LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) After nearly a year of discussion, the Faculty Senate at the University of Kansas has approved a post-tenure review policy. The faculty senate approved a policy Thursday that removes most of the punitive language included in an earlier version. Some faculty members had expressed concerns in earlier meetings about possible discipline against faculty that did not meet department expectations. Kansas Provost Jeffrey Vitter and Chancellor Bernadette Gray- Little still must approve the policy. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the proposal sets up post-tenure review committees to evaluate faculty members every seven years. The Kansas Board of Regents in…
Author: KMAN Staff
HAYS, Kan. (AP) Three of four people arrested in a September drug bust in Ellis County that netted 2.5 pounds of crystal methamphetamine have accepted plea deals. Rick Grecian, 39, of Hays on Wednesday agreed to enter an Alford plea to three counts of felony distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession of methamphetamine. The deal calls for Grecian to be sentenced to a total of nearly six years in prison without parole. The Hays Daily News reports two other people also have reached plea deals. Ricky L. McBee, 39, has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison…
ST. JOHN, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Department of Agriculture is helping investigate three separate thefts of cattle in Stafford County. The department’s division of animal health says three groups of cattle were stolen between Dec. 3 and Dec. 4. The first group included 11 heifers, all solid black with black and white faces. The cattle had tags in one ear stamped with “PLLC,” and brands on their right hip. The second group was 10 mixed steers/heifers that were not branded. Those cattle were black, with black and white face, and eight of them had yellow and white tags. The third…
LINDSBORG, Kan. (AP) The women who coached the U.S. women’s soccer team to two Olympic gold medals will be a distinguished professor at Bethany College in Lindsborg. The college announced Thursday that Pia Sundhage will start in January as this year’s Distinguished Pearson Professor of Swedish Studies. Sundhage will teach a one-credit-hour class, work with Bethany’s soccer team and other regional teams and make several public presentations. The U.S. women’s soccer teams she coached in 2008 to 2012 won gold medals in Beijing and London and took second place in the 2011 FIFA World Cup. She returned to Sweden to…
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) Thousands of engineering students from the U.S. and abroad are expected to head to Pittsburg State University next May for a vehicle design competition. The Joplin Globe reports it will be the second time in four years that the school has hosted a Baja SAE-Kansas competition. The events are sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers and held at sites across the U.S. and in several other countries. Students work in teams to design, build and race off-road vehicles equipped for rough terrain. The selection of Pittsburg State was announced Thursday. Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Westar Energy says it has received several reports from customers of fraudulent calls from scammers posing as employees of the Topeka-based electric utility. The company says the scammers are targeting Spanish-speaking customers and businesses. In most cases, the caller claims to be a customer service representative and says the customer’s check has bounced or a bill is overdue, then asks for credit card information or other personal data. Scammers also have claimed a customer’s meter is defective and may catch fire. The caller then says there’s a repair fee and asks the customer to obtain a prepaid…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas education officials are seeking dismissal of a federal lawsuit over new, multi-state science standards filed by a group that claims the guidelines promote atheism and violate students’ religious freedoms. Attorneys for the State Board of Education, its 10 members, the Department of Education and Commissioner Diane DeBacker filed the request Thursday. They argued that Citizens for Objective Public Education and the 15 parents who joined it in challenging the standards can’t show they were harmed by the state board’s adoption of them in June. Among other things, the suing parties object to how evolution is handled.…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A fixture on the Topeka skyline for more than three years is coming down as renovation of the Kansas Statehouse nears completion. The towering blue crane was used to carry building materials to the capitol roof and dome, including massive steel beams used to support scaffolding. Statehouse architect Barry Greis said Thursday the crane has picked up its last loads. JE Dunn Construction planned to start dismantling it Friday or Saturday. The $330 million renovation project began in 2001. State officials are planning a ceremony marking its completion to coincide with the Jan. 29 anniversary of Kansas…
On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with Ginny Barnard, Riley County Extension Health Nutrition and Food Safety Agent, and John Jobe, the new 4-h Extension Agent, followed by Jeff Sutton, Director of Marketing, Business Partnerships, and Leadership Development with Kansas Farm Bureau and Jim Schmidt outgoing chair of the State Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee.
It wasn’t the prettiest of games but it was in the most festive of atmospheres. The Kansas State Wildcats still smarting from a couple of rough outings in the Puerto Rico Tipoff two weeks ago were now faced with a serious test as they welcomed the Ole Miss Rebels to Manhattan. All Ole Miss did last year was win the Southeastern Conference Tournament and advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 led by their flamboyant and outspoken star Marshall Henderson. For much of the night, K-State held Henderson in check and on the other side it was a collaborative effort as…