How you can help tornado victims
WICHITA - The tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, as well the twisters as Kansas and Texas, have killed dozens and left thousands homeless. Officials expect the death toll to rise.
Relief efforts are underway. Right now, the best way to help the victims is a donation to major relief organizations.
Click HERE to view the Moore Oklahoma Tornado Information Facebook page.
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McConnell Will Be Base For New Tankers
TOPEKA, Kan. - Wichita's McConnell Air Force Base has been selected to be the main operating base for the Air Force's new KC-46A air refueling tanker. Members of the Kansas congressional delegation issued a joint statement Wednesday announcing the Air Force decision. The aircraft will replace the aging KC-135 fleet flown by crews for the past 50 years. According
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Riley Co. Boys Accused of Posting Porn
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Riley County officials say five school boys are suspected of posting pornographic images of at least 10 juvenile girls online. County police spokesman Matthew Droge said the number of girls whose photos were posted could increase as the investigation continues. The boys are students in middle and high school. They allegedly posted the pictures
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Feds Put Iola Site On Cleanup Priorities List
IOLA, Kan. - Federal regulators are putting the site of an old zinc and lead smelting operation in southeast Kansas on a list of hazardous waste places with highest priority for cleanup. The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it was placing the former United Zinc & Associated Smelters Site on the federal Superfund National Priorities List. The land is located in
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Walmart Pledges $1 Million in Tornado Assistance
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Walmart says it is pledging $1 million for the recovery from the tornado that devastated Moore, Okla. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company said Tuesday that it will make donations of cash and materials equal to $1 million.
Walmart is also sending truckloads of food, water and other basic items to serve
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Multiple Vehicle Accident Closes Highway 50 near Cimaron
DODGE CITY, Kan. - The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a multiple vehicle accident near Cimaron, west of Dodge City. The accident happened Tuesday afternoon on Highway 50 between Cimaron and Howell. The highway was shut down for several hours as troopers investigated the accident.
One accident victim was transported
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Death at Topeka School Lot Not Suspicious
TOPEKA, Kan. - Shawnee County officials say the death of a man whose body was found in a car on the campus of a Topeka school is not considered suspicious.
A deputy found the man's body in a car late Monday on the grounds of Washburn Rural Middle School. He was described as being in his mid-40s but his name was not
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Salina Commission Discusses Liquor Sales on Sunday
SALINA, Kan. - Salina's city commission will consider allowing liquor sales in the city on Sunday. The possibility arose during a meeting Monday, when the commission approved an ordinance that allows microbreweries in the city.
During discussion of that ordinance, commissioners considered whether to allow Sunday liquor
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President Opposes GOP Bill on Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The White House says President Obama opposes a House bill that would speed approval of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.
The White House said Tuesday that the bill "seeks to circumvent longstanding and proven processes" by removing a requirement for a presidential permit. The
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Former IRS Agent Gets Probation for Theft
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A former Internal Revenue Service agent has been spared any prison time after admitting she was paid for meetings with taxpayers that never occurred.
The U.S. Attorney's office says Becky L. Book, of Pittsburg, was sentenced on Tuesday to two years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of about
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Pharmacist Admits Misbranding Dialysis Drugs
WICHITA, Kan. - A Tennessee pharmacist has admitted distributing a misbranded Chinese-made drug that was given to kidney dialysis patients in Kansas.
The U.S. Attorney's office says 53-year-old Robert Harshbarger Jr., 53, of Kingsport, Tenn., pleaded guilty Tuesday in Topeka to one count each of distributing a misbranded drug and
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Reno Co. Deputy Accused of Sexual Contact with Inmate
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - A deputy at a central Kansas jail is accused of having illegal sexual relations with a female inmate and bribing or intimidating two others.
Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson announced the charges Tuesday against Jonathan Diaz, 30. Henderson says he asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to get involved
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House, Senate Move Closer on Sales Tax Rate
TOPEKA, Kan. - Negotiators from the Kansas House and Senate are moving closer to a deal on canceling all or part of a scheduled drop in the state sales tax. Three negotiators resumed their talks on tax issues Tuesday and plan to continue Wednesday.
