Kansas Crop Forecast is Favorable
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ The latest government forecast for fall crops in Kansas is mostly upbeat in production estimates. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported (yesterday )Friday that it anticipates a state-wide harvest of 566 million bushels of corn this year. That is down just slightly from a year ago. Updated estimates are based on crop conditions as of October 1st.
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Haskell Ready to Explore Federal Charter Status
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) _ Officials at Haskell Indian Nations University have approved plans to consider seeking more autonomy from the federal government by becoming a federally chartered school. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that on Thursday Haskell's Board of Regents on approved a resolution to study such a possibility. The board also approved a move to pursue establishing an endowment association. Haskell President Venida Chenault says Haskell's role serving Native Americans is vital, but the current operating model is holding the university back. Chenault says federally-chartered Howard University in Washington could be a possible model for Haskell. The federal Bureau of Indian Education runs Haskell. But Haskell's federal funding has been flat for years, and federal rules don't allow the school to solicit outside funds.
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Wichita Woman Charged in Sex Trafficking Incident
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A 32-year-old Wichita woman has been charged in federal court with the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom's office says Natasha Harper was charged Friday with one count of providing the girl for commercial sex. Court documents say Harper was arrested in a sting operation conducted by the Wichita Police Department.
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Pittsburg Teacher Charged in Battery of Special Ed Student
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) _ A southeast Kansas special education teacher has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery involving a 15-year-old boy who has cerebral palsy, is blind and confined to a wheelchair. The Pittsburg Morning Sun reports Matthew DeMoss was sentenced Thursday to three months in jail for the Jan. 15 incident in Pittsburg. The sentence was suspended and DeMoss was placed on unsupervised probation for a year and ordered to write a letter of apology to the victim.
