LAWRENCE — City leaders in Lawrence say they will consider lowering fines for people caught in possession of marijuana. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the current city law allows for fines of up to $1,000 for first-time offenders. A resident, Laura Green, recently presented a proposal to the Lawrence City Commission that would call for reduced fines and make other changes. The commission agreed to discuss the issue at an upcoming work session. Lawrence adopted its marijuana ordinance more than a decade ago. Green says attitudes toward marijuana have shifted in recent years. Under the current law, first-time offenders face…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA — Kansas state officials say fiscal year-end tax receipts came in $318 million above projections. The Kansas Department of Revenue on Monday released a revenue report showing that fiscal year-end tax receipts were $1.2 billion above the previous fiscal year. The overall increase was not surprising since state lawmakers reversed past income tax cuts to deal with persistent budget woes. But Department of Revenue Secretary Sam Williams says that tax receipts were above expectations for every month during the fiscal year that ended June 30. The agency says receipts were especially strong in June, when receipts were $144 million…
OVERLAND PARK — Authorities are investigating a shooting that critically wounded two contract workers outside a suburban Kansas City elementary school. KMBC-TV reports that Overland Park police spokesman Officer John Lacy says the shooting happened Tuesday at Sunrise Point Elementary School in the Blue Valley school district. District spokeswoman Becky Miller says no students were on campus. Overland Park Police said in a tweet that no school employees were involved. The Kansas City Star reports that the shooting suspect fled and tried to carjack someone at a car wash. Police say shots were fired but no one was hit. The…
Officers filed a report for aggravated assault in Manhattan on July 2, 2018. Officers listed a 26 year old female as the victim and a 27 year old male known to her as the suspect. Due to the nature of the crime reported (domestic) no additional information will be released. Officers filed a report for motor vehicle theft and theft in the 3500 block of Chippewa Cir. in Manhattan on July 2, 2018 at approximately 7:30 PM. Officers listed Rick Boatman, 57, of Manhattan as the victim when he reported a known female suspect took his vehicle, firearm and money.…
Tuesday’s guests were City of Manhattan Mayor Linda Morse and City Manager Ron Fehr.
A former officer with the Riley County Police Department, who claims he was forced to resign for not fulfilling DUI arrest quotas, has filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the RCPD and two county governing bodies, according to court documents obtained by KMAN. The plaintiff, Derek Cid, a former officer with the department, alleges he was forced to resign due to a toxic work environment that led to deteriorating performance reviews after he voiced opposition to quotas placed on officers for traffic stops — specifically DUI stops. David Copper, the lead attorney for the RCPD and associated…
HUTCHINSON — Amtrak is considering ending passenger train service from southwest Kansas to central New Mexico and instead implementing a bus connection on the route. The Hutchinson News reports that Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson revealed to lawmakers last week the train operator is looking into ending Southwest Chief service between Dodge City, Kansas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The announcement came after lawmakers asked the company to stand behind agreements it previously made to upgrade and maintain its route through the south-central U.S. Republican Sen. Jerry Moran says he’s disappointed in “the lack of commitment on the part of Amtrak to…
HAYSVILLE — Authorities say two women have been killed and four other people injured in a three-vehicle crash in south-central Kansas. KSNW-TV reports that the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office identified the two women as 42-year-old Michelle Lacey and 23-year-old Kayla Heim. Both are from Wichita. The crash happened around 10 p.m. Saturday in Haysville when the Nissan Murano in which the women were riding went through a stop sign and struck a Jeep. The Jeep then rolled over onto another SUV. The women were pronounced dead at the scene. Three others in the Murano also were injured a 23-year-old man,…
EL DORADO — Officials say inmates broke dozens of windows and set fires during a weekend disturbance at a maximum-security prison in south-central Kansas. Kansas Department of Corrections spokesman Samir Arif said Monday that nobody was hurt. The disturbance started Sunday afternoon in the recreation yard at the prison in El Dorado and lasted about 4 .5 hours. Between 75 and 150 inmates were involved. State union president Sarah LaFrenz says a corrections officer who witnessed what happened told her around 40 windows were broken. She said two classrooms had fire and smoke damage. The officer also told LaFrenz that…
EMPORIA — A man has been sentenced to life in prison in the fatal shooting of a woman in her apartment near the Emporia State University campus. The Emporia Gazette reports that Sony Uk, of Emporia, won’t be eligible for parole for 50 years under the sentence ordered Monday for first-degree murder. Judge Merlin Wheeler said there was “absolutely no reason or justification” for the March 2017 death of 38-year-old Mahogany Brooks. Uk declined to speak at the hearing. During his trial, the defense argued that the killing wasn’t premeditated, which is required for a first-degree murder conviction. But the…