The sales tax is the key issue. It's scheduled by law to decline in July from
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Cheney Wants Better EMS Service
CHENEY, Kan. - The home of the Sedgwick County Fair is struggling with its ambulance service and says they deserve better. The city of Cheney just wants the same service everyone else in the county gets.
Medical professionals call it the "golden hour", the short amount of time a critical patient has to get to the
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Oklahoma: Search & Rescue Efforts Near End
MOORE, Okla. - The fire chief in the Oklahoma City suburb raked by a massive tornado says the search for survivors and the dead is almost complete.
Fire Chief Gary Bird said Tuesday that he's "98 percent sure" there are no more survivors or bodies to recover under the rubble in Moore.
Bird says every
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Chiefs installing mixed bag offensive system
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs are putting together an offensive system that promises to be bold and dynamic, if not downright revolutionary, a blend of old and new under coach Andy Reid.
At least, that's what it looks like on paper.
The Chiefs have hired former Vikings coach Brad Childress
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WBJ: Hundreds of Job Cuts at Via Christi Health
WICHITA - The Wichita Business Journal reports Via Christi Health is taking drastic measures to offset volume declines and continued declines in operating margins.
Those measures, CEO Jeff Korsmo says, include the elimination of 350-400 positions, or about 4% of Via Christi’s work force in Kansas, and 4% reductions in the salaries of 35
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Oklahoma City residents asked to conserve water
OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma City residents are being asked to help conserve water while power remains out at one of the city's main water treatment facilities.
City officials say rain and lightning during Monday night's storm delayed progress to restore power at the Draper Water Treatment Plant.
City
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Oklahoma interstates open, but traffic slow moving
OKLAHOMA CITY - Officials say all of the interstates through the tornado-ravaged areas of Moore and Oklahoma City are open, but traffic is moving slowly.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports portions of Interstates 44 and 35 that were shut down after Monday's deadly tornado were reopened about 10 p.m.
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Okla. Senator says tornado aid should be paid for
WASHINGTON - Conservative Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn says that any additional federal aid to help tornado victims and to rebuild devastated areas of his state should be financed with cuts to other programs in the government's $3.6 trillion budget.
Spokesman John Hart says it's a position Coburn has consistently held regarding
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Oklahoma governor to tour tornado ravaged areas
MOORE, Okla. - Gov. Mary Fallin will survey tornado-ravaged areas of central Oklahoma from a helicopter.
Fallin spokesman Alex Weintz says Fallin will board a Blackhawk helicopter Tuesday morning to fly over parts of Moore and other areas that were devastated by Monday's tornado.
At least two dozen
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Former IRS agent faces sentencing for theft
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A former Internal Revenue Service agent faces sentencing after admitting she was paid for meetings with taxpayers that never occurred.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Vratil will decide Tuesday whether to accept the government's recommendation of probation for Becky L. Book of
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Kan. lawmakers' budget, tax negotiations to resume
TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas legislators were preparing to resume their negotiations on budget and tax issues as freshman Republicans in both chambers gathered for a joint meeting.
First-term GOP lawmakers were caucusing Tuesday ahead of meetings of separate teams of senators and House members appointed to reconcile their chambers'
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City Council Approves Loan to Starwood
WICHITA - The Wichita City Council voted to approve the $200,000 forgivable loan to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. The company is seeking incentives from the state, county, and city. According to Wichita Urban Development Director Allen Bell, the return-on-investment for the proposed project is 2.54 to 1 for City of Wichita and 2.49 to 1 for Sedgwick County.
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More Tornadoes in Forecast for Central US Tuesday
NORMAN, Okla. - More severe weather is in the forecast for parts of the central United States already reeling from powerful tornadoes this week.
