Wire
What’s good for Sebelius is good for GOP
TOPEKA (AP) — Republicans in Kansas are in what seems to be the strange position of hoping that their arch-nemesis, Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, achieves her latest personal and political ambition. The cause, of course, is President Barack Obama’s nomination of Sebelius as U.S. secretary of health and human services. Many Republicans who have not hesitated to criticize her policies and question her leadership now seem to have hit pers...
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Governor on tap for HHS as Medicaid debate swirls
TOPEKA (AP) — As Gov. Kathleen Sebelius waits to become U.S. secretary of health and human services, some Kansas officials are debating whether state oversight of its Medicaid program is strong enough. The debate focuses on the inspector general’s office, created in 2007 within the Kansas Health Policy Authority to ferret out potential problems in Medicaid. The first inspector general left in October and has told legislators the authority hin...
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Senators revive bill to abolish death penalty
Umbarger a key figure in committee’s decision Carl Manning Associated Press Writer TOPEKA (AP) — An attempt to abolish Kansas’ death penalty is back on track, giving capital punishment opponents another, unexpected chance to argue that it’s too expensive when the state faces budget problems. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-5 on Thursday to forward the bill to the chamber. That decision came only a day after the committee voted to ha...
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Ellis sheriff investigates reports of shot cattle
HAYS (AP) — Authorities are investigating reports of at least five cattle being shot in Ellis County in western Kansas, including three that have died. The nighttime shootings started Feb. 19. The last one occurred Saturday. Ellis County Sheriff Ed Harbin says his office is tracking down but has not substantiated other similar reports. The shootings appear to be random. One of the animals shot with the high-powered rifle was immediately ...
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Dallas chamber official to join Kansas GOP
TOPEKA (AP) — The chief executive officer of the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will become the Kansas Republican Party’s new executive director. CiCi Rojas will take her new job April 1. She’ll replace Christian Morgan, who has been executive director for two years and plans to pursue other job opportunities in politics or private business. Rojas’ appointment was made Thursday by Kansas GOP Chairwoman Amanda Adkins. Adkins s...
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Kansas utility seeks to depose Sebelius
WICHITA (AP) — A company suing Kansas over its rejection of two coal-fired plants is asking a federal judge to allow it to take a deposition from Gov. Kathleen Sebelius before she is confirmed as health and human services secretary. Sunflower Electric Power Corp. filed a motion Wednesday asking a judge for expedited discovery in its federal lawsuit against Sebelius and the state. The utility says that with the governor’s likely confirmation a...
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Police say thief took badge of assistant county attorney
SALINA (AP) — Police are looking for a thief who stole a badge and other items from the car of an assistant Saline County attorney. Salina Deputy Police Chief Carson Mansfield said Wednesday that the vehicle was parked at the Salina Family YMCA earlier this week. The car was locked, but the keys to it were stolen from a locker in the men’s locker room. Police say the locker was locked at the time. The thief took two wallets — a man’s and ...
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Army deactivates Parsons munitions plant with ceremony
Philadelphia-based company purchased property with hopes of landing new munitions contract John Milburn Associated Press PARSONS (AP) — An ammunition plant in southeast Kansas built to assemble bombs for soldiers fighting in World War II was deactivated Wednesday, the first closure of an Army installation under the most recent congressional plan to shutter and reconfigure military bases. The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant officially closed...
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Lieutenant governor not planning big changes as governor
John Hanna AP Political Writer TOPEKA (AP) — Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson isn’t planning any major staff or policy changes once he becomes governor, and he reiterated Tuesday that he does not plan to run for the job in 2010. He will replace Gov. Kathleen Sebelius when she resigns to become U.S. secretary of health and human services. However, that won’t happen until the U.S. Senate confirms her nomination by President Barack Obama. Parkinson had h...
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Delay in power plants costs SWK college $2 million grant
Bill Draper Associated Press Writer A southwest Kansas community college has lost a nearly $2 million federal grant because of delays in state approval for two new coal-fired power plants proposed by Sunflower Electric Power Corp. Garden City Community College officials said they were told Monday morning to return the Department of Labor grant that would have trained workers to help build the plants. The same day, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius —...
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Budget unfinished as governor gets health job in D.C.
