyon County Fire District 5 crew fighting wildfires in southwest Kansas was forced to abandon a brush truck that suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure when conditions worsened, though all firefighters escaped injury and the truck was damaged beyond repair. WIBW
BUSINESS NEWS
- ➤ The Plug and Play Expo will run May 27-28 in Topeka and feature animal health start-ups completing a 17-week accelerator program. Attendees can hear pitches, see demos, and network (organized by the Greater Topeka Partnership) (according to senior VP Stephanie Moran). WIBW
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ Retired astronaut Steve Hawley will release his memoir titled Eyes to the Stars (a book about his space shuttle missions) in the coming weeks. The memoir retraces his journey from growing up in Salina to flying on five space shuttle missions, offering locals an inspiring look at space exploration. WIBW
- ➤ Students from Topeka Public Schools crafted a Monarch Butterfly sculpture for the zoo’s Washed Ashore project, unveiled Tuesday at the NOTO Arts Center — additional pieces will appear later this week at local venues. WIBW
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ Animationland opened Tuesday, May 19 at Kansas Children’s Discovery Center where kids and teens can create animations & learn basic techniques. The exhibit is included with admission and runs until Aug. 20. WIBW
- ➤ On Tuesday, Jardine Elementary honored retiring Dr. Bridget Stegman by renaming its main entrance and driveway after her and donating $5,022 raised by its annual 5K walk to the ALS Foundation (a charity benefiting research). WIBW
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Firefighters responded on Monday, May 18 at 3 p.m. to white smoke at the Topeka ER & Hospital and determined it was a normal helium release from the roof. The hospital remained open with no danger to the public. WIBW
- ➤ Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt urges residents impacted by recent severe weather to contact the Kansas Department of Insurance for help with storm damage claims — the department is coordinating with local authorities to address coverage questions. WIBW
REAL ESTATE NEWS
- ➤ On May 19, the Topeka Development Corporation board extended Hotel Topeka's inspection and closing periods by 30 days, setting the new closing date for July 14 as Endeavor Hotel Group works with Shawnee County to secure the required industrial revenue bond. WIBW
SPORTS NEWS
- ➤ KU baseball coach Dan Fitzgerald was named Big 12 Coach of the Year Tuesday, earning his second straight honor while seven players received All-Big 12 recognitions. The team clinched its first regular season title and will play in the Big 12 Tournament in Surprise, Arizona on Thursday. WIBW
-
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.
-
Party with The BASH
8-11 p.m. — Thunderbirds Grille — Cost info not provided — Dance the night away with live music at Thunderbirds Grille.
-
Doggie Date Night
6-8 p.m. — Evergy Plaza — Free entry — Enjoy a fun evening bonding with your pup in the heart of Topeka.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Kelsey Miles Live Performance
12:30 – 4:30 PM — Mulvane Art Fair, Topeka, KS — Free entry — Connect through music and storytelling with Kelsey Miles.
-
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.
-
Evergy Fight Night 3
5-10 p.m. — Evergy Plaza — Free entry — Experience high-energy boxing under the stars while supporting Special Olympics Kansas.
No new real estate listings today. You can submit one here.
No new job posts today. You can submit one here.
No new community announcements today. You can submit one here.
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.
Know who said this? Send us an email!
Reveal the authorAbout Daily Topeka
Welcome to the Daily Topeka, your community newsletter that's anything but snooze-worthy, packed with positive, impactful local news + events across the Topeka, Kansas community. If you like the Daily Topeka, support us by subscribing to our email newsletter and sharing us with your friends and family in Topeka.
Advertising Opportunities
Advertising with us will make sure you stay at the top of everyone's mind—in Topeka and across Kansas. You can learn more here. We'll work together to build a custom plan to hit your goals this year.
Alternatively, you can submit events, announcements, real estate listings, and job postings. We'll include them in our newsletter on whichever dates you like.
Community, delivered
Our hyper-local media company activates communities through daily email newsletters that curate the most positive, impactful local news + events – all for free.
Subscribe to Daily Topeka
A free Topeka community newsletter.
- Daily local news
- We curate the most positive, impactful local news + events.
- 6AM City
- A publication of 6AM City, the nation's leading local newsletter-first media network. Nominate your city.
© 6AM City Inc. 2025. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Service. Questions? Contact us here
Sitemap: https://dailytopeka.com/sitemap