Kansas.com: State

Jenkins among 434 sworn in at House

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:39 CST

Lynn Jenkins, Kansas' former state treasurer, entered the next chapter of her political career Tuesday when she was sworn in as the state's only freshman in Congress.

Before the ceremony, Jenkins said the reality that she was about to walk on the House floor to be sworn in had not yet sunk in. But she said she was ready.

"I understand the responsibility that's been placed before me," she said.

The 111th Congress, which runs through the end of 2010, convened amid a worsening crisis in the Middle East, continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a collapsing economy.

Asked which was the most pressing issue, Jenkins said all of the above.

Kansas wonders reach into business

BECCY TANNER — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:39 CST

The finalists in a statewide commerce contest are hard to categorize, ranging from nuclear power plants to a toy marble company.

From brickmakers to pie bakers, the 24 finalists offer a commercial dimension to the 8 Wonders of Kansas.

"When you go from bait and tackle shops to nuclear power plants, it gets eclectic," said Marci Penner, director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation in Inman.

The names of the finalists were announced Monday by the sampler foundation as part of an ongoing series of contests encouraging Kansans to think about the best of their state.

The only Wichita enterprise to be selected as a finalist was the aviation industry.

Jenkins eager, ready for Washington

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:38 CST

On her last day as state treasurer, Lynn Jenkins told the Topeka Capital-Journal that her public divorce and congressional campaign were "extremely hard."

But the Republican, who left the treasurer's office Friday, looks forward to the future and to taking over the reins of the 2nd Congressional District.

"I have a great faith and great kids," said Jenkins, who ousted Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda in November. "I have a great ex-husband. Everything's going to be good."

Jenkins' husband of 25 years, Scott, filed for divorce less than a week after Jenkins was elected to Congress. They have two teenage children.

Jenkins will be sworn in with the other U.S. House members Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

School leader's cancer a 'bump in the road'

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:38 CST

The last place someone with an embattled immune system needs to be is among hundreds of children.

Randy Freeman knows this. He knows the chemotherapy treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia leave him wiped out and more susceptible to illness. The women in the offices at Silver Lake Unified School District 372 remind him of this.

And yet he still sneaks out of his office where he works as superintendent to spend at least a little time with students each day. After all, he says, students are the reason he went into education more than 30 years ago.

"That's why we've been after him," said Phyllis Dolechek, a secretary and treasurer for the district. "Even though he wants to do that stuff, he should really not be around people because his immune system is down."

And don't get her started on his diet.

School superintendent's cancer a 'bump in the road'

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:38 CST

The last place someone with an embattled immune system needs to be is among hundreds of children.

And don't get her started on his diet.

Dad, daughter make defense DVD

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:38 CST

As she rushes into the dark parking lot after shopping at the mall, a text message arrives on her cell phone.

Distracted, the young girl becomes oblivious to her surroundings as she replies to the message.

That's when teens and young women can be most vulnerable to an attack, said Chris Rangel, who operates a martial arts studio in Newton.

While he's concerned for everyone's safety, paramount is the welfare of his 15-year-old daughter Jenna.

Together, he and Jenna, a Newton High School freshman, have produced a DVD that offers ways for women and girls to protect themselves.

State's tax shortfall 'not looking good'

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:38 CST

Kansas collected 7.2 percent less than anticipated in general tax revenue in December, a sign that its budget problems might not have hit bottom.

"It's obviously not looking good at all," incoming Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, said Friday. "But I'm not surprised at all."

Legislative researchers already have projected the state will end its current fiscal year on June 30 with a $141 million budget deficit. They also say if the problems aren't addressed, the shortfall between anticipated revenue and current spending commitments will surpass $1 billion by June 30, 2010.

Preliminary figures from the Department of Revenue showed the state collected almost $482 million in general tax revenue in December. But financial forecasters had predicted more than $519 million in tax collections -- a difference of $38.6 million.

Revenue also fell short of expectations in November, just weeks after state officials and university economists issued the current fiscal forecast for state government.

Inaugural events in Topeka, KC

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:38 CST

Barack Obama's election has inspired plans for celebrations in at least two Kansas cities besides Wichita, including a parade, music and prayer services, all timed to his inauguration as president.

A free prayer and gospel music ceremony is scheduled for noon Jan. 20 in Topeka, with an 8 p.m.-to-midnight party at the downtown Ramada Hotel, both sponsored by a community advocacy group, Bias Busters of Kansas.

The Wyandotte County Democratic Party has announced plans for an event in the Kansas City area, though it's still working out the details. It hopes to offer tickets for $20 or $25.

