TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A new report shows the nearly 18,000 people who visited the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in 2010 spent $866,000 at the Topeka attraction and the surrounding area. The site is dedicated to telling the story of the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned segregated education. The National Park Service estimates that the spending supported 14 jobs. Fifty-two percent of the spending and jobs are related to lodging and dining. Another 29 percent of the spending was on retail, 10 percent was for entertainment and amusements, 7 percent was for gas and transportation…
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) More bald eagles appear to be nesting in Kansas. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism says a survey found eight eagle nests with eggs in south-central Kansas. That’s up from seven active nests last year in the area that stretches from Marion County to Kingman County. Charlie Cope, wildlife biologist at the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, told The Wichita Eagle that five active nests were found in Cowley County and one each in Sumner, Kingman and Sedgwick counties. The active Sedgwick County nest is near Derby on the Arkansas River. The U.S.…
SALINA, Kan. (AP) Salina officials are hoping a new tenant at an industrial park that used to house Hawker Beechcraft will be the first of many attracted to the area. The Salina Airport Authority and city leaders on Wednesday announced a lease agreement with Universal Forest Products to move into the Salina Airport Industrial Center. The company, which is based in Grand Rapids, Mich., builds wood packaging crates for shipping products. It signed a three-year lease. The Salina Journal reports Hawker Beechcraft on Wednesday turned over the keys to 10 buildings at the industrial park. The Wichita airplane maker closed…
LANSING, Kan. (AP) Leavenworth County authorities say a man shot and killed the father of a girl he dated before shooting and injuring the girl. The man then shot himself to death. Undersheriff Ron Cranor says the shootings occurred Wednesday night at a rural Leavenworth County home near Lansing. He says the man burst into the home, shot the man and his daughter, then went outside and shot himself to death. The wife and mother of the victims was able to escape unharmed. The victims’ identities have not been released. The Kansas City Star reports that Cranor says the suspect…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) House Majority Leader Arlen Siegfreid has introduced a bill to set aside space in the Kansas Statehouse for prayer, meditation and reflection. The Olathe Republican on Wednesday told the House Federal and State Affairs Committee that the U.S. Capitol and several other states have such chapels for use by all faiths. Siegfreid said the space would be paid for through private funds. He said Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has offered to allow legislators to use a portion of the space allotted to his office on the second floor in the Statehouse for the chapel. Siegfreid said eventually…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a settlement of claims by thousands of Kansas landowners against three of the nation’s largest telecommunications companies. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Gale said Thursday that the parties had done a “Herculean job” in solving the property rights dispute over installation of fiber-optic cable on railroad rights of way. The agreement comes in a lawsuit filed against Sprint Communications Co., Qwest Communication Co. and Level 3 Communications. The proposal would resolve claims affecting about 459 miles of rights of way throughout Kansas. The Kansas deal is among 46 similar settlements…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Department of Revenue is taking steps to help residents of tornado-stricken Wabaunsee County replace tax documents and state-issued licenses or identification. Gov. Sam Brownback has declared a state of emergency for the county, where Tuesday night’s tornado destroyed about half the buildings in the small town of Harveyville. Kansas Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan said Wednesday the department will waive fees for replacing certain documents, such as driver’s licenses, vehicle titles or state identification. Residents will need to prove they live in the Wabaunsee County to get new licenses. Those needing free replacement copies of their…
A cell phone call lands a Manhattan woman in a traffic accident Wednesday night. Petrina Haley, 42, was traveling west bound on Allison Avenue at around 9:20 P.M. when she continued off the roadway and struck a utility pole. Riley County Lieutenant, Josh Kyle, says the road was curved, but Haley continued to go straight. Haley was transported by Riley County Police to Mercy Regional Health where she was treated for soreness to her chest. Haley was also cited for talking on her cell phone while driving.
A man who was critically injured by an EF2 tornado that struck Harveyville, Kan., Tuesday evening has died at a Topeka hospital. Richard D. Slade, 53, was airlifted to Stormont-Vail Emergency and Trauma Center in Topeka Tuesday night after being pulled from the wreckage of his home. He remained in critical condition and the decision was made Wednesday afternoon to take him off life support. Slade passed away Wednesday evening. Five other people treated at hospitals after the tornado have been released. Eight others were treated in Harveyville after the storm. Meanwhile, Volunteers will be able to begin helping Harveyville…