Smoke at the East Campus of Manhattan High School triggered a brief evacuation this morning, though no fire was discovered. USD 383 Communications Coordinator Michele Jones tells KMAN the fire alarm activated Wednesday morning and that all students and staff were evacuated safely. The smoke was coming from the area of the library. A burned out motor on a water fountain is listed as the cause.
Author: KMAN Staff
A Manhattan man reported a theft to Riley County police on Tuesday. Tyler Thomas, 19, told RCPD that two wetsuits and a surfboard were taken from his home located in the 900 block of Claflin Rd. The theft occurred during a party that took place at the victim’s home over the weekend. The estimated loss is $1,125. RCPD representatives announced Wednesday that there are no suspects at this time and that the case is under further investigation.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Authorities in Missouri have searched woods, landfills, sewers and a 36-foot well at an abandoned house. They have chased down more than 300 tips in their effort to find a baby reported missing last week. But as the search for Lisa Irwin heads into its second week, there’s still no sign of the child, whose first birthday is now just a month away. Lisa’s parents reported their daughter missing Oct. 4. Her father said he returned from a late shift at work and found the house lights on, a window tampered with and his child gone.…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) About two dozen people are protesting a Kansas prosecutor’s decision not to pursue domestic violence and other misdemeanor cases. The protesters gathered Tuesday outside the Shawnee County Courthouse, where district attorney Chad Taylor has his office. Taylor announced in early September that he would no longer pursue misdemeanor cases from within the Topeka city limits. He says his office can’t afford to handle those cases because of a 10 percent cut in his budget for 2012. In theory the city of Topeka could prosecute the cases, but its officials say it doesn’t have the resources, either. Protesters…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The latest government snapshot of Kansas crop progress shows that 69 percent of the planned winter wheat crop has been planted. In a report Tuesday, Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service also said about 35 percent of the 2012 winter wheat crop has already emerged. Farmers are also busy harvesting the last of this season’s crops. The report says the Kansas corn harvest reached the 65 percent mark by Sunday. About 43 percent of the state’s soybeans have been cut, along with 15 percent of the sorghum crop.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Securities Commissioner Aaron Jack has named Jeffery Kruske as the new general counsel for the regulatory agency. Kruske has been an attorney in private practice, recently merging his practice with Schlagel and Kinzer of Olathe. As general counsel he will be the chief legal officer of the agency and oversee all legal, regulatory and enforcement actions taken by the securities commissioner. Kruske is a 2000 graduate of the Washburn University School of Law. He has been a securities litigator for the majority of his professional career, representing investors in securities disputes and industry professionals in employment…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A national industry group reports that sales of farm tractors are nearly flat so far this year. In a report Tuesday, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers also said sales of self-propelled combines from January through September fell 6.1 percent from the same period last year. The organization reports that U.S. farmers bought slightly more than 127,000 farm tractors and 7,200 combines during the first nine months of this year.
GREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) A southern Kansas man convicted of shooting his wife to death will be sentenced Nov. 16. Mark H. Ralstin faces up to 14 years in prison for the November 2009 death of 35-year-old Bobbie Jo Ralston. He was convicted in July of intentional second-degree murder. The victim was shot six times as she sat in a vehicle in the yard of the couple’s home near Mullinville in rural Kiowa County on Nov. 9, 2009. The Hutchinson News reports that after the shooting, Ralstin drove to his sister’s home in Sylvia, where he was arrested. During the trial,…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A fire in Topeka has left one man dead. Topeka firefighters found the man dead when they responded to a call to the house Tuesday evening. Fire officials say there is no evidence of foul play in the death. They say that it appears that the blaze started in a back bedroom. The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting with the investigation.
HAYS, Kan. (AP) Fort Hays University says it wants to offer the state’s first bachelor’s degree program for registered dental practitioners. But the proposal depend on the Kansas Legislature approving a bill that would allow dental practitioners in the state. Dental practitioners perform preventative and routines services such as cleanings and fillings. During testimony Tuesday before a legislative committee, Fort Hays president Edward Hammond said the state needs dental practitioners to provide access to dental care in rural areas of the state. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that an estimated 93 Kansas counties do not have enough dental care, with the…