TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas officials are notifying county health clinics that a program providing cash subsidies to women and children will cease issuing checks later this month because of the federal government shutdown. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says Wednesday that because of uncertain funding checks won’t be issued for November or December through the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC. The program supplies low-income women with checks or debit cards that can be used for infant formula and cereal, fruits and vegetables, dairy items and other healthy food. WIC…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Democrats and liberal activists in Kansas are criticizing Republican Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins over the federal government’s partial shutdown. But Jenkins and other members of the state’s all-GOP congressional delegation said Wednesday they’re looking for President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats to negotiate on budget issues. They also said they won’t support increasing the federal debt ceiling without reductions in federal spending. Two dozen activists rallied outside Jenkins’ office in Topeka, demanding she work for a House vote on budget and debt ceiling legislation without conditions. Jenkins represents the 2nd District of eastern Kansas but is a member…
OAKLAWN, Kan. (AP) A 29-year-old Wichita man has been convicted of first-degree murder for his role in a 2011 robbery and homicide. The Wichita Eagle reports Nicholas Dupree was one of five men charged in the Dec. 14, 2011, death of Markez Phillips. A Sedgwick County jury found him guilty Wednesday. Dupree’s sentencing is set for Nov. 15. Police say Phillips was visiting his girlfriend in Oaklawn, which is south of Wichita, when a group of men forced their way into the home and shot him before leaving with three big-screen TVs.
SALINA, Kan. (AP) Salina police are investigating a recorded incident that appears to show an officer from the department throwing a person to the ground during an altercation outside a bar. Lt. Scott Siemsen told The Salina Journal the incident is being investigated, but he declined further comment. The 4.5 -minute video posted online by a bystander had more than 20,000 views by Wednesday morning. In the video, several people are outside a Salina bar when police arrive. An officer is shown walking over to a person and throwing him to the ground. Later the video appears to show someone…
CLAFLIN, Kan. (AP) Two people have been killed in a two-vehicle crash in central Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the accident occurred Tuesday afternoon northeast of Claflin when the car the victims were in car collided with a tractor-trailer. The Hutchinson News reports the victims were identified as Gordon Zahradnik, 80, and Rae Zahradnik, 78. They were both from Lyons. The patrol says the victims weren’t wearing seat belts.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas social services agency is ending its practice of using federal grant funds to encourage low-income residents to enroll in the food stamp program. A spokeswoman for the Kansas Department for Children and Families tells the Lawrence Journal-World that the decision is consistent with the state’s position that finding a job is a better than seeking short-term assistance. The grant program awarded federal funds to five groups across Kansas that used it to help low-income residents apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The groups were notified by the state on Sept. 30, one day before…
LINCOLN, Kan. (AP) A preliminary hearing in a second-degree murder case involving the son of a Kansas sheriff has been postponed. The hearing for Scott Weigel was scheduled Tuesday in Lincoln County District but it was rescheduled to Nov. 25. The 33-year-old Weigel is charged in the Sept. 9 shooting death of Keith Ancell, 21, of Lincoln. The Salina Journal reports Lincoln County Attorney Jennifer O’Hare asked that the hearing be delayed to provide attorneys more time to review the evidence. Weigel is being held in a jail outside of Lincoln County. His bond is $750,000. He is the son of…
DERBY, Kan. (AP) Voters in the Wichita suburb of Derby approved half-cent sales tax that will fund parks, the library and some costs for the city’s fire department. The Sedgwick County Election Office says 67 percent of voters supported the measure in a special election on Tuesday. The tax will take effect Jan. 1, 2015. About half of the revenue will be used to fund a new park, with baseball and softball fields and a dog park. Thirty percent will go toward fire and rescue services, with 20 percent for the library. The tax is expected to raise about $2…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Wichita State University is scheduled to host a conference aimed at encouraging middle-school girls to consider careers in science disciplines. The Wichita Eagle reports the Expanding Your Horizons conference is set for Nov. 2 at WSU. The university says in a release the conference is part of a national program that gives girls a chance to meet role models in science, technology, engineering and math. Registration is limited to the first 100 participants and runs through Oct. 15. The registration fee is $12. Workshops will include “Robot Basketball,” and “Pet Rescue 911.” Parents can attend sessions on…
LARNED, Kan. (AP) A candlelight tour at the Fort Larned National Historic Site has been canceled because of the government shutdown. The tour had been scheduled for Oct. 12. But site officials said in a news release that the event requires a large number of volunteers and that it isn’t possible to reschedule it later this year. The park site near Larned will remain closed until the government reopens.