TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas lawmakers have been moving quickly on legislation that would extend the state’s COVID-19 emergency declaration before it expires on Jan. 26. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the two temporary bills moving in the state Senate and House deal with COVID-19-related provisions will impact on the coronavirus response. Both have had public hearings and passed out of committee in the first week of the session. The bills extend legislation passed last year outlining temporary changes in law in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Those include allowing establishments to offer to-go alcohol, expanding the use of telemedicine and adding…
Author: KMAN Staff
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A former Kansas prison guard will stand trial on 10 counts related to a drug-smuggling case at a Hutchinson prison. The Hutchinson News reports that Zachary Wood was bound over for trial last week following a preliminary hearing on counts ranging from possession with intent to distribute to trafficking in a correctional facility. Prosecutors say Wood tried to smuggle drugs into the prison last summer after arranging sales with three women. The three women are charged with conspiracy to traffic in a penal institution and also appeared in court Thursday. Denisha Starnes, Esther Davis and Stephanie Thindiu…
Monday’s program featured guests from the Food and Farm Council of Manhattan and Riley County, including council coordinator Vickie James and council chair Sharolyn Jackson. Sunset Zoo Marketing and Development Officer Melissa Kirkwood joined us to highlight January and February events happening at the Manhattan zoo.
The hour long ceremony featured Religious figures, Musicians, and guest speakers from all walks of life to not just promote the sit-in, but impart all manner of life lessons from MLK and those who continue to cherish his memory by carrying the torch to light the way for change today. In July 1958, Black students congregated at downtown Wichita’s Dockum Drugstore to organize a non-violent protest against segregation, racial discrimination and practices. Tired of being denied admittance to the city’s cinemas and cafes, students made a move and directed their focus toward the highly frequented lunch counter at…
K-State was handled with ease by the #4 Texas Longhorns 82-67 in Austin in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. For the second straight game, K-State was shorthanded. Three players were out, headlined by Nijel Pack, who hasn’t played in over a week. Antonio Gordon and Seyree Lewis barely practiced. DaJuan Gordon and Carlton Linguard were both limited with injuries. In a similar situation last Saturday against Oklahoma State, the Wildcats hung around into the second half. Texas wasted far less time in blowing this game open. The Longhorns used an 18-0 run to build…
Health care professionals in the area are optimistic about the current rollout of COVID vaccinations. Riley County recently received 2,500 doses of the COVID vaccine. Ascension Via Christi President Bob Copple is excited to be getting these new doses. To him, this occasion makes the vaccine rollout more of a reality due to the large number of doses. “Huge impact with a lot of people, now we’re talking about big chunks of the county population,” says Copple. A large portion of healthcare workers in the community still need to be vaccinated as part of phase one. The Riley County Health…
LIEAP, or Low Income Energy Assistance Program is a federally funded program for those with low income, offering them support with their Evergy and/or Kansas Gas payments. https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1557 Director of Client Services, Warren Holmes said this program has been underreported and many people didn’t even know about the program. For this reason, his organization began offering assistance with the process and filling out the application, as “it’s not hard, it’s just a little bit confusing for some people.” “As they come in, we’ll set up appointments for them, and then we will go through their preparation and then add to…
Riley County’s end of year revenues for 2020 came in slightly down from the previous year. Treasurer Shilo Heger told commissioners Thursday that compared to 2019, Riley County revenues were down about $40,000. At the end of December, the balance for the general fund was $10,585,588, which is up a little over $2 million dollars from December 2019. However, the total funds ended at $94,030,384, down from 2019. Heger estimates the 2020 general fund balance would have come in $2.8 million under if not for funding from the federal CARES Act. A major impact to that fund was the emergency…
WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita police say the cousin of a man who was stabbed to death has been arrested. Police say 39-year-old Jason Payne was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree murder. Early Wednesday, police found Payne lying facedown in a street. Payne was treated and released at a hospital. Investigators went to a home connected to Payne and found 34-year-old Michael Montgomery dead. Police spokesman Officer Charley Davidson said Payne and Montgomery had an altercation at the home and Payne stabbed Montgomery. Police did not say why Payne needed medical condition before his arrest.
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas is on track to pay out an extra $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit as part of a coronavirus rescue aid package enacted late last month. Top Department of Labor staffer Ryan Wright said the agency was in the process of testing the requisite system. Roughly two dozen states have begun paying out the extra benefit, but Wright noted that neighboring states were also not yet up and running either. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that he didn’t commit to a firm time frame but said “we are talking days and weeks, not months” and insisted that the state…