TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) State labor officials say the unemployment rate in Kansas fell to a seasonally adjusted 5.4 percent in November despite slowing job growth. The Department of Labor reported Thursday the unemployment rate had fallen from 5.7 percent in October. The rate is a full 1 percent below the seasonally adjusted rate in November 2011. Interim Labor Secretary Lana Gordon said the job market is moving in the right direction. Kansas added 1,100 private sector jobs in November and employers have increased payrolls by 4,900 jobs over the past year. The workforce has shown slight growth in recent months,…
Author: KMAN Staff
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A Lawrence woman whose daughter died after ingesting drugs found in a plastic Easter egg has been sentenced to three years of probation. Twenty-five-year-old Rebecca Lynn Wynne was sentenced Thursday after pleading no contest in November to reckless involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated child endangerment. Prosecutors say Wynne’s 5-year-old daughter died in April after ingesting opiates in her parents’ home. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the child endangerment charges involved Wynne’s 6- and 4-year-old children, who have been in protective custody since April. All three of the children were playing with morphine and Oxycontin pills that…
SALINA, Kan. (AP) A judge denied a request for a bond reduction for a Salina homicide suspect who wanted to spend Christmas with his grandparents. During a hearing Thursday, Salina County Judge Rene Young denied a request from 29-year-old Kyle Nelson to reduce his $500,000 bond. Nelson is charged with second-degree murder in the July 31 killing of 37-year-old Jeffrey B. Powell. The Salina Journal reports testimony at a preliminary hearing indicated Nelson shot Powell over the theft of a go-kart that belonged to Nelson’s children. Nelson’s attorney argued that Nelson had no history of violence and should be allowed…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Gov. Sam Brownback says Kansas farmers, ranchers and communities should review their water use and conservation plans as drought conditions persist. Brownback received an update Thursday on the drought and steps being taken around the state to maintain adequate water levels. Officials said water supplies remain critically low, especially at the 24 federal reservoirs around the state. Several are more than 30 percent below normal levels. The officials noted that the John Redmond Reservoir in east-central Kansas is at 46 percent capacity. Brownback says it’s difficult to predict when the drought will end. He urged water users…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A new report shows the Kansas population growing more slowly than the nation and most other states. The U.S. Census Bureau is estimating that the population in Kansas grew by one-half of 1 percent from July 2011 to July 2012, while the nation’s population grew by three-quarters of 1 percent. The Census Bureau said Kansas ranked 30th among states and the District of Columbia in population growth. According to the figures, Kansas gained 15,000 new residents to make its population almost 2.9 million. But North Dakota, the leader, saw its population grow nearly 2.2 percent during the…
On Thursday afternoon, Manhattan City officials met with officials of surrounding counties to discuss a couple of key issues. Along with Riley County Mental Health issues, the officials discussed a Regional Partnership Initiative. The federal government has proposed the Defense Authorization Bill which will allow different departments, specifically the department of defense, to partner up with local governments. A similar system exists in Monterrey California. The system is supposed to help reach certain cost reduction aspects. An example used by City Manager, Ron Fehr, was the unification of separate fire departments in the city of Monterrey leading to erection of fewer fire department…
On Thursday, the Riley County Police Department went into emergency traffic accident response and reporting, but as of 8:30 Friday morning, they have switched back to the normal procedures for responding to and filing reports on accidents. Motorists who still need to file an accident report for an event that occurred over the last 24 hours are encouraged to coordinate with the drivers of the other vehicles and file the report at the Law Enforcement Center located at 1001 S Seth Child. If possible, bring the vehicles involved in the incident with you.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles says he’s focused on finishing strong after coming back from a devastating knee injury and then dealing with a murder-suicide that hit close to home. Charles tore his left ACL early last season, but has returned to be one of the few bright spots for the 2-12 Chiefs. He’s run for 1,230 yards and four touchdowns this year. What he’s overcome physically pales in comparison to what he’s dealt with emotionally. Three weeks ago Saturday, Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot to death his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, and then drove to Arrowhead…
UPDATE AS OF FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Details have finally been released regarding a fatal accident in Geary County Thursday afternoon caused by slick roads. Jason Skyler Harper, 26, died in the accident, reported shortly before 2:30 on I-70, about a half mile west of K-57 in Grandview Plaza. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports Harper was driving a 2001 Chevrolet passenger car eastbound when he lost control due to icy road conditions. His Chevrolet struck a 2006 dumptruck driven by Jared Beary, 31, of White City, which was parked on the shoulder. Beary was not injured. However a passenger in Harper’s vehicle, Jillian Davidson, 25, of Wichita was injured…
November unemployment numbers have been released (8:30 a.m. Friday) and once again the Manhattan area has a fairly low unemployment rate. The Manhattan metro area, which includes Riley, Pottawatomie, and Geary Counties, had a 4.7 percent rate, up slightly from the month before but well below last year’s 5.4 percent number. The city of Manattan had a four percent rate, also lower than last year’s 4.6 percent, but slightly higher than October’s 3.8 percent rate. Riley County’s numbers reflect 4.1 percent, Pottawatomie county’s was 4.3, Clay County was 4.4, and Geary county ,which always tends to be higher, was 6.5…