Author: KMAN Staff
The Bicycle Advisory Committee had an open house to get public comments and feedback Wednesday evening before the bike plan is taken before the Manhattan City Commission. During the open house, a presentation was given to go over the goals and the policies that will be taken before the Urban Board and the City Commission in the following months. After the presentation, those in attendance were asked to give feedback and comment on how they felt about the proposed information. “Really it’s all about how the rubber meets the road,” Ben Champion, member of the bicycle advisory committee said. “I mean these policies are…
On Wednesday more evidence was brought forward by prosecutors in the Capital Murder Trial of Luis Aguirre. Aguirre is charged with the murders of his ex-girlfriend 18-year -old Tanya Maldonado, and their 13-month-old son Juan in September of 2009. On Wednesday prosecutors called Riley County police detective Ryan Runyan to the stand as the jurors were shown a video of the November 3, 2009 interrogation of Aguirre after he was extradited from Texas. During the interview Aguirre told investigators the deaths of Tanya Maldonado, and Juan, were unfortunate accidents starting with an argument and a slip in the kitchen. The initial…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Students at public universities in Kansas will pay as much as 6.9 percent more for tuition this fall. The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday approved tuition increases proposed by officials of the six public universities and the University of Kansas Medical Center. For undergraduates from Kansas, increases will range from 2.9 percent at Fort Hays State University to 6.2 percent at Emporia State. The biggest increase will be 6.9 percent for newly enrolling out-of-state undergraduates at the University of Kansas. Fort Hays State sought no increase for out-of-state undergraduates. The increases are expected to raise an…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A federal judge in Kansas has agreed to drop all charges against the wife of a former public works director who stole heavy machinery from Barber County. The indictment of Diana Collier was formally dismissed Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren at the request of federal prosecutors. Her husband, Steven Collier, was sentenced last week to 14 months in prison for thefts that Melgren said violated the public trust. He was also ordered to pay more than $116,000 in restitution and serve three years of probation after his release. Diana Collier had been charged with theft,…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The University of Kansas will have tougher admissions standards than the state’s other public colleges beginning in 2016. The Kansas Board of Regents approved a proposal Wednesday to boost requirements for incoming freshmen. Admission will be automatic for applicants with at least a “B” average in high school; others would have their applications reviewed by a committee. The University of Kansas sought the change, saying it should improve graduation rates. Students can now enter any state college by scoring 21 on the ACT, having a 2.0 GPA in a college prep curriculum or graduating in the top…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas attorney general’s office will hold five training sessions next month on the state’s Open Meetings and Open Records Act. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Wednesday the sessions will give elected officials, the news media and the public a chance to learn about the requirements of open government laws. The three-hour seminars are scheduled July 16 in Hutchinson; July 17 in Dodge City; July 19 in Iola; and July 20 in Leavenworth and Topeka. Sponsors include the Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government, Kansas Press Association and Kansas Newspaper Foundation. Admission is free, but space is…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Attorneys supporting a man convicted in the 1999 murder of an Oskaloosa teenager are asking for a new DNA test. The Project for Innocence filed a motion this week in Jefferson County seeking the DNA test for Floyd Bledsoe. He is serving a life sentence for the death of his 14-year-old sister-in-law, Zetta Arfmann. The 35-year-old Bledsoe has always maintained his innocence. Bledsoe’s attorneys argue that new technology could produce a DNA profile of the killer. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Bledsoe’s brother, Tom Bledsoe, was initially charged with killing Arfmann and confessed. But he later recanted and…
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) For the first time in decades, Garden City residents will be able to legally enjoy aerial fireworks this Fourth of July. The Garden City Telegram reports that the city has banned the sale and use of fireworks that shoot more than 6 feet into the air since at least 1989. City commissioners Tuesday voted to lift the ban from July 3 to 5. Residents will be able to shoot off fireworks from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on those days. Finney County commissioners earlier this month voted to allow fireworks from June 27 to July 5.…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Wichita housing officials say they never received a complaint about a house where 31 cats were found dead. The owner of the home said the woman renting the home always found an excuse not to let him into the house but there were no obvious signs of trouble. Police found the cats and two flea-infested dogs Saturday after being asked to check on the tenant, who hadn’t been seen for more than a month. The Wichita Eagle reports the 69-year-old tenant was later found at a friend’s house, where she was staying after being hospitalized. The city…