Good morning, Topeka.

SENT Topeka is accepting Halloween costume donations until Sept.

30 to help fund its Costume Giveaway and Child Mental Wellness Fair on Oct. 10 from 9 to 11 a.m. at SENT Topeka (455 SE Golf Park Blvd).

United Steelworkers ratified the new contract with Goodyear Monday, covering workers in Topeka (Akron, Danville) after a tentative agreement was reached in late-July.

Gas prices in Topeka ranged from $3.63 to $3.99 a gallon Monday, and diesel prices averaged $5.20 a gallon; Kansas averages increased slightly from last week and month + trends show fuel costs continue to edge upward as summer ends.

Topeka Public Schools and two other districts have adopted the ParentSquare app as students now use phones-free communication for the 2026-2027 school year.

The app allows reliable exchanges between parents and students via Chromebooks — and a direct messaging feature will be added soon.

Retired educator Vic Williams talked about his first children’s book, Elsie the Scare-Crow, in a recent Eye on NE Kansas interview.

The book is based on a true story of a wild crow he befriended as a youngster after a nearly 40-year career in Topeka Public Schools.

A dedication ceremony will take place Saturday, Aug.

29 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. for Kansas' first POW/MIA memorial highway and bridge during the Wakefield Birthday Bash in Clay County Park (motorcycle groups will join the parade beginning at 9:30 a.m.).

City officials met with local business owners on Aug.

24 at Grace United Methodist Church to explain that work on SW Topeka Boulevard will begin this Sept with a 14-month utility and road upgrade that limits lanes and ends in Nov. 2027, promising the road will last 15 years before surface repairs are needed.

A new mental health wing opened Monday at Shawnee County Jail to offer treatment for 60 inmates with mental illnesses, including substance abuse and suicide risks.

The $20 million project, 12 years in the making, was funded by the county, state, and private donors to give inmates a path forward.

Midland Care has named Scott A.

Paxton, DO, as its new Hospice and Palliative Care Medical Director — he will join after serving as Associate Medical Director at Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice in Wisconsin. His board certifications are expected to boost high-quality care for patients and families across communities.

Washburn earned five first-place votes in the MIAA volleyball preseason poll tied with Nebraska-Kearney and will host Oklahoma Christian at 6 p.m. inside Lee Arena on Thursday, Aug.

27. Emporia State, ranked fourth after receiving two first-place votes, will begin its season at Ferris State.