TOPEKA — A record one in four Kansas public defenders quit last year, with many blaming high caseloads and low salaries. The Board of Indigents’ Defense Services’ executive direction, Pat Scalia, calls the situation “a crisis.” She has asked lawmakers for a nearly $500,000 boast in next year’s budget to fund public defender salaries. Among those quitting last year was Ruslan Ivanov. He blamed high stress, telling KCUR-FM that he typically juggled between 60 and 90 cases and sometimes worked seven days a week. Scalia told lawmakers in February that the situation is so bad that several public defender offices…
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says she wants to move the state’s prison system from being “all-punitive to much more therapeutic.” The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Kelly made the comment Tuesday while speaking to more than 200 people at a Wichita school district administration building. Kelly says she has learned challenges within the Kansas Department of Corrections are worse than anticipated. In the search for a replacement to the agency’s interim leader, the governor said she would seek someone eager to properly staff prisons and transition the facilities to a rehabilitative footing. She also says Kansas should engage in…
COLBY — Blizzard warnings have been issued across part of northwest Kansas, closing schools and making travel dangerous. The National Weather Service says snow and wind gust as high as 55 mph will create whiteout conditions Thursday. Drivers are urged to stay home and bring a winter survival kit with them if they must travel. The Kansas Department of Transportation says many roads are partially or completely snow covered. A tractor-trailer crash temporarily closed part of Interstate 70 Wednesday in western Kansas, and a Colorado stretch remains closed. Among the districts calling off classes was Colby Public Schools. The districts…
Officers responded to a report of an injury accident near the intersection of Juliette Ave and Fort Riley Blvd in Manhattan on April 10, 2019, at approximately 12:30 PM. When officers arrived on scene they found a 2012 Volkswagon Jetta driven by Mark Kukuk, 28 of Manhattan had struck a 2016 Dodge R15 driven by George Widenor, 77 of Manhattan and a 2014 Ford Edge driven by Roy Head, 82 of Manhattan. Minor injuries were reported. Kukuk was issued a citation for inattentive driving. Officers responded to a report of an injury accident near the intersection of Kimball Ave and…
A former Big Red One Commanding Officer looks to be headed to a new position in the Army. Lt. General Joseph Martin has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. President Trump sent General Martin’s name to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday. Martin, currently the director of the Army staff, was the commander of the First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas, from September 26, 2016, to June 18, 2018. He was thrust into the position after the previous division commander was relieved amid a misconduct investigation. Martin,…
A Manhattan woman who served several years as the Director of the Flint Hills Breadbasket has passed away. Shirley Bramhall died Tuesday at the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Bramhall was 66. Funeral arrangements for Bramhall are pending through the Yorgensen-Meloan Londeen Funeral Home.
The T. Russell Reitz animal shelter had a great 2018 with 748 animals finding their homes. Director of Animal Services Deb Watkins is excited for this year’s numbers because they are going to have even more adoptions. She says this is due to new changes in policy at the shelter and the K-State Animal Shelter Medicine program helping with spays and neuters. Currently the shelter has 35 dogs, including one puppy, and 20 cats ready for adoption. All of the animals up for adoption have been neutered or spayed, had their shots, and microchipped. Watkins stressed the importance of microchipping…
MANHATTAN — City officials will attempt to acquire agricultural land near the Wastewater Treatment Plant for a joint maintenance facility. The City Commission gave consensus to pursue the site off of Highway 24 at its Tuesday work session. Commissioner Wynn Butler says they’re not building for buildings’ sake. They’ve run out of room for both Public Works and Parks and Rec maintenance staff and equipment in the facilities, and they need significant renovations as well. The net cost of the new facility is estimated at just under $12 million, divided in-part between benefiting department funds to reduce property and sales…
TOPEKA — A captain in a Kansas National Guard brigade has resigned over what she says is a lack of concern from guard leadership over recent suicides. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Capt. Tara Fields is a behavioral health officer. She has served 12 years in military, eight on active duty. She said her resignation will be final by the end of April. Kansas Guard Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli said the guard has had nine suicides in the last five years, with three in the past 18 months. Fields says suicides of a civilian worker and a man who had…
NORTON — Authorities say a Kansas teen has been killed in a farming accident. Norton County Sheriff Troy Thompson says his office received a call around 9:25 p.m. Monday from a concerned parent. KWCH-TV reports that the parent said the teen went missing while doing chores. Deputies arrived and found that the teen had involved in an accident involving farming equipment. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name wasn’t immediately released.