Kansas House Minority Leader Paul Davis made a stop in Manhattan to talk about some issues that have been strong in the legislature. One topic that Davis was pleased to announce was that within the Kansas State budget, funding for the arts has been reinstated. “I think that really is an acknowledgement that a mistake was made and I am pleased that we’ve reinstated that funding,” said Davis. Davis also brought up the issue of redistricting and how because of that the Kansas House of Representatives will have a lot of new people either due to retirements or the fact…
Author: KMAN Staff
The June Board of Regents Meeting has concluded and with it comes news of a potential increase of tuition for students over the next few years. Kansas State University’s President Kirk Schulz brought back the news saying that the Board of Regents approved the request to increase tuition next year by five and a half percent. “Why we don’t really want tuition fees to go up, simply the exalating costs of health care and utilites and other things like that we really were left with no choice but to do those increases each year,” said Schulz. Another topic that was important to…
On Thursday, June 21, Congressman Tim Huelskamp and his staff came to Manhattan to visit with community and regional leaders. Although Manhattan still remains with the second district and under Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, beginning in January 2013 Manhattan will merge with the first district with Congressman Huelskamp as representative. “I appreciate the opportunity to begin an early dialogue with the leaders of what will become the largest city in my district,” said Huelskamp. During the meeting, the group discussed many exciting developments in Manhattan, including the work being done at the airport, the progress begin made toward beginning construction at…
The Junction City Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and arresting at least one man suspected in a recent series of aggravated burglaries that have been occurring over the last month. In several of the cases, the suspect has entered homes through unsecured doors or in one case through a “doggy door” and removed items from the home as the residents slept nearby. In other cases, an attempt was made to enter the home while the residents slept inside but the suspect was frightened off by alarm systems activated in the homes. Police are very concerned about…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The U.S. Justice Department says a Kansas hospice care provider and its Texas-based parent company have agreed to pay $6.1 million to settle allegations they submitted false claims to the Medicare program. The settlement with Wichita-based Hospice Care of Kansas LLC and Fort Worth-based Voyager HospiceCare Inc. was announced Thursday. The deal results from a whistleblower lawsuit first filed more than six years ago by Beverly Landis, a Hospice Care of Kansas nurse. Landis will receive $1.34 million under provisions of the federal False Claims Act. The government alleged the companies submitted false Medicare claims between 2004…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) An attorney for a suburban Chicago mother accused in Kansas of abusing her five children says the woman was unaware of how the children were being treated. Deborah and Adolfo Gomez of Northlake, Ill., appeared separately Thursday in Douglas County District Court in Lawrence to set preliminary hearing dates. The couple were arrested last week after two of their children were found tied up and blindfolded outside their SUV in a Walmart parking lot in Lawrence. Three older children were found inside the vehicle unrestrained. Deborah Gomez’s attorney says the woman didn’t know what was happening to…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Shawnee County citizens continue to be frustrated by delays caused by a new computer system for Kansas vehicle and title registrations. Employees of the county treasurer’s office say they are just as frustrated by delays that began after the new $40 million motor vehicle system was installed. The office usually stops taking numbers at noon and is three weeks behind on mail-in renewals. A spokeswoman for the state revenue department says counties statewide have processed 36.5 percent more renewals and 24 percent more titles and registrations than by this time last year. She credits the new system…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Ten former employees of Topeka’s parks and recreation department are seeking a total of $745,000 from the city over severance packages. The employees lost their jobs with the city when the Topeka and Shawnee County parks and recreations departments were consolidated under county control Jan. 1. They all are now working for the county but they claim the new jobs offer substantially less pay and benefits. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the employees contend they weren’t given severance benefits, which the city code requires if employees lose their jobs through no fault of their own. It also claims…