Good morning, Topeka.

A car and truck show will benefit the new War on Terrorism monument at the Gage Park War Memorial on Sunday, Sept.

20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SW 10th & Gage, with registration at $20 per vehicle on site.

Local celebrities, including 13 NEWS anchor Riley Stark (participating as a waiter), will serve at the Celebrity Waiter Soiree on Saturday, Oct.

3 at 5:30 p.m. in Townsite Ballroom in downtown to support Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas, with the top fundraiser earning the 'Silver Spoon' honor.

Homeless deaths have risen in Topeka in recent years, and Compassion Strategies Inc. held its first annual Remembrance Day service on Sept.

15 at the Compassion Impact Center (601 NW Harrison St.) to honor 37 community members.

Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries will host its annual Night of Praise event at 6 p.m. Oct.

11 at Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene (730 SW Fairlawn Rd) where guests will hear music, scripture, and stories while supporting TRM with canned food donations.

Evergy employees volunteered for Community Action’s Diaper Depot Program during Diaper Need Awareness Week & helped wrap diapers for 200 children as families face rising costs.

The program provides 50 diapers per child monthly for families earning below 200% of the poverty level.

The Kansas Inclusion Summit will be held Sept.

24 at Prairie Band Casino and Resort (8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) to offer insights on building inclusive workplaces; the event features breakout sessions with speakers including Stephanie Moran from the Greater Topeka Partnership and educator Dr. Beryl New.

AAA and GasBuddy report that Topeka unleaded prices were between $3.72 and $4.21 and diesel ranged from $5.55 to $6.64 on Thursday + both fuels posted higher prices compared to last week and last year.

The Kansas Board of Regents is forming a committee led by Neelima Parasker to set AI guidelines for teaching, research, and administration while approving budget proposals from state universities and colleges to be presented to Gov. Laura Kelly — and the 2027 Legislature to protect key programs.

Kansas DOT will start a 5-mile pavement patching project on I-70 between Valencia and Urish Rd (west of Topeka) on Monday, Sept.

21. Motorists should expect lane reductions, intermittent ramp closures and active traffic control until work concludes this winter.

At the Sept. 10 meeting, residents and local GOP advocates urged the library board to remove or relocate books with explicit content from the children's section, and library leadership said it supports diverse materials (upholding intellectual freedom and parental guidance).

72-year-old Topekan Eric Nordgren is finishing a 300-mile bike ride today to support Dean, a three-year-old battling a rare brain tumor as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month; he began the ride on Sept.

17 and has ridden for 22 years to raise local awareness — a long standing effort.

State health officials warned earlier this week about a rise in encounters with rabies-carrying animals, mainly bats, and advised clinicians to perform risk assessments before treatment (vaccine use for rabies shots increased 33% and immunoglobulin use increased 76% compared with last year).

Stormont Vail Health eases parenthood stress with its Pregnancy Pathways program offering care and resources to expecting families.

The program will be showcased at the Welcome Baby Jubilee on Oct. 25 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pozez Education Center — providing direct maternal support.

The Big 12 conference released its men's & women's basketball schedules for the 2026-27 season, with home openers for K-State WBB on Dec.

19 and Kansas WBB on Dec. 20; marquee matchups for KU and K-State are set for January and February.