Kansas Vehicle Title System Experiencing Slowdown
TOPEKA, Kan. - The new Kansas vehicle title and registration system experienced what called a "prolonged slowdown" Monday. The state's Division of Vehicles says it "sincerely regrets the inconvenience experienced by Kansans". The Kansas Department of Revenue is working with county treasurers to speed up the process, after a recent computer upgrade
|
Joplin Graduates Are Source of Inspiration
JOPLIN, Mo. - President Obama says the graduating seniors of a Missouri town devastated by deadly tornadoes are a "source of inspiration" to him and the nation. Obama says the story of Joplin, Mo., is one of a community coming together in response to tragedy.
The president was speaking on the eve of the one-year
|
Child Dies After Being Pulled From Water
WICHITA, Kan. - A child who was pulled from a pool at a northeast Wichita apartment complex has died. It happened at the East Hampton Estates in the 2900 block of N. Governeour last Thursday night. A four-year-old boy was playing at the pool with family and friends, when he was found unresponsive in the water.
The child
|
'Click It Or Ticket' Campaign Underway
WICHITA, Kan. - Area law enforcement officers will be hitting the streets in an effort to crackdown on drivers and passengers who fail to buckle up. The statewide enforcement runs now through June 3.
Motorists should expect strict enforcement of safety belt use and child passenger safety acts. Kansas law requires all
|
Wedding Photos Capture Kansas Tornado
HARPER, Kan. - The same tornado that damaged a Harper County farmstead nearly ended up crashing a nearby wedding. Instead, the newlyweds have pictures and video from their special day that are unforgettable.
When Caleb and Candra Pence tied the knot Saturday evening in rural Harper County, their family was watching the weather
|
Motorcycle Rider Critically Hurt In Accident
WICHITA, Kan. - One man was critically injured in a motorcycle accident in north Wichita. It happened just after 4:00 p.m. at the intersection of 21st Street and Market Street.
Officials say the man, 28, was riding a motorcycle when he collided with another vehicle. He was taken to a nearby hospital in critical
|
Unanswered Questions at S. Wichita Hit-&-Run
WICHITA - It was a deadly hit-and-run late Saturday night in south Wichita, and police are still trying to find the suspects, and identify the victim.
A man, probably in his early 40s, was riding a bicycle on Seneca south of Harry, when he was hit from behind by a white or light-colored four-door sedan. There was broken glass in the
|
Fatal Weekend Shooting in S. Wichita
WICHITA - Wichita police continue to investigate a fatal weekend shooting. It happened early Saturday near 44th Street South & Broadway.
There had been some sort of dispute between a 32-year-old man and a 23-year-old about possible stolen property, including gasoline and a minibike.
The older man and a friend showed
|
Courts to Stay Open
TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas courts will remain open through the rest of the 2012 fiscal year after legislators approved $1.1 million in supplemental funding to cover operating expenses. Chief Justice Lawton Nuss issued a statement Monday saying that the remaining four days of furloughs would be canceled after legislators approved the budget Sunday. The bill still must
|
House Fire in West Wichita
WICHITA - A house fire this morning in west Wichita ... near 21st and Ridge. Just before
5 am firefighters were called 1939 North Holland. Investigator Capt. Stuart Bevis tells KNSS News they found fire on a back deck. A neighbor spotted the blaze and called 911. The fire started in some charcoal ashes that had been left in a paper bag. No injuries are reported. Damage
|
Kansas Oil and Gas Driiling on the Rise
Winfield, KAN - Oil and gas drilling activity in south central Kansas has "become somewhat frenetic" ... according to Dwight Keen of Winfield, chair of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association. Keen tells KNSS News new technology such as horizontal drlling is fueling the boom. Keen says the counties in southern Kansas with the most activity right now are
|
KS Representative Dead After Car Accident
PAXICO, Kan. - A Kansas state representative is dead after a one-car accident in Wabaunsee County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says State Rep. Bob Bethell, a Republican from Alden, died Sunday night when his car went off Interstate 70 near the Paxico exit. It hit several trees, overturned and ended up on its roof. WIBW reports Bethell was the only person in the
|
Google Changes Timetable For Ultra Speed Internet
KANSAS CITY, Kan - Google appears to be delaying the launch of its promised ultra-fast Internet service in Kansas City, Kan. The company announced more than a year ago that it was giving Kansas City, Kansas Google Fiber, and that residents there could start signing up in late 2011.
