Dean of K-State Libraries Lori Goetsch is retiring at the end of the school year. Her last day will be May 28, 2021. Goetsch has led the library since August 2004 and during that time faced many challenges, most notably the May 2018 fire at Hale Library. She says the fire and the aftermath have been the most challenging experience of her career. The fire led to the library being closed for 15 months and she was tasked with overseeing the recovery process and leading planning and renovation. Those renovations are set for completion in January. “I would like to…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Republican lawmaker says Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s office blocked a Kansas legislative committee from obtaining a list of the state’s personal protective equipment suppliers. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Sen. Dennis Pyle of Hiawatha released emails Tuesday during a meeting of a study committee showing that its request had been refused. The committee sought the list after testimony last month that some of the state’s personal protective equipment was defective. According to the emails released by Pyle, the Adjutant General’s Department cited instructions from the governor’s staff in declining to release the list. Kelly’s chief of…
CHICAGO — Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers has died. Sayers made his mark as one of the NFL’s best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Bears teammate with cancer. Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet,” Sayers was considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo depicted in the 1971 film “Brian’s Song” that marked him as more than a sports star. Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatives say…
WICHITA, Kan. — More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and canceled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines. The Wichita Eagle reports both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams. Chanute has canceled football games, but is continuing in-person classes. The school board in Atwood overruled the superintendent’s decision to move classes to remote learning then later reversed course. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is expected to identify active coronavirus clusters on Wednesday, including outbreaks at schools and on sports teams. State health officials reported on Monday 53,959 confirmed cases and 600 deaths…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The University of Kansas Medical Center is part of a nationwide clinical trial looking into different treatments for patients with mild to moderate symptoms of the coronavirus who do not require hospitalization. KCUR-FM reports that the first treatment will involve the use of monoclonal antibodies that target the spike proteins of COVID-19, using a drug made by Eli Lilly. Monoclonal antibodies are engineered versions of the same virus-fighting antibodies that the body naturally produces. The clinical trial is one of at least 40 around the country that seeks to recruit participants within 10 days of the…
TOPEKA, Kan. — An accused drug dealer who was deported last year is once again facing drug charges after illegally returning to the U.S. The Wichita Eagle reports that 28-year-old Raul Valenzuela-Arce was charged Thursday in U.S. District Court in Topeka. He is accused of distributing methamphetamine. An affidavit from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation says Valenzuela-Arce was arrested in March 2019 in Topeka on state drug and gun charges. The affidavit says Valenzuela-Arce agreed while jailed to become a KBI informant. But instead of helping police, Valenzuela-Arce allegedly returned to committing drug crimes. Court filings show he was deported…
Riley County has 79 new coronavirus cases since Monday’s report, but saw 265 additional recoveries. Ascension Via Christi is caring for three positive patients. The health department has also identified 13 cases from early September that had not been tracked through the state’s electronic disease surveillance system. Each of those patients have since recovered. Recent reports from contact tracing staff have revealed more reluctance from patients who test positive to provide close contact information. The health department says it is essential for positive patients to share information about the people they have spent more than 10 minutes with in the…
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran has announced about $2.5 million in grants to Kansas law enforcement agencies, including about $32,000 going to Riley County and Junction City. Riley County is receiving about $19,628 and Junction City will receive $11,788. These funds will be issued in the form of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, also known as JAG grants, the Department of Justice’s largest federal-grant program. “As the leading source of federal funding coming from the DOJ, the JAG Program is a vital instrument to ensure our state and local law enforcement are equipped with the necessary tools and resources…
Kansas State University has hired Claudia Petrescu as its first ever vice provost for graduate education. She will also be the dean of the graduate school, a role previously held by Carol Shanklin since 2009. Petrescu will come to K-State from Michigan, where she served in several administrative and leadership roles for over a decade at Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University. She also has an extensive academic background as a professor of public administration and nonprofit management. As head of the graduate school, Petrescu will oversee graduate programs and operations while also working to advance recruitment and enrollment. Petrescu…
Wednesday’s program featured a conversation with USD 378 Riley County Schools Superintendent Cliff Williams. UFM Community Learning Center Director Linda Teener also highlighted upcoming courses and the success of the UFM community gardens this year.