As earlier reported by KMAN, the centerpiece of this year’s “Festival of Lights” is going up for the first time. The crane began hoisting the 50 foot tree up Monday morning at Blue Earth Plaza, and the building of the tree has begun. Blue Earth Plaza is located just outside the Flint Hills Discovery Center at 3rd and Colorado here in Manhattan. A ceremony is planned Friday evening. Brad Everett and Wade Radina will tell us more about that ceremony on KMAN’s “In Focus” Friday morning.
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A teenager and his biological mother have been charged in the shootings of the teen’s adoptive parents at the couple’s home near Wichita. Eighteen-year-old Anthony Bluml was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the death of Melissa Bluml, 53, in Valley Center. He’s also charged with attempted first-degree murder in the Nov. 15 shooting of Roger Bluml, who suffered a critical head wound. The teen is also charged with aggravated robbery, burglary and theft of items authorities say were taken from the home. Bluml’s 35-year-old biological mother, San Diego resident Kisha Schaberg, faces the same charges, as…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A language arts teacher at Leavenworth High School is the 2014 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Jeff Baxter won the honor during ceremonies Saturday night in Wichita. As Teacher of the Year, Baxter receives a $4,000 cash award from Security Benefit Life, a major sponsor of the Kansas Teacher of the Year program. He’ll also receive an educational technology package valued at $7,250 from SMART Technologies ULC of Canada. The other seven finalists were Jenny Nash of the Paola school district, Katie Perez of the Hutchinson district, Mary Lonker of the Wamego district, Brandi Leggett of the…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says a meeting with legislators and a small group of Kansas school superintendents has laid the foundation for future dialogue on public education. Brownback met for more than an hour in his office Monday with House and Senate Republican leaders, superintendents and the president of the Kansas Association of School Boards. The governor convened the gathering to start what he hopes is a conversation about academic performance and avoiding future lawsuits over state funding for schools. He says more meetings are expected. Superintendents said they found Monday’s meeting productive and that all parties…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) Two more defendants are going to prison for what federal prosecutors say was a $28 million drug trafficking conspiracy in the Kansas City area. The U.S. Attorney’s office said Victor Hernandez-Delgado, 60, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison. Jorge Cisneros-Saucedo, 41, of Kansas City, Kan., received a 10-year sentence. The two were among 45 people charged with taking part in a drug trafficking organization targeted by federal investigators in October 2010. Cisneros-Saucedo and Hernandez-Delgado both pleaded guilty conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Five other defendants are…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Health officials in Sedgwick County are reporting an unusually high number of cases of whooping cough. The county health department said Monday it has received 27 reported cases of the illness so far this month. That’s more than in any month in the past five years. Whooping cough also known as pertussis is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It’s highly contagious and causes violent, rapid coughing. Health officials say babies are especially at risk because they’re too young to be vaccinated. The department is urging families to be careful about passing babies around during…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Realtors and bankers in Kansas want to do away with county fees to register property bought on a mortgage. The groups say the mortgage registration fee discriminates against people who borrow money to buy homes or business property. The Wichita Eagle reports that county officials want to keep the fee. They say without the fee it’s estimated that counties across the state will lose about $47 million a year in revenue. The Kansas Bankers Association also says the registration fee is actually a tax because nearly all the amount charged goes to the county’s general fund and…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation shows that the number of domestic violence incidents in Kansas is at its highest since 1992. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the KBI’s new Domestic Violence, Stalking and Rape in Kansas report is based on 2012 statistical data submitted to the agency by Kansas law enforcement agencies. The report shows that between 1992 and 2012, the highest number of domestic violence incidents occurred last year, when there more than 24,000 incidents reported. There were also fewer arrests made in those cases in 2012 than 2011. In 2011, there were about…
LENEXA, Kan. (AP) A 44-year-old Lenexa police officer has been running a marathon each weekend for nearly a year to raise money for two charities. Bob Schluben finished his 52nd marathon in 47 weeks on Sunday when he completed the Gobbler Grind marathon in Overland Park . He’s raised almost $30,000 for the Sunflower House in Shawnee and the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment Fund, also known as SAFE. Sunflower House is a child abuse prevention center, and SAFE raises money to support families of police officers, firefighters and paramedics who die on duty. The Kansas City Star reports Schluben…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A legislative oversight committee is scheduled to receive a status report on changes made to the Kansas Medicaid program and services for the developmentally disabled. Monday’s meeting will look at issues related to the state’s KanCare system that began implementation in 2012 and took effect earlier this year. Kansas has contracted with three managed-care organizations to administer Medicaid programs for the elderly, poor and disabled. Among those scheduled to appear are representatives from several developmentally disabled and community-based service providers. Legislators also will receive an update on the state’s health insurance marketplace from the insurance commissioner’s office.…