Author: KMAN Staff

Teachers across the state are continuing to make a move to joining the Kansas Association of American Educators, KANAAE. The most recent announcement comes out of Spearville, near Dodge City. Garry Sigle, KANAAE executive director, talked with KMAN about how the KANAAE is gaining steam since Riley County certified in 2009. “There were a number of us at Riley County that didn’t want to belong to the Kansas National Education Association, which is unionized but still wanted to have a say in the negotiations and say be an officer,” said Sigle. The KANAAE is a non-union professional teachers association. Other districts…

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A 43-year-old Kansas man could spend the rest of his life in federal prison after being sentenced under “Jessica’s Law” for molesting a 4-year-old girl. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Alvin Houston III was convicted Dec. 12 of one count of aggravated criminal sodomy. He was sentenced last week to life in prison without parole for 40 years. Houston was arrested after his victim told her grandmother what was happening. The grandmother spoke with an elementary school teacher who contacted the Coffey County Sheriff’s Office on behalf of the family. Coffey County Attorney Douglas Witteman says Houston gave…

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On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with State Senator Tom Hawk of Manhattan, followed by Riley County Police Director Brad Schoen.

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Payton Stephens scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Manhattan High boys basketball team knocked off Wichita Heights 55-46 on Thursday afternoon at the Dodge City Tournament of Champions. Alex Stitt added 12 points as the Tribe knocked off the Falcons, who won four state titles from 2009-2012. Manhattan High (6-2) will now face Hays in the semifinals of the Dodge City TOC on Friday night at 7:00pm. Pregame begins at 6:45 on NewsRadio 1350 KMAN.

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Wichita hotel that is hosting the state’s Republican convention has decided to allow participants to bring their guns if they want, despite signs saying firearms aren’t allowed. Butler County Republican Party chairwoman Debbie Luper told party members in an email that Hyatt Regency Hotel has agreed to relax its gun ban for the sold-out convention that starts Friday. The Wichita Eagle reports state GOP executive director Clay Barker called the lifting of the ban symbolic because most would not be taking their guns. Barker says the temporary change was an acknowledgement by the hotel that Kansans…

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is backing a bill that would exclude the lesser prairie chicken from federal protection. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Kobach told the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Thursday that the bill would likely lead to a legal battle that pits state rights against federal law. The bill would assert state sovereignty over nonmigratory wildlife and declare null and void any federal law in Kansas on the lesser prairie chicken. Under the bill, state officials also would be allowed to charge federal officials with a felony for enforcing a federal law dealing…

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee’s chairman is promoting a series of measures aimed at making the courts more efficient in response to a budget-focused address by the state Supreme Court’s chief justice. Independence Republican Jeff King sent Chief Justice Lawton Nuss a letter Thursday, a day after Nuss gave the annual State of the Judiciary address. Nuss warned that the courts need another $8.3 million for the fiscal year beginning in July to avoid employee furloughs. King’s letter urged the Supreme Court to back an increase in some court filing fees, expanded use of video conferencing in…

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ROELAND PARK, Kan. (AP) Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback took a field trip to a suburban school district as he kicked off a campaign to build support for his plan to increase state funding of all-day kindergarten. The Republican governor dined Thursday with students at Roesland Elementary School in the Shawnee Mission school district before chatting with teachers, students and parents. Currently, district parents pay $300 per month for the all-day program. The half-day program is free. Brownback wants to increase state funding for all-day kindergarten starting in the next budget year, providing an extra $16 million each year over five…

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