WICHITA, Kan. (AP) An inmate who fled from a north-central Kansas jail has been sentenced to another 18 years in federal prison for carjacking. Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that Eric Jerome James, 22, received the sentence after pleading guilty to stealing a vehicle following his escape from the Ottawa County Jail. The Wichita Eagle reports that James escaped along with three other men who had been transferred to the jail from an overcrowded state prison. James was the last to be captured when he was arrested two days later in Omaha, Neb. James admitted that after escaping, he assaulted a man…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A deadline is looming for attorneys and lower court judges who hope to fill a coming vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals. They had until Friday to submit their applications to a statewide nominating commission. It will interview the candidates and send the names of two or three finalists to Gov. Sam Brownback. The 13-member Court of Appeals is the state’s second-highest court. Applications due Friday are for the seat held by Judge Christel Marquardt. She plans to retire in January after 17 years on the bench. But the court has another vacancy because Chief Judge…
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) The Kansas State Fair collected 14 percent more in ticket sales this year than last year as attendance increased. Fair officials reported the $200,000 boost in gate receipts Thursday as they set the 2014 budget. The Hutchinson News reports that the fair had nearly 4,000 more fairgoers than in 2011. This year also saw the price of adult tickets bought at the gate increase by $2 to $10. Plus, advance tickets increased by $1. The 2012 event also netted the fair $1.79 million in sales, up $2 million from last year. The sales category includes the percentage…
NICKERSON, Kan. (AP) The central Kansas town of Nickerson is dropping its police force because of budget concerns. The Hutchinson News reports that the city council made the decision in a 4-3 vote Thursday night. The last police shift in the town of about 1,000 residents will end at midnight Saturday. And the Reno County Sheriff’s Office will be the primary law enforcement agency in Nickerson after Tuesday, when the department officially will be eliminated. The county already responds to about half the city’s calls, and questions had been raised about the actual effect of the city’s mostly part-time police…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) A Kansas City, Kan., middle school student has suffered serious injuries in a school bus crash. Broadcaster KCTV reported that an occupant in another vehicle also was injured. District spokesman David Smith says the crash happened around 5 p.m. Thursday as the bus was transporting students from after-school activities. Smith says the injured student was taken to a hospital but is expected to survive. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) Pittsburg State University has received a $100,000 donation for scholarships. The Joplin Globe reports that the gift is from two family members who want to stay anonymous. Kathleen Flannery, Pittsburg State’s director of development, says the donation will be used to set up scholarships that will be available beginning next fall. She says recipients of the scholarships must be technology majors from southeast Kansas, with preference given to high school graduates from Neosho, Cherokee and Labette counties. Students will also have to show financial need and have an overall grade point average of 2.0 to be selected…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Gov. Sam Brownback will attend an event later this month in Wichita to discuss ways to improve the state’s recruiting and training of workers. The Kansas Skills Summit is scheduled for Oct. 29 at the National Center for Aviation Training. It will be a four-hour round-table discussion. Brownback and state Commerce Secretary Pat George are planning to attend, along with representatives of various industries needing highly trained workers. The governor’s office says the goal is develop ways to standardize skills among workers and develop a system for providing credentials to businesses. State official believe that such a…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A veteran employee of the Kansas secretary of state has retired after working 29 years as a proofreader. Madeline Cowell finished her tenure with the agency on Thursday, which was also her 86th birthday. Cowell started with the office in 1983, when she was hired by Secretary of State Jack Brier as a part-time proofreader. Current Secretary of State Kris Kobach complimented Cowell for her professionalism and attention to detail during her time at the office. Her duties included reading several legal publications produced by the department, including the Kansas Register, the agency’s weekly document. A cake…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Wichita State University is inviting the public to the inauguration of its 13th president. John Bardo took over the job in July, replacing Donald Beggs, who stepped down after 12 years. The ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex in Wichita. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren will administer the oath. Gov. Sam Brownback will present the presidential medallion and give inaugural remarks. Bardo began his career at Wichita State, where he chaired the sociology and social work department from 1978 to 1983. He later worked at the University of North Florida and…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Highway Patrol troopers will be issuing electronic citations instead of written ones starting next week. The system will first be used in the northwest part of the state, with the other six regions to make the switch in a few months. District courts throughout the state support the move because it is expected to reduce lag time in getting ticket information to the courts and help law enforcement track violations. A news release from the Highway Patrol says motorists being issued a ticket won’t see much of a delay, and their signature won’t be required. The…