TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas State Board of Education plans to hold its next regular monthly meeting at the Statehouse because the department it oversees is in the midst of moving its offices. The board’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be in a room on the first floor of the Statehouse normally reserved for meetings of the House Appropriations and Judiciary committees. But by November, the 10-member board expects to be using a room in its new offices at the Landon State Office Building near the Capitol. The building is named for Alf Landon, who was…
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) An industry report shows the sales of combines across the United States plunged nearly 24 percent in September compared to the same month a year ago, but still remain strong so far this year. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers reported Thursday that 1,028 combines were sold last month, down from 1,350 sold for the same month last year. So far this year farm equipment dealers have sold 7,696 combines. That is up more than 16 percent more during the first nine months of 2012. Sales of tractors continue strong with 15,577 sales reported in September. That is…
While 2013 Miss Kansas Theresa Vail did not win last month’s Miss America pageant, the argument can certainly be made that no candidate was more talked about across the nation. In the aftermath, which has included articles and interviews by the hundreds, Vail is using her controversial appearance on the national stage to set a new standard for pageantry. Vail appeared on KMAN’s Morning News this week to talk about her success in the event, in which she finished in the top 15, and the ways her life has been changed since. “I have changed the way people view pageants,”…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Gov. Sam Brownback’s office says the Kansas Department of Labor is ending most of the furloughs imposed on its workers because of the federal government’s partial shutdown and won’t put others on unpaid leave. Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley said Thursday that the governor will use the state’s cash reserves to maintain staffing for the program that provides benefits to unemployed workers. Most of the department’s salaries and operations are financed with federal funds. Last week, it announced it was furloughing 66 employees in various divisions, most of them in Topeka. The department said Thursday that all but…
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) A 14-year-old Hutchinson boy accused of setting a fire that killed his mother and sister is seeking to bar public access to all hearings and court documents in the case. Defense attorney Gregory Bell filed a motion Wednesday for a protective order that would close all hearings, seal the court record and impose a gag order. The court set an Oct. 22 hearing on the request. The teen is charged with first-degree murder of his mother and 11-year-old sister and attempted murder of his father. He also is charged with aggravated arson in the Sept. 26 fire.…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas health officials say five Kansas lakes have dangerous levels of toxic algae. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said in a release Thursday high levels of toxic blue-green algae have been detected at Hiawatha City Lake in Brown County, Lake Shawnee in Shawnee County, Lake Warnock in Atchison County, Logan City Lake in Phillips County and Memorial Park Lake in Barton County. The department says a warning means conditions are unsafe, and swimming, wading, skiing or other direct contact with the water are prohibited. The department has also lifted an algae advisory for Mission Lake…
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) A Johnson County jury has found that a suburban Kansas City councilman engaged in misconduct when he let a homeless friend sleep at City Hall for four nights last year. The Kansas City Star reports that a jury ruled Wednesday after a three-day civil trial that Prairie Village Councilman David Morrison also willfully neglected to perform his council duties. But the jurors determined that he didn’t violate state laws against official misconduct, trespassing and theft to a degree that reached “moral turpitude.” A district judge can consider the findings in deciding whether Morrison should remain on…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) Wyandotte County prosecutors have charged a teenager involved in a traffic crash that killed a 14-year-old passenger in his car. The Kansas City Star reports the 14-year-old boy was charged as a juvenile and is accused of stealing the vehicle involved in the fatal this week. The crash occurred Monday, killing Casey Knight,14, and critically injuring another girl. The teen driver faces one count of felony theft in the juvenile division of Wyandotte County District Court. Prosecutors said the crash remained under investigation Thursday.
ABILENE, Kan. (AP) An annual event honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower has been moved to a new location because of the federal government shutdown. The 32nd Eisenhower Pilgrimage will be held Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Abilene. Previous ceremonies were held at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, which is closed because of the shutdown. The Salina Journal reports the event usually involves a wreath-laying ceremony at an Eisenhower statue, with a 21-gun salute, music and troops from Fort Riley. It’s generally held around Eisenhower’s Oct. 14 birthday. The event is organized by the state American Legion.…
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) A Lansing man was sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison for throwing human waste at two jail guards. Leavenworth County officials say Marcus Crawford, 50, was also sentenced Wednesday to nearly three years for burglary and impersonating an officer. The Kansas City Star reports Crawford was arrested in December 2011 after he tried to enter a Lansing home, claiming he was a police detective with a search warrant. The residents fought back and he fled before being arrested. While at the jail, Crawford refused meals and covered the windows of his cell with toilet paper. Prosecutors say…