TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Gov. Sam Brownback wants Kansas lawmakers to cut individual income taxes even further. In the prepared text of his State of the State speech Tuesday night, Brownback also says his ultimate goal is abolishing the state’s individual income tax altogether. For now, the Republican governor said he wants to lower the top rate on individual income taxes to 3.5 percent from the current 4.9 percent. For low-income families, Brownback wants the rate reduced to 1.9 percent from the current 3 percent. The current rates were adopted in 2012 and took effect Jan. 1. The state also exempted…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The city of Topeka is teaming up with Kansas State University students to make a vehicle powered by compressed natural gas, an alternative fuel created from the methane extracted from human waste. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports mechanical engineering students will convert a city vehicle to compressed natural gas in a bid to find a use for methane gas from a Topeka wastewater treatment plant. Don Rankin, public works utilities infrastructure division director, says the plant wastes the methane equivalent of about 440,000 gallons of gasoline. Topeka expects to spend no more than $10,000 to supply the vehicle…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The chairman of the Kansas House Rules Committee says he expects the chamber to vote next week on a final set of rules for the next two years. McPherson Republican Clark Shultz said Monday his committee may revise a rule that limits House debate on spending proposals. The House adopted temporary rules Monday that mirror ones in place for 2011 and 2012. The Rules Committee will propose revisions for the House to consider. Shultz said one issue is the budget rule, which says that if members want to propose higher spending for particular programs or agencies during…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The capital murder trial of a Topeka man charged with kidnapping, raping and killing an 8-year-old girl has been postponed for several months. Billy Frank Davis Jr. is accused of kidnapping Ahliyah Irvin on March 13 while she slept in her Topeka apartment, where Davis was a neighbor. Her body was found within hours inside a clothes dryer in the same apartment complex. The Topeka Capital Journal reports a Shawnee County judge on Monday granted a defense request to delay the trial from March 4 to Oct. 7. A motion to move the trial to another county…
A salary increase was approved for Wamego City employees. At Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, City Manager Merl Page said the city went to a merit-based system several years ago, and any increase is based on a performance review. He added the recommendation to approve the increase is based on a 2-step approach: · Evaluating competiveness on a general basis and adhering to the merit-based system, and · Consideration of this year’s budget. The evaluations have been completed and a small salary adjustment of 20 cents per hour for full-time and 10 cents per hour for part-time employees, plus for those…
The second of ten parts as Cathy takes us through her journey with cancer. [mp3-jplayer]
On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with Linda Teener with UFM Events, followed by Eric Cattell and Lance Evans with the City of Manhattan and Richard Faulkner, Building Official with Ogden, regarding K-18 corridor planning. [mp3-jplayer]
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A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday morning to help open the new Manhattan area regional office of Kansas Senator Jerry Moran. This new office will serve as a liaison between the Manhattan community and the senator’s main office in Washington. It will also serve as an office for Moran when he is in the Manhattan area. Moran and his wife Robba, who both attended the event, are residents of Manhattan. Moran expressed the importance of having an office in the area saying that “Fort Riley and Kansas State University are significant components of the assents of our state, and our…
It was a night for decisions by the Wamego USD 320 Board Monday. Superintendent Denise O’Dea introduced a request from Business Teacher Karen Hynek for Extended Contract Days and compensation for attending the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) National Conference this summer. According to O’Dea, Wamego High School has competed in the National Conference in the last 9 years , and there are students that qualify for this year’s conference. This will be the first year Hynek will be compensated with the board’s approval of 8 day’s pay at over $170 per day. Hynek said she made a request…