MISSION, Kan. — Teachers have found themselves on the front lines of the culture wars as the anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol arrives. With shouting crowds at school board meetings and political action committees investing millions in races to elect conservative candidates, talking to students about what happened is increasingly fraught. Now, they’re being left to decide how or whether to teach their students about the events that sit at the heart of the country’s division. And the lessons sometimes vary based on whether they are in a red state or a blue state.
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. — State officials say they are working to find an independent firm to review procedures after two convicts escaped from Larned State Hospital since June. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services said Tuesday it is working with the Correctional Leaders Association to find a firm to conduct a comprehensive security review at Larned. The effort began after John Colt escaped from the prison in June. He was not arrested until September in Utah. The governor’s office says the effort will accelerate after another inmate, Isaac Watts, escaped from Larned on Monday night. He was arrested Tuesday…
MISSION, Kan. — Patients are dying in emergency rooms of small Kansas hospitals as larger hospitals that are struggling with soaring staff absences and COVID-19 cases turn down transfers. Hospitals across the state painted a dire picture Wednesday of worsening conditions as the highly contagious omicron variant collides with a delta surge. They urged public officials to require masks and impose emergency declarations that could free up more resources, saying they are struggling to keep up with the demand for testing and that surgeries are being delayed and clinics canceled.
TOPEKA, Kan. — A man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in the 2019 killing of a woman whose body was found in a natural gas-filled Topeka home. Jeremy Lardner pleaded guilty Wednesday to the murder charge, as well as aggravated robbery and kidnapping in the death of 36-year-old Brandi Prchal. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay says as part of a plea agreement, Lardner’s defense team agreed to a sentence of nearly 49 years on all the counts when Lardner is sentenced on Jan. 27. Lardner remains in custody on $1 million bond. On Nov. 1,…
The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police. Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MANHATTAN, KAN. – Officers filed a report for criminal damage to property in the 1700 block of Poyntz Ave. in Manhattan on January 5, 2022, around 7:37 a.m. Officers listed a 54-year-old female as the victim when…
On Thursday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with National Bio And Agro Defense Facility: NBAF Deputy Director Dr. Ken Burton, Communications Director Katie Pawlosky and ARS National Program Leader for Animal Health Dr. Roxann Motroni. We also spoke with Governor’s Military Council Executive Director Lt. Gen (Ret.) Perry Wiggins.
TOPEKA, Kan. — Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay plans to ask the Kansas Supreme Court to review a ruling that overturned the conviction of a former prison dentist. The Kansas Court of Appeals last month overturned the conviction of Tomas Co for having unlawful sexual relations with a female inmate at Topeka Correctional Facility. The court said Co’s touching of the inmate was inappropriate but did not meet the legal definition of being lewd, which was required for a conviction of the charge he faces. Kagay says if the Supreme Court does not overturn the lower court’s ruling, he…
MISSION, Kan. — Kansas schools are weighing whether to keep or reimpose mask mandates as the highly contagious omicron coronavirus variant sends case numbers soaring to record levels and strains hospitals. In suburban Kansas City, the board for the 27,000-student Shawnee Mission school district narrowly voted Monday night to allow a mask-optional policy to take effect for middle- and high-schoolers when classes resume Wednesday. The crowd interrupted so frequently that the board president twice shut the meeting down before removing the audience.
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The University of Kansas has suspended two fraternities for five years following an investigation that accused the clubs of fostering a culture of hazing. The Kansas City Star reports that the university on Tuesday informed Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Delta Theta in a letter that they will be removed from KU’s campus until the spring of 2027. The letter says investigations by national fraternity leadership and reviewed by a university panel found the fraternities engaged in a pattern of hazing, including action that hurt students. One instance attributed to Phi Gamma Delta says a pledge suffered…
The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police. Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MANHATTAN, KAN. – Officers filed a report for theft in the 2400 block of Vaughn Dr. in Manhattan on January 4, 2022, around 6:53 a.m. Officers listed a 22-year-old male as the victim when it was reported…