MANHATTAN — In order to show their appreciation, the Evolution Training Center is offering first responders and their families 2 different classes for free on Saturday, April 7th.

These classes are designed to be fun and engaging.  The kids class will focus on the use of Martial Arts to develop self-discipline and focus.

In the self-defense class we will give you practical hands on experience of how to better protect yourself and / or your loved ones.  Click on the link here for more info and to register!

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

Republicans in the Kansas House couldn’t win enough votes Monday to increase school funding by hundreds of millions of dollars. Conservatives in their own party thought it was too much money, Democrats said it was too little.

Lawmakers are struggling to find consensus on a school spending plan.
SCOTT CANON / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

House Majority Leader Don Hineman said legislative leaders would keep working toward a compromise and could come back with a fresh proposal on Tuesday.

“Hopefully we have a different outcome tomorrow,” he said late Monday, but added that the bill as written is “all we can afford at this point in time.”

Republican and Democratic legislators on both sides of the aisle have signaled they want to avoid a tax hike after passing a politically painful a $1.2 billion increase last year.

The bill that failed Monday by a 65-55 vote sought to end a school finance lawsuit by ratcheting up spending over the next five years. By the end of that period, annual school funding would be half a billion dollars higher than what was already budgeted for next school year.

Rep. Ed Trimmer tried but failed to tack on an extra $295 million to the ultimate annual increase to help schools deal with the effects of inflation. The Democrat said the bill, as it was designed, shortchanged schools on that front.

“I was trying to make it a true cost of living,” he said. “At least it was an improvement, getting us more on the right road.”

Democratic Minority Leader Jim Ward voted against the bill and said if Republicans want to bring in votes from his side of the aisle, they should consult with school districts suing the state about what would resolve the lawsuit.

The proposal to include more money to cover inflation appeared to take its cue from the districts pressing legal challenges on state funding. Their lawyers were listed on an informational sheet Democrats distributed during a caucus meeting earlier in the day.

An amendment from Republican Rep. Brenda Landwehr might have attracted more conservative votes, but at the cost of moderate ones.

Landwehr proposed allowing publicly funded vouchers for parents to send their children to private schools if the Kansas Supreme Court cuts off funding to public schools.

Rep. Chuck Weber, another Republican, said a policy like that could have won him over.

“We want to keep our kids going to school some place,” he said. “(Landwehr’s proposal) would have put pressure on the court to see how ludicrous it is to shut down our schools.”

The Kansas Supreme Court could block distribution of money to schools in the course of finding a funding law unconstitutional. The closest Kansas has come to that situation was in 2005.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans may pass their own plan out of committee on Tuesday. That bill is dwarfed by the House proposal that failed. It would add $50 to $60 million in funding for schools.

Sen. Molly Baumgardner, chair of the Senate school finance committee, said the idea is to address the court’s concerns by targeting extra money at early childhood education and other programs known to help students achieve.

Both the failed House bill and the Senate bill that could advance Tuesday propose funding increases that come on top of the $300 million approved by the Legislature last year. Most of that boost took effect this school year, and the final third will be phased in next school year.

The chairman of the House tax committee had said the House’s $500 million plan could be done without a tax hike. Yet a few months ago lawmakers balked at, and were even angered by, a similar proposal from then-Gov. Sam Brownback on his way out of office.

Meanwhile, a proposal to amend the state constitution to prevent schools from battling out funding levels in court will have a hearing Tuesday.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt urged the House Judiciary Committee to let Kansans weigh in by putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

After decades of sparing with the court over whether they’re providing “suitable” funding for public schools, Schmidt said, lawmakers appear as deeply divided as ever.

“I don’t think we’re closer to having a clear answer after a thousand plus pages (of studies and litigation) then we were when we started,” he told the committee.

The brand-new lobbying coalition behind the push announced their membersMonday. They include the Kansas Chamber, Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas Contractors Association and others.

Jim McLean of the Kansas News Service contributed to this story.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ. 
———–

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on Kansas legislators’ debate over increasing spending on public schools (all times local):

5 p.m.

FILE PHOTO / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

The Kansas House has rejected a proposal to phase in a $522 million increase in aid to the state’s public schools over five years.

The vote Monday was 65-55 against giving first-round approval to a bill that Republican leaders believed would meet a Kansas Supreme Court mandate to boost education funding. The court ruled in October that the state’s current spending of more than $4 billion a year is not sufficient under the state constitution.