Much of the enthusiasm comes from Democrats marking their party's return to the White House after eight years. But Kansans also are celebrating the swearing in of the nation's first African-American president.

"It's movement on the road to total equality," said Sonny Scroggins, a Topeka activist who founded Bias Busters and is organizing his hometown's event. "Man, God's got to be smiling."

State to close male prisoners' boot camp in Labette County

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:36 CST

The Kansas Department of Corrections says it has notified Labette County officials of its plans to stop operating the men's boot camp in the county.

Budget cuts prompted the move, which takes effect July 1.

"This is one of the ways that we can reduce our budget," said Bill Miskell, spokesman for the Department of Corrections. "We're looking -- for fiscal year 2010 -- at reducing our budget in excess of $13 million."

Closing the Labette Correctional Conservation Camp at Oswego is expected to reduce the department's budget request for fiscal year 2010 by $2.35 million.

In November, the department announced its plans to end the contract for the women's camp, also in Labette County. That contract ended Thursday, and the last of the female inmates were moved out days before.

Kansas governor race in 2010 wide open for Democrats

DAVID KLEPPER — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:34 CST

Kansas Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson will not run for governor in 2010, leaving the Democrats with one less candidate to replace Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Parkinson, of Olathe, said Friday that he wants to return to private life and that he won't run for any elected office. He was a Republican state lawmaker and a former chair of the state GOP before he defected in 2006 to run alongside Sebelius. Sebelius is term-limited and will step down in January 2011, when her second term ends.

"I admire those who are willing and able to make the sacrifices to serve the public for their entire careers, but I'm not one of them," Parkinson said in an e-mailed statement Friday afternoon."... As exciting as it has been to be back in public service, I look forward to returning to the private sector when our term is complete."

An attorney and businessman who developed retirement homes, Parkinson said he made the announcement now to end speculation about his future and to give a Democratic candidate plenty of time to prepare a campaign.

The announcement leaves incoming state Treasurer Dennis McKinney of Greensburg as the Democrat most often mentioned as a gubernatorial candidate. Two prominent Republicans are widely expected to run: U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback and Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh.

Hutch 'Angels' crochet for charities

KATHY HANKS — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:40 CST

Once a week they arrive at the senior center, lugging plastic bags bulging with a week's worth of work.

Some can't sit long without being busy, so they immediately pull out a project, moving a shiny hook through yarn as they wait for the Wednesday afternoon meeting to begin.

Others build mountains as they unload the bags of stocking caps, mittens, scarves and baby blankets.

Meet the Crochet Angels, a dedicated group -- mostly women, but with three men in the midst -- creating items that local social agencies request. They meet in a room at the Elmdale 50-Plus Center in the Elmdale Community Center. This is also where they store the rainbow of colored yarn -- half a skein of some, a partial ball of another -- all donated by the community.

The blessings seem to flow around this room, where those who love to create have found an avenue for their creations, and the material to put it all together comes miraculously through the door when they need it.

Fishermen converge on icy creek

DAN VOORHIS — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:40 CST

Trout fishermen are natural evangelists.

They love what they do and they want others to love it too.

Otherwise they wouldn't invite strangers to stand in icy water on a frosty winter day and try to catch 8- to-14-inch trout that they weren't even going to keep.

On Thursday, the Single Fly Tournament was held in the mile-long segment of Slough Creek running through Sedgwick County Park.

The creek is stocked with trout every other week during the cold months by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

John or Jayden? Parents' choices for names change

FRED MANN — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:40 CST

Whatever happened to John and Mary?

This whole name thing used to be so simple. You picked your babies' names from the New Testament or British royalty, and they stayed in the family for decades.

Boys were John, James, Charles or William with an occasional Frank or Robert tossed in.

Girls were Mary, Helen, Ruth, Margaret, Dorothy or Mildred.

Today, your little John or Mary probably sits next to classmates named Madison, Addison, Kaylee or Haley, or Aiden, Caden, Brayden or Jayden.

A legislator's proposal would mandate financial education from kindergarten through 12th grade

JEANNINE KORANDA — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:40 CST

It's easier for many adults to talk to children about sex than about money.

"The only greater taboo for conversation than sex is money," noted Philip Heckman, Youth Programs director for the Center for Personal Finance, which is affiliated with Credit Union National Association Inc.

Given Americans' increasing debt load and the subprime mortgage problems, maybe it's just as well parents aren't teaching their children about money, he said.

While working on consumer protection issues, state Rep. Melody McCray-Miller, D-Park City, said she frequently heard, "We need to be educating our young people about this so they won't get into this situation."

That situation could be anything from mounting credit card debt or payday loans that spiral out of control to people getting unaffordable mortgages or just not saving money.

