Governor Sam Brownback has issued a new, broader executive order telling state agencies that they can't assist with resettling refugees who are security risks.
The order issued by the governor Friday applies to any refugees presenting a security risk to the state. Brownback's office issued a statement saying the order recognizes the threat posed by terrorists or refugees sympathetic to them.
The Republican governor issued an executive order in November that applied specifically to Syrian refugees. Like the previous order, the new one also is aimed at preventing organizations that receive state grant money from helping relocate refugees.
The new order says the ...
Governor Sam Brownback has issued a new, broader executive order telling state agencies that they can't assist with resettling refugees who are security risks.
The order issued by the governor Friday applies to any refugees presenting a security risk to the state. Brownback's office issued a statement saying the order recognizes the threat posed by terrorists or refugees sympathetic to them.
The Republican governor issued an executive order in November that applied specifically to Syrian refugees. Like the previous order, the new one also is aimed at preventing organizations that receive state grant money from helping relocate refugees.
The new order says the ...
A tax amnesty program designed to help balance the Kansas budget has generated only about three-quarters of what lawmakers expected.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the program brought in about $23 million, which fell about $7 million short of the $30 million that was anticipated.
The Legislature and Governor Sam Brownback passed the amnesty program this past spring as part of a massive revenue package to raise $400 million to balance the state budget. The program ran from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15.
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, provided the $23 million figure to The Capital-Journal. It matched what House Tax Committee ...
A Shawnee County judge quickly dismissed a civil action to remove a Topeka city councilman charged with child abuse from the council. But prosecutors say they will refile the action later.
In a hearing Friday, Judge Franklin Theis dismissed the ouster effort against Jonathan Robert Schumm.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the district attorney's office sought the dismissal earlier in the day. But prosecutors said they would refile the civil action after the criminal case against Schumm is resolved.
Schumm and his wife, Allison Nicole Schumm, are charged with one criminal count each of aggravated battery and four counts of endangering a child. Court ...
The latest list of Salina’s Most Wanted went online a week ago. Since then, about a dozen of them have been arrested.
According to Saline County Jail records, Jerry Alkire and Shane Bunch are the latest two on the list to be arrested. They were wanted for crimes that include making criminal threats and failure to appear.
The complete list of those arrested so far includes:
Heather Wright
Caitlyn Jepson
Tammy Hyman
Paul Douglas Moody
Angela Feenstra
Kyle Fry
Jaleka Rutz
Jessica Sonneberger
Jami Swanigan
Jerry Alkire
Shane Bunch
Along with the arrests, there have also been three of the warrants cancelled, thus those people are no longer on the list.
The first weekend of ...
A top Army official says the latest delay in opening the new hospital at Fort Riley is attributed to 357 safety issues.
Assistant Secretary of the Army Katherine Hammack told U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran in a letter obtained by The Associated Press that the problems were identified during pre-final inspections. They include things like fire doors not meeting code requirements.
The project was initially fast-tracked for completion in 2012 but has run into numerous delays.
Hammack assured the Kansas senator that the contractor is actively working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to resolve the issues as early as possible.
Hospital commander Col. ...
The Powerball jackpot has reached another new level never before seen. According to the Kansas Lottery, as of Saturday morning the jackpot climbed to $900 million. This is the largest jackpot in Powerball history, and also the largest jackpot of any lottery game in U.S. history.
Lottery officials say a winner would have the option of being paid $900 million through annual payments over 29 years or opting for a $558 million lump-sum cash payout.
Sales for the lottery game have skyrocketed since Wednesday, when no one won an estimated $500 million jackpot.
Officials say that if no one wins on Saturday, the ...
A new elementary school named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower has opened in his boyhood home of Abilene, Kansas, 46 years after he left office.
Parents considered Eisenhower as a name for an Abilene elementary school in the 1960s. But it wasn't until Thursday that fourth- and fifth-grade students began classes in a building bearing the name of the 34th president and supreme Allied commander during World War II.
The school that some parents wanted to name Eisenhower decades earlier was ultimately named after President John Kennedy based on a tradition of naming district schools after assassinated presidents. The district hadn't built ...
The Kansas Highway Patrol is asking state lawmakers to support a $7.50 increase in vehicle title fees to hire an additional 75 troopers to address a sharp decline in manpower.
The Wichita Eagle (bit.ly/1ZiEFmG) reports more than one-third of the counties in Kansas have no Highway Patrol presence, while 29 are served by only one trooper. The other 40 counties are served by two or more officers.
Patrol Superintendent Col. Mark Bruce sent a letter to lawmakers say there were 501 troopers in 2006 but only 419 now.
The patrol also is asking members of the public to fill out a survey focusing ...
A Kansas City, Missouri, man has admitted in a Kansas court that he tried to kill a homeless shelter employee by slashing his throat.
