TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is pledging to give legislators and the general public more information about children who run away or go missing from the state’s foster care system. The Democratic governor on Monday announced the launch of a new state Department for Children and Families website that will provide daily statistics about missing foster children. Kelly also promised that legislative committees will receive information about specific cases if they agree to keep it confidential. The announcements came less than a week after a Republican-controlled Senate committee had a hearing on a bill aimed at ensuring that the…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA — Republican lawmakers in Kansas have added a popular proposal to cut the state’s sales tax on groceries to an income tax relief bill to make it more palatable to skeptics. But supporters acknowledged Monday that they aren’t sure the move would keep Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly from vetoing the measure. The House Taxation Committee endorsed the measure on a voice vote Monday, sending it to the full chamber for debate. The GOP-controlled Senate passed the bill earlier this month as a measure designed only to keep individuals and businesses from paying more state income taxes because of federal…
A few familiar faces at Manhattan Parks and Recreation will be starting in new roles at the department. Three position changes were announced by Parks and Recreation Monday. Sydni Baker, Janelle Fritzon and Cody Kramer were promoted Monday, according to a department press release. Baker has been bumped up to aquatics specialist, having served in several roles since 2015. She will direct daily aquatics operations as well as more than 200 seasonal waterpark staff across Manhattan’s three waterparks — and in the colder seasons, she’ll oversee the ice rink’s operations. Fritzon is now operations officer for Parks and Rec and…
Residential customers of the Kansas Gas Service are going to save about $22 on a future bill thanks to an order issued Monday. The Kansas Corporation Commission has told the utility company it must return more than $17.9 million dollars in tax savings to customers. As a result, residential customers will receive a one-time credit on their bill amounting to $22.78. KGS saved millions after a federal tax cut reduced the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent in January 2018. They held those funds in a separate account for review by the KCC. They filed a rate…
Today we were joined by Dr. Timothy Shaffer, the assistant director of the KSU Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy. He talked about his soon-to-be-released book title ‘A Crisis of Civility?,’ what first got him interested in land-grant institutions and framing theory in discussing division in modern society.
TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers are considering a proposal that would require election officials to notify voters before they throw out ballots because of problems with signatures. The proposal comes after last year’s GOP primary for governor between Kris Kobach and then-Gov. Jim Colyer was decided by only a few hundred votes. Currently, Kansas law allows election officials to throw out ballots with signature problems unless the voter fixes the signature by the end of Election Day. The Wichita Eagle reports the proposed law would require election officials to try to notify voters whose write-in ballots are missing signatures before the…
WICHITA — Teen drivers in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma might see more law enforcement officers near their schools in the next two weeks. The Kansas Highway Patrol says law officers plan their annual special traffic enforcement to encourage teen drivers to wear seatbelts. The campaign will run from Monday to March 8. Kansas patrol Col. Mark Bruce says the “High Visibility Seat Belt Enforcement Campaign” involves troopers working with local law enforcement agencies to education and enforce the use of seat belts. The patrol said in a news release that last year, nearly half of all Kansas teens who died…
WICHITA — A former Kansas legislator accused of fraudulently taking $10,500 from campaign funds for his personal use goes to trial Monday in federal court in Wichita. Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering related to his state and county campaign funds. His trial is expected to last five days. O’Donnell, a Wichita Republican, was elected to the Kansas State Senate in 2012 for a term that ended in January 2017. He did not run for re-election and instead ran for and won a seat on…
Officers filed a report for sexual battery in Manhattan on February 22, 2019, at approximately 5:00 PM. Officers listed a 37-year-old female as the victim and a 16-year-old male as the suspect. Due to the nature of the crime reported, no further information will be released. Officers filed a report for criminal damage to property in the 300 block of N Juliette Ave in Manhattan on February 22, 2019, at approximately 6:55 PM. Officers listed David Slark, 22 of Salina as the victim when it was reported an unknown suspect damaged the sunroof on his 2012 Hyundai Veloster. The estimated…
MANHATTAN — Dozens braved the frigid temperatures Saturday for the 15th annual Manhattan Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Kansas. The event held at Manhattan City Park was presented by the Riley County and Junction City Police Departments. Participants raise money and take turns jumping into a pool of ice-cold water in the middle of February. Krystin Guggisberg, the north-central regional director for Special Olympics Kansas says they had a great year for weather, participants, and fundraising . Guggisberg said they expect the numbers to increase even after the event. RCPD Officer Rachel Pate was on the committee for this…