Bill's goal: Truth in telemarketing

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:35 CST

A legislative leader is proposing new restrictions on companies that raise money for charities in hopes of giving Kansans more protection from unscrupulous telemarketers.

Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt said his bill was inspired by a recent personal experience with a telemarketer. The Independence Republican plans to introduce his measure after the 2009 Legislature convenes Jan. 12.

The bill would require professional solicitors to tell potential donors what percentage of the money being raised will go to the charity. Schmidt called it a "truth in giving" proposal.

"This is a problem that becomes more pronounced each year around the holidays, when the number of charity solicitations rises and when people are in an especially giving mood," he said in a written statement. "It's about openness and honesty."

State law already requires many charities raising money in Kansas to register annually with the Secretary of State's Office. Professional fundraising firms also are required to register each year.

Sebelius disbands state energy policy group

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:35 CST

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius dissolved a state energy group Wednesday, following months of criticism from even some members that its unwieldy size made it ineffective in influencing policy.

Sebelius said the Kansas Energy Council had provided a "solid foundation" for others' discussions and noted that four other task forces or committees are studying various issues.

"This decision was made because the KEC was given a charge and has completed it," Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said.

But Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, who served on the council, said it wasn't as effective as he had hoped it would be when it was formed. A big reason, he said, was its 34 members.

"Groups that size are unwieldy, if you're trying to advocate policy development," Sloan said. "More creative thinking, less checks and balances on the KEC would have been beneficial."

Three seek GOP seat in Kansas' 1st district

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:35 CST

Three candidates are now running for the Republican nomination in 2010 in the 1st Congressional District of western Kansas.

They are state Sen. Tim Huelskamp of Fowler; Timothy Barker, a Pratt businessman; and Rob Wasinger, a former member of Sen. Sam Brownback's staff from Hays. No Democrat has announced plans to run.

The incumbent, Republican Jerry Moran, is running for the Senate. Brownback has confirmed that he won't seek another term in 2010, and he's widely expected to run for governor.

Moran first won the 1st District seat in 1996 and has won re-election easily five times. Registration in the district heavily favors Republicans, making it likely that the GOP will keep the seat.

Huelskamp has been interested in running since 2005, when he formed a campaign committee, anticipating that Moran might run for governor in 2006. Moran didn't, seeking re-election to Congress instead.

199 twisters hit state in '08 Higher than normal number of tornadoes killed 4

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:35 CST

To state climatologist Mary Knapp, the 199 twisters that dropped from Kansas skies in 2008 were simply "a little higher than normal, but not terribly high."

"We had an interesting year," Knapp said. "We had tornadoes. We had ice storms and floods and drought. Probably the whole gamut... somewhere in this state someone had it."

Knapp said 11 tornadoes measured at least F3 strength, and total storm damage in the state was estimated around $1.5 billion. Four people lost their lives in the storms, including a Colorado couple whose car was picked up by a tornado in May and flung into a field along U.S. 54 east of Pratt.

Two others were killed June 11 when a series of tornadoes roared through Chapman, a town of about 1,300 west of Junction City, across the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan and farther east through Jackson County.

A 21-year-old Cloud County Community College student died in Chapman, which suffered extensive damage, and a 62-year-old farmer was killed in Jackson County when he was thrown from his mobile home.

Feds sue Iola on behalf of reservist

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:35 CST

The Justice Department filed suit Wednesday against the city of Iola on behalf of a Kansas Air National Guard reservist who claims the Fire Department disciplined him because of his military service.

Firefighter Randall A. Slocum alleges in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas, that he had two disciplinary letters placed in his personnel file and was denied a merit raise after leaving his job twice for Guard duty at Forbes Field in Topeka.

Federal law prevents employers from discriminating against service members because of their military service obligations.

Chuck Apt, Iola's city attorney, said he hadn't seen the lawsuit and couldn't comment about it.

The lawsuit states that Slocum enlisted in the Guard in 1992 and began working for the Iola Fire Department in March 2000.

Inmates will get cable, but will pay for it

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:37 CST

Shawnee County plans to install limited cable television service in its jail and juvenile detention centers, but the inmates -- not taxpayers -- will pay for it.

The County Commission considered the issue because the federal government is requiring broadcasters to switch to digital signals starting Feb. 17.

The 43 TVs at the jail and detention center now receive only analog signals. Without cable, the new digital signals wouldn't go through the jails' steel and thick concrete -- meaning no TV.

The estimated cost of adding cable is more than $5,000.

But county commissioners agreed Monday to go ahead with the project after Corrections Director Dick Kline said the money would come from funds inmates pay to their commissary.