Businesses are welcoming the Obama administration’s decision to delay a mandate for companies to buy health coverage. But the one-year postponement raises new questions about President Barack Obama’s landmark health law.
Author: KMAN Staff
HOISINGTON, Kan. (AP) A central Kansas boy is in a Wichita hospital after being mauled by a neighbor’s pit bull. KAKE-TV reports the 4-year-old from Hoisington was in critical condition Wednesday. Hoisington police say the boy was playing a backyard Monday afternoon when the dog jumped a fence and attacked him. The boy was taken first to a Barton County hospital, then transferred to Wichita due to the severity of his injuries. The pit bull was euthanized and tested negative for rabies.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) The University of Kansas is starting a new program to address a shortage of social workers in western Kansas. Data collected by the university’s School of Social Welfare shows that fewer than 200 of the state’s 4,000 licensed social workers live in the western half of the state. Last month, the school launched a new yearlong Master of Social Work program based in western Kansas. It’s the state’s first such program west of Wichita. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that students will complete some work online. They’ll also go to class every other weekend at either Fort Hays…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Lawrence police are looking for help finding a thief who’s been stealing downtown parking meters. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the thief has apparently used a pipe cutter, or a similar tool, to saw off at least five parking meter posts since April. At least two parking meters were also reported stolen in Lawrence in 2010, though it’s not clear how they were removed. Police say the destruction of parking meters is far more costly than the loss of the coins in the meter. The cost to replace the post and meter heads is about $800 for the…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) One of nine defendants charged in the shooting death of a Topeka woman has pleaded no contest. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Bayate Rayshawn Covington, 21, pleaded no contest Tuesday in Shawnee County court to reckless second-degree murder and other charges in the July 2011 shooting death of Natalie Gibson. Sentencing for Covington is July 18. Gibson was killed during an attempted robbery at her home that also left another woman wounded. Terms of the plea include requiring Covington to testify in pending cases related to the death. Five other defendants in the case have been sentenced,…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas prosecutor has agreed to delay his lawsuit against the Kansas Corporation Commission over alleged open meetings violations while the utility regulatory board reviews its policies. Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor said Wednesday he filed a motion in state court agreeing to a 120-day stay while the KCC conducts a voluntary audit of its procedures. Taylor’s June 19 lawsuit alleges the three-member commission violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act by taking binding action on a Salina water rate increase without convening in public to vote. Taylor’s office says the motion was filed Tuesday in Shawnee…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A new report from a libertarian-leaning think tank rates the Kansas highway system second among states for its overall condition and cost-effectiveness. The Reason Foundation ranked Kansas only behind North Dakota in its annual report on state road systems. In the previous two years, the Los Angeles-based group rated Kansas third in the nation. The foundation said Kansas kept its highways in good condition while having lower-than-average costs per-mile for maintenance and administrative costs. The latest report was based on data reported to the federal government in 2009. The following year, Kansas started a 10-year, $8 billion…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman has made changes in the department’s top management because of the departures of two high-level administrators. Rodman announced Tuesday the immediate promotion of Assistant Secretary Jackie McClaskey to deputy secretary. McClaskey has worked in the Agriculture Department since January 2011. Erik Wisner will become assistant secretary for administrative services next week. He is now a special assistant on regulatory and policy matters. Chad Bontrager will become an assistant secretary in August, overseeing agribusiness development, food safety and lodging inspections and the state’s weights and measures program. He is currently agribusiness development coordinator.…
MULVANE, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Star casino south of Wichita is postponing Sunday’s performance by country singer Tim McGraw to avoid conflicting with a weekend concert for tornado relief in Oklahoma. McGraw was to have been the inaugural performer in the casino’s new arena. Kansas Star said Tuesday the show has been rescheduled to Oct. 12. On Saturday, a large cast of country stars including Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson and Ronnie Dunn will perform in Norman, Okla., to raise money for tornado recovery. Tickets for McGraw’s postponed show in Kansas will be honored at the October concert. Kansas…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A new website has been launched by the state of Kansas to help link military veterans with educational and employment opportunities. The new KanVet site was announced this week by Gov. Sam Brownback and Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, state adjutant general. It’s aimed at active duty veterans, as well as members of the National Guard. Veterans will be able to use the site to find information about educational opportunities in Kansas, including lists of schools and links to scholarship programs. The employment portion offers links to state agencies, the Kansas National Guard, career fairs and information about…