WICHITA — A western Kansas woman is suing the state and some of the agencies involved in questioning and removing her 11-year-old son from her home after he spoke up at school about her marijuana use. The Wichita Eagle reports that Shona Banda’s federal lawsuit alleges the state and the agencies are depriving her of her civil rights to treat a debilitating condition. The Garden City woman also claims officials have infringed on her parenting, and that local police and school employees improperly questioned her son without her permission in March of last year. Spokespeople for Garden City public schools…
Author: KMAN Staff
MEDICINE LODGE — Firefighters making headway in trying to snuff the biggest wildfire in Kansas history may not get much help from the weather in coming days. Forestry officials in Kansas and Oklahoma say the fires that have scorched 620 square miles in the two states are 45 percent contained. That includes the roughly one-third of the fire in hardest-hit Barber County in south-central Kansas. But the National Weather Service says shifting, stiffer winds are looming, potentially reigniting hot spots or extending flames beyond the fire line. Around Barber County, winds on Monday could gust to 15 to 25 mph, then increase…
A Manhattan woman was killed in a car accident last night on Highway 24. At approximately 11 p.m. on Friday, Shelly Moore, 50, lost control of her vehicle for unknown reasons at mile marker 305, left the road, struck an embankment and flipped her Honda CRV. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported she was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the incident. Moore leaves behind children who were notified of her accident early this morning.
A Manhattan man was arrested on Friday evening for sex crimes with a child. Forty six-year old Derrick Ray Bishop was arrested in the 2500 block of Farm Bureau Rd. shortly after 5:30 p.m. His charges include rape, indecent liberties with a child, and aggravated battery against. Bond was set at $100,000.
Updated Sunday morning: A Wichita man was arrested Saturday in connection with the aggravated kidnapping reported Thursday night. Sunday’s Riley County Police arrest report indicates Sergio Guerra, 38, was taken into custody Saturday afternoon. KMAN had mentioned the suspect was identified and in custody on Facebook Saturday evening. Guerra faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and aggravated battery with a bond of $500,000. The arrest report indicates he was taken into custody in the 5000 block of Pawnee Street shortly after noon on Saturday. Further information is expected Monday. ### Friday report: Riley County Police are investigating an aggravated…
TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate has unanimously passed a bill that would overhaul the state’s juvenile justice system. The Wichita Eagle reports that the bill was created to shift the juvenile justice system away from incarceration and use some of the cost savings to boost community-based programs that help young offenders. The bill is expected to save Kansas about $72 million over five years. It also replaces juvenile jail with programs that to try to cure problems such as inappropriate sexual behavior or substance abuse. The final bill was a result of months of legislative analysis, debate and research. Republican state Rep.…
WASHINGTON — A Kansas senator’s comments expressing support for Senate consideration of President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick have angered conservatives and underscored the passion the issue stirs in both parties’ activists. Republican Sen. Jerry Moran made the remarks at events in Kansas this week, days after Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the vacancy. They were reported by local newspapers and came to national attention days later. According to reports in The Garden City Telegram and Dodge City Daily Globe, Moran said he favored Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and indicated an openness to a full Senate vote. He said it…
The standing president at Kansas State University is moving to the Pacific Northwest. Just after the noon hour on Friday, Hannah Street of The Daily Evergreen, the student newspaper of Washington State University, reported from a Board of Regents meeting in Richland, Wash., that Kirk Schulz will be the new president at WSU. Schulz was one of the three finalists for the position and received an unanimous vote. Washington State is a public research university that operates on four campuses across the state and competes in the PAC 12 athletic conference. The selection process was kept very secretive, with the three finalists…
TOPEKA — Kansas legislators have started their annual spring break and will be out of session for nearly five weeks. The House and Senate adjourned Thursday afternoon after both approved a Republican education funding plan. The measure avoids increasing state spending while attempting to meet a state Supreme Court order to improve aid to poor school districts. Lawmakers plan to resume their session April 27. They’ll reconvene after state officials and economists issue revised projections for state tax collections through June 2017. With monthly tax collections regularly falling short of expectations, legislators are likely to consider budget adjustments. They’ll also be awaiting…
Officers with the Riley County Police Department arrested Zachariah Walters, 34, of Wichita, on a warrant for the offense of failure to appear (with an original offense of distribution of heroin or certain stimulants). He was given a bond of $50,000 after being arrested at the Riley County Police Department on Thursday at approximately 4:20 PM.