The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., says golf ball-sized hail, powerful winds and isolated, strong tornadoes could strike areas of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma on Tuesday. The
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Kansas Growers Making Progress on Corn
WICHITA - A new report says Kansas farmers have planted about 70 percent of this year's corn crop. But Monday's weekly update from Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service also says planting of the corn crop trails the 97 percent planted by the same time last year, and the average of 74 percent.
The Kansas winter wheat crop is 41 percent
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United Restarts 787 Flights After Grounding
Chicago, IL. - United Airlines put its 787 back in the air on Monday, with both the airline and Boeing hoping to put the plane's four-month grounding behind them. The flight from Houston to Chicago was just the kind of 787 flight that airlines are hoping for: uneventful.
Smoldering batteries on two 787s owned by other airlines prompted
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Community Input Wanted for Future of Southeast
WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita Board of Education continues looking for feedback from the community as it makes its decision regarding Southeast High School and the southeast quadrant high school.
A Community Conversation is set for Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Southeast High School, 903 S. Edgemoor. Participants will hear
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Kansas Man Receives 260 Years for Producing Child Porn
WICHITA, Kan. - A central Kansas man has been sentenced to 260 years in prison for using a 9-year-old girl to produce child pornography. U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten handed down the punishment Monday to 50-year-old Philip Andra Grigsby, of Marquette.
Grigsby pleaded guilty earlier to eight counts of sexual exploitation
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Firm to Appeal Whistleblower Case at Wolf Creek
WICHITA, Kan. - An engineering firm says it plans to appeal a decision by federal regulators in favor of a whistleblower allegedly fired for reporting unsafe conditions at a nuclear power plant in eastern Kansas.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration found Georgia-based Enercon Services violated whistleblower protections
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100 Boeing Employees Live in Moore, Oklahoma
MOORE, Okla. - A spokesperson with Boeing says they have 100 employees that live in Moore, Oklahoma and work at their site near Tinker Air Force Base.
The spokesperson did not know how many of those employees are from the Wichita area, but said 500 Wichita employees moved to the Oklahoma City area during the recent
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Resources to Help Tornado Survivors
WICHITA, Kan. - Rescue efforts continue in Moore, Oklahoma, devastated by a large tornado Monday afternoon. Damage is widespread and entire neighborhoods have been leveled. The American Red Cross has 20 relief vehicles headed to Oklahoma to assist with recovery efforts. The Salvation Army has also mobilized to assist with recovery and
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Fly-By-Night Contractors May Be Offering Services After Storms
WICHITA, Kan. - In an effort to cash in on your storm damage, fraudulent companies often come sweeping in from out of state. Local consumer protection experts want you to be aware so you aren't scammed.
"You could actually be dealing with a company that has no real local presence," said Sharon Werner, Chief Attorney for
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Police: School near OKC directly hit by tornado
MOORE, Okla. - Authorities say an elementary school in an Oklahoma City suburb took a direct hit from a mile-wide tornado.
Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department says there is no word of injuries from the elementary school. Knight says the school suffered "extensive damage" on Monday
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Tornado in Oklahoma City suburb causes destruction
MOORE, Okla. - Neighborhoods are flattened and buildings are on fire after a mile-wide tornado moved through the Oklahoma City area.
Television footage on Monday afternoon showed homes and buildings that had been reduced to rubble in Moore, Okla., south of Oklahoma City. Footage also showed vehicles littering roadways south and southwest
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Tornado in OKC
Click HERE to view live streaming video of the tornado coverage....
Click HERE for KFOR-TV's coverage...
Click HERE to view raw live footage from WWL-TV...
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Appeals court rejects Kan. ex-doctor's claims
WICHITA, Kan. - A federal appeals court has scathingly brushed off the claims of a former Kansas doctor as "bitter whining."
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Monday that Lawrence Simons' appeal of his sentence for illegally distributing prescription drugs was nothing more than a "conclusory
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Kan. lawmakers' talks on taxes at standstill
TOPEKA, Kan. - Negotiations among Kansas legislators on tax issues are stalled amid bickering between Republican leaders in the House and Senate.
