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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Fort Riley Set to Furlough Some Civilians
FORT RILEY, Kan. - Officials at Fort Riley have announced plans to furlough about one-third of the civilian workforce at the northeast Kansas Army post to save money this year.
The plan follows this week's decision by the Defense Department to proceed with federal furloughs amid budget shortfalls.
Fort
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OSHA Rules for Kansas Whistleblower
WICHITA, Kan. - An engineer fired for reporting unsafe conditions at a Kansas nuclear power plant says he was just being responsible.
The man's attorneys released a letter Friday from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that orders Georgia-based Enercon Services to reinstate the engineer at the Wolf Creek plant. OSHA
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Maize Road Construction Project Ahead of Schedule
MAIZE, Kan. - The $10 million Maize Road construction project is ahead of schedule and could be done as early as the end of next month. City Administrator Richard LaMunyon says the project seeks to transform the two-lane, narrow, deep-ditched road into a five-lane road with curbs and gutters, LaMunyon said.
The project had
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Ranchers See Increase in Cattle Rustling
WICHITA, Kan. - Cattle rustlers are busy as sheriff's deputies across the state are seeing more and more stolen livestock. This week in Kingman County, one farmer discovered 19 head of cattle were missing. He reported it to the sheriff who quickly called auction houses and put photos of the brand out to the media. Within 10 hours, the missing
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Construction Jobs Dwindle in Kansas
WICHITA - The Wichita Business Journal reports that Kansas was among 32 states and the District of Columbia that lost construction jobs in April compared with a year earlier; that's according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.
The state had 53,900 construction jobs last month, 1,600 fewer than in April 2012, AGC
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Minnesota Company Fined for Wichita Frauds
WICHITA - The Consumer Fraud and Economic Crime Division of the District Attorney in Wichita has obtained a $43,000 settlement against a Minnesota construction company.
The fine against Delta Construction of Woodbury, Minnesota, resulted from 142 violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Delta called itself a construction
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Riddel Boys Ranch Reprieve
WICHITA - The Judge Riddel Boys Ranch near Lake Afton may be able to keep its doors open another two years. The state budget is not finalized yet, but Kansas House and Senate negotiators have agreed to spend $750,00 on the ranch. Sedwgick County Commission Chair James Skelton tells KNSS News the county had asked for a million-and-a-half. The state money will
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Kansas budget negotiations abruptly halted
TOPEKA, Kan. - Negotiations on the Kansas budget for the next two fiscal years have come to an abrupt halt after senators demanded a final offer from the House that could lead to ending the 2013 session.
The talks were scheduled to begin Friday morning, following three rounds of negotiations Thursday which saw legislators make steady
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Kansas Bondsman Accused of Sex Crimes
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - A Hutchinson bail bondsman will stand trial on charges that he sought sex from women in exchange for bonding them out of jail. A Reno County judge ruled Thursday that 66-year-old Dwight Jurgens of Hutchinson will stand trial on eight charges including rape and aggravated human trafficking.
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Event Honors Fallen Law Enforcement Officers
WICHITA - A memorial service takes place in Wichita to honor Sedgwick County law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The ceremony was scheduled for noon Friday in the City Council chambers at Wichita City Hall. It's part of an effort by law enforcement agencies across the nation to remember their fallen comrades.
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1st Infantry Division to Change Command
FORT RILEY, Kan. - A new general is heading to Fort Riley next week to take command of the Army's 1st Infantry Division.
Maj. Gen. Paul Funk will take over command of the Army's oldest division Wednesday from Maj. Gen. William Mayville Jr. A ceremony will be held on the Cavalry Parade Field at the northeast Kansas post. Mayville recently
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KS Staffer Faces Discipline over Tweets
TOPEKA, Kan. - The top Democrat in the Kansas House's says he'll discipline a staffer who's been posting disparaging tweets about Republicans legislators.
House Minority Leader Paul Davis said Thursday that he'll take an unspecified "course of administrative action" against Tyler Longpine, his director of
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Brett Seacat Expected to Take Stand
KINGMAN, Kan. - The defense team for a former Sedgwick County sheriff's deputy charged with killing his wife revealed for the first time Thursday that he will testify in his own defense.
Brett Seacat is accused of murdering his wife, Vashti, at their Kingman home two years ago last month. The home was also set on
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Double Murder Suspect Won't Face Death Penalty
WICHITA, Kan. - District Attorney Marc Bennett says his office will not seek the death penalty for the man charged in the shooting that killed two people at a Dollar General store in November. Marquis Marshall, 19, pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing Thursday.
The crime happened in late November at the Dollar General store near
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Preliminary Hearing Set for Salina Murder Suspect
SALINA, Kan. - A preliminary hearing to determine if there's enough evidence to try a man in the death of a Salina woman is set for Aug. 1.
KSAL reports that Joel Heil, 24, appeared via closed-circuit video Thursday morning in Saline County District Court. He's charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kristin
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Hotel Operator to Open Wichita Call Center
WICHITA, Kan. - A company that operates hotels and resorts around the world says it plans to hire about 180 people later this year for a new customer contact center in Wichita.
