In his first news conference since winning a second term, President Obama was pressed for a deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” — and saidhe doesn’t think national security was breached in the sex scandal that brought down his CIA chief.
Author: KMAN Staff
Andie Malloy and Victoria Hurtt combined for 31 kills as #19 Iowa State defeated #20 K-State 25-14, 23-25, 25-18, 25-15 on Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Kaitlynn Pelger topped the Cats with 12 kills, and Lilla Porubek had 11. Iowa State (17-7, 10-3 Big 12) held K-State (21-6, 8-6 Big 12) to a season-low hitting percentage of .072. Caitlyn Donahue had a team-high 36 assists and 18 digs. Alex Muff had five blocks. K-State will go back out on the road to Texas Tech on Saturday night for a 6:00 pm first serve in Lubbock. The Standard Plumbing,…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A judge has given final approval to a $3.79 million settlement over claims by thousands of Kansas landowners against three of the nation’s largest telecommunications companies. The deal settles a class action property rights dispute over installation of fiber optic cable on railroad rights of way. Wednesday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Gale affects about 3,700 Kansas landowners with property adjacent and underlying the railroad rights of way. Under terms of the settlement, more than $2.4 million in benefits will be available for landowners. An additional $1 million goes for attorneys’ fees and $321,000 pays administrative…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas transportation officials have released a list of more than 430 construction projects totaling $1.1 billion to be carried out in the next two budget years, including several that are already under way. The list released Wednesday includes some major projects that were previously announced by the Kansas Department of Transportation. They include completion of the South Lawrence Trafficway in Douglas County; expansion of U.S. 54/Kellogg Avenue in Wichita; and improvements to the junction of Kansas 10 and Interstates 35 and 435 in Johnson County. The projects are part of the state’s 10-year program for improving highways,…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The executive director of the Kansas Lottery will step down next month for health reasons. Dennis Wilson’s resignation was accepted Wednesday by Gov. Sam Brownback, who appointed him to the job. Wilson became the Lottery’s executive director in July 2011 and will resign Dec. 3. Wilson is a Republican from Johnson County. He served in the Kansas House from 1995-1999 and in the state Senate from 2001-2005. In his letter to Brownback, Wilson said he needs to concentrate on recovering from what he calls a serious knee injury. Brownback will name an acting Lottery director in the…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A new report says elementary schools in Kansas and surrounding states have reduced, or even eliminated, science education in recent years to emphasize reading and math. The Kansas State Board of Education was told Tuesday that one in five elementary teachers in Kansas and surrounding states are recording science grades even when they don’t teach the subject. George Griffith, superintendent of the Trego school district, says he surveyed more than 900 elementary schools in Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Griffith said teachers surveyed said they reported science grades even when not teaching or drastically reducing class…
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) A member of a Dodge City street gang pleaded guilty to assaulting people he thought were members of a rival gang. Twenty-year-old Humberto Ortiz was among 23 people charged in May in a federal racketeering case aimed at gang members. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says Ortiz pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in the aid of racketeering. He admitted that he and fellow gang members assaulted people they thought were members of a different street gang. Two of the victims were stabbed. Ortiz also admitted in his plea that while…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A man who stabbed his girlfriend to death after the couple was evicted from a hotel pleaded no contest in her killing. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office says 40-year-old Eric J. Avila pleaded Tuesday to second-degree murder and kidnapping in the killing of 35-year-old Alina Burkman. She was stabbed in March during a fight with Avila in a K-Mart parking lot. Avila also was stabbed during the argument and was arrested after recovering from critical injuries. The Wichita Eagle reports Avila was originally charged with first-degree premeditated murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 27.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The odds are long but hopes are high at the Sedgwick County Zoo that two female tigers will give birth about four months from now. KAKE-TV reports the 7-year-old Amur tigers underwent artificial insemination on Tuesday. The procedure was led by Bill Swanson, a specialist from the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio. The donor and potential father-to-be is Ivan, the zoo’s 4-year-old male Amur tiger. The females, Talali and Zeya, roam the exhibit with Ivan but haven’t mated with him. The cubs would stay in Wichita about a year, then be moved to other zoos. Swanson says Amur…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas residents will soon learn which major transportation projects the state plans to begin in the next two years. Officials of the Kansas Department of Transportation scheduled a news conference Wednesday afternoon in Topeka to announce the list of projects. They’re part of a 10-year program for improving highways, airports and public transportation throughout Kansas. The projects are being financed through bonds and an increase in the state sales tax. The projects will be started in 2013 and 2014.