Kansas City was chosen from among 1,100 communities
|
Kansas Legislators End Annual Session
TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas legislators have ended their contentious annual session after approving a $14.3 billion state budget. The Senate adjourned first Sunday evening and the House, less than 30 minutes later, after both chambers had voted upon a compromise spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The budget goes to Gov. Sam
|
Kansas Treasurers Say Computer System Worth the Wait
MISSION, Kan. - County treasurers across Kansas say long lines caused by a new computer system will be gone once the kinks are worked out of the $40 million upgrade.
Until then, residents who want to renew their vehicle tags or pay sales taxes will just have to be patient as state employees learn the new system and dig out from a
|
Wichita Theater Restoration Gets $1Million Gift
WICHITA, Kan. - A 30-year effort to preserve and renovate a historic Wichita theater has received a major boost.
Longtime Wichita philanthropist Jean Garvey was on hand at the Orpheum Theatre last week to celebrate a $1 million donation from the Willard and Jean Garvey Trust.
The Wichita Eagle
|
Kansas Family Mourns After 3-Year-Old Drowns
EDWARDSVILLE, Kan. - An eastern Kansas family is mourning the death of a 3-year-old who was found at the bottom of their backyard swimming pool.
Police say all signs indicate Lucien Mellott of Edwardsville was the victim of a tragic accident, but they're awaiting autopsy results before declaring a cause of
|
Highway Patrolman Injured in Western Kansas
LIBERAL, Kan. - A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper has been injured after an SUV struck his patrol car while he was attempting to stop another vehicle in southwest Kansas.
KAKE-TV reports the crash happened around 11:30 p.m. Saturday in Liberal. The trooper, 38-year-old James Parr, called for backup after a Lincoln SUV driven by a
|
New Budget Approved by Kansas Legislators
TOPEKA, Kan.- Kansas legislators have given final approval to a $14.3 billion budget, allowing them to close out a contentious annual session.
The Senate voted 22-13 on Sunday to approve a compromise spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, sending the measure to Gov. Sam Brownback. The House had approved the measure,
|
Suspects Being Sought in Large Copper Theft
Wichita - Just before 9am Saturday it was discovered that burglars had broke into the Westar Energy warehouse in the 4400 Block of North Seneca.
Wichita Police Sgt. Bart Brunscheen says the thieves cut through a chain link fence and used a skid loader to move a large amount of copper off the property to be hauled away. The skid loader was found
|
Motorcycle Accident Critically Injures Elderly Man
Wichita - An elderly man has been critically injured in a motorcycle accident about 2 miles north of Kechi. It happened around 11:00 a.m. at the intersection of 85th Street North and 47th Street East. No one else was involved in the accident.
911 Dispatch says the 82-year-old man was taken to Wesley Medical Center with a possible head injury and
|
Kansas Legislators Strike Deal on Higher Ed Tweaks
TOPEKA, Kan. - Negotiators have struck a deal to make tweaks to Kansas higher education laws to provide more tools for students who struggle to earn their degrees.
The changes agreed to Saturday would require state universities to work with students admitted under exceptions to the state's qualified admissions standards. Those
|
Lawmakers Expected to Vote on Kansas Budget
TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas legislators have returned to the Statehouse to wrap up work on the next state budget and close out their annual session.
Both chambers expected to take up-or-down votes Sunday on a proposed $14.3 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
It's a little more generous
|
Northwest Wichita Lockdown Ends with Man Taking His Own Life
WICHITA, Kan. - A man has died of a self-inflicted gunshot would after a domestic disturbance, which led to a northwest Wichita neighborhood being locked down.
