TOPEKA — Officials say the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services is on track to fall short of federal requirements for inspection of 350 nursing home facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the agency’s compliance record for annual inspections has grown worse since 2015, when state employees completed surveys at nearly 80 percent of the state’s nursing facilities. Only 35 percent were inspected in 2017 and the state is on pace to conduct less than 40 percent for 2018. Department Secretary Tim Keck says the agency needs more inspectors to comply. Republican Sen.…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA — Kansas legislators could consider a gun-rights proposal and new legal protections for faith-based adoption agencies after reconvening this week. Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer and the state’s Catholic bishops are backing a Senate-passed proposal to allow state foster care contractors to do business with adoption agencies that refuse on religious grounds to place children in LGBT homes. Meanwhile, some lawmakers want to decrease the age at which gun owners can carry concealed to 18 from 21. Fiscal issues also are on legislators’ plate when they return Thursday from their annual spring break. They expect to fix a flaw in…
Today’s guests on In Focus were Blue Valley Superintendent Brady Burton, Riley County School District Super Cliff Williams, and Flint Hills Regional Council Director Gary Stith.
WICHITA — Kansas is rolling out the welcome mat after “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill tweeted about wanting to visit. Gov. Jeff Colyer suggested Monday in a tweet that Hamill come on May 4, which fans call Star Wars Day for the wordplay on “May the Force be with you.” Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardner responded with “I only let Jedi Warriors drive my patrol car.” The state’s transportation touted its roads in a tweet that included a video clip of Batman’s archenemy, the Joker, whom Hamill has voiced. The love fest began after Hamill was asked in Twitter…
The Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department will be sharing thoughts and ideas for the updated Master Plan for City Park. A presentation of updated plans will be shared with the city commission and the community beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday night inside Manhattan’s City Hall. The planning process is currently re-engaging with the community to evaluate parks and recreation facility improvements from a broader, community-wide perspective as part of the Parks and Recreation Facility Feasibility Study. The department recently held an open house to share the updated vision with the community. For more information, you can visit City Park Master…
The Manhattan Mercury’s owner is buying four other regional newspapers. Seaton Publishing Company of Manhattan has signed a contract to buy the Junction City Daily Union, effective May 1, according to the Mercury. The 103-year-old company is taking over the Daily Union in a deal that also involves two other four-generation newspaper families. The deal also includes the First Infantry Division Post weekly newspaper, which the Daily Union produces under a contract with the U.S. Army; and the Wamego Smoke Signal and Wamego Times, both weekly newspapers in Pottawatomie County. The combination will allow subscribers in all the publications to…
Tuesday’s guests were Pottawatomie County Commissioner Dee McKee and County Appraiser Lois Schlegel. Also on the show were Randi Dale of Friends of Peace Memorial Auditorium and Trace Woods of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Kansas State University has received a $500,000 donation toward the renovation of the first floor of the campus’ main library. The Manhattan Mercury reports that the donation comes from the children of Joyce and H.D. “Joe” Hale, who were the main donors for a massive 1990s library renovation and addition. A cafe in the new space will honor the children, John Hale, Dana Nelson, Karen Young, Alan Hale, Lisa Hale and Mollie Carter. The library’s renovation will create a more accessible entrance to the first floor. Besides the cafe, it will include group study spaces, instruction rooms, exhibit space for…
Emergency crews were busy in Junction City Monday morning and over the weekend, according to a press release from the Junction City Fire Department. Monday morning just after 6:32 a.m., the JCFD responded to 1310 Overbrook Dr. Upon arrival crews found a wood frame bi level with nothing showing. The occupant had extinguished the fire upon arrival of JCFD crews. The occupant stated he smelled smoke after getting out of the shower, coming down the hallway and that the smoke detector activated. He told the JCFD that he’d seen flames in the dining room window and that he started throwing water on the…
Officers responded to the report of an injury accident near the intersection of Scenic Dr. and Skyway Dr. in Riley County on April 20, 2018 at approximately 7:00 PM. When officers arrived on scene they found a black 2012 Harley Davidson Motorcycle driven by John Board, 62, of Manhattan had crashed. Board was transported to Via Christi for treatment of his injuries. Officers filed a report for aggravated battery in the 1000 block of Sunset Ave. in Manhattan on April 22, 2018 at approximately 1:20 AM. Officers listed Connor Newell, 19, of Manhattan as the victim when he reported an…