LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) A utility company says a squirrel is to blame for a power outage that affected more than 3,000 customers in eastern Kansas on Thanksgiving. Westar Energy said a squirrel apparently got inside a substation and caused fuses to blow. The Kansas City Star reports that Westar apologized to customers for the incident Thursday morning. Westar said crews had the power back on to most customers by 12:30 p.m.
Author: KMAN Staff
Two Kansas entities partnered together for a recent trip to China. Former Manhattan Mayor, Loren Pepperd went on the trip and shared the details during a recent edition of KMAN’s In Focus and said the Manhattan Area Chamber of commerce sponsored the trip. Peppard said 24 people were on the trip, and it couldn’t have been a better group to travel with saying it was “an unbelievable trip” that left lasting memories. The group visited various locations in China, including the Great Wall. Micheal Henry shared photos of the trip below.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A decorated blue spruce that will light up downtown Topeka during the holiday season stood for years next to a suburban home. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Bob Zwiesler thought little of the tree when he moved into his home a dozen years ago. But when the tree reached a height of 24 feet, he grew fearful it would damage his house or its foundation. Before taking a chain saw to it, Zwiesler learned about a program that selects one tree from the Topeka area each holiday season for display outside the Westar Energy building. Last week,…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Federal prosecutors have trimmed their case against a former northwest Kansas wastewater manager accused of violating the Clean Water Act. A criminal information filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court charges Charles L. Blair with a single count of negligently causing a violation of a permit issued to the city of Hays. Blair was originally charged in a four-count indictment with making false statements about nitrogen levels in discharges from the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Blair, who retired last year, has denied the charges but is scheduled to be in court Monday for a change-of-plea hearing.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is proclaiming Saturday as “Small Business Saturday,” urging consumers to shop at small, community retailers as the holiday shopping season begins in earnest. The proclamation says that small businesses are “the backbone” of communities and major contributors to the Kansas economy. Dan Murray, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, says shopping locally supports friends and neighbors and creates jobs. Small Business Saturday” is a 4-year-old national campaign to get shoppers to support local retailers on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.
On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with Brad Everett and Wade Radina on Blue Earth Plaza tree lighting, followed by Tim Flanary, Wamego Assistant Fire Chief, and ending with Larry Couchman, Director of EMS and Emergency Services for Mercy Regional Health Center and Riley County.
For the observation of the Thanksgiving holiday, there was no InFocus today.
Junior guard Ashia Woods had a strong return from injury, scoring a career high 16 points, but K-State wasn’t able to hang on and fell to undefeated SMU 68-57 in the Junkanoo Jam. Woods, who hasn’t played since suffering an achilles injury back in January, logged 31 minutes. Haley Texada added 13 points and Leticia Romero dropped in 10. Texada and Brianna Lewis both set career highs in rebounds; Texada grabbed 9 boards and Lewis snagged 11. For the game, the Cats shot 35% from the field and 22% from beyond the arc. They hit on 6 of 14 free…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says he understands why some retailers are holding Black Friday shopping hours on Thursday, but he doesn’t like it. The governor told WIBW-AM on Wednesday he’d prefer that everyone observe Thanksgiving as a holiday. When stores open for shopping on Thursday, Brownback says, it takes workers away from their families. The shopping season is especially short this year because Thanksgiving is occurring on Nov. 28 one of the latest dates it can be observed. Meanwhile, Brownback issued a proclamation designating Nov. 30 as “Small Business Saturday” in Kansas. The national “Small Business Saturday” campaign…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is offering guidance on how the state’s concealed carry law applies to buildings used as polling places on election days. In an opinion issued Wednesday, Schmidt says voters with permits to carry concealed firearms must comply with regulations that applied to the specific location before an election. That means if voters are allowed to have a concealed weapon in a building before the election they will be allowed to carry concealed guns when voting. Secretary of State Kris Kobach requested the opinion, to clarify any ambiguity over how the law applied in…