Search results for

(Photo Credit: hutchnews.com)TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House is considering a bill that would allow some religious symbols on public lands. The religious symbols would be permitted if they are part of the community's history or heritage. The Wichita Eagle reports that the bill is a reaction to an incident last summer, when a group threatened to sue the town of Buhler because its official city sign included a cross. The town replaced it with similar signs on private land. The bill would also allow religious displays in public schools, if they are part of a course of study. Representative Don Schroeder of Hesston told a House committee Thursday that he believed religious displays like Buhler's do not violate the U.S. Constitution. House Majority Leader Arlen Siegfried expects a vote on the bill next week.

The KU women's track team celebrates the program's first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship (photo credit: Kansas Athletics)One of the Senate’s last official acts of the 2013 session was to approve a resolution congratulating the University of Kansas women’s track team on winning the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Senator Marci Francisco, a Lawrence Democrat, sponsored the resolution. And the Senate set aside partisan differences to pass it unanimously. Francisco says members of the team couldn’t make it to the Statehouse because they are at the USA Track and Field championships in Des Moines.But assistant track coach Mike Whittlesey and Associate Athletic Director Chris Howard were able to join Francisco on the floor of the Senate for the ceremonial vote.

(photo credit: KSAL, Salina)SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The city of Salina will be looking for a new police chief in the next few months. KSAL-AM reports Chief Jim Hill announced Thursday that he'll retire on October 1 from the job he's held since January 1991. Hill is 64 years old and has been in uniform for 44 years. He says he's looking forward to traveling and spending time with his grandchildren. Hill calls the decision bittersweet, saying he has a lot of affection for the police department and the city of Salina. Looking back over his career, Hill said the low point was the night one of his officers was shot in the face during a standoff last September. The officer returned to duty in April.

(image credit: pakstudy.com)TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Nine Kansas State University students from Nepal have been charged with scheming to commit visa fraud. A federal indictment unsealed Tuesday alleges the students conspired to maintain their visas by temporarily pooling their money. Prosecutors contend the goal was to make it appear they had sufficient funds to meet requirements that they could support themselves. All nine are charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud plus varying counts of visa fraud. The government alleges the students presented a notarized bank letter to their international student adviser to obtain certification of financial responsibility. The indictment says that once they got the needed documents, they returned most of the temporarily obtained funds. The U.S. attorney's office says the maximum penalty for each count is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

(Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org)ABILENE, Kan. (AP) — Discount retailer Alco Stores Incorporated has entered into an agreement to merge with private investment firm Argonne Capital Group LLC. Alco said in a news release Thursday that Atlanta-based Argonne will acquire all the outstanding share of Alco Stores' common stock for $14 per share in cash. The proposed transaction would total about $47 million. Alco's Board of Directors has unanimously approved the merger agreement and is recommending that shareholders approve it. Alco, formerly known as Duckwall-Alco before changing its name last year, is in the process of moving from Abilene, Kansas to the Dallas suburb of Coppell. The company specializes in serving small towns and has 213 Alco stores in 23 states selling home furnishings, outdoor products, electronics sporting goods and clothing.

Representative Paul Davis, the Kansas House Minority Leader (Photo Credit: kslegislature.org)TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas House Minority Leader Paul Davis has formed a campaign committee for a potential run for the Democratic nomination for governor next year. Davis announced Thursday that he's created the committee and appointed former state Representative William Kassebaum, of Burdick, as his treasurer. Kassebaum is the son of former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker and served in the House as a moderate Republican. Davis is a Lawrence attorney and is the first prominent Democrat to publicly show an interest in challenging Republican Governor Sam Brownback. But Davis spokeswoman Haley Pollock emphasized that he's not yet formally announcing his candidacy. Davis has served in the House since 2003. He's been repeatedly mentioned by prominent Democrats as a potential challenger to Brownback.

Representative Tim Huelskamp (Photo Credit: AP Photo/Wichita Eagle, Brian Corn)WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Eleven biofuel plants dot the rural expanse of western and central Kansas, so farmers and residents there were surprised when their Republican congressman called for ending a federal program that supports demand for biofuels. Their anger has now come back to haunt 1st Congressional District Representative Tim Huelskamp. Huelskamp, a tea party favorite, is locked in a tough primary race with a GOP opponent, Alan LaPolice, who supports the renewable energy standards. The primary election is Tuesday. A political action committee supported by farmers is spending more than $260,400 to oppose Huelskamp. And a group of Kansas agricultural groups issued a scathing statement criticizing him. Huelskamp maintains that the federal program, which mandates the use of biofuels in gasoline, interferes with the free market. The measure he co-sponsored is pending in Congress.

Photo by Stephen KorandaTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new television ad for Kansas governor Sam Brownback is giving his Democratic opponent a bit of unintended free advertising. The Wichita Eagle reported Friday that the ad features the governor touting his record and takes credit for 55,000 private sector jobs and a 4.9 percent unemployment rate. He assures the audience that "the sun is shining in Kansas." About 22 seconds into an ad, viewers can spot a Davis/Docking sign just behind the governor on his right side. Supporters of Democratic candidate Paul Davis had reportedly gathered at a house next to the Topeka home where Brownback was filming the commercial and held up campaign signs for Davis. The Brownback campaign declined to comment on having a Davis sign in its television ad.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Republican Governor Sam Brownback and his Democratic challenger, Paul Davis, have laid out their positions on education, taxes, Medicaid expansion and renewable energy during their first debate. Both candidates tried to portray themselves as supporters of education during Saturday's debate at the Kansas State Fair. Some of the sharpest exchanges came over tax cuts under Brownback that have led to two credit downgrades and a projected budget shortfall for the state. Davis is trying to woo moderate Republicans and independent voters who are concerned about the effects of Brownback's tax cuts. Davis told a standing-room-only crowd that he would expand Medicaid in Kansas if elected governor because rural hospitals are fighting to survive without the expansion. Brownback blamed the health care overhaul for lowering funding to the hospitals.

The Olathe bomb squad on the scene at the Douglas County Courthouse. (Photo Credit: Dan Mantyla)LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas courthouse is open again after being evacuated when an employee found a couple of liquid-filled bottles taped together near a handicapped entrance. Douglas County sheriff's spokesman Lieutenant Steve Lewis says investigators decided not to take any chances after the suspicious bottles were found around 8:30 a.m. Friday at the old courthouse in Lawrence. Lewis says the Olathe bomb squad was called in to handle the items, and after a robot retrieved them a search dog sniffed around and didn't find any signs of explosives. The courthouse was reopened at 1 p.m. Friday and Lewis says the incident is considered resolved.