K-State in the news

Recent news highlights

Read some of today's top stories mentioning Kansas State University. Download an Excel file (xlsx) with all of the day's news stories.

See more K-State faculty, staff and students in the news in the clip archives.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

National/International

8 spots in every home that collect dirt faster than anywhere else
06/22/26 MSN.com
The kitchen sink sees more action than almost any other surface in the house, and that constant use comes with a serious bacterial price tag. Kansas State University food scientist Karen Blakeslee points out that the kitchen sink is used for a wide variety of tasks and activities, making it a prime location for foodborne illness bacteria to linger and potentially cross-contaminate food.

Journey Through America’s Best Public Gardens, One State at a Time
06/22/26 SheBudgers
The Kansas State University Gardens in Manhattan, Kansas, is a beautiful 19-acre space that serves as a public garden and a teaching and research facility for students. It’s free of charge and open to the public from March to November. Visitors can observe an impressive variety of perennials and the conservatory, which is home to tropical plants and cacti.

Why beef prices keep climbing
06/22/26 Marketplace
The price of a pound of ground beef is up almost 13% compared to May of last year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The cost has more than doubled over the past 15 years. “Personally, I think the bigger story in beef prices is the consumer demand side,” said Brian Coffey, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University. “Protein is kind of all the rage now, and specifically consumers have kind of gone back to red meat as a source of protein,” he said.

State/Regional

Kansas community to open new grocery store
06/23/26 KSNW-TV
The final touches for Dighton’s new grocery store are being added ahead of opening day. On Saturday at 7 a.m., residents of the small western Kansas town will open the new Lane County Community Grocery store. Since January 2024, community members have had limited options for buying groceries after a fire destroyed the only store. The new, 8,000 square feet store at 326 East Long Street was made possible by community efforts spurred by the Lane County Community Foundation, Kansas Healthy Food Initiative and Kansas State University’s Rural Grocery Initiative.

Building a better school breakfast: K‑State partnership has students develop sorghum muffin recipe for Kansas school cafeterias
06/22/26 Salina Post
For every child who walks into school and worries only about whether chocolate milk is available for breakfast, there are teams of K-State researchers, scientists and industry partners working behind the scenes to make sure the rest of the food on that tray is as nutritious as possible. Over the past year, K-State faculty and students in bakery science and industry have partnered with state and industry leaders to help develop a sorghum-based muffin mix that could eventually be served in Kansas schools.