WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Wichita man has pleaded guilty helping his brother rob a bank in March of this year. The U.S. attorney’s office said Monday that Justin Cooper, 24, of Wichita admitted driving his brother Lessie Cooper to a Commerce Bank branch, where the brother pointed a 9 mm rifle at tellers. But as Lessie Cooper was getting into the getaway car with the stolen money, exploding dye packs surrounded him with a red mist. A nearby Wichita police officer who saw the packs explode chased the car. Justin Cooper surrendered after the car was stopped, but his brother…
Author: KMAN Staff
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A Douglas County sheriff’s detective is working to bring some good from an accident that killed a Nebraska man in November 2010. Zachary Harrison, 23, formerly of Hutchinson, is serving nearly seven years in prison for stealing a truck on the University of Kansas campus and later rear-ending a car Cameron Freeman, 21, was riding in. Freeman, of Lincoln, Neb., died in the crash on U.S. 59. In response, Freeman’s parents started the Cameron Effect, a Web-based effort that asks people to commit seven acts of kindness. Detective Jay Armbrister responded to the Freemans’ efforts by giving…
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) A northeast Kansas woman is free on bond after a not guilty plea was entered on her behalf for allegedly leaving her 2-month-old son in an alley. District Judge Gunnar Sundby entered the plea Friday for Elizabeth A. Michaud, 28, of Leavenworth. Michaud’s attorney said her client needs treatment and wasn’t able to help with her defense. The Leavenworth Times reports a pretrial conference is scheduled for Nov. 30. Michaud is charged with aggravated endangering a child after she allegedly left her son alone May 3 in a Leavenworth alley near her home. Prosecutors believe she was…
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) Kansas State University is powering up a new smart grid laboratory, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday for the new facility in Rathbone Hall. A smart grid seeks to match electric power supply with consumer demand. The lab will be used for research and to train and recruit students. Kansas State’s project received funding from the Kansas City engineering firm of Burns McDonnell. The company’s vice president, Randy Pope, is a Kansas State engineering graduate and will be on hand for Tuesday’s event. Several other companies are donating equipment and furnishing to the lab.
EUDORA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Food Day takes place this week, and state Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman will spend part of it touring the garden, orchard and culinary arts facility at a high school. The state Agriculture Department is partnering with the Eudora School District for the celebration Wednesday at Eudora High School. Officials from Douglas County and the state Department of Education will also take part. Students in Eudora’s agricultural education program will lead the tours. October is also National Farm To School Month, and the visiting officials will join Eudora students for a lunch made partly from local food…
IOLA, Kan. (AP) The people who designed the new dog park in a southeastern Kansas community didn’t forget the special needs of little dogs. The Iola Register reports the city expects to open the dog park within the next few weeks. The site measures 130 feet by 180 feet, with a special 90-by-40-foot pen reserved for canines weighing 30 pounds or less. And right in the middle of that pen is a feature sure to give the little ones something to yap about a tall, healthy pecan tree that’s been full squirrels. While small dogs romp, run and go nuts…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Office of the Repealer has joined a school efficiency task force in setting up a website to gather tips and suggestions from the public. Secretary of Administration Dennis Taylor announced the repealer’s new site only days after the school efficiency set up its site to take anonymous tips. But the repealer’s site gives people the choice of remaining anonymous or leaving contact information. Taylor says the goal is to gather reports of potential waste, fraud and abuse within state government. Gov. Sam Brownback set up the office within the Department of Administration to identify laws…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A former Navy lawyer who was convicted during a court martial in 2007 for mailing secret information about Guantanamo Bay detainees is seeking to get his law license reinstated in Kansas. Attorneys for Matthew Diaz will argue on Thursday before the Kansas Supreme Court to accept a recommendation from the Office of Judicial Administration to suspend his law license for three years effective 2008. Because of the timeline, Diaz would be reinstated with the Kansas bar. The disciplinary hearing panel said Diaz warranted “significant discipline” for his actions, which included the act of printing and sending classified…
The Pottawatomie County Commission held their weekly meeting Monday. Buck Driggs, SMH Consultant Vice President, brought in news that they are looking at a total completion of the building to be about 40 percent at this point and everything is looking on schedule as the weather has be holding out. Jason Oxford, Assistant Coutny Attorney, brought before the commission that the horse animal cruelty case will have its first round of trials starting next Monday. There was some discussion as to why the five individuals weren’t consolidated, but concern for room was an issue that helped to separate them. With…
Around 20 county officials and staff members from various departments showed up to Monday’s Riley County Commission meeting to hear the action on the state health insurance plan. The first matter of discussion was to get approval, from the commission, of how to pay toward the plan C split. Human Resource Manager, Cindy Volanti said the main goal is to try and make the plan attractive to the employee, yet minimize the state’s cost. The commission approved to follow the state’s regulations by maintaining the same level of benefit that state employee’s are currently getting. Going along with this decision, the commission…