TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A legislative committee is expected to consider a request from a Topeka Democratic state senator to audit the state’s new vehicle registration system. A request from Sen. Laura Kelly is on Tuesday’s agenda of the Legislative Post Audit Committee, which has the authority to approve such reviews. The Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles has been plagued in recent weeks with delays and backlogs in processing registrations as it implements a new $40-million computer system. The changes have resulted in long lines statewide as residents seek to register vehicles and conduct related business. Kelly wants to review…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas attorney general’s office has paid outside lawyers more than $675,000 to defend state abortion laws. The office says it paid about $333,000 as of Thursday to Foulston Siefken, a Wichita firm helping defend budget provisions denying federal dollars for non-abortion services to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has filed a federal lawsuit against the measures. The attorney general’s office paid more than $211,000 to Thompson, Ramsdell Qualseth, of Lawrence, to help defend health and safety regulations enacted last year for abortion providers. Kansas City-area physicians challenged the rules in federal court and then in state court.…
Shortly after 2:45 pm, a call came in about a semi explosion on the highway near Junction City. A construction vehicle was on the highway when it was struck by a semi truck that proceeded to catch on fire. Both individuals in the semi were able to get out without injuries. All lanes were shut down and traffic was being redirected, but all lanes are now open.
AP-KS–ElectricityProjec TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Westar Energy wants 1,000 customers to try a new program that would shift electricity use to off-peak periods. The utility company says the pilot program offers time of use rates to save customers money and help manage the demand on the electric system. The Lawrence Journal-World reports (http://bit.ly/LLBLgI ) that peak energy use times during the summer are weekdays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Under the pilot program, the cost for energy during that period would be about 13.5 cents per kilowatt hour. Using energy during off-peak times would cost about 5.5 cents per kilowatt…
AP-US–PriestCharged-Kan KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Federal prosecutors say they’ll present evidence at trial that a Kansas City priest charged with sexually exploiting children possessed two pairs of young girls’ panties and searched the Internet for photos of scantily clad children. The Rev. Shawn Ratigan is scheduled to go to trial next month on 13 counts of sexually exploiting children. Prosecutors filed notice Monday that they’ll present evidence of “uncharged crimes” to illustrate Ratigan had a sexual interest in young children. Prosecutors say that among the evidence they may present is a photo of the priest in his underwear at the…
The sentencing phase of the trial of Luis Aguirre continued on Tuesday in Riley County District court. Aguirre has been convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Tanya Maldonado, and their 13-month-old son Juan in October of 2009. During the hearing defense attorney continued to bring forward witnesses who testified on the hardships of Aguirre’s past. In the morning Aguirre’s sister testified on the severe beatings Aguirre would receive from his mother, and how he was her protector as they were frequently moved from place to place. Next in a series of videotaped interviews the family of another ex-girlfriend of Aguirre, Nicole Calhoun,…
Not one to let a redshirt year go to waste in 2010, K-State’s BJ Finney started all 13 games for the Wildcats on the offensive line last season including 12 at center. Finney has now gained some national notice, as he was put on the Rimington Trophy watch list announced on Tuesday, which recognizes college football’s top center. Finney helped pave the way for a K-State running game last season that averaged just short of 200 yards per game, and saw quarterback Collin Klein score 27 touchdowns on the ground. Finney was a freshman all-American, and was named all-Big 12…
A replacement project will begin Thursday on the K-99 Bridge over Brush Creek located 7.5 miles north of Wamego just south of Brush Creek Road in Pottawatomie County. Project work includes replacement of the existing 24-foot wide reinforced concrete deck T-girder bridge structure, with a 40-foot wide reinforced concrete haunched slab structure. The new bridge will include two 12-foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders. Work will take place during daylight hours, Monday through Friday, with some occasional Saturday work. Beginning early Monday (July 16), northbound and southbound K-99 over the Brush Creek Bridge will be reduced to one lane of traffic for both…
Wamego’s putting plans in place for the new school year. Monday’s Board of Education meeting began with the introduction by Board President Richie Chrest, of the new Director of Special Services, Rebecca Helbert. New Board Officers were elected at this meeting, with Philip Wethington taking over as President and Amy Schwein as Vice President for the 2012-13 school year. In other business, the board failed to approve the adoption of a 11-hundred-16-hour school term as proposed. State law provides the board may adopt the hourly term or 186, six-hour day term. Board member Richard Weixelman voiced his opposition to the…
Two expensive tools missing from a Manhattan man’s residence sum up to over $2,000. Riley County Police reported this Tuesday morning that a theft occurred around 6:30 Monday evening in the 3000 block of Conrow Drive. Steven Sanborn (64) reported a chainsaw and welder had been taken from his home for a total loss of $2,400. He believes this happened sometime within the past two months. —— A Manhattan man’s failure to appear lands him in jail with a large bond. Mark Douglas Townley II (31) was arrested around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning for failing to appear in court. Townley…