Officials of the Kansas Department of Commerce and Starwood Hotels announced plans for the center Thursday. Starwood says it plans to expand the center
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Judge Finds Former Doctor Danger to Community
WICHITA, Kan. - A federal magistrate judge says she is keeping a former Kansas doctor in federal custody to assure the safety of the community.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Humphreys issued a written order Thursday outlining her findings a day earlier to keep Lawrence Simons in jail pending trial. He was charged Monday with
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Budget Negotiations Resume
TOPEKA, Kan. - Kansas House and Senate negotiators are working again on the 2014 and 2015 state budgets in an effort to bring the legislative session to a close.
Senate Ways and Means Chairman Ty Masterson told House counterparts Thursday he's prepared to move quickly to finish the talks on roughly $14.5 billion in spending in
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KSU to Build New Residence Hall
MANHATTAN, Kan. - K-State University has gotten the OK to build a new residence hall, renovate two others and replace a dining center.
The Kansas Board of Regents voted Wednesday to approve the $70 million project. The new 450-bed facility will open in the fall of 2015 along with a new dining center that will be connected to
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School Lockdowns Lifted Following Drive-By Shooting
WICHITA, Kan. - Wichita North High School has been placed on lockdown as police search for two people possibly involved in a drive-by shooting.
Police responded to the reported drive-by shooting in the 1700 block of North Park Place around 3:00 p.m. Thursday. As the two suspects fled the scene, the Ford Explorer they were in crashed
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Sizeable Gasoline Larceny in SE Wichita
WICHITA - A larceny involving a sizeable amount of stolen gasoline in southeast Wichita; it happened at the B&T gas station at Lincoln & Woodlawn.
The suspects used a set of bolt-cutters to breach a gas tank, stealing about 150 gallons of gasoline.
Police believe the siphoning took place from Monday through Wednesday
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Man Arrested: Left Two Girls a Note in N. Wichita
WICHITA - A 48-year-old homeless man has been arrested, after he allegedly left a possibly-provocative note for a pair of pre-teen girls in north Wichita.
Police Lt. Doug Nolte says a 12-year-old girl and an 11-year-old, students at Hamilton Middle School, found the note Wednesday morning at a school-bus stop near 27th &
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Newton High School Teacher Arrested
NEWTON, Kan. - A Newton High School teacher was arrested at school Wednesday on charges of drug possession and trespassing. Newton police said 45-year-old Eden Bloom was arrested after she refused to leave the school.
A Newton High School directory shows Bloom was listed as a special education instructor.
Bloom was
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Northwest Wichita Restaurant Robbed
WICHITA - Police are investigating an armed robbery just after 9 this morning at the Copper Oven restaurant, 2409 West 13th. The suspect is described as a white male in his 50s. A gun was indicated but not seen. Police were looking for a gold-colored pickup.
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Lyons Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of Child
LYONS, Kan. - A central Kansas man has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for the sexual abuse of a child. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced Wednesday that 34-four-year-old Jeffrey S. Redding of Lyons was sentenced to 210 months in prison for rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He pleaded no contest to the charges in February.
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KS GOP State Senators to Review New Tax Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. - Republicans in the Kansas Senate are preparing to review a new, compromise plan for cutting income taxes and canceling part of a scheduled decline in the state sales tax. Senate GOP leaders scheduled Thursday morning's meeting as lawmakers hoped to resolve their differences on taxes and wrap up their work for the year.
House
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Andover Buys Land for Third High School
ANDOVER, Kan. - The Andover School District Wednesday closed on the purchase of about 105 acres of land expected to be the site of a future high school, varsity stadium and middle school.
The district acquired the land — bounded by Martin Elementary School on the south, 159th Street East on the west, 29th Street on the north and
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Convicted Killer Accused of Intimidation
WICHITA, Kan. - The man convicted of killing one of Kansas' only late-term abortion providers is now accused of trying to intimidate the woman who reopened his shuttered clinic.
The Kansas Department of Corrections said Tuesday it filed an administrative charge against Scott Roeder. 55, under a prison regulation which prohibits
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Ex-Doctor to Remain in Jail until Trial
WICHITA, Kan. - A former Kansas doctor will stay behind bars until his federal trial on a charge of using a gun to partially pay a bondsman who got him out of jail in a domestic case.
A federal magistrate judge ordered Lawrence Simons, 57, detained following a hearing Wednesday. Simons was arrested Monday on a federal charge of
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Crews Battle Mobile Home Fire
VALLEY CENTER, Kan. - Crews from several agencies battled a house fire in northeast Sedgwick County. The fire broke out shortly before 2:00 p.m. Wednesday in the 5800 block of East 109th Street North, northeast of Valley Center. When firefighters arrived, heavy smoke and flames were pouring from the home. There were no nearby hydrants nearby so
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National Guard Braces for Furloughs
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas National Guard says it will furlough about 1,100 members for up to 11 days because of federal funding shortfalls.
Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, who heads the Kansas National Guard, said the furloughs will affect members whose jobs are federally funded, such as those in administration and logistical support.
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Lake Levels Rising, But Still Low
CHENEY, Kan. - Memorial Day weekend is now less than two weeks away. Will water levels at local lakes be high enough to provide fun? Or, will they leave everyone high and dry?