Local legislators supportive of Sebelius’ nomination, Parkinson’s takeover as Kansas gov. Melissa Smith Assistant Managing Editor TOPEKA (AP) — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ nomination for a Cabinet job in Washington comes even as work on the next Kansas budget remains unfinished. And Kansas legislators disagree about how her departure for a job as U.S. secretary of health and human services will affect their work. They’re not even sure of the timi...
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Franklin County man’s death inspires mother’s safety push
LE LOUP (AP) — Eric Harris loved to drive the countryside when it was raining. A trait he inherited from his grandfather, Harris would drive the roads of Franklin County in east-central Kansas when thunderstorms rolled into the area. “Any time a storm or rain would come in, he’d drive around to see what all got hit and rained on,” said his stepmother, Janet Harris of Wellsville. On Sept. 13, 1998, a stormy day in Franklin County, Eric Har...
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State briefs
Judge refuses to throw out abortion case WICHITA (AP) — A judge refused Wednesday to toss out the criminal case against a Wichita doctor accused of violating the state’s late-term abortion law, saying a former prosecutor’s conduct in the case didn’t warrant that action. Sedgwick County District Judge Clark Owens also denied a defense request to throw out evidence in the case against Dr. George Tiller because of the conduct of former prosecuto...
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Sebelius: Coal plant bill ‘DOA’
TOPEKA (AP) — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius says an energy bill before the House is dead on arrival if it reaches her desk. Sebelius told reporters Wednesday: “It’s DOA with me — absolutely.” The bill would allow two coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas and restrict the power of the secretary of health and environment. But it ties those provisions to others designed to promote renewable energy. The House plans to debate it Thursday. Sebelius ...
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Evening means robin rush hour in Lawrence
LAWRENCE (AP) — Birds — mostly robins by the thousands — are making a daily evening trek to extreme western Lawrence where they roost in cedar trees for the night. It is a thrilling spectacle for neighbors in the area of George Williams Way, Diamondhead Drive and other nearby streets. “I love it. I love robins. I think it’s great,” said Don Bushell, one of those residents. That many birds can announce their presence if windows happen to b...
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Center for troubled teens shut down
ESBON (AP) — The state has shut down a northern Kansas treatment center for troubled adolescents after inspectors found emergency exit doors locked on three occasions. The White Rock Academy in Esbon on Thursday was ordered closed after state officials twice told operators to remove the locks, which violate the state fire and safety code. The academy has until Monday to make other arrangements for its 24 residents. The state suspended the cen...
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Army exercise meshes combat with nation building
John Milburn Associated Press Writer FORT LEAVENWORTH (AP) — Maj. Don King and his men were stuck between advancing insurgents and an impassable river. For two hours, they held off the enemy, waiting for engineers to arrive and rebuild bridges the insurgents had destroyed and for reinforcements with tanks and armored vehicles. Eventually, they were successful, defeating the insurgents and restoring order, one of many battles in the war fo...
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Abortion records sent to ousted Kansas prosecutor in Virginia
WICHITA (AP) — Attorneys for abortion doctor George Tiller claim patient files and other abortion documents were mailed to former prosecutor Phill Kline’s new address in Lynchburg, Va. Attorneys for Tiller contend in an affidavit filed Thursday that the box was mailed from the Johnson County district attorney’s office by an unknown employee on Kline’s last full day as district attorney. The box was returned by the U.S. Postal Service to th...
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Historic Lawrence church falling apart
LAWRENCE (AP) — Members of a historic church that poet Langston Hughes once attended are collecting money to preserve the nearly 100-year-old building. St. Luke African Methodist Episcopal Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance author and poet, has said the church influenced his writings. Bill Tuttle Jr., professor emeritus at Kansas University, said the church is “literally fal...
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AG opposes bill to abolish Kansas death penalty
TOPEKA (AP) — Attorney General Steve Six says the idea of abolishing the Kansas death penalty because it would save the state money is flawed. In his weekly column Wednesday, Six said opponents don’t take into account many cost savings associated with having the death penalty as an option. Death penalty opponents say it’s cheaper to keep someone in prison for life than to execute them. Six said they rely on a 2003 study he said uses data b...
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