BELOIT, Kan. (AP) A Beloit High School senior has won the Kansas Voice of Democracy contest for his essay titled, “Is There Pride in Serving our Military?” Brady True now will go on to Washington, D.C., where he will compete in March against 54 other state winners in the contest sponsored by the VFW and the Ladies Auxiliary. Before reaching the state final, True took first place in Mitchell County and in the district contest. Contest officials say 555 students in Kansas participated. First prize at the national level is $30,000 and a trip to the Freedoms Foundation at Valley…
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Got an anonymous tip for the Wichita police department? Want to find a police substation or look up a police contact in the city? The department now has a smartphone app to find or share information. The Wichita Police Department unveiled the free app Wednesday. It can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, the Android Marketplace or the police department’s Facebook page. Police Officer Jerod Metcalf says the app, called “My Police Department,” is the agency’s latest innovation in ways to interact with the public.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to ban abortion has been formally introduced by 25 state House members. The lawmakers filed their proposed “personhood” amendment Wednesday. The measure would amend the state constitution’s Bill of Rights to declare that Kansas guarantees the rights of every person, starting with fertilization of the human egg. Critics say it’s broad enough to ban common birth control methods. Even some abortion opponents are wary of the proposal, fearing its enactment would lead to a lawsuit and unfavorable court decisions. Two-thirds of both the House and Senate must approve the measure…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Economist Arthur Laffer is going before Kansas lawmakers to defend Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposed reforms in the state income tax code. Laffer was known for his work during President Ronald Reagan’s administration as an advocate of supply-side economics. Brownback’s administration hired him as a consultant to help develop the plan to cut income tax rates. He’s scheduled to speak Thursday to a joint meeting of the House and Senate tax committees. Critics have assailed the Brownback plan as “Robin Hood in reverse” because those in the lowest tax bracket would see their taxes rise, while upper brackets,…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) A 41-year-old man died after being burned by a fire in an area where homeless people were sleeping in a tent. Kansas City, Kan., authorities say firefighters found him Monday after responding to a report of illegal burning or a grass fire. The department said firefighter crews were told that homeless people had been sleeping in a tent and a fire used for heat may have gotten out of control. The Kansas City Star reports that the victim suffered second- and third-degree burns to his upper body. He died Tuesday at a hospital.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Wichita man pleaded not guilty in the death of his wife, who was gunned down in front of her children. After a preliminary hearing Wednesday, 28-year-old Kishen Woods was bound over for trial for first-degree murder in the death of Antonia Woods-Cratic. She died after being shot last Nov. 12, the couple’s second wedding anniversary. Two Wichita police officers testified that Woods admitted killing his wife, apparently because he was concerned that she would leave him. KAKE-TV reports the trial was set for March 12.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The federal government has begun the process for designating the Kansas River between Junction City and its junction with the Missouri River near Kansas City as a National Historic Water Trail. Linda Craghead, assistant secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, said Wednesday that the designation would be an economic boost for communities along the river. Craghead discussed the possibility at a meeting of the Topeka and Shawnee County Riverfront Authority. She said the U.S. Department of Interior was working with the state to secure the designation. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that state and…
SALINA, Kan. (AP) The publisher and editor of The Salina Journal plans to leave the paper in March. Tom Bell announced his decision to his staff on Wednesday. He said he will start a new job in Salina but did not elaborate on his next venture. The 57-year-old Bell has been the Journal’s publisher and editor since 1998. The Journal reported that Bell’s journalism career began in 1980 at The Hutchinson News. He was named general manager of The Olathe Daily News in 1987, then editor and publisher of The Chanute Tribune in 1990. He spent seven years at Chanute,…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Economist and former Reagan administration adviser Arthur Laffer is in Kansas, promoting Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s income tax plan after having helped shape it. Laffer is speaking Thursday to lawmakers in both houses. He told reporters before speaking to the Senate tax committee that Brownback’s plan will help the poor because it will create prosperity. He’s a consultant for the administration. His appearance came two days after the release of new state figures showing that Brownback’s tax overhaul proposal would increase the total tax burden for low-income Kansans. People with adjusted gross incomes of $25,000 or less…
This coming Sunday, for the first time in 15 years, young women in the Manhattan area will have the opportunity to compete for the titles of Miss Manhattan and Miss K-State Wildcat, official preliminaries to the Miss America Pageant. To be eligible, a women must be between the ages of 17-24, single and never married, and live within 100 miles of Manhattan. K-State students do quality. The Co-Hosts for the evening are Miss Kansas 2011, Carissa Kelly, and KMAN sister station B104.7 morning host, Megan Vaughn. Tickets are available at the door and are $20 for adults and $10 for children.…