Friday morning saw a number of reports of accidents along I-70 from mile markers 322 to 338. Riley County Police, Kansas Highway Patrol, and EMS were all on scene during the almost three-hour ordeal. Reports began coming in at about 7:15 am and roads were reopened at about 10 am. Kansas Highway Patrol is releasing information on the accidents. The first accident occurred at 6:50 am. Kimberly Regnier, 45, of Junction City was eastbound on 1-70 when she lost control of her 2008 Ford Mustang and struck a 2007 Honda Accord driven by Debra Holenbeck, 59, of Manhattan. Regnier was transported to Mercy…
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Some conservative leaders in the Kansas Legislature say they will try again during the next session to stop the state from requiring utilities to buy more wind power. Supporters of wind power say that action would hurt an industry that has potential for big growth in Kansas. A 2009 law requires the state’s major utilities to get 15 percent of their power from wind or other renewable sources by 2016 and 20 percent by 2020. An opponent of the law Rep. Dennis Hedke, a Republican from Wichita, says he wants all energy sources to be on the…
HAYS, Kan. (AP) Fort Hays State University is launching an effort to raise $8 million for scholarships for students. University officials announced the one-year Power of One Scholarship Campaign effort Wednesday. President Edward Hammond has made providing aid for students a top priority during his 27 years at the university. He plans to retire next summer. The Hays Daily News reports Fort Hays’ student enrollment has increased from 5,538 in 1987 to 13,441 this year. The fundraising campaign represents a 400 percent increase over normal fundraising in a year’s time for the Fort Hays State University Foundation.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Concealed guns will likely be allowed in nearly all public buildings in Shawnee County, beginning Jan. 1. The Shawnee County Commission on Monday will consider asking Attorney General Derek Schmidt to exempt only the county courthouse and three health agency buildings from allowing concealed guns. More than 80 other county-owned buildings will allow the weapons. County counselor Rich Eckert says it is too expensive to provide adequate security at the other buildings, and citizens have a right to carry concealed weapons. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the exemption letters are on the commission’s consent agenda, which usually is…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A homeless man who stabbed another man to death during a confrontation in Wichita was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison. Zachary A. Contreras, 29, was sentenced Thursday for voluntary manslaughter in the death of Francisco Perez, 39,. He also had pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for threatening another man during the confrontation. Contreras’ attorney said her client was defending himself and a cousin in September 2012 when Perez confronted them because he didn’t want homeless people near his apartment. An autopsy report showed Perez was drunk when he confronted the men. The Wichita Eagle reports the…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Shawnee County plans to shut down its Forbes Golf Course. John Knight, parks and recreation director, said Thursday the closure is effective Jan. 1. Knight said the department lacks the money to keep the nine-hole Forbes course open. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Knight spoke at the first of three public hearings the county is holding regarding the future of the property. He says the course is expected to see an operating loss this year of about $120,000. The decision to close Forbes comes at a time when the parks and recreation department is seeking to cut…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A Kansas City, Mo., foundation has donated $1 million to help renovate Swarthout Recital Hall at the University of Kansas, pushing the project closer to its $2.5 million budget. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the university announced the donation from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation on Thursday. The gift pushes the total raised to $2.3 million. The dean of the KU School of Music says the school hopes to have the rest of the funding soon so construction can begin at the end of the upcoming spring semester. The recital hall is named after Donald Swarthout, who was…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A veteran employee with the Kansas Department of Transportation has been named director of the agency’s aviation division. KDOT announced Thursday that Jesse R. Romo had been promoted from his position as acting director of the division, a post he has held since April. He has also been the deputy director of the aviation division. Romo is a pilot and graduate of the University of California-Los Angeles and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives and adjunct professor at Baker University. He joined the KDOT staff in 2006…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A federal judge will hear arguments in a lawsuit filed by Kansas and Arizona seeking to force modifications in a national voter registration form so the states can fully enforce proof-of-citizenship requirements. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren will take up the request for a preliminary injunction Friday in Wichita. The states want an order requiring the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to change the national voter registration form before next year’s midterm elections. The states want the federal form to include instructions requiring Kansas and Arizona residents to provide a birth certificate, passport or other proof of U.S.…
Kansas.com is reporting that Randy Dreiling will leave the school he turned into a powerhouse, Hutchinson for St. Thomas Aquinas. Dreiling went 160-39 in 17 seasons, and took a Salthawk program from a 26-game losing streak to seven state titles and nine state title game appearances in a stretch of ten years. Hutch went 5-4 and missed the playoffs for the first time in 13 years this past fall.