K-State in the news

Recent news highlights

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

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

Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026

National/International

Microplastics from washing clothes could be hurting your tomatoes
1/15/26 Washington Post
Mary Beth Kirkham, an agronomy professor at Kansas State University who was not involved in the study, said she has seen positive results. She described an experiment in which corn grown with microplastics in the soil had higher protein levels than corn grown without the contaminants. “The corn grown with microplastics in the soil had more nitrogen in it, which led to more protein," Kirkham said. But the increased protein from the contaminants does come with trade-offs, Kirkham said. Microplastics are a known carrier of heavy metals, which if consumed can have negative health effects.

State/Regional

Study: Racoons are becoming more domesticated
1/15/26 Rural Radio Network
New research from Kansas State University comparing raccoons from urban and rural counties found that animals in heavily populated areas had slightly shorter snouts, a trait sometimes linked to early stages of domestication.

Local

Hypertension awarenesss & prevention opportunities
1/13/26 JC Post
K-State Extension, in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, is offering a free Hypertension Awareness and Prevention Program this spring. Sessions will be led by American Heart Association Certified Healthy Heart Ambassadors.