TOPEKA, Kan. — Attorney General Derek Schmidt says that sharp spikes in natural gas prices last winter appear to violate Kansas law and he is seeking outside legal help to investigate them. Schmidt’s office said Monday it is looking to retain a law firm with expertise in the natural gas marketplace to help investigate and with any potential civil litigation aimed at enforcing the state’s anti-profiteering law. Schmidt said in a news release that state law prohibits unjustified price increases for necessary goods and services during a declared state of disaster emergency.
Author: KMAN Staff
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Hundreds of people chanted and held signs outside a University of Kansas fraternity house where a member is accused of sexually assaulting another student. The Kansas City Star reports that the Monday night protest outside the Phi Kappa Psi house came after the fraternity officials reported the allegations over the weekend. The university’s spokeswoman said Tuesday the university takes all allegations of sexual violence seriously and has robust processes to investigate them. A spokesman for the fraternity said the organization has been made aware of the allegations involving one of its new undergraduate members and the university…
OLATHE, Kan. — The father of an football coach at a suburban Kansas City high school said he hopes his unvaccinated son’s death from COVID-19 will convince people that the disease “is real.” Kim and Carolyn Burnett, told KMBC-TV reports that their son, Chris Burnett, died Saturday after two weeks in the hospital. The 34-year-old coached football for Olathe East High School and an all-female team called the Kansas City Glory. He also was studying to be a physical education teacher.
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 2300 block of Blueberry Dr. in Manhattan on September 13, 2021, around 3:10 p.m. Officers listed a 43-year-old male as the victim when it was reported…
On Tuesday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with Riley County Commissioner Kathryn Focke for the full hour.
Repairs on Fort Riley Boulevard will result in the two inside lanes of the street being closed between 10th Street and Juliette Avenue starting Tuesday. It’s forecast that the repairs could take several weeks as rain might delay work. Also, work on 14th Street and Beach Lane at Anderson Avenue will prompt the closure of the north and south sides of the intersection, beginning Tuesday. Pedestrian access at the intersection will be closed throughout as the city is working on the storm sewer, sidewalks and street. It’s expected the project will be completed in between six to eight weeks.
The coronavirus pandemic and the federal foreclosure moratorium have resulted in what one study says is nine million dollars in outstanding rent being built up in Flint Hills counties. The Manhattan Housing Authority is urging those facing issues tied to rental arrears that the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance program is sending aid to 500 households statewide each week to help ease the backlog. MHA commissioner Brad Claussen tells KMAN the aid availability covers both ends of rental transactions. The Assistant Executive Director of the Manhattan Housing Authority, Mandy Thomas, tells KMAN that applications can be submitted to the agency online.…
AUSTIN, Texas — Abortion clinics in neighboring Oklahoma and nearby Kansas say they’re still seeing a high volume of patients from Texas as a new state law there banning most abortions remains in effect. The Biden administration this week sued Texas over the law, arguing it was enacted “in open defiance of the Constitution.“ The Justice Department is asking a judge to quickly declare the law invalid, although it is unknown how quickly a court might rule. In the meantime, the Trust Women abortion clinics in Oklahoma and Kansas say at least half their patients at both locations this week…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Most Wyandotte County residents will be required to wear masks in indoor public spaces into mid-November, and Kansas aviation companies are set to receive nearly $104 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds. The mask requirement applies in Kansas City, Kansas, and to residents aged 5 and older, in businesses and houses of worship. Wyandotte County imposed the mandate in August, and it is now set to remain in place through Nov. 18. The county commission voted this past week to extend the mandate by two months. The Wichita Eagle reports that 31 companies will receive federal…
HUTCHINSTON, Kan. — Kansas State Fair officials judging the 4-H entomology entries last week discovered an invasive insect that prompted quarantines elsewhere. Fair Board member Gregg Hadley the student who caught the bug didn’t know it had prompted quarantines in at least 45 counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to try to stop its spread. Hadley, who is Director for Extension at Kansas State’s Research and Extension said it’s not clear how the Spotted Lanternfly made it to Kansas but it may have hitched a ride on a camper. Federal officials are expected to try and learn how the insect…