OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) A northeast Kansas department store has been evacuated because the heavy snow accumulation on its roof is causing safety concerns. The Overland Park Fire Department said workers noticed sagging ceiling tiles at the Macy’s store at Metcalf South Shopping Center and called around 10 a.m. Wednesday. Firefighters found 3 feet to 4 feet of wet snow on the roof. Both levels of the store were evacuated while a structural engineer and the city’s building safety staff examined the roof. They determined the problem was localized to a specific area, but snow needed to be cleared to…
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Even as Wichita recovers from two big storms that left more than a foot of snow, city leaders are discussing how to respond to looming water shortages. The Wichita City Council on Tuesday began considering water conservation measures that could be expensive and controversial. The city says Cheney Reservoir, which provides 60 percent of its water, would dry up by mid-2015 if the drought persists. That would mean the city wouldn’t have enough water to meet demand. The Wichita Eagle reports outdoor water use would be the biggest target. One proposal would increase water rates by 113…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) A Kansas Senate committee has endorsed an effort to build a center devoted to adult stem cells at The University of Kansas Medical Center. The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would create the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center in Kansas City, Kan. Supporters say the center could make the medical center a regional hub for adult stem cell research, treatment and education. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports if it is eventually approved, the center would be banned from using embryonic stem cells or cells taken from aborted fetal tissue. However,…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) Kansas City, Kan., police say a man and his sister were found dead in their home, and carbon monoxide poisoning is the suspected cause of death. Police say a family member found the bodies of a 58-year-old man and his 69-year-old sister Tuesday evening. Their names were not released. The Kansas City Star reports emergency responders found a gas-powered generator running in a basement garage and an extension cord linked to appliances in the home, which was without power because of a winter storm. Responders found carbon monoxide readings in the garage of 600 parts per…
CONCORDIA, Kan. (AP) Cloud County voters have rejected a proposed sales tax increase to pay for a new hospital in Concordia. The proposed 0.75 county sales tax increase lost Tuesday by a margin of 312 votes, with 1,699 opposed and 1,387 in favor. The Salina Journal reports supporters estimated the increase from 8.3 percent to 9.05 percent would have provided about half the money needed for the nearly $30 million project. Jim Wahlmeier, CEO of Cloud County Health Center, says hospital officials will continue to search for ways to build a proposed one-story, 70,000-square-foot, critical-access hospital with up to 25…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Gov. Sam Brownback and top Kansas officials are assessing the state’s response to the winter storms that blanketed most of the state in the past week. Brownback scheduled a news conference Wednesday to report on the impact of the weather and how state agencies handled the challenges. Transportation Secretary Mike King, Adjutant Gen. Lee Tafanelli and Highway Patrol Col. Ernest Garcia planned to join the governor. The storms that crossed Kansas last Thursday and again this week dropped more than 2 feet of snow in some places and knocked out power to thousands of customers, mostly in…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) An age discrimination lawsuit filed by a former University of Kansas employee has been dismissed in Douglas County District Court. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Cynthia Cook filed suit in state and federal court in 2011 claiming she was laid off in 2009 and passed over for another job at the school because of her age. The university contended Cook and several other people were laid off for budget reasons. Cook was hired in 1980 as a secretary and was working as an information specialist in customer service when she was laid off. Cook’s federal lawsuit was dismissed…
It’s time to catch up with the Riley County Schools, as Cathy talks with Brady Burton, Superintendent of Blue Valley/Randolph USD 384, and Brad Starnes, Superintendent of USD 378. [mp3-jplayer]
K-State coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of point guard Jevon Thomas, who is the third member of the recruiting class of 2013. Thomas joins fellow Wichita Falls, Texas guard Marcus Foster, and Houston, Texas forward Wesley Iwandu. Thomas is from Queens, NY, and played his high school ball at St. John’s Northwest Military Academy in Delafield, WI. He’s a freshman mid-year enrollee at K-State with four years of eligibility, who has been granted an initial eligibility waiver by the NCAA and will be eligible to practice and compete at the conclusion of the 2013 Fall semester. Thomas is a…
After 31 years at Riley County, 26 of those as the head boys basketball coach, Kelly Hammel is stepping down as coach and retiring as a teacher at the end of the current school year. Hammel was a varsity assistant from 1982 to 1987, and then took over as the Falcons’ head coach in 1988. He won 348 games during his Riley County tenure, and lost 251. Hammel led Riley County to six state tournaments, four straight from 2000-2003, followed by another pair in 2005 and 2006. The Falcons finished 2nd in 3A with a controversial loss to Maur Hill…