JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Legislation that could thwart a large wind-energy power line has hit a roadblock in the Missouri Senate.

Senators were unable to come to a vote late Wednesday on a bill prohibiting the use of eminent domain to acquire easement rights for the Grain Belt Express power line. Democratic senators who support the project slowed debate on the bill.

The high-voltage power line is to carry wind energy from Kansas across Missouri and Illinois before hooking into a power grid in Indiana that serves eastern states.

Missouri utility regulators granted approval earlier this year, which could let developers pursue condemnation if landowners won’t sell easements.

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and asking the public for help to locate suspects.

During the overnight hours Thursday criminals burglarized 15-20 vehicles in the SE area of Shawnee County, according to Shawnee County Sheriff’s Capt. Danny Lotridge.

This area ranges from Croco Road to Paulen Road; 21^st Street to 37^th Street.  Many of the vehicles were left unlocked; however the criminals also broke out several car windows and stole items inside.

Just after 3:15a.m., a victim who lives in the 4500 block of SE 25^th woke up and found two suspects burglarizing a vehicle in his driveway.

The victim armed himself with a shotgun and confronted the suspects.  The suspects ran from the residence, firing at least four shots at the victim that struck the victim’s vehicle and house.  The victim returned fire at the suspects.  Nobody was shot in the exchange of gunfire, according to Lotridge.

Deputies responded to the scene of the shooting and collected evidence and canvassed the area.  Witnesses reported seeing a newer, white minivan (unknown make/model), with a broke out rear window, leave the area following the shooting.

Anyone with information about this vehicle or the suspects are asked to call the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 251-2200.  Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007.

 

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office encourages citizens to call to report any suspicious activity.

 

By JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Supreme Court that has repeatedly forced state legislators to increase spending on public schools directed tough questions Thursday to an attorney attacking a new funding law as inadequate, with one justice wondering when the protracted legal battle would be “crossing the finish line.”

The court had pointed questions for both the state’s attorney and a lawyer for four school districts suing the state as the justices reviewed the new law, which increases education funding by roughly $90 million a year. But in hearings over the past six years, the justices have directed their toughest questions at the state’s lawyer.

The tone Thursday was different enough that the state’s Republican attorney general was encouraged after watching the arguments.

Comments from two justices who have pushed lawmakers to boost spending suggested that they want to find a way to end the lawsuit and remove the high court from annual school funding debates. The four districts sued the state in 2010, and the court has promised its next ruling before July.

Chief Justice Lawton Nuss pointed to criticism that the court has acted as a “super-Legislature.”

Justice Eric Rosen noted that for most of his 14 years on the court, the state has been in litigation over whether it is spending enough money on schools and distributing it fairly enough to satisfy the Kansas Constitution.

“Is there ever crossing the finish line in these types of cases?” Rosen asked Alan Rupe, the attorney for the school districts. “… Is this just indefinite?”

When Rupe answered, “I don’t think so,” Rosen shot back, “Well, tell me why … Where does this ever end?”

The new school funding law contains Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan for addressing a Supreme Court order last year that said education funding still wasn’t sufficient to finance a suitable education for every child, as the state constitution requires. The measure passed the Republican-led Legislature with bipartisan support and was based on recommendations from the GOP-controlled State Board of Education.

State officials hoped the broad support for the new law would persuade the Supreme Court to accept it. State Solicitor General Toby Crouse even suggested that the justices should dismiss the lawsuit.

That led to the sharpest exchange between Crouse and the court, with Justice Dan Biles, a former state school board attorney. The four districts sued after the state backtracked on past funding promises following the Great Recession. Biles said the Legislature “reneged.”

He told Crouse: “I’ve got to tell you, I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the idea of dismissing this lawsuit.”

The Supreme Court has issued six rulings directing lawmakers to increase the state’s spending on public schools in a little more than five years, so that aid to public schools tops $4 billion a year — about $1 billion more than it did for the 2013-14 school year. The court said in its order last year that a 2018 law promising additional funding increases into the future wasn’t sufficient because it hadn’t accounted for inflation.

The four school districts argue that the state botched what was a straightforward math problem of accounting for inflation. They contend it requires increasingly larger amounts of money each year through the 2022-23 school year. Under their calculations, the increase for that year would be about $360 million instead of the roughly $90 million under Kelly’s proposal.

“They’re not reaching the target,” Rupe said.

Four justices repeatedly questioned Crouse about the state’s math, and he repeatedly said officials were following the court’s guidance in its opinion last year. But in questioning Rupe, Rosen suggested that the school districts had adopted a standard of “you know it when you see it” to determine whether funding is adequate.

“I was encouraged by the tone of the court’s interaction with counsel, especially the plaintiffs’ (school districts”) counsel, in this case,” said state Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

___

Update 4:15p.m.

MANHATTAN — The Kansas State University Police and Riley County Police Department continue their investigation of shots that were fired around 11 a.m. Thursday at the KSU Foundation Building at Kimball and Denison avenues. There were no injuries and there is no ongoing threat.

According to K-State Police, the situation involved a dispute between individuals that appears to be unrelated to the Manhattan campus. The original contact between them occurred on the east side of Manhattan off campus and continued to the parking lot north of the KSU Foundation Building, where shots were fired. After the shooting, the victim, who is not a student, drove to Riley County Police Department to report the incident.

———–

Update 1:15p.m.

MANHATTAN —Kansas State University officials have confirmed that shots were fired at a parking lot on campus but that no injuries have been reported and there is “no ongoing threat.”

University spokesman Jeff Morris says the shots were fired around 11 a.m. Thursday in a parking lot north of the Foundation Building, where fundraising efforts are organized. No vehicle damage was reported.

Morris says officers rushed over from the nearby university police station and locked down the building while they investigated. The university initially ordered people in the area to shelter in place.

Morris says authorities haven’t made any arrests and are interviewing witnesses. He said he had no other details about the shooting.

———–

MANHATTAN —Authorities are investigating a report of possible shots fired at the Foundation Building at Kimball and Dennison in Manhattan, according to a campus alert.

The original alert asked employees to shelter in place.

A short time later, the K-State Police Department reported the Scene was safe and there were no injuries.

They did ask the public to avoid the area to allow officers to investigate the incident.

Just after noon, the foundation staff was allowed resume normal work, according to an updated campus alert.

Just after 12:30p.m., police reported they had cleared the scene, completed a preliminary investigation of the incident and released the scene for normal activity, according to the police twitter account.

Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

————

MANHATTAN —Authorities are investigating a report of possible shots fired at the Foundation Building at Kimball and Dennison in Manhattan, according to a campus alert.

The Scene is safe. No injuries are reported. Authorities asked that the public avoid the area to allow officers to investigate the incident.

Foundation staff are being allowed resume normal work, according to a campus alert.

Authorities released no additional detail late morning Thursday.

Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.