A shark, possibly 14 feet long, killed a swimmer near a popular New Zealand beach on Wednesday, then disappeared after police attempting to save the man fired gunshots at the enormous predator.
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Senate has given initial approval to legislation abolishing the statute of limitations on prosecuting rape. The measure debated Wednesday also changes the time limits for prosecuting a sexually violent crime. Final Senate action is scheduled Thursday. Kansas is among 10 states that now require a rape to be prosecuted within five years. The legislation does away with that limit. The bill also allows for prosecution of a sexually violent crime to begin within 10 years if the victim is at least 18 years old. For younger victims, prosecution would begin within one year of the…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Topeka woman is seeking the right to co-parent a child at the center of a sperm donor child support case. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Angela Bauer cited a first-of-its-kind Kansas Supreme Court decision in seeking Wednesday to intervene in the child support case. The court ruled Friday that the non-biological mother of children in a same-sex relationship can have the same parental rights as the biological mother. Bauer and her former partner advertised for a sperm donor on Craigslist. The donor says he signed a contract waiving his parental rights and responsibilities. But because no doctor…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The U.S. Air Force has awarded Sierra Nevada Corp. a contract worth more than $350 million, dealing a major blow to Wichita-based Beechcraft as it emerges from bankruptcy protection. The announcement Wednesday means Sierra Nevada will build at least 20 light air support planes in Jacksonville, Fla., for use in Afghanistan. The contract could ultimately be worth nearly $1 billion, depending on future orders. The planes would give the Afghan National Army Air Corps a fixed-wing strike capability. Beechcraft, formerly Hawker Beechcraft, had proposed the AT-6 attack aircraft, a version of its T-6 trainer. Sierra Nevada Corp.…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) The University of Kansas has picked a department head at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland to lead its School of Engineering. Michael Branicky will begin his new job as dean July 1. The University of Kansas announced Wednesday that Branicky will replace Stuart Bell, who joined Louisiana State University as provost and executive vice chancellor last August. Professor Stan Rolfe will continue serving as interim dean until Branicky arrives. At Case Western, Branicky serves as a professor and chair in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He previously was a program manager at the…
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…
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…