PINE CITY, Minn. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say a Pine County man accused of skipping a custody hearing and taking his two minor children without permission has been arrested in Kansas.
KARE-TV reports the 44-year-old father was pulled over in Kansas Wednesday morning for a minor traffic violation. He was arrested after an officer ran his license and discovered he’s wanted in Minnesota.
The man’s 12-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter were in the vehicle as well as two of his adult children. Pine County Sheriff Robin Cole says the younger children thought they were on vacation and didn’t know authorities were looking for them.
BELOIT, Kan. (AP) — AGCO Corporation officials say the company plans to lay off a total of 111 workers at its plants in Beloit and Hesston.
A statement from the corporate office in Georgia says the Hesston plant is in a second phase of job cuts, with 72 layoffs this week. Twenty-four jobs were cut in August. The Beloit plant will lose 39 hourly jobs.
The Hesston plant makes hay and harvesting products, while the Beloit plant produces mostly tillage tools.
The company said in a statement that the layoffs were the result of the cyclical nature of the agriculture economy.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka police have found a woman’s body while detaining a man who was running around his neighborhood naked.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that neighbors called police Wednesday morning to report that the nude man was covered in blood and yelling as he ran up and down the street.
Police Lt. Chuck Haggard says it took several police officers to subdue the man and authorities eventually had to use a stun gun. The man was taken in an ambulance to a hospital for medical treatment.
The woman’s body was found at the top of a wooden wheelchair ramp leading to a home. Neighbors said the man lived with the woman.
A young girl was found uninjured at the scene and was placed in protective custody.
During Thursday’s Hays City Commission meeting, commissioners will discuss repealing certain taxi cab ordinances in the city code. City staff does not believe that the current process is a “good use of city resources,” according to a memo to commissioners.
The current ordinance requires each proposed business to pay an annual licensing fee of $10 as well as a $10 fee for the cost of each annual vehicle inspection. Businesses also are required to provide a $5 individual license fee per driver.
“We started looking into this because we were wrapping up hundreds of dollars worth of staff time in an application process that costs the business $25,” said City Manager Toby Dougherty. “I don’t think it’s a good productive use of time and that’s the reason we started looking at it.”
The current taxi cab licensing process requires the use of up to five city departments. When a taxi cab license application is presented to the city, they first conduct a background check on the driver. According to Assistant Police Chief Brian Dawson, the check simply identifies if any of the drivers are wanted in the city of Hays or in any other jurisdictions. The background checks also identifies information on their criminal background. This process alone can take up to two working hours and is valued at around $45.
“They may be more than capable of doing the job, but there might be some lesser misdemeanors that could go one way or the other,” said Dougherty.
Once the background checks are complete, the city manager’s office reviews the application and decides whether to approve it. It then is sent to the city commission, which votes on the approval of the application. Once these steps are taken, the vehicles are inspected and the IT department begins to create individual identification cards for each driver. The city estimates that these processes costs around $100, bringing the total amount to process one taxi cab business to around $146, far outside of the money provided by the business.
During last Thursday’s work session, commissioners and city staff also brought up some liability issues with the current policies, noting the process could mislead customers.
“Us licensing this makes it look like we are responsible for the businesses,” said Commissioner Ron Mellick. “It’s no different than whoever a plumber or electrician sends out. That is their choice and on their liability and not the city of Hays.”
There are currently two taxi cab businesses in the city of Hays.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall. Click HERE for a complete agenda.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A nationally ranked boxer is dead after a Wichita industrial accident in which a 6-ton tank shifted unexpectedly and fell on him while he was sandblasting it.
The Wichita Eagle reported that 22-year-old Tony Losey was under a tarp outside Boardman working on the tank when it fell onto him Tuesday afternoon. Wichita police say Losey was a subcontractor at the steel plate fabricator.
Losey also was a well-known amateur boxer who planned to pursue an Olympic spot in 2016. As of July, USA Boxing had ranked Losey third nationally in its 152-pound weight class.
Sgt. John Ryan says it’s rare for the tanks, which fall several times a year, to injure workers because most of the time people are able to get out of the way.
——————
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man in his early 20s is dead after a Wichita industrial accident in which a 6-ton tank shifted unexpectedly and fell on him while he was sandblasting it.
The Wichita Eagle reports the man, whose identity hadn’t been released Tuesday afternoon, was under a tarp outside Boardman working on the tank when it fell onto him at 2 p.m.
Wichita police say the man was a subcontractor at the steel plate fabricator. Sgt. John Ryan says it’s rare for the tanks, which fall several times a year, to injure workers because most of the time people are able to get out of the way.
Emergency crews and family members arrived shortly after the incident, but police were withholding the victim’s name until other relatives were notified.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The lawyer for a disgruntled Kansas Democratic voter says he’s considering his options as he faces a delay in getting a court to hear his lawsuit to force the party to name a new U.S. Senate nominee.
Attorney Tom Haney said Tuesday that voter David Orel of Kansas City, Kansas, was surprised by a state Supreme Court decision sending Orel’s petition to Shawnee County District Court.
Orel filed the petition last week after the Supreme Court allowed Democrat Chad Taylor to have his name removed from the Nov. 4 ballot in the race against Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.
The Supreme Court said Tuesday more evidence must be gathered in Orel’s lawsuit.