The Lawrence Journal-World reported that 22-year-old Christopher McCay pleaded guilty in Douglas County to attempted first-degree murder.
He admitted that in March 2014 he used a steak knife from the Lawrence Community Shelter's kitchen and stabbed 46-year-old Robert Shaner.
McCay had been a guest at the site.
He faces between a dozen and 54 years in prison, depending on the findings of his pre-sentence investigation.
McCay is due to appear next in court on February 12th.
Democratic lawmakers were meeting to discuss school funding issues before the Kansas Legislature opened its annual session.
Democrats from both chambers gathered Sunday afternoon for a joint caucus. They were having a briefing on budget issues and hearing from Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis about school funding.
Senate Republicans also planned to have what their leaders described as an orientation meeting Sunday evening. However, they said it would be closed to the public.
Both chambers were scheduled to convene at 2 p.m. Monday to formally open the session.
Lawmakers expect to debate overhauling how the state distributes more than $4 billion a year in ...
Federal authorities are warning Sedgwick County officials that asking some health clinic clients about their immigration status would violate federal rules.
U.S. Department of Agriculture officials told the county in emails obtained by The Wichita Eagle (bit.ly/1nbqgY1) that asking participants in the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program about their legal status could put federal grant dollars for the entire county health department at risk.
The county asked the state in October to block illegal immigrants from the WIC program, but there is no eligibility requirement based on immigration status.
A regional WIC official says citizenship status has no bearing on eligibility so ...
Several hundred brides-to-be enjoyed a special event Sunday afternoon at the Salina Bicentennial Center. The soon-to-be-married ladies were joined by family and friends at the Salina Bridal & Prom Expo.
Future brides and grooms had a chance to meet with over 50 vendors throughout the day to get inspiration on how to plan their perfect wedding. Attendees got to sample champagne and cake, meet with caterers, florists, fitness experts, photographers, disc jockeys, and more.
At the same time, girls headed to prom this year got a sneak peek at the latest fashions.
The show featured a couple of large runway fashion shows. The ...
Slick roads caused several crashes in Saline County Monday morning, including one in which a Salina man was killed.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 39-year-old Eduiges Gonzalez-Najera of Salina was killed when he lost control of a pickup truck on Interstate 135, slid across the median, and collided head-on with an oncoming semi. The crash happened about a half mile south of Crawford Street.
Troopers also worked several other injury crashes, where at least a half-dozen people were transported to the hospital. They include:
37-year-old Carlos Rodriguez - Wichita
28-year-old Ismael Vital - Wichita
19-year-old Branson Truaillo - Wichita
59-year-old Donald Fortin - Topeka
54-year-old Larry ...
The Salina Police Department is investigating two new cases of counterfeit $100 from over the weekend.
One bill was passed at the Lone Star Convenience Store at 100 North Broadway in a deposit. The bill was passed on January 7 between 4-11PM.
Two bills were used at Chili's on January 9; one at 7:17 PM and another at 9:10 PM. Chili's management reported the incidents to the Salina Police Department yesterday.
This is the sixth reported case of the counterfeit $100 bills since the beginning of the year in Salina.
Copyright © Alpha Media, 2015. All Rights Reserved. No part of this story or ...
A weekend fire caused damage to a shed, but no injuries.
According to the Saline County Sheriff's Office, Gregory and Betty Manning reported a shed fire at 10632 South Centennial Road, between Salina and Lindsborg. The fire was found and reported at 11am on Sunday.
After cattle had been fed, about an hour later a Loader caught fire. The fire spread to the ceiling .
Fire District number two responded to the scene.
No injuries were reported. Loss is estimated at $15,000.
Copyright © Alpha Media, 2015. All Rights Reserved. No part of this story or website may be reproduced without Alpha Media’s express consent. ...
Kansas Legislators will open a detailed audit that looks into state efficiencies on Tuesday - with a hope that the report will lead to money saving cuts in government waste.
Last year the clock ran out on legislators in overtime as representatives met for a record 114 days, finally raising sales and cigarette taxes to shore up the budget.
Salina Representative J.R. Claeys told listeners on the KSAL Morning News Monday that there was not enough time to tweak or eliminate waste without better information.
"When you don't have the knowledge of what every agency is doing, what they are doing effectively, what ...
PERRY, Kan. (AP) — Students at a northeast Kansas high school must undergo random drug testing to participate in extracurricular activities.
The the policy took effect last week at Perry-Lecompton High School as the new semester began. School officials say the goal is to provide students with an incentive to turn down illegal drugs or alcohol.
American Civil Liberties Union attorney Doug Bonney says that since the mid-1990s, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the drug testing of students involved in extracurricular activities is constitutional. Bonney says the ACLU disagrees with the decision.
Perry-Lecompton High School Principal Mike Copple says drug tests will cost the ...
