TOPEKA, Kan. — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration plans to begin giving COVID-19 vaccinations to state prison inmates next week. The move would ignore a call from the Republican-controlled Legislature to postpone the inoculations so that others can get them first. Spokesperson Carol Pitts said in an email that the state Department of Corrections has not yet vaccinated any inmates but would start giving them throughout its nine facilities. Her email came Thursday as the Kansas Senate was debating a resolution condemning a decision by Kelly to make inmates eligible for shots during the second phase of the state’s vaccine…
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA, Kan. — The Wichita school board plans to discuss changing the North High School’s Redskins mascot name. The discussion scheduled for the board’s meeting on Monday comes as teams on all levels across the country are changing or reconsidering mascots considered to be culturally insensitive. The Wichita Eagle reports the district’s policy suggests initiating change if an existing theme becomes offensive or divisive. The board planned to discuss the issue last summer but delayed it because of the coronavirus pandemic. The agenda item said board members have received several letters asking them to consider changing the high school’s mascot,…
LAWRENCE, Kan. — A group of University of Kansas faculty met via Zoom to decry a new Board of Regents policy that makes it easier for university CEOs to fire, dismiss or suspend employees, including tenured faculty. The meeting Thursday night was organized by a group called OneKU and attracted about 200 participants. Speakers at the meeting said the policy would hurt the university’s stature and employee morale by damaging or ending tenure and shared governance. The University of Kansas is the only one of six public universities that plans to consider using the policy, although Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer said…
HOLTON, Kan. — A Kansas man who fatally shot his father while he was in bed has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison. Fifty-year-old Derrick Bohnenkemper, of Holton, was sentenced Friday in the death of his 73-year-old father, Gaylen Bohnenkemper at the family’s home in 2018. He was also sentenced to three years of post-relief supervision and must register as a violent offender. Authorities say Derrick Bohnenkemper’s mother called 911 and was able to escape from the home. Bohnenkemper barricaded himself inside the house for about five hours, and fired at officers before he was arrested. He pleaded…
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 identity theft and theft in the 100 block of S. Erpelding Ave. in Leonardville on February 4, 2021, at approximately 9:42 a.m. Officers listed a 50-year-old female and Riley…
Friday’s program featured our monthly conversation with Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Karen Hibbard. Among her updates was a recent update of the CVB website. K-State Riley County Extension Director Gary Fike discussed the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance center and how its operations are happening under COVID-19 restrictions. We previewed the Flint Hills Breadbasket’s Souper Bowl food fundraiser with Director Maribeth Kieffer, and organizers Bill Kennedy and Dave Ekart. Curt Herrman, local school board member and avid Kansas City Chiefs fan talks about his new world record collection of Chiefs memorabilia in his “Chiefseum.”
The National Bio and Agro Defense Facility in Manhattan be home to several different research units. One of the units that will be housed inside the facility will be the Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit which is currently housed at Plum Island. Dr. Luis Rodriguez, research leader of the unit, talks more about the responsibilities of his team. “To protect US agricultural assets and keep our food supply safe and our $1.5 trillion agricultural industry and food-related industry protected from these foreign animal diseases,” Rodriguez says. Dr. Rodriguez says his team works with several diseases. He says that recently they…
Fort Riley has begun a 60-day military stand down for violent extremism. The move is part of a Department of Defense-wide effort in response to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Building riot, which involved several active-duty military personnel. Perry Wiggins, Governor’s Military Council executive director, says the stand down gives military leaders a chance to address the issue with their units. “I think they’re going to address extremism because there’s no place for extremism in the ranks of the United States military,” Wiggins said. “All military members raise their right hand and swear to defend the Constitution of the United…
SHAWNEE, Kan. — The mayor of Shawnee, Kansas, has reached a diversion agreement with prosecutors that would resolve a perjury charge stemming from an open meetings complaint she filed using the name of another person without his permission. The Kansas City Star reports a court notation against Shawnee Mayor Michelle Distler indicates a diversion order was entered on Tuesday. The investigation was opened last year after a local government “watchdog” informed police that he had received an email from the state attorney general’s office confirming receipt of his open records complaint he had not filed.