Leaders of the House’s GOP majority immediately scheduled another debate on school funding for Tuesday.

Many Democrats did not think the spending increase was big enough, while some conservative Republicans wouldn’t support the increase in the bill.

GOP leaders said the measure was about as much as the state could afford without increasing taxes.

___

3:35 p.m.

Republican lawmakers in Kansas have blocked an attempt by Democrats to add more spending to a five-year education funding plan designed to satisfy a court mandate to boost state aid to public schools.

The House debated a bill Monday to phase in a $522 million increase in funding over five years. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in October that the state’s current aid of more than $4 billion a year is not adequate under the state constitution.

Democratic Rep. Ed Trimmer of Winfield proposed making the increase in aid $295 million higher so the state would phase in an increase of $817 million over five years.

The vote was 76-46 against his amendment. Republican leaders said the bill is as much as the state can afford without raising taxes.

Apple- photo from a July 2017 arrest in Johnson County for alleged battery

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

 SAMUEL WARD APPLE,  24, Overland Park, Probation Violation; Bond $6000

JONNATHAN RAYMUNDO SEGURA, 15, Manhattan, BATTERY; PHYSICAL CONTACT CRIMINAL DAMAGE PROPERTY; <$1000  No Bond

JASON LAMAR LEONARD, 42, Manhattan, Failure to Appear; Held without Bond

ANGELLA MICHELLE KILBOURN, 38, Rago, Probation violation; Held without Bond

Leonard has previous convictions for burglary, theft, forgery and aggravated escape from custody, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections

VIET XUAN HOANG, 58, Manhattan, Failure to Appear; Bond $1000

COURTNEY NICOLE NIGELS, 32, Manhattan, Failure to Appear; Bond $2000

ARAMIS ALBERT JOSEP PEREZ, 27, Manhattan, Failure to Appear; Bond $750

 

CITATION REPORT

ELEEN RODRIGUEZ, 21, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 100 BLK E POYNTZ AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE (19-192) ON MARCH 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1 AM.

BRUCE COUNCIL II, 22, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT CASEMENT RD & KNOX LN IN MANHATTAN FOR FTY RIGHT OF WAY STOP/YIELD (159) ON APRIL 1, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY10:50 PM.

CHRISTINE FIEF, 48, RILEY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 100 BLK E KANSAS AVE IN RILEY FOR MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS (08-1558) ON MARCH 29, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:45 PM.

BETHANY MADDOX, 18, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT N 4TH ST & BLUEMONT AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR VEHICLE TAGS-EXPIRE/ILLEGBLE (19-198) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:05 PM.

KENDALL TINDALL, 20, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT ANDERSON AVE & N 14TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR ALT/CANC/REV TAG/WRONG VEHCLE (19-198(B)) ON MARCH 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY10:32 PM.

DREW CONOVER, 39, FT RILEY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 3700 BLK N SETH CHILD RD IN MANHATTAN FOR MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS (08-1558) ON MARCH 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:10 PM.

DANIEL ISOM, 21, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT ANDERSON AVE & N 14TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR IMPROPER TURNING (9-49) ON MARCH 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 AM.

LI WANG, 24, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 300 BLK E POYNTZ AVE; ON FRONTAGE RD IN MANHATTAN FOR FTY RIGHT OF WAY STOP/YIELD (159) ON MARCH 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:51 PM.

DUSTIN RICE, 31, WESTMORELAND, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 800 BLK N 4TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE (19-192) , FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE IN POSSESSION (19-193) AND FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON APRIL 1, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY11:33 PM.

KAYLA VALCOURE, 21, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT CASEMENT RD & KNOX LN IN MANHATTAN FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:37 PM.

KAYLA VALCOURE, 21, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT CASEMENT RD & KNOX LN IN MANHATTAN FOR CELL PHONE-TEXTING VIOL (14-126.2) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:37 PM.

KAITLYN TAYLOR, 21, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT CASEMENT RD & KNOX LN IN MANHATTAN FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) , FOR VEHICLE TAGS-EXPIRE/ILLEGBLE (19-198) AND FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE (19-192) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:54 PM.

ANDREW HOLLINGSWORTH, 24, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 1100 BLK BLUEMONT AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR UNAUTHORIZED OPERATOR (19-196) ON MARCH 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2 AM.

MARIANA GUARDADO FLORES, 20, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 1100 BLK BLUEMONT AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE (19-192) AND FOR IMPROPER DRIVING ON LANED ROAD (8-46) ON MARCH 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2 AM.