Senators and House negotiators had no meetings Monday.
House GOP leaders complained that Republican senators have not responded to their compromise proposal to
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No Citywide Storm Debris Cleanup for Wichita
WICHITA - The city of Wichita is not planning to collect debris from this weekend’s storm. Property owners are responsible for disposing of debris, none of which should be placed at the curb unless arrangements with a private hauler have been made.
A list of solid waste haulers is provided on www.wichita.gov.
The
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Jury Selection Underway in Seacat Trial
KINGMAN, Kan. - Jury selection has begun in the trial of a former sheriff's deputy accused of killing his wife and torching their house.
KAKE-TV reports more than 15% of Kingman's population is expected to be called for the jury pool for Brett Seacat's trial, which began Monday in Kingman. The 37-year-old man is charged with
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Wichita Meteorologists Took Cover
WICHITA - The National Weather Service office is located on the west side of Wichita's Mid-continent Airport ... directly in the path of Sunday's tornado. Meteorologist Chance Hayes tells KNSS News his people took precautions as the storm approached... taking shelter in a special, reinforced room in the building. The National Weather Service building was not
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Duncan Pleased, No Fatalities in Storms
WICHITA - Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Randy Duncan tells KNSS News Wichita "dodged a potentially very large bullet" Sunday ... as an EF 1 tornado lifted as it approached the city. Three houses received damage southwest of the city from the tornado. Duncan credits "the electronic media" for getting out the word about the approaching
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Severe Weather Moves Through Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. - A severe thunderstorm and tornados moved through Wichita and Sedgwick County Sunday afternoon.
Shortly before three o'clock the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Sedwick County. The storm moved in from the southwest and within five minutes the report of funnel clouds in
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Army Team Verifying Fort Riley Cemetery
FORT RILEY, Kan. - An Army team is inspecting the cemetery at Fort Riley to verify that all service members buried there are properly identified and commemorated. The work is part of the Army's initiative to make proper accounting of 27 cemeteries at 17 sites nationwide by June 30. Nearly 40,000 graves will be reviewed in all.
The work at
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Kansas Lawmakers' Tax Talks at Standstill
TOPEKA, Kan. - Negotiations are at a standstill between the Kansas House and Senate over the state's sales tax rate and proposals to cut individual income taxes.
Three senators and three House members appointed to reconcile the differences between their chambers on tax issues had no meetings scheduled for Today. Republican Gov. Sam
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Flights Briefly Diverted Due to Severe Weather
Wichita, Kan. - Flights arriving at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport were briefly diverted as severe storms moved into the Wichita area Sunday afternoon.
United Airlines Flight #4890 from Denver was diverted to Garden City Airport where is landed safely at 5 p.m. It then continued to Wichita where it arrived just before 6
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Kansas Legislature's Annual Session HIts 87th Day
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas Legislature has been in session a week longer than its leaders had anticipated, and lawmakers still must resolve major tax and budget issues.
Monday was the 87th day of lawmakers' annual session.
Republican leaders in the GOP-dominated Legislature had promised that it would
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Party Bus Operating Illegally in Fatal KCK Case
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A party bus was operating illegally when a bachelorette party attendee tumbled out of it in Kansas City, Kan., and was killed.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/14FtmF2 ) reported that the Midnight Express party bus in which 26-year-old victim Jamie Frecks was riding lacked the proper registration. Kansas law
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UPDATE: Highway Patrol Identifies Man Killed In Crash During Chase
CHAPMAN, Kan. - The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified the man killed Friday evening after he crashed during a chase with troopers in Dickinson County.
Mathew Peachey, 21, of Fort Riley, was pronounced dead at the scene near Chapman, Kan., after he drove his Mazda hatchback off of Interstate 70 and struck a cement culvert while trying to
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POWERBALL JACKPOT-DRAWING
DES MOINES, Iowa - A lottery official says 1 winning ticket has been sold in Florida for a record Powerball jackpot of more than $590 million.
