TOPEKA– The House Appropriations Committee’s chairman is pushing a school funding plan even though he acknowledges that he doesn’t much like it. Rep. Ron Ryckman Jr. of Olathe told fellow House Republicans during a caucus Thursday that his goal is to prevent the Kansas Supreme Court from shutting down the state’s public schools. The court ruled last month that the state has been shorting poor school districts on their fair share of state aid that now totals more than $4 billion annually. It gave lawmakers until June 30 to fix the problems. Ryckman’s plan boosts overall spending on schools by…
Author: KMAN Staff
KMAN’s Cathy Dawes visited with Via Christi Director of Emergency Services Larry Couchman and Director of Marketing Michelle Kennedy: Also on In Focus were Royal Family Kids Camp Director Glenda Newkirk and Pastor Jason Geesaman, a foster parent and volunteer:
A Junction City man faces a total of 34 counts involving child pornography following his arrest Thursday. Dale Holvorson, 49, was charged with 14 counts of distribution of child pornography and 20 counts of possession of child porn after the Junction City Police Department, with the assistance of the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Wichita Police Department, served a search warrant in the 1400 block of West 11th Street in Junction City. Holvorson was confined at the Geary County Detention Center without bond pending his first appearance in Geary County District Court. The Junction City Police…
TOPEKA — A Republican state senator is suggesting that Kansas move to consolidate public school districts as it works to make education funding fairer. Sen. Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth raised the issue Wednesday during a committee hearing on a bill to redistribute $39 million during the 2016-17 school year to help poor districts. The bill is a response to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling last month that the state has been unfairly shorting poor school districts on their aid. A district’s wealth has been measured by its average property value per student. If a small district loses a few students, its wealth…
TOPEKA — A Topeka dental testing business that authorities say dumped more than 900 files containing personal information of its customers and others in the trash will pay $140,000 as part of a lawsuit settlement. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that officials said that in March 2014, files were found in an unsecured dumpster outside of Central Regional Dental Testing Service Inc. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said that the files contained personal information, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers and health information. Schmidt’s office said in a news release Wednesday that the business will pay a $70,000 fine and $70,000 in administrative costs…
TOPEKA — A Topeka man who slugged his attorney during his trial was sentenced to more than 20 years for that crime and an armed robbery conviction. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Lance L. Franklin was on trial in December 2014 when he hit his attorney, David McDonald, knocking him unconscious. McDonald suffered a concussion, a broken nose, cuts, swollen eyes and chipped teeth. Franklin was sentenced Tuesday for aggravated assault and armed robbery in a plea deal that dropped several of the original charges. After Franklin hit McDonald, a mistrial was declared and Franklin was found in contempt of court and given…
Today’s guests on In Focus were: Vern Henricks and Dave Lewis with Greater Manhattan Community Foundation Manhattan Christian College with President Kevin Ingram
A traffic stop on Tuesday evening resulted in a drug arrest for Riley County Police. Julious Goodridge, 54, of Manhattan, was pulled over in the 700 block of Allen Rd. at 11 p.m. Upon searching Goodridge’s vehicle, police found various drugs including methamphetamine and marijuana. Goodridge was taken to the Riley County Jail and given a bond of $15,000 for these offenses. Goodridge was concurrently arrested on a failure to appear warrant from Ogden City Court with an original offense of driving without a license. Bond for this offense was set at $500.
The Wamego City Commission addressed issues associated with the Water system. At Tuesday’s meeting, City Manager Merl Page said a recent study by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment found certain chemicals in Wamego’s water supply. All the chemicals were determined to be within safe levels for human consumption, but Page said the City wanted to be proactive. He said the KDHE offered a granulated activated charcoal filter system to the City, with a caveat that it needed to be entirely enclosed. According to Page, requests for proposal to build the facility to house the filter system were sent…
CIMARRON — Federal investigators say a feed truck from a nearby lot where cattle are fattened hit the track and shifted it before an Amtrak train derailed in southwest Kansas. National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener did not say on Tuesday if this was the cause of the Amtrak Southwest Chief’s accident Monday. But he says the impact of the truck from the Cimarron Crossing Feeders shifted the train track 12 to 14 inches. The feed company declined comment Tuesday. The derailment injured at least 32 people although most were treated and released from the hospital. Two patients remained…