TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Former Topeka Deputy Fire Chief Kathy Petty has filed a complaint accusing the city of sexual discrimination and retaliating against her when she complained. Petty is seeking $1.3 million in damages, who was the department’s first female deputy chief. After being a target of criticism from the firefighters’ union, she was fired in February 2010. She was also an unsuccessful applicant for a training officer’s job earlier this year. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the city attorney’s office is recommending that the city council deny the claim at its meeting next Tuesday. The city argues that Petty’s…
Author: KMAN Staff
GREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) Greensburg will reach another milestone in its rebuilding from a 2007 tornado when it opens a county historical museum next week. The Kiowa County Historical Museum is scheduled to open Tuesday in a building that will also house the Kiowa County Library and the Media Center. The county’s Historical Society began planning the museum soon after the May 4, 2007, tornado leveled most of Greensburg, including wiping out most of the museum’s collection. The Dodge City Daily Globe reports that the museum features exhibits involving buffalo that once roamed the plains, the coming of stagecoaches and railroads…
Residents of the Valleywood attended Thursday’s Riley County commission meeting in hopes of resolving drainage issues that have plagued their subdivision for a number of years. Valleywood is part of a benefit district, but commission chair Karen McCulloh says that doesn’t grant the subdivision access to those funds. “If it benefits one area that area should pay for it, not the entire county,” McCulloh said. “That’s just the way we operate.” The comission asked SMH consulting to assess the situation earlier this month. SMH Representatives said the options were to place yard drains in each property or to do nothing.…
A man was taken by law enforcement officials from McCain auditorium Wednesday, during the Kansas State Landon lecture. Ryan Leathers, 38, of Manhattan was arrested at McCain auditorium shortly after 11:30 Wednesday morning. Charges include disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process, with a bond for Leathers set at 750 dollars. The man caused a disturbance by speaking loudly during the question portion of former Senator Alan Simpson’s presentation. He also tried to interrupt the former Senator before law enforcement took him away. When it was all said and done, the disturbance at McCain Auditorium didn’t end up being as serious as it…
With the Riley County-Manhattan health board dissolving at the end of the calendar year, the county is still weighing it’s options as far as maintaining an advisory board. The subject was discussed at length during Wednesday’s meeting with the board moving unanimously to hire the Kansas Health Institute as a consultant to help with the process. Current health board president Brady Burton doesn’t expect anything major to happen for a number of months. “My guess is that it will probably be February or March before the new advisory board is put into place,” Burton said. Assistant Health Administrator Suzanne Kufahl clarifies the…
Sales tax numbers for Manhattan in October are slightly less than a year ago but higher than the budget estimate for the city. $892,090 was collected, with an adjusted amount of $830,450.. $43,180 less was collected than last year at the same time. However that’s still well over the $773,000 that had been budgeted. City Finance Director Bernie Hayen notes this year’s October distribution, which actuall reflects August retail sales, did not include the Intercollegiate Athletics ticket sales total as it did a year ago. Hayen says that alone would account for the decrease. Those numbers should show up in the…
The new Riley County Health Department administrator has been selected. Current Assistant Administartor Suzanne Kufahl was approved as the new administrator by the health board on Wednesday. The motion passed 7-to-1 with one member abstaining. Kufahl’s starting salary will be $94,000, effective when she begins her new role January 1st of 2012. Kufahl has spent the last 14 years acting as assistant administrator. She takes over for Charles Murphy, who is retiring at the end of the calendar year.
Former Wyoming Senator and Washington insider Alan K. Simpson spoke at McCain Auditorium Wednesday morning, in a talk entitled “The Moment of Truth: Confronting Issues in America”. Simpson spoke about topics such as health care, tax revenue, and social security funding, which were all interspersed with jokes and witticisms. Simpson served three years in the US Senate representing Wyoming.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) American Royal leaders say it’s time to tear down the aging Kemper Arena and replace it with a new equestrian center that better fits the needs of Kansas City’s premier annual livestock show. The Kansas City Star reports the idea has the backing of R. Crosby Kemper Jr. and his son Mariner Kemper, who pledged Tuesday to help raise millions of dollars in private donations for the new center. R. Crosby Kemper Jr. donated the land and initial funding for Kemper Arena in 1972 in honor of his father, who had just died. Kemper says…