Police say it started when they received a call from a woman in the hospital just after 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
|
Defense Lawyer Wants Off Hutchinson Murder Case
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - An attorney representing one of the men charged with killing a Hutchinson woman last year says he wants off the case.
Donald Snapp was appointed to represent 49-year-old Bill Joe Craig Junior, who is charged in the 2011 shooting death of Jennifer Heckel.
The Hutchinson News reports that
|
Wichita Police Search for Driver After Fatal Hit and Run
WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita Police are searching for the driver of a car involved in a deadly hit & run accident.
Officers were called to the 1900 block of South Seneca after 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
Wichita Police said a witness saw a
|
Homes damaged by tornado west of Harper
HARPER, Kan. - Homes damaged by tornado west of HarperA tornado damaged multiple homes west of Harper in Harper County tonight, officials say.
“There is some pretty bad damage to a farm house, and a couple of other homes were damaged, too,” said Scott Smith, a meteorologist with the Wichita branch of the National Weather Service.
|
Late-night budget deal gives $40 million more to Kansas schools
TOPEKA, Kan. - State lawmakers reached a compromise late Saturday night that would mean $40 million more in spending for schools.
The budget deal comes after a series of stalemates on issues all day Saturday, including education, as moderate Republicans sought to lock in more money for schools and conservatives pushed for education policy
|
Kansas Senate's Majority Leader Resting at Home
TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jay Emler is resting at home after being hospitalized for high blood pressure.
Emler's office confirmed Saturday that the Lindsborg Republican would not return to the Statehouse during the weekend after being absent since Wednesday afternoon.
He was
|
Former Kansas Postmaster Convicted of Embezzling
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The former postmaster of a northeast Kansas post office has been convicted of embezzling.
Federal prosecutors said in a release Friday that a jury found 50-year-old Terry L. Morris of Holton guilty on two counts of making a false writing and one count of embezzling public funds.
Morris was the former
|
Manhattan Man Sentenced for Rape, Manslaughter
MANHATTAN, Kan. - A 25-year-old Manhattan man has been sentenced to about 18 years in prison for raping a woman and beating a man to death.
Justin Taylor was sentenced Friday in Riley County District Court.
WIBW-TV reports (http://bit.ly/Mt6BOj) that Taylor pleaded no contest earlier to voluntary manslaughter in
|
Kansas Governor May Seek to Intervene in Remap Lawsuit
TOPEKA, Kan. - Gov. Sam Brownback says he may try to get involved in a federal lawsuit over the Kansas Legislature's failure to redraw the state's political boundaries.
The conservative Republican governor told reporters Saturday that he is still deciding whether he'll file a request for permission to intervene in U.S. District Court.
|
Shooting in Wichita Ends with One Man Dead
WICHITA, Kan. - A man is dead after a shooting in South Wichita overnight. The victim is identified only as a 49 year-old man. It happened in the 100 block of East 44th Street South just before 1:00 AM.
Deputy Chief Nelson Mosley said neighbors in the area reported they heard gunshots to 911. When officers arrived, they discovered a man with multiple gunshot
|
Abortion clinics pay own attorney costs
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A federal judge has refused to award attorney fees and court costs to Kansas abortion clinics who won an injunction that kept temporary state regulations from taking effect. The clinics were seeking more than $221,000 for last year's proceedings. U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia issued an order last July barring the state from enforcing
|
Kansas Senate approves remap favored by moderates
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas Senate has approved a proposal favored by the moderate Republican leadership for redrawing the chamber's 40 districts. Friday's 21-17 vote sent the measure to the House, where it's unlikely to pass. Senate President Steve Morris, a moderate Hugoton Republican, acknowledged supporters pursued the measure to give a federal court more
|
Memorial Day Campers May See Tall Grass
TOPEKA, Kan. - As Kansas Lawmakers continue to debate and argue over a state budget, The Department of Wildlife and Parks waits anxiously.
