The Band Perry will play two concerts for winning high schools in the State Farm-funded Celebrate My Drive campaign, which aims to promote safe driving among teens. High schools can register to win not only a concert, but one of 90 $25,000 grants and one of 10 $100,000 grants. More info here.
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Kansas Attorney General
TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt today formally appealed the Kansas Supreme Court’s decisions that vacated the death sentences of Reginald Carr, Jonathan Carr and Sidney Gleason.
On July 18, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld the capital murder conviction of Sidney Gleason but vacated Gleason’s death sentence. One week later, on July 25, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld a single capital murder conviction each for Reginald and Jonathan Carr but similarly vacated both of their death sentences. Gleason’s conviction arose out of Barton County and both Carr convictions arose out of Sedgwick County.
Schmidt announced in August his intention to appeal the Kansas Supreme Court’s decisions, and today he formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the cases. A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court whether to hear the state’s appeal in any or all of these three cases is expected before the end of the Court’s current term in June 2015.
Mike Cooper visits with Brad Dawson of Fort Hays State University about the upcoming Annual Fall Jazz Concert.
Mike Cooper visits with Shelby Schumacher and Molly Johnson on their awards at the National Baton Twirling Championship and Competition in South Bend, Indiana.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is authorizing the Pentagon to call up reserve and National Guard troops if they are needed to assist in the U.S. response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
The U.S. has already committed to sending up to 4,000 military personnel to West Africa to provide logistics and help build treatment units to confront the rapidly spreading and deadly virus.
Obama signed an executive order Thursday that permits the Pentagon to use the reservists and Guard troops.
Obama also notified top congressional officials of his move.
Nearly 4,500 people have died from the Ebola outbreak, most of them in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The White House has said the troops will not be providing direct health care aid.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Jason Aldean has another number-one album. “Old Boots, New Dirt” sold 278,000 copies its first week out. It debuts on top of the Billboard 200 album chart. His last album, “Night Train,” also debuted at number one in 2012.
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LEON, Kan- Three people were injured in an accident just before 11:30 a.m. on Thursday in Butler County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Kia Optima driven by Brad Jeffrey Neyland, 38, Independence, was eastbound on U.S. 400 just east of Blue Stem.
The vehicle drove out of its lane for and struck a westbound semi driven by Adrian Romo-Diaz, 25, Wichita.
Neyland and a passenger Julie Neyland, 38, Independence, were transported to Susan B. Allen Hospital. Romo-Diaz was transported to Wesley Medical Center.
The KHP reported they were properly restrained at the time of the accident.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Democratic Party has fired its communications director over an online posting mocking three towns in the state’s southeast corner in crude language.
Party Executive Director Jason Perkey announced the dismissal of spokesman Dakota Loomis on Thursday.
Loomis posted a comment last week about the towns of Cherryvale, Columbus and Galena on a site dedicated to University of Kansas basketball. The since-deleted statement called them leading contenders for “most craphole small towns” in the state.
Perkey called the comment reprehensible. He said he and State Democratic Chairwoman Joan Wagnon will travel Monday to southeast Kansas to offer personal apologies.
Loomis issued a statement apologizing and saying people should not hold his comment against Kansas Democrats.
Several Republican state senators from the area had called upon Democrats to fire Loomis.
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Democratic Party has suspended its communications director over an online posting deriding three towns in the state’s southeast corner in crude language.
State Democratic Chairman Joan Wagnon said Wednesday that party spokesman Dakota Loomis was suspended without pay until Monday, when she will re-evaluate his status.
Republican state Sens. Jeff King of Independence and Jake LaTurner of Pittsburg said Loomis should be fired over his posting about Cherryvale, Columbus and Galena. The since-deleted comment called them leading contenders for “most craphole small towns in Kansas.”
The Pittsburg Morning Sun reported that Loomis posted the comment on a site dedicated to University of Kansas basketball.
Loomis did not immediately return a cell phone message seeking comment. Wagnon and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paul Davis called the comment inappropriate.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Police in Wichita are investigating the deaths of husband and wife as a double homicide.
The Wichita Eagle reports the couple were found in a bedroom of their home around 11 a.m. Thursday with apparent stab wounds. Police Capt. Jose Salcido said officers had been summoned by a possible witness who couldn’t get the couple to wake up.
The couple’s names and other details were not immediately released, although they were described as being about 60 years old and longtime owners of the home. Police said there were no signs of a break-in.
Authorities were looking for the couple’s missing SUV, described as a metallic gray 2005 Kia Sorento.
Police said other people sometimes lived at the home, including young children.
ABILENE- Two suspects were arrested following a high-speed chase Thursday morning on Interstate 70 in Dickinson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported an officer attempted to pull over a vehicle for a traffic violation just before 10 a.m. at Niles Road in Saline County.
The vehicle refused to stop. Officers deployed stop sticks and stopped the vehicle just east of the Russell Stover-Fair Road exit in Dickinson County.
Marisa Gross, 24, Kansas City, Mo., and Moses French, 29, Denver, Co., were taken into custody. Officers say they face numerous drug and other charges per the Saline County Attorney.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal jury has awarded nearly $1 million in wages and damages to a former McPherson police officer who was fired after being found asleep on duty.
Jurors found the city of McPherson discriminated against Matthew B. Michaels on account of a disability of sleep apnea.
A court judgment filed Wednesday orders the city to pay $921,657 — plus interest, court costs and attorney’s fees. That amount includes back and future wages as well as damages for pain and suffering.
Attorney Ray Simmons said in an email Thursday that Michaels is pleased to get a “name-clearing hearing” in federal court where a jury rendered a verdict in his favor.
McPherson City Attorney Jeff Houston said the city planned to ask the judge to overturn the verdict and, failing that, planned to appeal.
DP Management LLC, which operates the Hays Mall, on Thursday released additional details regarding its proposed commercial improvement district sales tax issue.
The CID issue, scheduled for a public hearing Oct. 23, requires approval from the Hays City Commission.
The CID would impose an additional 1 percent sales tax on sales generated at the mall, which would be used to fund more than $3 million in improvements.
In a press release, Omaha, Neb.-based DP Management said those improvements include interior flooring and lighting, parking lot upgrades, demolition of the former Montana Mike’s restaurant and bank drive-through, landscaping, facade improvements, and a new marquee.
The site layout plan also denotes a site for a potential hotel, three planned outlots for retail along Vine Street, and space for potential expansion of the mall structure to the north.
Click HERE to view the entire release from DP.
DP also pointed out it has invested more than $900,000 in maintenance to the building since taking ownership five years ago, including a new roof.
If the measure is approved by city commissioners, upgrades would begin before the end of the calendar year, although holiday shopping would not be affected.
New Fort Hays State University President Mirta Martin will receive an eastern Kansas welcome later this month.
A reception has been scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Discover Vision Centers in Leawood as Martin makes her first official appearance in the Greater Kansas City area.
Martin will be joined by her predecessor, Edward Hammond, as well as FHSU staff members, Deb Prideaux, Kent Steward and Melissa Dixon.
The hosts for the event are State Sen. Jim Denning and his wife, Marearl, both 1980 graduates of FHSU.
RSVPs are requested by Oct. 24. For more information, call (888) 351-3591.
