Kansas Tax Revenue Projection Close but Still Short for March
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The state of Kansas is reporting that its tax collections came close to hitting projections in March, falling short by less than $2 million. Yesterday's report from the Department of Revenue said the state collected almost $447.8 million in taxes last month, a shortfall of about four-tenths of 1 percent. But since the fiscal year began in July 2015, the state has collected 1.9 percent less in taxes than anticipated. The $4.13 billion collected is about $81 million less than expected. Tax collections have fallen short of expectations 11 of the past 12 months.
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Impact of KU Internet Outage Felt in Alaska
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The Alaska education department says it's canceling its computer-based statewide student assessments due to the Internet problems at the University of Kansas where the test developer is based. Testing is currently on hold for more than a dozen other states. The university's Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation provides general end-of-year assessments for students in Kansas and Alaska. Issues arose Tuesday when a backhoe severed a major fiber cable. Testing resumed Wednesday but was again suspended Thursday afternoon because of service disruptions. After students experienced problems yesterday morning, the Alaska testing was canceled.
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Kansas Wildfire Nearly Contained but Risk Continues
MEDICINE LODGE, Kan. (AP) _ Crews continue extinguishing hot spots from a wildfire that has burned hundreds of square miles since starting last week in Oklahoma and spreading into rural Kansas. The heaviest damage has been in Barber County, Kansas where authorities said the fire was 95 percent contained yesterday. Officials overseeing the fire fight in the county said that there were at least seven calls for service Thursday and that 10 new acres burned. Authorities also said a high fire weather risk continues through the weekend for the area because of low relative humidity and winds with gusts up to 20 mph.
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FAA Reports Preliminary Results of Golf Course Landing
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ A preliminary report says a rented airplane with two teenagers aboard lost engine power when it crashed onto a Kansas golf course. The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday that a Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the 1966 single-engine Mooney, piloted by a 17-year-old boy, reported finding no fuel in the left fuel tank. Wichita police said that an 18-year-old woman was also aboard the airplane when it came down on the 14th hole at the Tallgrass Country Club on March 18th, narrowly missing nearby homes.
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Kansas Supreme Court Orders New Sentence for Convicted Killer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered a new sentencing for a man initially ordered to spend a half century in prison for a 2011 killing involving mistaken identity. The state's high court made the ruling Friday while upholding Charles Christopher Logsdon's conviction.
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Self Named Coach of the Year
HOUSTON (AP) _ Bill Self is The Associated Press Coach of the Year. Self led Kansas to the No. 1 ranking in the final weekly poll and its 12th straight Big 12 title. The Jayhawks were the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost to Villanova in the regional final.