Tied up in the budget is $800,000 earmarked for TDWP. Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the start up of the camping season. At Eldorado State Park campers have been coming since
|
Bill Increasing Age for Senior Hunting, Fishing Licenses
TOPEKA, Kan. - Some Kansas senior citizens counting on free hunting and fishing licenses for state parks may soon have to wait until they're a little older. On Friday, state senators voted 30-8 to approve a bill to push back the minimum exemption age from 65 to 75.
Wichita angler Janna Walters doesn't like the idea of
|
House Offers Education Funding Hike - With a Catch
TOPEKA, Kan. - Negotiators in the Kansas House have given senators a proposal to solve the state's budget impasse, but it ties the issue to tax policy and education.
In what is essentially a take-it-or-leave-it plan, the House offered Friday to give the Senate what it wants on education spending increases for the next fiscal
|
Union Sues Spirit AeroSystems Over Evaluations
WICHITA, Kan. - The union for engineers and technical workers at Spirit AeroSystems has filed suit seeking arbitration in a dispute over the way employees are evaluated.
The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace filed the lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Wichita.
The union
|
Kan. Senate blocks debate on cutting income taxes
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas Senate has blocked debate on a compromise plan to cut income taxes, leaving the proposal's fate in doubt.
The Senate voted 21-18 Friday against removing a procedural hurdle to debating the measure. The proposal was drafted earlier this week by House and Senate negotiators.
|
Senate adopts new Kansas budget position
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas Senate has approved a revised version of its budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year, but there's no clear indication the proposal will go any further.
Friday's 32-6 vote sent the Senate plan to the House, where leaders have signaled they're unlikely to consider it.
|
Kansas Senate Faces Key Vote On Cutting Income Taxes
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas Senate is preparing for a key procedural vote determining whether lawmakers can debate compromise income tax cuts.
Senate President Steve Morris said his chamber will vote Friday on suspending a legislative rule requiring all House and Senate negotiators to agree to a compromise before it can be debated. Democratic
|
1 Dead in Hutchinson Traffic Accident
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - A 31-year-old Hutchinson man is dead after a one-car crash in that city late Thursday night. Hutchinson police tell KAKE News an SUV slammed into a tree in the front yard of a home near 4th and Carey about 11 p.m. and burst into flames. By the time police arrived, witnesses had pulled the driver from the car and had begun CPR. The driver, identified as
|
Fort Riley Brigade Headed to Afghanistan
FORT RILEY, Kan. - A brigade of soldiers from Fort Riley is preparing to leave for a deployment to Afghanistan. Officials with the 1st Infantry Division say hundreds of soldiers from the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are scheduled to depart from the northeast Kansas Army post next week. The Dragon Brigade has twice deployed to Iraq since 2006 when it was organized
|
KDOL Released April Employment Figures
TOPEKA, Kan. - The April 2012 Labor Report from the Kansas Department of Labor showed monthly employment gains and a decrease in initial unemployment benefit claims. Private sector employment grew by 13,900 jobs since March 2012, a 1.3 percent increase. These gains were mostly due to seasonal changes, showing a pause in the overall improvement of the
|
Young Boy Hospitalized After Near Drowning
WICHITA, Kan. - A young boy, 4, was taken to Wesley Medical Center in extremely critical condition after an apparent near drowning at a northeast Wichita apartment complex.
It happened around 8:00 p.m. Thursday night when police and EMS responded to a drowning call at the East Hampton Estates in the 2900 block of N. Governeour, near
|
Hawker Signs Deal for 11 Aircraft at Air Show
GENEVA, Switzerland - Hawker Beechcraft announced Thursday that it secured orders for 11 aircraft, including 3 of its flagship Hawker 4000 super-midsize business jets, a Hawker 400XPR, six King Air 350i turboprops and a King Air 250, during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) that concluded Wednesday at Geneva International Airport
|
Van Halen Postpones Wichita Tour Stop
WICHITA, Kan. - Van Halen's planned concert tour stop in Wichita is on hold. The rock band had been scheduled to play Intrust Bank Arena September 17th. The arena's website said the concert has been temporarily postponed. Van Halen also postponed tour sites in other cities, but no reason has been given.
