TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach says a record number of new businesses filed paperwork with his office last year. Kobach says his office received about 15,000 filings for new business entities in 2012, up about 10 percent from the previous year. The figure includes for-profit corporations, limited partnerships and nonprofit corporations. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are not required to file with the secretary of state’s office to do business in Kansas. Kobach says entrepreneurship is “healthy” in Kansas. His office compiled a 15-page report on business filings over the past decade. University of Kansas economist…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas legislators will begin their annual session facing a budget shortfall and a court order to boost spending on public schools. But many of them want to cut income taxes for the second consecutive year. Legislators convene Monday afternoon. Both the House and Senate will have new leaders, conservative Republican majorities and plenty of new faces following last year’s elections. With GOP moderates ousted from power in the Senate, many lawmakers anticipate reviving a wide variety of measures. They include proposals to reshape the state’s appellate courts and create a 401(k)-style pension plan for new teachers and…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A woman who killed three people in a drunken driving crash in 2005 is having her parole in Kansas revoked after being accused of driving drunk in Oklahoma. Kansas Department of Corrections spokesman Jeremy Barclay says Jennifer Lyn Adams, 36, is in custody and will be brought back to Kansas. She was arrested in October in Bixby, Okla., on DUI, drug possession and other charges. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Adams pleaded guilty in Sherman County in 2005 to three counts of involuntary manslaughter. She admitted being drunk when she was involved in a crash on Interstate 70…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) The former Republican chairwoman of the Kansas Senate’s Education Committee who was defeated last year by a more conservative challenger says she is changing her party affiliation to Democrat. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Jean Schodorf announced on Facebook Sunday that she will make the change on Monday. The Wichita resident was one of several moderate Republicans defeated in the Aug. 2 primaries by conservatives backed by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Gov. Sam Brownback. Schodorf said in her Facebook post that she feels the Republican Party at both the state and national levels no longer represents…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Wichita educators and social workers have counted more than 1,800 homeless children in the Wichita School District, and advocates say that number is going to keep going higher. The U.S. Department of Education counts anyone “doubling up” or living with another family as homeless, in addition to those living on the street or in shelters. The Wichita Eagle reports that number hit 1,829 in Wichita schools on Friday, including 14 new ones identified a day earlier. The school district’s liaison for homeless students, Cynthia Martinez, says many homeless parents want to work, and are neither lazy nor…
Reorganization was a theme Monday as commissions sought to get their newest members sworn in. In Pottawatomie County, the commission continues to hold the same members, but with a little different responsibility. Pat Weixelman was elected chair of the commission, with Stan Hartwich receiving vice-chair and Gary Yenzer taking a member position. The swearing in only took a few minutes, leaving the rest of the meeting open to items. Trisha Brooke-Fruent, Construction Manager for SMH Consultants, told the commission that due to some unexpected circumstances, the bids for the masonry company were pushed back until that Monday at 4…
Michael Oren, a frequent guest of the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon, will speak at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, in Forum Hall at Kansas State University’s Student Union. Oren is Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., a post he has held since June 2009. His visit will mark the 162nd presentation in the university’s Landon Lecture Series. He will present “Israel, The Ultimate Ally.” “Coming from such a historically rich and politically complex part of the world, Ambassador Oren no doubt will shed new light on our country’s relationship with Israel,” said Jackie Hartman, the university’s…
A second candidate has filed for USD 383 school board. This is the second try for the newest candidate Marcia Rozell, who says she continues to be an advocate for teachers. Rozell tells KMAN she feels her background is important in a couple of areas. She’s had two children who have gone through the district’s schools and she has served as a para-educator for six years, which gave her a close-up perspective. Rozell adds she saw first hand what the teachers deal with on a daily basis and absolutely loved it. Rozell has also served on several committess with the school district…
Commissioner Robert Boyd and Commissioner Ron Wells were officially sworn in and took their seats for their first Riley County Commission meeting. After being sworn in, the next item of business was to reorganize the board of county commissioners. During this time, Commissioner Dave Lewis became the new chairman. Bids were opened for a new high lift rubber tire wheel loader for Public Works. Eight bids were submitted from five different locations: G.W. Van Keppel Company of Topeka-$141,996 Murphy Tractor of Miltonvale-$135,000 First bid from Victor Phillips of Topeka-$143,159 Second bid from Victor Phillips-$119,245 First bid from Foley Equipment of Manhattan-$132,955…
It was a day of reorganization–not only for county commissions in the area, but for the Riley County Law Board, as well. Riley County Clerk Rich Vargo swore in the newest law board members, County Commissioners Robert Boyd and Ron Wells. And shortly after the two took their seats, a new Chair and Vice-Chair were elected, with John Matta unanimously elected as Chair. Secretary Barry Wilkerson called for the vote. And the vice-chair vote also went quickly, with Law Board member Rich Jankovich making the nomination. Wilkerson was re-elected as Secretary. It was also a day of good-byes for two others.…