Author: KMAN Staff

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The political action committee of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce has spent more than $394,000 on legislative races in the final days before Tuesday’s party primaries. Campaign finance reports filed through Monday show most of the money went for mailings and radio spots for conservative Republicans running for state Senate. The chamber’s PAC reported spending nearly $307,000 on Sunday alone, but chamber vice president Jeff Glendening said $45,000 of the spending also was listed in an earlier report. The chamber is backing efforts by GOP conservatives to oust a dozen moderate Republican senators in primary races. But…

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The Wichita public library will reopen its main branch Tuesday after dealing with bedbugs that were found last week. A patron reported seeing an insect last Wednesday in a chair at the downtown branch. An expert identified it as a bedbug, and a search turned up more of the insects on chairs in two lounge areas. Library officials brought in pest control companies and a dog trained to detect bedbugs to search the premises. All of the lounge seating has been removed, and other seating and some materials on shelves have been treated. Library director Cynthia Berner…

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service says the state’s corn and soybean crops are in the worst condition since the agency began keeping records in 1985. In its weekly update, the agency said Monday that 69 percent of the corn crop was in poor to very poor condition. About 22 percent was in fair condition, with just 8 percent rated good and only 1 percent rated excellent. About 7 percent of the state’s corn acreage had been harvested for grain by Sunday. The hot, dry weather is also hurting soybeans, with 67 percent in poor to very poor condition.…

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Moderate Republicans trying to retain control of the Kansas Senate may get help from Democrats temporarily switching parties to vote against conservative challengers in Tuesday’s GOP primaries. The state GOP allows only registered Republicans to vote in its primaries. Kansas Democratic chairwoman Joan Wagnon says local party officials have seen hundreds of people switch their affiliations to the GOP in counties with contested Senate races. Wagnon said Monday she believes the party-switching will be a significant factor. Voter registration numbers from Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office also suggested such a trend. But Kansas Republican Party executive…

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WESTWOOD, Kan. (AP) Google says it’s reached tentative agreements to install its ultra-fast Internet service in three more Kansas communities. The technology company revealed plans and pricing two weeks ago for its Google Fiber service in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan. The Kansas City Star reports Google now has tentative agreements to offer the service in three small cities in northern Johnson County Westwood, Westwood Hills and Mission Woods. The city councils in each community will have to approve the agreements. The Star says residents would get a chance to register only after residents on the Missouri side…

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GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) Garden City Community College is adding a new program that teaches students to drill and extract oil from underground reservoirs. The western Kansas school recently received approval from the Kansas Board of Regents for the new program. The curriculum will involve a series of classroom, lab and field courses covering safety, moving, set-up and operation of equipment used in mineral exploration. Students must complete 22 credit hours to earn a certificate in oil exploration and 36 for one in production. Those credits also can be used to help complete an associate in applied science degree, which…

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PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) Pittsburg and state officials are celebrating the planned $5.3 million expansion of a community health center. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Sunday for the expansion at the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, which has seen its patient load double in the first four years of operation. The Joplin Globe reports a grant through the new federal health care law will provide most of the funds for the project. The project will nearly triple the number of critical care exam areas at the clinic. Currently, doctors are using closets and restrooms to treat patients and as office…

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