Terry Rich, a lottery official in Iowa, confirmed the ticket matching all six numbers was sold in Florida. Rich told The Associated Press by telephone that details were expected to be announced later by Florida lottery officials about the actual ticket sold.
Powerball.com said the winner sold in Florida means the current estimated jackpot resets at $40 million or $25.1 million cash value.
The numbers drawn Saturday were: 10, 13, 14, 22, 52 and Powerball 11.
With four of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, someone was almost certain to win the game's highest jackpot, though chances of winning remained astronomically low at 1 in 175.2 million.
Florida has had more Powerball winners than any other state and it's happened for the sixth time.
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Police Investigate Sexual Assault in North Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. - Police are investigating after a woman reported she was sexually assaulted early Saturday morning in north Wichita.
It happened around 3:20 a.m. near North Santa Fe and East 19th Street.
The 31-year-old woman told police she walking home from her brother's house when she was approached by three men in
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Man Recovering in Wichita Hospital after Domestic Dispute
WICHITA, Kan. - A man is recovering at a Wichita hospital, and a woman has been arrested following a domestic dispute Friday night in north Wichita.
It happened around 10 p.m. in the 1200 block of North Indiana.
Wichita Police Sgt. Bruce Watts said the 50-year-old woman and her 58-year-old boyfriend got into a verbal
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Kansas State Faculty Discuss Pay Grievances
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Faculty members at Kansas State University say they are tired of being paid less than their peers at other institutions.
The faculty plans to present the university's administration with a resolution next week. It seeks a moratorium on pay increases for upper administrators, or creation of new
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Man Sent to Prison for Accident that Killed Teen
TOPEKA, Kan. - A Topeka man who was drunk when his speeding car crashed and killed a 15-year-old passenger has been sentenced to 10 years and three months in state prison.
A Shawnee County judge on Friday rejected a request that 20-year-old Hunter Michael Hillmer receive probation for the March 2012 accident that killed Madison
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Kearny County Farmer Takes Chance with Canola
LAKIN, Kan. - A farmer has moved to Kansas from Holland, bringing with him one of the European crops he grew.
Fred Ritsema grows canola on land between Deerfield and Lakin in Kearney County. He also operates Lakin Dairy.
His canola crop has been in bloom since last week, and he says it's
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Driver Dies While Trying to Flee From State Patrol
CHAPMAN, Kan. - The Kansas Highway Patrol says a person died after crashing while trying to flee from troopers in central Kansas.
The patrol says the driver died Friday evening near Chapman on eastbound Interstate 70 in Dickinson County.
The driver was running from troopers when the vehicle went off the interstate and hit a concrete culvert in a ditch.
The patrol
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Kansas AG to Lead Prosecution in Ottawa Deaths
TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says his office will lead the prosecution of a man charged in four deaths on an Ottawa farm.
Schmidt announced Friday that Franklin County Attorney Stephen Hunting asked for his office's help in prosecuting Kyle Flack, 27. Schmidt says Hunting will continue to be an
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State Moves to Enact Lobby Law for Gun Issues
TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas lawmakers are close to approving limits on the use of state tax dollars to lobby federal, state or local officials on gun control issues.
The Senate approved the measure on a 31-6 vote Friday. The House could consider the measure as early as Monday. House approval would send the bill to Gov. Sam Brownback,
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Kansas Unemployment Rate Drops Slightly in April
TOPEKA, Kan. - A new report says the Kansas unemployment rate dipped to 5.5 percent last month while the number of people filing initial claims for jobless benefits also fell.
But Friday's full report from the Department of Labor also says April's job growth was less robust than expected. The report says the seasonally
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Kan. GOP Not Budging on Sales Tax
TOPEKA, Kan. - Republican leaders in the Kansas Senate aren't budging much on lowering the state's sales tax in July as part of a plan that also cuts income taxes.
Senate President Susan Wagle of Wichita said Friday she thinks Republican Gov. Sam Brownback could veto tax legislation if it lets the sales tax fall below 6.2
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