WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Crews are nearly done restoring power to customers affected by last week’s massive outage in Sedgwick County. Westar Energy says around 400 customers in the county were still without power at mid-afternoon Monday. That’s down from a peak of 21,000 in Wichita and the surrounding county after storms with winds topping 70 mph struck the area last Thursday. Westar officials told KAKE-TV that crews still had 285 known repairs to make as of Sunday evening.
Author: KMAN Staff
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) A 22-year-old southwest Kansas man is facing up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in an attack at the home of a rival gang member. Juan Torres pleaded guilty Monday to one count of aiding and abetting attempted murder in a Dodge City attack nearly five years ago. Prosecutors say Torres was a member of Diablos Viejos and was associated with the Norteno street gang during the Oct. 4, 2008, shooting at a Sureno gang member’s home. A co-defendant is accused of firing multiple rounds from an AK-47 style weapon and…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Weather officials in Tornado Alley have raised concerns about a scene in the new Superman movie that incorrectly portrays a highway overpass as a safe place to hide during a tornado. The Wichita Eagle reports that in the “Man of Steel,” Clark Kent’s dad sees a tornado approaching as he’s driving with his family. He then urges his family and other motorists to seek shelter under a highway overpass. That contradicts the tornado safety information put out by weather officials. The National Weather Service says an overpass may actually be one of the worst places to seek…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) Authorities in Kansas City, Kan., have evacuated about 20 people from an apartment building after a partial collapse at vacant building next door. KSHB-TV reports that the partial collapse happened late Sunday. Some residents of the evacuated apartment said they didn’t know anything had happened until they received an order from authorities to leave. There were no reports of injuries. It wasn’t clear how long the residents would be out of their homes.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Topeka Police Department doesn’t have the necessary funding for a safer, more efficient way to hand out citations. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that five law enforcement agencies in Kansas have started to save money by using electronic ticketing software operated on a hand-held device or laptop. The systems replaces handwritten ticket citations. Police departments in Dodge City, Edwardsville, Merriam and Salina, as well as the Saline Country Sheriff’s Office, have been using the new technology. Topeka police Capt. Brian Desch says Topeka Municipal Court and the police department requested funding last year for electronic ticketing software,…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas Senate committee has approved Gov. Sam Brownback’s three new appointees to the state Board of Regents, but a Democratic leader questioned whether one nominee can legally serve. Monday’s decision by the Confirmation Oversight Committee means the three can serve on the board overseeing the state’s higher education system until the full Senate considers their appointments next year. They are Shane Bangerter, of Dodge City; Helen Van Etten, of Topeka; and Ann Murguia, of Kansas City, Kan. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka, the only Democrat on the six-member Oversight Committee, questioned Bangerter’s appointment. Kansas…
On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with Sarah Saueressig and Dan Seemann with the Flint Hills Financial Literacy Council. [mp3-jplayer]
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Edward Snowden will have to stop leaking US secrets if he wants to stay in Russia. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama said high level discussions continue between the US and Moscow over Snowden’s extradition.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed an order declaring a state of emergency in Yavapai County due to a wildfire that overtook a crew and killed 19 firefighters.
A 47-year old-Junction City man has been identified as the victim of a drowning in Milford Lake this past weekend. James Struthers reportedly fell off a boat Friday night shortly before 10:30 near the Milford Boat Ramp. Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf tells KMAN his department, as well as Wildlife and Parks and the Milford Corps of Engineers responded to the initial 911 call at 10:20 Friday night, and originally searched until about three a.m. Saturday. The search resumed at daylight Saturday– and through Sunday–with the body discovered Monday morning at 7:20. The body was found just to the northeast…