TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas officials question the value of data collected in annual reports meant to identify state buildings using excessive amounts of energy.
The Department of Administration presented such a report Tuesday to a joint legislative committee that oversees state construction projects. The report said 120 of the 328 buildings surveyed, or nearly 37 percent, had excessive energy use over the past five years.
But department officials cautioned that state agencies aren’t consistent in how they report the information and some appear to misunderstand what data is being requested. The officials also said some data is out of date.
The committee voted to recommend that legislators next year consider repealing the law requiring the reporting. But Democratic Sen. Marci Francisco of Lawrence said collecting such information is useful.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 70-year-old Missouri woman has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for defrauding a federal program designed to award contracts to businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.
U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says Mary Parker of Blue Springs, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, to one count of aiding and abetting wire fraud. She admitted helping her son, Warren Parker, and her son, Michael Parker, in making false claims for their company, Silver Star Construction of Blue Springs and Stilwell, Kansas.
Prosecutors say the company obtained more than $6.7 million in contracts from the Veterans Administration.
An investigation determined that Warren Parker never was classified as a service-disabled vet.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Efforts to reform the juvenile justice system in Kansas are gaining new momentum with the launch this week of a grassroots campaign.
Kansans United for Youth Justice on Tuesday released a report outlining problems and proposing reforms. Kansas ranks eighth in the nation for its overuse for the confinement of youth even though the juvenile crime rate is lower than the national average.
A series of community meetings are planned across the state beginning Tuesday in Overland Park. Similar events are planned in the coming days in Ottawa, Kansas City, Wichita and Garden City.
The effort aims to end the practice of sending low and moderate risk youths to prison or out-of-home placements. It wants to shift funding away from incarceration and to local intensive rehabilitation programs.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State officials say a new power plant for the Kansas Statehouse and nearby office buildings will cost $3.3 million more than previously expected.
The disclosure Tuesday to a legislative committee prompted Republican Rep. Mark Hutton of Wichita to ask Department of Administration officials to re-examine their plans for the new plant.
Department official Mark McGivern said the previous estimate was $13 million and is now $16.3 million.
The department plans to build the new plant on the site of a parking lot north of the Statehouse. The existing plant is at the Docking State Office Building west of the Statehouse.
The department plans to demolish the Docking building after building the new plant.
McGivern said savings on demolition costs would offset part of the extra costs from the new plant.
CIMARRON -A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. on Tuesday in Gray County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 International Semi driven by Charles R. Rainey, Jr., 48, Park City, was eastbound on U.S. 50 five miles west of Cimarron.
The driver lost control in high winds and the vehicle rolled.
Rainey was transported to Western Plains Medical Center in Dodge City.
He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
DETROIT (AP) — Elaborate new transmissions are helping automakers meet rising fuel economy standards, but they’re also requiring more trips to the repair shop.
Transmission problems tripped up Honda, Nissan, Jeep and other brands in Consumer Reports’ annual reliability survey.
Lexus and Toyota — which rely on older transmissions in many of their models — were the best-performing brands. Audi, Mazda and Subaru rounded out the top five. The worst performers out of 28 brands were Infiniti, Cadillac, Ram, Jeep and Fiat.
The survey predicts the reliability of 2016 cars and trucks based on a survey of its subscribers. This year’s survey was based on responses from owners of 740,000 vehicles.
Consumer Reports’ annual survey is closely watched by the auto industry, since many potential buyers follow its recommendations.
GREAT BEND – Barton Community College will offer free citizenship classes starting next month, according to a school media release.
10 a.m. – noon and 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting on Tuesday, Nov. 3
The 10-week program begins Tuesday November 3 and is scheduled for 10 a.m. – noon and 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday at the Center for Adult Education, 1025 Main St. in Great Bend.
The class will provide all the necessary information and practice for passing the citizenship test and interview.
There is no cost for the class, but there is a $20 textbook fee. In addition to the coursework, prospective citizens must file the N-400 form with the United Citizenship and Immigration Services Department. The class includes assistance with the form. To aid Spanish speakers, the sessions of this class will be translated into Spanish.
“The course is designed to assist permanent residents of any nationality who want to obtain their U.S. citizenship through naturalization or are just interested in learning about the United States, geography and civics,” said instructor Doris Reile.
She also said taking these courses will help improve English-speaking skills.
For more information contact Reile at (620) 791-7314.
