The Manhattan City Commission met with State legislators, Pawnee Mental Health representatives and the public Tuesday evening to discuss mental health care and the challenge of properly funding it. Community stakeholders led off the discussion, with comments from City Commissioners Karen McCulloh and Usha Reddi, who have been very involved in exploring what to do about mental health concerns, as well as Colonel John Melton, Commander of Irwin Army Hospital, Riley County Police Captain Kurt Moldrup, who serves as the jail commander, Dantia McDonald with the Legislative Mental Health Task Force, Kristin Cottam of Via Christi, Kyle Kessler, Director of…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA — BuzzFeed Inc. is suing Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and his office for refusing to release emails containing any of 30 terms that relate to immigration or the election. A reporter for BuzzFeed asked Kobach’s office in June for emails sent or received May 1 that include terms such as ICE, immigrant, Trump, voter, fraud and Mexican. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the lawsuit, filed Friday in Shawnee County District Court, says Kobach’s office first asked for $1,025 for 13 hours of work and an attorney’s review. The office refused to release any records when the reporter challenged…
WICHITA — A Democratic candidate for Kansas governor whose 3-year-old grandson’s body was found encased in concrete has joined the push to reform the state’s child welfare agency. The Kansas City Star reports that former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer says his family filed multiple requests with the Kansas Department of Children and Families to check on his grandson, Evan Brewer, before the toddler’s remains were found last month. Brewer says he decided to remain in the race after hearing from other families and determining nothing would change “unless somebody steps in.” Kansas House Minority Leader Jim Ward, of Wichita, called…
LAWRENCE — Officials with the city of Lawrence and Douglas County are raising concerns about a proposal to allow wastewater injection wells in the area. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Midstates Energy Operating LLC filed permit applications with the state for two wells that would be injected with a saltwater byproduct from oil or gas extraction processes. The wells would be about 5 miles (8 kilometers) southeast of Lawrence in rural Douglas County. The applications note a maximum injection of 100 barrels per day for each well, totaling 8,400 gallons of wastewater per day. City and county officials sent a…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas has declined to comment on a court-appointed official’s report that the federal office is no longer cooperating with an investigation into the taping of attorney-client meetings at a federal detention center. Jim Cross, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Tom Beall, says the office does not comment on pending litigation. Special Master David R. Cohen said in a report obtained by KCUR Radio that he received a 24-page letter last month from the U.S. attorney’s office stating that it will no longer provide him with information and documents as part of…
Today’s guests on In Focus were Pottawatomie County Commissioner Pat Weixelman, Robert Reece, and EMS Director Hal Bumgarner. We also had K-State Assistant Professor of Political Science Dr. Nate Birkhead.
Another 1st Infantry Division soldier was found dead at Fort Riley Saturday, according to a press release from the Army post late Monday night. This is the 10th non-combat death of a Fort Riley soldier since June and ninth since August. Sgt. 1st Class George Bible III, a platoon sergeant and Black Hawk helicopter repairer with Company D, 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., was found unresponsive in his on-post residence by officers from Fort Riley’s 97th Military Police Battalion. He was later pronounced dead by a doctor with Irwin Army Community…
TOPEKA — The Kansas agriculture community has been divided over a decision by the Trump administration to block new livestock rules from taking effect. The Lawrence Journal-World reports a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture had proposed the rules that were scheduled to go into effect Thursday. The new rules were intended to protect poultry producers from unfair commercial practices by food processing giants like Tyson Foods. Republican Sen. Pat Roberts praised the decision to block the rules. He says the decision promotes economic prosperity and reduces regulatory burdens in the agricultural community. But some groups disapprove of the…
Riley County’s EMS and fire departments will receive Kansas Police and Fire retirement system benefits starting in 2018. County commissioners approved the affiliation Monday morning 3-0 as the county continues to transition into its fully independent ambulance service on Nov. 1. Riley County commissioners voted to terminate its contract with Via Christi hospital in Manhattan on May 25 after hospital leaders informed both Riley and Pottawatomie counties in April that it would raise administrative fees by $200,000 for 2018. The contract with Via Christi involved billing and collection. According to county documents, employer’s contributions into the KP&F system is based…
You’ve likely seen the green bikes around Manhattan–known as the Green Apple Bikes. And Jared Tremblay, who serves as Transportation Planning Analyst with the Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization, told intergovernmental leaders Monday just how much those bikes are being used by members of the community. One bike was tracked by a GPS unit for one month and it rode 146.7 miles–with 350 bikes, soon to be 700, that adds up– with Tremblay saying “Bikes, particularly Green Apple Bikes, are being used as transportation and they are important to our region.” Anyone in need can borrow the bikes when found in racks around…