For
|
Online Sex Case Headed For Trial
WICHITA, Kan. - A Sedgwick County judge has found that there is enough evidence to send an online sex case against a former football coach to trial.
Todd Puetz, former Garden Plain football coach, is accused of trying to solicit a 15-year-old girl after responding to an online ad. He was one of seven men arrested during an Internet
|
DA Calls Prank Robbery, "A Dangerous Game"
WICHITA, Kan. - Three teenagers who held a prank robbery at a northeast Wichita restaurant could be facing charges.
The teenagers are accused of walking into a Subway restaurant, 3200 N. Rock, earlier this week. Police said the students ordered everyone in the restaurant to get on the floor. One of the students counted everyone in the
|
Headstones at Hutchinson Cemetery Vandalized
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Graveyard vandals have done damage to one of the city’s historic areas. Eastside Cemetery, the oldest graveyard in Hutchinson, was targeted this time. 67 headstones were either turned over or broken. The timing couldn’t be worse. "It is just senseless. There's no point to it," says Eastside’s
|
Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Robbing store in Wolf Mask
SALINA, Kan. - A Salina man, 21, accused of robbing a former business while wearing a wolf mask and holding a meat cleaver has been sentenced to more than three years behind bars.
The Salina Journal reports that Joel Chenault was sentenced Monday in Saline County District Court to 40 months. He also was sentenced to six months
|
Segregation Apology from Kansas Governor
TOPEKA - Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a proclamation apologizing to African-American citizens for the years of state-sanctioned segregation.
Brownback signed the proclamation Thursday, the 58th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. The 1954 ruling declared that separate
|
Boffo EBACE for Hawker Beechcraft
WICHITA - Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) has announced it secured orders for 11 aircraft – including three of its flagship Hawker 4000 super-midsize business jets, a Hawker 400XPR, six King Air 350i turboprops and a King Air 250 – during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) that concluded this week at Geneva International
|
Baby Born from Frozen Egg
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - University of Kansas Hospital officials say a baby girl born two weeks ago is a pioneer in Kansas. They say the baby, Morgan Belle Dickson, is the first child born in the state using a frozen egg. Her parents are Jessica and Ryan Dickson of Kansas City. Dr. Samuel Kim heads the hospital's Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Clinic. He froze
|
Missouri Bans KU License Plate
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Legislation aimed at stopping Missouri from issuing a specialty license plate featuring the University of Kansas is on its way to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon.
Lawmakers attached the measure to a higher education bill approved Wednesday in the Senate. The amendment says only Missouri schools may be featured on
|
Fort Riley Investigating Soldier's Death
FORT RILEY, Kan. - The Army is investigating the death of a Fort Riley soldier from upstate New York. Officials at the northeastern Kansas post say 21-year-old Private Thomas Lavrey was pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in his living quarters on Sunday. The cause of death remained under investigation Wednesday.
Lavrey was
|
County Weighs Reduction In Services Over Budget Issues
WICHITA, Kan. - Sedgwick County leaders are debating how to make up a $10 million budget deficit by 2013, while ending with $0 in debt. Bill Buchanan, Sedgwick County Manager, presented details of the budget to county commissioners Wednesday.
He told commissioners they can expect to hear "reductions in services,
|
Landwehr Faces Cancer
WICHITA, Kan. - During his 20-year career as Homicide Chief for Wichita’s police department, he has faces some of the cruelest aspects of humanity during his 20-year career: BTK, the Carr brothers, and hundreds of murderers. Now, Kenny Landwehr faces possibly the biggest demon of all.
Just weeks after his much-celebrated
|
Hutchinson Rape Suspect Was Out On Bond
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - A Kansas man whom authorities say kidnapped and raped a Hutchinson woman was out on bond for similar charges in Leavenworth County. Craig Gooch, 27, posted $50,000 bond in March on charges of rape, kidnapping, theft, and a parole violation. He never returned for his April trial date.
Hutchinson Police said on
|
