COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (AP) A 68-year-old southeast Kansas man has died after being struck by lightning. Coffey County Sheriff Randy Rogers says in a news release that Ronald Nicholas was attending a family gathering in the rural Waverly area when he was hit by lightning. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the death occurred Saturday night. Rogers says Nicholas was pronounced dead at the scene.
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The triple-digit temperatures and lack of rain in Kansas this past week came at a critical time in row crop development. Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service on Monday reported declines in the condition of the state’s major spring-planted crops. Among the hardest hit is the Kansas corn crop with 43 percent of it now rated in poor to very poor condition and just 18 percent in good and 1 percent in excellent condition. Other crops also are struggling with 12 percent of the state considered to have adequate topsoil moisture. About 33 percent of soybeans and 37 percent…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Wichita woman and her daughter returned home to surprise two men, who were apparently stealing their electronics. The Wichita Eagle reports that the suspects fled on foot from the home late Sunday after they were surprised by the residents. Lt. Doug Nolte says the suspects apparently left so fast they forgot their car, which had been parked nearby. When a woman came by to pick up the car later, she led police back her apartment, where police arrested two 19-year-old men and found the victims’ belongings. Police said the recovered items included a camera that the…
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…
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…