The Kansas Supreme Court has struck down a stopgap law and told the legislature to revamp the way schools are funded in the state. State Representative Sydney Carlin reacted to the decision announced Thursday, saying “I’m excited about the state’s decision coming in at this time, where we have some time to deal with it here at the capital.” The court says the state left poor districts $54 million short, and that the Republican-backed law enacted last year doesn’t comply with the Kansas Constitution. USD 383’s Aaron Estabrook also released a statement on the ruling, saying “the ruling means that instead of…
Author: KMAN Staff
Mid-Campus Drive “four corners” to Old Claflin Road closes Feb. 15-May 15: Fences and barricades will be placed to close Mid-Campus Drive from the intersection of Claflin Road and Mid-Campus Drive “four corners” to just south of Old Claflin Road. Traffic will continue to flow through Claflin Road east and west, and also north on Mid-Campus Drive from that intersection. There will be no vehicle or pedestrian access past West Hall on Old Claflin Road. North of Shellenberger Hall, Waters Hall and Waters Hall Annex can be accessed from the south through Mid-Campus Drive. The east entrance and exit from parking lot A17 will…
TOPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court has struck down a stopgap law for funding the state’s public schools, saying it left poor districts $54 million short. The justices ruled Thursday that the Republican-backed law enacted last year doesn’t comply with the Kansas Constitution. The court gave lawmakers until the end of June to write a new law. The ruling came in a lawsuit that four districts have been pursuing since 2010. The Supreme Court has yet to decide on the larger question of whether Kansas must boost its education spending by at least $548 million a year. Lawmakers approved the 2015 law…
Kansas State hoped its biggest win of the season, over No. 1 Oklahoma last weekend, would be the turning point of its season. If Wednesday night’s performance against No. 21 Baylor was any indication, it was more of a flash in the pan. The Wildcats were outmatched by the Bears’ zone defense from the opening tip in a 82-72 loss at Bramlage Coliseum. “It was a disappointing performance for our guys,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “We were on top of the world Saturday night, and I guess we didn’t handle it very well.” For the second straight game, a…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Topeka man convicted in a 2014 killing in Freedom Valley Park has been sentenced to 14 years and eight months in prison. Prosecutors say 25-year-old Jourdan Mickel Hunt shot at 20-year-old Germaul Rayton, Ahmad Rayton and Anthony Marshall III on May 31, 2014. Germaul Rayton was fatally wounded. Hunt was sentenced Tuesday on a charge of intentional second-degree murder. He was also convicted of two counts of aggravated battery in the shootings of the two other men, who were injured in the incident. Hunt was sentenced to a total of six years and 10 months in…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Federal prosecutors have charged a former tribal casino employee with embezzlement in a scheme involving fake “players cards” at a casino in northeast Kansas. A criminal information filed Tuesday charges 32-year-old Donald M. Collins of Wetmore with one count of embezzling tribal funds. Collins worked at the time as players club manager at the Sac and Fox Casino, which is owned by the Sac and Fox Nation of Kansas and Nebraska. His defense attorney did not immediately return a message left seeking comment. Collins is accused of making counterfeit cards valued at about $13,326. The cards allow…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A proposal to remove gifted children from the special education realm in Kansas has been abandoned after push back from gifted education advocates. The Wichita Eagle reports that Republican state Rep. Sue Boldra said Tuesday that she planned to withdraw the proposal. Republican state Rep. Ron Highland, chairman of the House Committee on Education, said the bill wouldn’t have a hearing. The bill could’ve gutted funding for gifted education and done away with protections for gifted students and their families. Boldra said the idea wasn’t to eliminate gifted programs, but to separate them from special education. She…
A former Fort Riley nurse has been indicted on federal charges, after stealing a powerful painkiller. Lana J. Pendergast, 56, of Clay Center, was charged with one count of unlawfully obtaining a controlled substance. The indictment alleges that Pendergast began taking fentanyl for her own use – replacing stolen vials of the painkiller with saline as a cover up while working as a nurse at Irwin Army Hospital. The fentanyl vials containing saline were disposed of. If convicted, Pendergast faces a maximum penalty of four years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
After getting experience in leading Kansas’ 64th district in the House of Representatives, Susie Swanson decided two years was just not enough time to accomplish her goals. Swanson was elected to congress in the 2014 elections; and just over halfway through her term, she decided one more go-round would be a good idea. “I certainly don’t have a desire to be a career politician, but I felt like another term just made sense,” Swanson said. “My desire, really, is influenced by being a grandmother and having seven grandkids who I hope will stay in Kansas.” Before running for the House,…
Police arrested an Ogden man on Tuesday afternoon for probation violation. David Lee Huffman, 34, was apprehended in the 100 block of North 4th St. in Manhattan. Huffman’s bond was set at $5,000. Kansas Department of Corrections indicates Huffman was sentenced for possession of narcotic or opium drugs in 2014.