A major provider of health insurance in Kansas is pulling out of the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Coventry Health & Life Insurance Co. and Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc. are withdrawing from the healthcare.gov marketplace just two weeks before the Nov. 1 start of the next open enrollment period.
Two companies under the same corporate umbrella — Coventry Health & Life Insurance Co. and Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc. — are withdrawing from the marketplace just two weeks before the Nov. 1 start of the next open enrollment period.
Rohan Hutchings, a Coventry spokesperson, said company officials made the decision after reviewing a range of business factors, including the company’s competitive position in the 17 states in which it offers marketplace plans.
“Once we conducted that review, we reluctantly came to the decision that we could no longer meet the needs of our individual on-exchange members in Kansas,” Hutchings said.
Hutchings said Kansas policyholders would be covered through the end of the year. When asked how many marketplace policyholders the company had in Kansas, Hutchings said he would have to check.
The open enrollment runs from November of this year through Jan. 31, 2016, although Dec. 15 is the last day to enroll for coverage starting Jan. 1.
Coventry didn’t inform Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer of its decision until a few days ago, said Clark Shultz, the department’s director of government affairs.
“We are so close to open enrollment, this is very last minute,” Shultz said. “It has really taken us by surprise.”
Shultz said that Selzer plans to meet with Coventry officials this week to gain a better understanding of their reasons for withdrawing.
“We really don’t have a good handle on them yet,” he said. “They’ve just said it was for a combination of reasons.”
In August, Selzer reduced rate increases requested by Coventry and the other companies participating in the marketplace. Coventry sought increases of 20 percent to 35 percent, depending on the plan.
A media release issued by the department didn’t specify how Selzer dealt with Coventry’s requests but said overall that he had reduced the proposed increases by an average of 9.4 percent to 25.4 percent.
Hutchings didn’t answer directly when asked if the reductions played a role in the company’s decision. He simply reiterated that it was based on multiple factors, including “market conditions and the competitive landscape.”
The two Coventry companies were among six insurers set to offer plans in the Kansas marketplace. Those remaining are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, BlueCross and BlueShield Kansas Solutions Inc., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and United Healthcare of the Midwest Inc.
Jim McLean is executive editor of KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.
A map from the Center for Immigration Studies shows sanctuary cities in Kansas and all over the country. (Photo: Center for Immigration Studies)
MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have blocked legislation to crack down on “sanctuary cities” that shield residents from federal immigration authorities.
The 54-45 vote on the measure fell shy of the 60 required to move to final vote on the bill, which Republicans have pushed since the July 1 shooting of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco. The man charged in the killing was in the country illegally despite a long criminal record and multiple prior deportations.
U.S. Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) voted to block federal funding from going to so-called “sanctuary cities” that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The bill by Louisiana Sen. David Vitter would punish jurisdictions that prohibit the collection of immigration information or don’t cooperate with federal requests, blocking them from receiving certain grants and funds.
Angry Democrats accused Republicans of aligning themselves with Donald Trump and his anti-immigrant views. The White House threatened to veto the bill. Across the U.S., there are 340 cities, counties, and states that are considered sanctuary cities.
MANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating an alleged rape that occurred on Friday near the KSU campus.
Police reported the crime took place at a party in a house with college students in attendance and involved a 19-year-old woman and a suspect who is unknown at the time of this report.
The suspect met the victim while at the party and is reported to have had inappropriate and unwanted sexual relations with her, according to Riley County Police.
Those with information about the crime are encouraged to contact the Riley County Police Department or Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers.
Anonymous tips can also be sent through the Silent Witness website at www.ksu.edu/police/silent. Tips also can be sent through the LiveSafe smartphone app, which is free and available to all smartphone users through their phone’s app store.
Photo by Ashley Booker -Shawn Sullivan, Gov. Brownback’s budget director
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Records show the Kansas budget director had access to his state email during a holiday last year when he also sent a policy document on a personal email account.
The Wichita Eagle reports records show Budget Director Shawn Sullivan had access to his state email around Christmas 2014 when he used his private account to email a draft of the governor’s budget and tax plan to two lobbyists.
When Sullivan was asked earlier why he used private email for that purpose, he said it was because he was home.
Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley responded for Sullivan, saying Sullivan used a private email to send the budget information because his work phone didn’t support more involved emails, and that Sullivan now uses a work laptop for sending such out-of-office messages.
