LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A Lawrence weightlifter will become the first Special Olympian to be inducted into the American Indian Hall of Fame. When 32-year-old Brady Tanner is inducted Saturday into the hall in Kansas City, Mo., he will join inductees such as Jim Thorpe and Billy Mills. Tanner has won hundreds of trophies and medals, including three gold medals in the 2011 World Special Olympic Games in Greece and numerous national titles. He has those accomplishments despite having a syndrome that slows growth and mental development and makes it difficult for him to speak. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Tanner…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a man suspected of impersonating a sheriff’s deputy while writing bad checks across Kansas has tried the ruse in Colorado. Investigators say Robert Helms, 45, of Pittsburg was spotted Wednesday at a grocery store in Walsh, Colo., about 18 miles from the Kansas border. He reportedly flashed a fake badge and credentials claiming to be a sheriff’s deputy from Adams County, Kan. There is no Adams County in Kansas. The KBI says Helms has written bad checks at convenience stores and other businesses across Kansas, usually in smaller towns. The KBI…
WINFIELD, Kan. (AP) For the second time in five years, a playground at a Winfield park has gone up in flames. Fire officials say a fire late Thursday at the Island Park playground is considered suspicious. No one was injured. The same playground was destroyed by fire in 2008. A 17-year-old Winfield boy was sentenced to probation after admitting to setting the fire. The park was rebuilt by volunteers in 2009.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show modest population growth in Kansas, with the Fort Riley area ranking as the state’s fastest-gaining region. Census data released Thursday projects that Kansas gained about 15,500 residents from July 2011 to July 2012, bringing its population to almost 2.9 million. The projected growth was 0.5 percent. The Census Bureau also said 40 of the state’s 105 counties gained population over the year. Census estimates said Geary and Riley counties had population growth of more than 3 percent. Both include portions of Fort Riley, where soldiers have been returning from…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) State and federal teams have begun assessing the damage in Kansas from winter storms that hit the state in February. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management says the crews began fanning out across the state March 11. Kansas has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for damage assessments in 41 of the state’s 105 counties. The storms hit Kansas over a 10-day period, leaving more than 2 feet of snow in some areas and contributing to six deaths. State officials said the costs incurred by various units of government include snow removal and debris cleanup.
HIAWATHA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Farmers Union is holding a series of workshops focusing on food co-ops and how local family farms can feed their communities. The first workshop, on how to start an online food cooperative, will take place April 6 at Highland Community College’s Klinefelter Barn in Hiawatha. The focus will be on providing people who enjoy locally produced food with information on forming partnerships and cooperatives. A second workshop exploring organization of food hubs is expected to be announced shortly. Several operations are modeling their approach on the Oklahoma Food Co-op, which brings consumers and producers together…
On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with the 51st District State Representative Ron Highland of Wamego, followed by Susan Peterson with the Riley County Senior Services Center. [mp3-jplayer]
Stemming from an out of district warrant, Moriah Buster, 26, was being held on a $7,500 bond here at the Riley County Jail. The warrant originally came from Johnson County and original charges are unknown. —- A report of a lewd and lascivious offense was made Thursday afternoon in the 600 block of Tuttle Creek Boulevard. A citizen contacted the Riley County Police department around 12:30 pm reporting a white male was seated inside a vehicle having inappropriate contact with himself. The citizen reported the vehicle as a four door blue or teal Hyundai with a Texas Licence plate. The suspect, however, was gone…
State legislators were busy this past week as they debated some pretty controversial topics. State Representative Ron Highland from the 51st district was a guest on a recent edition of KMAN’s In Focus, and he took some time to explain some new definitions of the state’s conceal and carry laws. Highland explained that the law was made more clear so that individuals who accidentally go into an area where a no carry sign is posted, they would simply be asked to leave the premises and not be charged with a felony, though a misdemeanor charge is still possible. Highland also…
Rodney McGruder scored 24 points, hit four three-pointers, and grabbed seven rebounds as #11 K-State routed Texas 66-49 in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Angel Rodriguez added 13 points and five assists, and freshman D.J. Johnson provided a punch inside off the bench with eight points and seven rebounds in just 15 minutes of action. Texas actually took an early 7-1 lead, but Rodriguez made a pair of treys and McGruder a couple layups to key a 14-2 run, and K-State (26-6) never trailed again. The Cats would take a 34-28 lead at…