Author: KMAN Staff
A May trial is set for a Manhattan man facing a first degree murder charge in Riley County District Court. Michael Layne, 19, entered a not guilty plea in court Tuesday afternoon. His trial has been set for May 1-4. Layne was one of four arrested in connection with the murder of Steven Freel, 31, of Manhattan. In addition to first degree murder, Layne faces aggravated robbery charges. Freel’s body was found Dec. 7 in the 5200 block of N. 48th Street, north of Manhattan. Riley County Police have said they believe Freel and Layne committed several armed robberies together but…
LIBERAL, Kan. (AP) An English runner has won the annual Shrove Tuesday trans-Atlantic pancake race, beating the winner of the southwest Kansas leg of the race by 10 seconds. Devon Byrnes, 18, of Olney, England, covered the course in 58.5 seconds to beat Kaela Krueger, 18, who won the leg of the race in Liberal six hours later. Women clad in aprons and head scarves run the course with a pancake in their pan, flipping it at the beginning and end of the race. Shrove Tuesday, widely known in Britain as Pancake Day, is traditionally the last day for merrymaking…
Manhattan/Ogden NEA Representative Usha Reddi talks about state assessments.
EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) Three Emporia State University students are launching a national campaign to honor teachers and help the university’s National Teachers Hall of Fame. The university said in a news release Tuesday that the students are trying to raise $1 million in one semester by encouraging people across the country to honor a teacher. The students are Beka Enoch of Manhattan, Holli Schletzbaum of Wichita and Kelsey Cowan of Olathe. They are asking people to record comments about a favorite teacher on the Hall of Fame’s website (www.nthf.org) or at the hall of fame’s museum. The comments should be…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Bioscience Authority’s investment committee approved just under $2 million in new investments. The investments approved Monday come after Gov. Sam Brownback withheld part of KBA’s annual appropriation of $35 million. KBA leaders say they had plenty of money available to fund the investments. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the committee approved just under $191,000 for Mencuro Therapeutics Inc. in Lawrence, which develop drugs that are an alternative to morphine for pain management. Other investments must still be approved by the KBA’s full board during its March 6 meeting. They include $350,000 for the Center for Animal…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Topeka Zoo’s oldest female orangutan has died at the age of 45. The zoo announced the death of Daisy the orangutan on Monday. It said the cause of death has not been determined but Daisy had been in failing health from chronic sinusitis and kidney disease. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Daisy arrived at the zoo at the age of 5 in 1971. She was a surrogate mother to several newborn orangutans during her time at the zoo.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Cessna Aircraft has moved work on its 162 Skycatcher from Wichita to its plant in Independence. Yingling Aviation in Wichita has been reassembling and delivering the Skycatcher aircraft after it was manufactured by a company in China. Cessna said Monday work on the two-seat light sport aircraft will be moved from Yingling to the Cessna plant in Independence. Cessna spokeswoman Diane White says Cessna wants to integrate the Skycatcher with its other single-engine airplanes in Independence. She says the plant in Independence has the capacity to do the work and the decision is not a reflection on…