TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Shawnee County judge has denied a request that she remove herself from the trial in a sperm donor case. An attorney for William Marotta of Topeka had argued that Judge Mary Mattivi should not preside over the state’s efforts to require Marotta to pay child support for a girl born to a lesbian couple in 2009. Marotta says he waived his parental rights and responsibilities when he donated his sperm. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Judge Mattivi denied the motion last week. Marotta’s attorney argued that Mattivi appeared to be advocating for the state and apparently had…
Author: KMAN Staff
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) A Reno County judge has upheld a former Kansas sheriff’s sentence for rape and indecent liberties with a child. Reno County District Court Judge Trish Rose rejected former Trego County Sheriff James Bloom’s argument that his lawyers were ineffective and did not tell him the possible maximum sentence he could receive if he went to trial in 2006. The Hutchinson News reports Rose rejected the motion and upheld Bloom’s 27-year sentence for crimes against a 13-year-old girl. She said Bloom was advised twice in court of possible penalties for each crime. Bloom rejected several plea offers in…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Planned Parenthood clinic and its medical director are challenging parts of a new Kansas abortion law that takes effect next month. The Overland Park clinic and Dr. Orrin Moore filed suit Thursday in U.S. District Court. They argue that new requirements spelling out the information that clinics and doctors must give patients before performing abortions violate their free-speech rights. Planned Parenthood objects to a section of the law requiring its website to link to a state website containing what it says is the government’s viewpoint on abortion. It also objects to a requirement that patients receive…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Mississippi company run by one of Gov. Sam Brownback’s donors has been awarded one of the four contracts to privatize Kansas child support enforcement. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that the Kansas Department for Children and Families announced Friday that Jackson, Miss.-based YoungWilliams Child Support Services nabbed one of the contracts. Company CEO Robert Wells and his wife, Pam, both gave maximum $2,000 donations to Brownback’s campaign. The awarding of the contract comes two years after the state hired one of the firm’s ex-employees to head up the child support division. Senate Minority Leader and Topeka Democrat…
LARNED, Kan. (AP) Federal prosecutors say a man already committed as a sexual predator at Larned State Hospital has been charged with making child pornography while in custody. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says Christopher M. Case, 33, enticed a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old to videotape sex acts and post them on the Internet while he was a patient in the Sexual Predator Treatment Program. Case also is charged with producing child pornography and sending obscene material to a child. Case was convicted in 2003 of attempted aggravated indecent solicitation of a child in Saline County. The hospital is part of…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Police in Topeka say they’ve received nearly a dozen tips of possibly credible sightings of two missing girls and their brother. The children are identified as Stephanie Witten, 13, Seth Witten, 12, and Michelle Witten, 10. Their parents reported them missing just before 11 p.m. Wednesday, and they still had not been found by late Thursday afternoon. No Amber Alerts have been issued. Police Capt. Jerry Stanley says that based on interviews with the family, foul play is not suspected. Stanley says the search remains confined to the city limits. The children’s mother, Kathy Witten, told The…
City and County Commissioners spent their joint meeting, Thursday afternoon, discussing various projects within their areas. Various individuals provided information on current, and future, projects. “Growth” seems to be the theme in Riley and Pottawatomie Counties, as well as the city of Manhattan. Pottawatomie County Commissioner, Gary Yenzer mentioned USD 383 is currently looking to purchase land to build a new grade school, as over 160 students from Pottawatomie County are expected to attend the current school. Yenzer said that is around three classrooms worth of students, and the facility does not have room for that many kids. City of…
On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with Governor’s Military Council Ex. Director John Armbrust. [mp3-jplayer]
A day after the Federal Reserve said it could step back from its aggressive economic stimulus program, the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 353 points.
New amendment to immigration bill focuses on border security with 20,000 new agents and 700 more miles of fencing, along with high-tech devices to monitor the U.S. Border with Mexico.