Author: KMAN Staff

TOPEKA — Kansas Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts support a bill that would be the largest overhaul of federal sentencing laws in decades. The two Republicans reiterated their backing of the bipartisan measure Wednesday. President Donald Trump also supports it. Moran was among the measure’s first sponsors and said it is sensible legislation to make drug sentences fairer, fight the opioid epidemic and promote programs that prevent repeat offending. Roberts is also a sponsor and said current mandatory federal sentences have “simply increased the prison population rather than deter crime.” The bill would revise 1980s and `90s-era “tough on…

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COLUMBUS — Authorities have arrested two suspected cattle rustlers after they attempted to sell 17 steers that were taken from a Kansas pasture in Oklahoma. The Cherokee County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office says in a news release that Anthony Francis Whittley and Jasmine Boone are jailed in Oklahoma County on suspicion of transporting stolen property across state lines. The release says they were caught after an employee with an Oklahoma City livestock barn recognized the owner’s brand on the steers, which were reported stolen Tuesday. Kansas and Oklahoma law enforcement coordinated and made it appear that the cattle had been sold.…

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WICHITA — An oil producer who gave $12 million to Wichita State University will receive an honorary doctorate from the school. The Wichita Eagle reports that 87-year-old Wayne Woolsey will receive the honorary degree during the university’s fall commencement ceremony Sunday. He’s the fifth person to receive an honorary degree from Wichita State in the past 30 years. He founded an oil and natural gas exploration and production company in 1978. He’s been involved in large-volume wastewater disposal methods used to recover deposits of oil and natural gas in south-central Kansas. Woolsey’s gift was the largest of its kind in…

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The Manhattan City Commission was not in complete consensus over a potential 2 percent fee to be charged on developers to create new benefit districts at their Tuesday work session. In benefit districts, the city finances infrastructure improvements — which includes upgrades to streets as well as water and sewer lines — for developers, which are then paid back in the form of special assessment taxes. The cost of improvements are divided among all properties within the district. The alternative to this process would be to finance the improvements privately, which is estimated would increase the cost of a residential home…

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Ugly is A-Okay at Blue Moose Bar and Grill on Wednesday. Little Apple Pride will be hosting an “ugly” sweater fundraiser for the holidays at the restaurant that night. A portion of purchases made between 5 and 10 p.m. will be donated to Little Apple Pride if you mention the fundraiser to your server. From 7 to 9 p.m., Little Apple Pride members will be at Blue Moose and invited community members to join them — but don’t forget your ugly holiday sweater. Some appetizers will be provided. If you have any additional questions, contact Little Apple Pride on their…

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Wednesday’s guests on In Focus were Wamego USD 320 Superintendent Tim Winter, Rock Creek USD 323 Superintendent Kevin Logan, and Riley City Mayor Tim Sharp.

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WASHINGTON — Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran says he will support speeding up a vote on ending U.S. military involvement in a war led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. The Kansas City Star reports the Kansas Republican said Tuesday that he supports a procedural step to move a resolution ending U.S. involvement toward final passage. The procedural vote is Wednesday. The resolution is rebuke to Saudi Arabia over its role in journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. It’s also a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s administration, which has made it clear that it does not want to torpedo the long-standing U.S.-Saudi relationship over…

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EUREKA — Authorities have arrested the grandmother of a 17-year-old Oklahoma boy with special needs who was found alone near a southeast Kansas rest stop. Rogers County, Oklahoma, authorities say 68-year-old Janie Gill was arrested in that county and booked into jail Monday on one count of child neglect. More charges are pending. A custodian found the boy Nov. 29 at a rest stop near Beaumont, Kansas. He had no identification and couldn’t speak. The Greenwood County, Kansas, sheriff’s office later learned his identity and that he was from Oklahoma. He remains in protective custody. Greenwood County has put a…

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INDEPENDENCE — Authorities say a southeast Kansas jail inmate shocked corrections officers with a stun gun during a failed escape attempt. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 40-year-old Curtis Lee Harris, of Chanute, was being held on suspicion of failing to appear in court when he attempted to escape early Monday. Harris is accused of using force to take a Taser from a corrections officer, who used pepper spray and radioed for backup. The sheriff’s office says that when backup arrived, Harris fired the Taser, striking that officer. A third officer then used his Taser on Harris, causing Harris to…

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MANHATTAN — The City of Manhattan Public Works is advising of some ongoing street repairs this week. They include along Claflin and Meadowlark where work will continue as weather allows. South Mill Pointe Circle is seeing some curb and gutter tear out and replacement. Houston Street storm drain and street repair is occurring in the 400 block and concrete repair also continues in the Berry edition of Northview. Additonally, water will be turned off in the Stagg Hill area today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Project-Genesis water line improvements. City staff say they don’t have information about…

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