Today’s guests on In Focus were Manhattan Mayor Usha Reddi and City Manager Ron Fehr.
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA — A new funding plan from a group of Kansas school administrators is reviving longstanding regional tensions and spotlighting questions about whether the state spends enough on public education. One part of the plan was similar to a complex formula to dole out nearly $4.1 billion yearly that legislators junked last year. Instead, legislators went for predictable “block grants” for districts that allow the state to better control its spending. But other provisions represent a radical departure from past policy, such as stripping local districts of their power to tax. The state would instead raise property taxes statewide as a way…
Today’s guests on In Focus were: St. Sen. Tom Hawk of Manhattan and John Strickler, formerly with the Kansas Forest Service on water Cathy Hedge with League of Women Voters of Manhattan/Riley County
The mystery illness plaguing Manhattan High School is now being reported throughout other schools in USD 383. Superintendent Marvin Wade said in a letter to parents Friday that elementary and middle school students in the district are reporting the same vomiting, diarrhea and nausea symptoms that has plagued the high school since such sickness was noticed with six students on Aug. 22. Now that number has grown to 150 students, including some faculty. While norovirus is the suspected culprit by school officials, that has yet to be confirmed by any medical authority. Sunday, Michelle Jones, USD 383 Director of Communications…
Two people were injured in a car accident Saturday evening on Interstate 70. Shortly after 5 p.m. a 2006 Toyota Matrix lost control and rolled into the median coming to rest in the east bound lanes. The accident is said to have occurred at westbound mile marker 320 after a brake check incident involving another vehicle. The driver is listed as 21-year old Alexandria Smith of Junction City. The only passenger in the vehicle was Muenfua Lewis, 22, of Olathe. Both parties are listed as “injured” and were transported to Via Christi.
Two men serving time with the Kansas Department of Corrections in Geary County murder-related chases are up for the next set of public comment sessions and parole hearings. Frank J. Pencek Jr., 68, was convicted in 1975 in connection with a May 1974 incident involving murder, kidnapping and rape. Elizabeth Bush, 20, was the victim in the case, which occurred at Milford Lake. She was studying for a recreation degree at Kansas State at the time and had been working a summer job at Milford. She was stabbed 27 times. At a 2006 hearing before the Parole Board, then Sheriff Jim…
Manhattan residents and many others across the state were shaken awake Saturday morning via earthquake. The United States Geological Survey reported a 5.8 magnitude earthquake around 7 a.m. The quake’s epicenter was reported near Pawnee, Okla. The earthquake was felt as far north as Omaha, Neb., according to some reports. It was also felt in Topeka and Kansas City. According to a June report by ABC affiliate KOCO in Oklahoma City, earthquakes have increased dramatically in Oklahoma recently. In 2015, the state recorded 857 quakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater. There were 585 in 2014 and just 106 in 2013.…
After K-State fell short 26-13 to 8th-ranked Stanford, Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder summed up the Cats’ performance with, “We were inconsistent consistently.” It was a theme that was shared among the players after the game where things seemed just out of reach and the offense just enough out of sync to keep K-State on the wrong side of the scoreboard — despite out-gaining Stanford 335 yards to 272 yards on the night. Preseason Heisman favorite Christian McCaffrey was still the deciding factor for the Cardinal despite being largely held in check by the K-State defense. It only took…
A fugitive found in Carbondale is now in the Geary County Detention Center on a $1.5 million bond. On Aug. 22, Timothy Walter Streit, 37, was located and apprehended by the Kansas Fugitive Apprehension Team at a residence in Carbondale following a week-long investigation conducted by the Geary County Sheriff’s Office. On Aug. 19, a warrant for the arrest of Streit was issued by Geary County District Court, alleging five counts of criminal threat. This case is linked to a previous investigation of aggravated indecent liberties with a child where Streit is the suspect. That case is pending in the…
TOPEKA — Four former Kansas governors are launching a bipartisan campaign next week to retain Kansas Supreme Court justices in November’s election. The three invitation-only events with former Republican Govs. Mike Hayden and Bill Graves and former Democratic Govs. John Carlin of Manhattan and Kathleen Sebelius are sponsored by Kansans for Fair Courts. It says it wants to keep the state’s courts independent. The first event is Tuesday morning at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. The others are Tuesday afternoon in Topeka and Wednesday morning in Wichita. Voters will determine whether five of the seven justices receive another six-year term. They…