In one of his last speeches, Chairman Ben Bernanke said the Federal Reserve’s willingness to make “tough but necessary decisions” was one of its greatest assets over the last 100 years.
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Congressman Tim Huelskamp is challenging a statement by a fellow Kansan in the U.S. House that funding for a new bioscience lab is secure under a new budget agreement. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Huelskamp is questioning comments last week by fellow Republican Lynn Jenkins about why she voted for the bipartisan measure. Huelskamp says the bill does nothing to secure money for construction of the $1.25 billion National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan. Huelskamp voted against the budget deal. Jenkins issued a statement when the bill passed the House suggesting the money was moving forward…
Four buildings on Harvard University’s campus near Boston were evacuated Monday after campus police received an unconfirmed report that explosives may have been placed inside, interrupting final exams.
RIVERTON, Kan. (AP) The victim in a fatal head-on collision in southeast Kansas has been identified as a Pittsburg State University student. A report from the Kansas Highway Patrol says James Lee Potocnik, 30, was killed shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday. The patrol says Potocnik was northbound on a highway north of Riverton when his SUV crossed the center line and struck a southbound tractor-trailer. In a statement Monday, Pittsburg State officials said Potocnik was a junior majoring in electronics engineering. He was a native of the southeast Kansas town of Frontenac.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A plan by Oklahoma gas company, Oneok Inc., to spin off its utility operations would mean a freeze until 2017 in base rates and small rebates for Kansas Gas Service customers. Those provisions are part of a settlement between Oneok, the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board. The Wichita Eagle reports the settlement means there will be no opposition to the company split when the plan goes before the KCC. The proposed plan calls for breaking Oneok into two companies. A new company, One Gas, would take over Oneok’s natural gas distribution systems in…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A state lawmaker says it may be time for Kansas to consider stricter penalties for irrigators who pump beyond their allotted amount of water. Rep. Joe Seiwert told the Special Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources he’s received several letters from irrigators who are trying to follow state water conservation rules and are angry about neighbors who flout those rules. Seiwert says it may be time for tougher enforcement and higher penalties, similar to efforts decades ago to make drunken driving a more serious crime. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Rep. Sharon Schwartz urges caution, saying not…
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) Hutchinson police are investigating more than 13 cases of people using counterfeit money in the city since Dec. 5. The Hutchinson News reports seven of the cases were reported during the weekend. Most of the reports have come from fast-food restaurants. But one woman reported a man on Saturday bought her 2001 Chevrolet S-10 using counterfeit money. Additional details of that case were not immediately available. Hutchinson police says businesses and individuals should inspect cash before accepting it, particularly residents who are estate sales or selling items through social media.
CLEARWATER, Kan. (AP) Power has been restored to parts of three south-central Kansas counties where the lights went out when a power line fell on a row of hay bales, causing a brief fire. More than 5,000 people were without power Sunday in Harper, Kingman and Sumner counties. KWCH-TV reports officials with Wheatland Electric said about 4 a.m. Monday that all power had been restored. A spokesman for Wheatland Electric says the line belongs to Westar Energy but supplies power to the company for the three counties. The outage started about 1 p.m. Sunday when a crossarm on a transmission…
On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with Brady Burton, USD 384 Blue Valley/Randolph Superintendent, and, Antoinette Root, USD 378 Riley County High School principal.
Five bids were submitted to the Riley County Commission for the tractor/loader/backhoe project recently discussed during a commission meeting. Three of the bids were submitted from local companies, and two were out of Topeka. Commission Chair, Dave Lewis read the bids aloud during Monday’s meeting, which went as follows: KanEquip on Hwy 24 in Wamego: N/A Victor L. Phillips Company of Topeka: new Case 580 SN 2013 model-$86,462 Foley Equipment of Manhattan: new 2013 Cat 420F-$108,000, second bid-new model with five year lease-payments of $14,402 G.W. Van Keppel of Topeka: new Volvo BL703 2013-$110,272, second bid-five year lease payments of…