Taylor’s move was seen as helping independent candidate Greg Orman and putting the Kansas race in the national spotlight.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran has resigned from the Eisenhower Memorial Commission after serving for 13 years as one of the original lawmakers overseeing the effort to build a memorial in Washington honoring the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The commission announced Moran’s resignation late Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Moran did not immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment.
Millions of dollars have already been spent on securing a location near the National Mall and developing a design by architect Frank Gehry for a memorial park. It was supposed to be built by now but has been delayed amid a campaign against Gehry’s design and objections from Eisenhower’s family.
In June 2013, Moran called on the commission to endorse Gehry’s design, and the panel voted unanimously to move forward.
RUSSELL — Russell County offices, including the landfill, will be closed Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the funeral services of Bill and Delores Rabas, Russell.
The couple was killed in a traffic accident Sept. 14 in Ellsworth County.
Bill Rabas, 64, was a retired motor grader operator for the Russell County Highway Department. His wife, Delores, 56, was an oil appraisal clerk for Russell County.
Funeral services for Bill and Delores Rabas are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 221 N. Maple, Russell. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
The Rabas’ daughter, Sarah Martin, 31, Claflin, was injured in the traffic accident.
The “Rabas Family Care Fund” has been established to help with expenses.
Contributions can be made at at Southwind Bank, 436 N. Main, Russell, or mailed to P.O. Box 443, Russell, KS, 67665. Southwind can be reached at (785) 483-2300.
WAKEENEY — Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital has scheduled a job fair this week.
The event is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the hospital conference room. Dinner will be served as hospital administrators explain career opportunities, schedules and benefits.
Neva Flax, executive assistant, said the hospital, 320 N. 13th, employs approximately 200 workers, and there are about 22 positions available.
“We’re trying to do something new and different to attract some new candidates,” Flax said.
The job openings range from lab technicians to laundry, occupational therapy to nursing.
While most of the positions are full-time, Monday through Friday, Flax said the nursing positions are a mix of full- and part-time, as well as on-call schedules.
Fort Hays State University organizations will offer a pair of events designed to raise awareness and food supplies.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, the Women’s Leadership Project and the Kelly Center will sponsor RAINN Day at the Memorial Union.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) is an organization committed to spreading awareness about these issues. RAINN Day encourages students to take a stand against these crimes and serves as preparation for the Red Flag Campaign during October.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A student seeking records about the financial relationship between the University of Kansas and the Koch brothers has raised the $1,800 the school required to fulfill her request.
Schuyler Kraus, president of the Students for a Sustainable Future, filed the Kansas open records request last month. She wants to know about the financial relationship between Art Hall, the executive director of the university’s Center for Applied Economics, and billionaires Charles and David Koch.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the university told Kraus it would cost $1,800 to provide the information because the request covered more than 10 years and would require the work of several offices.
The American Association of University Professors donated $1,000 to Kraus and other donations helped her raise the rest of the money.
Wildflowers in the Smoky Hill River Valley south of WaKeeney. Photo courtesy KDWPT
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
TOPEKA — The Smoky Valley Scenic Byway south of WaKeeney and the Post Rock Scenic Byway near Lucas are part of “Byways of Kansas,” a new travel guide from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Kansas boasts 11 scenic and historic byways – including two national scenic byways – that offer travelers the opportunity to get away from the more heavily-traveled highways and experience Kansas landscapes, history, attractions, culture, entertainment, and hospitality.
The 50-page guidebook features stunning color photography by Kansas photographers Harland Schuster and Doug Stremel. Each byway is described with engaging historical narrative, quick facts, must-see points of interest and amenities such as lodging, shopping and dining options. Stremel also shares his own behind-the-lens insights for each excursion.
Copies of the guide are available at no charge from KDWPT offices, visitors’ bureaus around the state, and many travel stops such as motels and restaurants. Copies can also be ordered online at www.TravelKS.com/ksbyways or by calling (800) 684-6966.
Perfect complements to “Byways of Kansas” are 11 new videos – one for each byway – that showcase the scenery, people, and history of the byways. The videos range from 3 to 4 minutes apiece and were professionally produced by Gizmo Pictures of Topeka. Dynamic, sweeping videography embellished with music and narration gives viewers a lively, entertaining glimpse into the beauty and attractions to be found along each byway. View the Kansas Byways videos at www.TravelKS.com/ksbyways.
The $200,000 video project was funded primarily by a $160,000 2009 National Scenic Byway grant. KDWPT and KDOT each contributed $20,000 toward the remaining expense.
Post rock fence in the Lucas area. Photo courtesy KDWPT
About Kansas Byways
Kansas has 11 byways, eight scenic, two of which are National Scenic Byways and three historic byways. Each is situated in a unique geographic area of the state. The two national scenic byways are Flint Hills National Scenic Byway and Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway. The state byways are Frontier Military Historic Byway, Glacial Hills Scenic Byway, Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway, Native Stone Scenic Byway, Post Rock Scenic Byway, Prairie Trail Scenic Byway, Route 66 Historic Byway, Smoky Valley Scenic Bywayand Western Vistas Historic Byway.
The Kansas Byways program is co-managed by KDOT and KDWPT.
PINE CITY, Minn. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say a Pine County man accused of skipping a custody hearing and taking his two minor children without permission has been arrested in Kansas.