While, Cheney State Park is still very dry, the lake level is actually up some. "It has slowed down a bit because we have our normal people that come
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Longtime Royals Announcer Fred White Has Died
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Royals are morning one of their own. In a news release the organization said they are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Fred White due to complications from melanoma.
White, who spent 40 seasons in the Royals’ organization as an announcer, Director of Broadcast Services
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Koch Nitrogen Co. to build plant in Oklahoma
ENID, Okla. - Kansas-based Koch Industries has announced plans to build a new fertilizer plant at its Koch Nitrogen facility in Enid.
Koch said in a news release Wednesday that it will invest $1 billion and increase fertilizer production at the facility by more than 1 million tons per year. The company says construction is expected to
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Lyons Man: Prison Sentence for Rape
LYONS, Kan. - A Lyons man was sentenced Wednesday to 17½ years in prison after pleading no contest to charges of rape and aggravated indecent liberties; 34-year-old Jeffrey Redding was sentenced to a total of 210 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections.
The judge also ordered Redding to lifetime registration as a sex offender,
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Kansas, Armenia tout continued ties
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Kansas adjutant general and top officials with the Armenian Ministry of Defense say a 10-year relationship between the state and the former Soviet republic has yielded benefits for both groups.
Delegations from Kansas and Armenia have worked since 2003 to forge ties within their military, government, business and legal
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KPI's Kansas Freedom Index Released
WICHITA - In the continuation of a project started last year, Kansas Policy Institute has released a new scorecard tracking votes from the 2013 legislative session. This year's Kansas Freedom Index is operated solely by KPI and adds "education freedom" to the bills being tracked. The KPI says the Index takes a broad look at voting records and establishes how
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Wichita: Least Mail Carrier Dog Bites
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Postal Service says Los Angeles was the worst city in America for dog attacks on letter carriers last year, and it urged pet owners to help reduce the attacks. The agency on Wednesday released its city rankings ahead of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which starts Monday. The Postal Service said nearly 5,900 postal workers were attacked last year,
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Abbyville Frontier Days Coming
ABBYVILLE, Kan. - The small central Kansas town of Abbyville is ready for its annual influx of cowboys. The 51st annual Abbyville rodeo is scheduled for this weekend. It draws thousands of contestants and spectators to the Reno County town of 87 residents. The Hutchinson News reports (http://bit.ly/19sR5c8 ) that Abbyville Frontier Days also includes good food, music, a parade and a cowboy
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Ellis County Voters Approve Half-cent Sales Tax Hike
HAYS, Kan. - Ellis County voters easily approved a half-cent sales tax increase to improve county buildings.
The Hays Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/12ur0sg ) the issue was approved Tuesday with 82 percent of the vote, 2,603 to 569. The increased revenue will help pay for a $14.3 million building for the county's EMS and rural fire trucks. It will also pay to
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One Dead After Accident at Hiawatha Business
HIAWATHA, Kan. - A man is dead after an accident at a mill in northeast Kansas. Police chief John Defore says the man died Tuesday afternoon while working at the Fairview Mills facility in Hiawatha. Defore says the victim became entangled in a piece of machinery commonly known as a "clump buster." KNZA reports the man's name has not
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Police Seek Armed Shoplifting Suspects
WICHITA - The Wichita Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying suspects in a recent shoplifting incident in which one of the suspects was armed.
On Monday, April 8, the suspects in these surveillance images allegedly stole items from the Walmart store located at 6110 W. Kellogg. When security tried to stop them, the
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Sen. Moran Calls for Second Look at IRS Leaks
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee with oversight over the U.S. Department of Treasury – of which the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is a bureau – has submitted eight pointed questions regarding the politicization of the IRS to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Acting IRS Commissioner Steven
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Ellis County Passes Sales Tax Increase
HAYS, Kan. - Voters in Ellis County have approved a half-cent sales tax. Of the 3,195 votes cast, 82% of voters favored the sales tax increase. Just fewer than 18% of registered voters in Ellis County showed up to the polls Tuesday.
The money raised from the tax will be used to build a new building for EMS and rural
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Wichita Biz-Jet Recovery Still Looking For Lift
WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita Business Jet market remains stuck on the runway while the high end biz-jet market is soaring. Richard Aboulafia, Vice President of analysis for the Teal Group, says he believes the thesis for a recovery is still intact.
The aviation analyst was keynote speaker for an unprecedented third time at the
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Speed Limit Change Considered for Valley Center Drivers
VALLEY CENTER, Kan. - The Valley Center school district is hoping a speed limit change will make the dirt road safer for many drivers who go to Valley Center High School.
The dirt road along 93rd Street North, between Meridian and Seneca, currently has a speed limit of 55 miles per hour. "Our public works has done an
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Some Kansas Farmers Turn to Canola
WICHITA, Kan. - Some fields in southern Kansas are taking on a lighter, shade of gold. Farmers there have switched from fields of golden wheat to a different type of crop - - Canola. Farmers and researchers hope those brightly flowering plants become more common across the state and that they will eventually diversify the state's crop
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