TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A leading Kansas Democrat is criticizing efforts by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to solicit anonymous tips about inefficient use by schools of their state funding. House Minority Leader Paul Davis says a new website where people can offer tips and suggestions amounts to an online forum for criticizing schools. A task force on school efficiency appointed by Brownback launched the website this week. Brownback spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag said the governor wants to make Kansas a leader in education and get more dollars into instruction. Davis says the state should instead discuss innovative ways that schools have done…
Author: KMAN Staff
The unemployment rates were just released for Manhattan and the surrounding counties, and the Manhattan metro area rates have dropped compared to the previous month and are among the lowest in the state. The Manhattan metro area, which includes the counties of Pottawatomie, Riley, and Geary had an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent compared to 5.8 percent in the month of August and 5.9 percent in September of 2011. Manhattan city alone shows a unemployment rate of 3.8 percent for September and that is down from 4.9 percent for August as well as from September of 2011 when it was also 4.9 percent. As…
Max Scherzer capped a stupendous stretch for Detroit’s starting rotation, and the Tigers advanced to the World Series by beating the New York Yankees 8-1 Thursday for a four-game sweep of the AL championship series. <iframe width=”425″ height=”239″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/uDbhyu7cWjs” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>
A massive dust storm swirling reddish-brown clouds over northern Oklahoma triggered a multi-vehicle accident along a major interstate Thursday, forcing police to shut down the heavily traveled roadway amid near blackout conditions. <iframe width=”425″ height=”239″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/SaOdcs2Tnqw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A 14-year-old northeast Kansas girl has sued Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration in hopes of forcing it to impose limits on carbon dioxide emissions. Samantha Farb of Lecompton filed the lawsuit Thursday through her parents in Shawnee County District Court. It’s part of a campaign launched last year by environmentalists to file such lawsuits in all 50 states. The effort is led by a nonprofit Oregon group called Our Children’s Trust. The Kansas girl’s lawsuit argues there’s a public trust for the state in protecting the atmosphere and fighting global warming from manmade greenhouse gases such as CO2.…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The defense attorney for a Kansas woman accused of stealing from the credit union where she worked says his client is a good person who found herself in a difficult financial situation and made a series of bad decisions to save her farm. Pamela Emig, 47, of Solomon has a court hearing Tuesday in federal court in Topeka to face one count of embezzlement. She is charged with stealing $817,167 from April 2005 to August 2011 from Enterprise Credit in Enterprise, where she was a manager. Defense attorney Christopher Joseph says there is a plea agreement and his…
HAYS, Kan. (AP) Kansas farmers and farmers-in-training will get some help learning to use the latest technology. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded $277,000 to Fort Hays State University and Hutchinson Community College to promote so-called precision agriculture. It involves using GPS and satellite technology to map fields and precisely apply chemicals and seed and measure the crop yield. Both schools have farms and will use the money to acquire farm equipment. Hutchinson Community College will purchase a GPS-compatible grain combine and a farm utility vehicle with soil grid sampling equipment. Its program will have a hands-on…
BALDWIN CITY, Kan. (AP) A Civil War battlefield in northeast Kansas has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. The National Park Service on Wednesday announced the designation for the Black Jack Battlefield just east of Baldwin City. Abolitionist John Brown fought pro-slavery forces of Henry Clay Pate in the battle on June 2, 1856. Several historians have suggested it was the first battle of the Civil War. Kerry Altenbernd, vice president of the Black Jack Battlefield Trust, says the designation gives national significance to the 40-acre site along U.S. Highway 56 about three miles east of Baldwin City. The…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Board of Regents has approved three construction projects at the University of Kansas. The regents on Wednesday approved projects to erect a new School of Business building, a new home for the original rules of basketball and two residence halls. The School of Business building will cost nearly $66 million. Capitol Federal Savings of Tennessee donated $20 million to the project. The school needs the Legislature’s approval for bond authority for the full amount. The proposed $18 million “Rules of Basket Ball” museum will be an addition to Allen Fieldhouse. The Lawrence Journal-World reports it…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas law enforcement took in more than 2.5 tons of unused or expired medications during a national day designed to take such medications out of circulation. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day brought in 5,334 pounds of drugs at 70 locations across Kansas on Sept. 29. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Wednesday the program has taken more than 2 million pounds of drugs in two years, including more than 12 tons in Kansas Experts say flushing the drugs or throwing them away leads to safety and health problems.