MISSION, Kan. — Court records say a Kansas man arrested in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol told the FBI that an officer shrugged his shoulders when he asked whether he could join the throngs streaming into the building. Mark Roger Rebegila, of St. Mary’s, was taken into custody Monday in Topeka on charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. No attorney is listed for him in online court records. He’s among five people from Kansas and dozens nationwide who have been charged…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. — Leaders of a Kansas school district that is named for an early 20th century Ku Klux Klan leader have created an advisory task force to consider a potential name change. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the task force will provide a report, but not a recommendation, to the board. The issue gained attention after student journalists at Seaman High School used newspaper clippings from the 1920s to confirm last fall that the district’s namesake, Fred Seaman, had been an “exalted cyclops,” or chief officer, in the Topeka KKK. A few dozen students, teachers and community supporters protested…
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas Highway Patrol official says basic information won’t be available for more than a week on its arrest of a top legislative leader. Senate Majority Leader and Wichita Republican Gene Suellentrop was arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of driving under the influence and attempting to flee from law enforcement while driving the wrong way on a highway in Topeka. The patrol’s general counsel said Wednesday that the public portion of the arrest report would be available “on or before” March 26. Suellentrop issued a written statement saying he was stepping aside from most of his office’s…
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas legislators on both sides are trading sometimes-bitter accusations as conservative Republicans advance a proposal to ban transgender students from girls’ and women’s school sports. The GOP-controlled state Senate approved a bill that would enact the ban on a 24-10 vote, sending the measure to the Republican-controlled House. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called it “regressive.” The Senate’s top Democrat called the bill “hateful” and suggested her male colleagues were arguing that men are just superior. But supporters argued that girls and women would lose scholarships and other life-changing opportunities without such a ban and repeatedly referred to…
WICHITA, Kan. — Police in Wichita have identified a woman who was fatally hit when she ran into the roadway following a minor crash. Police say 54-year-old Michelle Truong, of Wichita, died in the Tuesday night incident in south Wichita. Officers who arrived at the scene say Truong had just been in a minor crash when she walked into the road to exchange insurance information with the other driver. That’s when she was hit by a pickup truck traveling east on Pawnee Street. Police say the driver of the truck stopped and is cooperating with the investigation.
MISSION, Kan. — Schools and camps across the county are making plans to help kids catch up academically this summer after a year or more of remote learning for many of them. The governors of California, Virginia and Kansas are among those pushing for more summer learning, as are districts in many towns and cities, including Los Angeles, Atlanta and Hartford, Connecticut. Education experts say the pandemic has left many kids trailing behind where they otherwise would be and that it’s crucial for kids to do some learning over the summer. The new coronavirus stimulus package should help, as it…
On Thursday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with Director of Economic Development Daryn Soldan and Director of Membership Sharla Meisenheimer with the Manhattan Chamber.
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 near the intersection of S. 5th St. and Yuma St. in Manhattan on March 17, 2021, at approximately 11:08 p.m. Officers listed a 41-year-old male as the…
Speaking before the Kansas Board of Regents Wednesday, President Richard Myers announced a series of proposals and initiatives he will be rallying going through the 2021-22 academic year. Myers announced the formation of a task force designed to look university wide at academic programs, as part of a revitalization process to occur over some period of time. Working with the entire university community to establish common practices, and a set of metrics, this will provide a path to reveal programs for revitalization, investment and growth. “This data can help us drive innovation in our curriculum support, continuous program improvement, and…
The Riley County Police Department has recognized one of its own with a life-saving award. Officer Joseph Lusk was recognized at the Riley County Law Board meeting on Monday for his role in saving the life of an unresponsive man last November. RCPD director Dennis Butler says Lusk was quick to arrive on scene and performed CPR until EMS personnel arrived. “Following the incident, EMS staff on scene credited the quick response and initiation of CPR by officer Lusk in saving this man’s life,” Butler said. “They commented that a few minutes or even seconds can make the difference between life and death…