JOHN PINEIRO, 24, FT RILEY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 7400 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN FT RILEY FOR SPEED IN LOCAL POSTED ZONE (08-1560) AND FOR VEHICLES;UNLAWFUL ACTS;REGISTRATION (08-0142) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:29 PM.

MICHAEL SWIFT PLASCHKA, 22, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT MORO ST & N MANHATTAN AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR ADULT SEAT BELT (17-182.1) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:45 PM.

MALEY SHERMAN, 22, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT MORO ST & N MANHATTAN AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR ADULT SEAT BELT (17-182.1) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:45 PM.

KIM YOXALL, 61,  WAMEGO, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT COLLEGE HEIGHTS RD & COLLEGE AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR FTY RIGHT OF WAY STOP/YIELD (159) ON APRIL 1, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:13 PM.

STEPHEN HARRIS, 76, WILLIAMSBURG, VA WAS CITED WHILE AT COLLEGE HEIGHTS RD & COLLEGE AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR FTY RIGHT OF WAY STOP/YIELD (159) ON APRIL 1, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:18 PM.

RUSSELL DANIELS, 23, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 2800 ANDERSON AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:46 AM.

NICHOLAS EASTER, 74,  WICHITA, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 3000 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:40 PM.

LIANG GUO, 47,  MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 3000 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:06 PM.

LAWRENCE EBERT, 53, JACKSONVILLE, FL WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 3000 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON MARCH 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:54 PM.

DANIEL ROBERTSON, 20, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT CLAFLIN RD & SUNSET AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON APRIL 1, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:21 AM.

BRANDON FASNACHT, 24, FT RILEY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 600 BLK E MARLATT AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR EMERGING FROM ALLEY OR PRIVATE DRIVE (12-80) ON MARCH 31, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY10:30 PM.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Colorado man pleaded guilty Monday to robbing a bank in Manhattan, Kan., according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Fisher, Jr. -photo Fountain Valley Police

Kenneth Wayne Fisher, Jr., 42, formerly of Colorado Springs, Colo., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Fisher admitted that on Aug. 26, 2015, he robbed Sunflower State Bank at 2710 Anderson Ave. in Manhattan. He gave a teller a note saying, “Give me the money and no tricks.”

A few months after the Manhattan robbery, Fisher was arrested in California. He was extradited to Arkansas to face charges of robbing a bank in Bentonville, Ark., on Aug. 28, 2015. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than eight years for the Arkansas robbery.

  Sentencing in this case is set for July 9. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. McAllister commended the Riley County Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas have advanced two rival plans that increase funding for public schools in hopes of satisfying a state Supreme Court mandate.

The House approved a bill Tuesday that would phase in a roughly $520 million increase in education funding over five years. The 71-53 vote sent it to the Senate.

But a special GOP-controlled Senate committee on school finance approved its own bill Tuesday. It would phase in an increase of $274 million over five years while targeting much of the new money to early childhood education. A Senate debate is next.

Many Democrats question whether either plan would satisfy the Supreme Court.

The court ruled in October that the state’s current spending of more than $4 billion a year is not sufficient under the state constitution.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State junior guard Amaad Wainright is suspended from the Wildcats basketball team after being charged when someone allegedly fired shots from his car in January.

Wainright -photo Johnson Co.

The U.S. Marshals Service says Wainright was arrested Tuesday in Kansas City. He is charged with obstruction, and fleeing and eluding.

The charges stem from an incident Jan. 17 in Overland Park, Kansas. Police said a passenger in Wainright’s car fired a handgun into another car in a possible road rage incident. No one was injured and no one was arrested at the time.

Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor says Wainright has been suspended indefinitely. His status will be re-evaluated after the investigation is complete.

Wainright a junior guard, didn’t respond to an email to his student account Tuesday.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two top Republicans issued an ultimatum Tuesday that Kansas legislators act to curb the power of judges before they will allow them to vote on increasing public school funding to satisfy a demand from the state Supreme Court.

A packed court room listens to school funding arguments in Sept. of 2016

The declaration brought action on education funding to a halt after significant progress had been made.

The House had passed a bill, 71-53, that would phase in roughly a $520 million increase in education funding over five years. Meanwhile, a Senate committee on school finance approved a bill that would phase in a $274 million increase over five years. A debate by the full Senate on at least one of the bills was scheduled to be next

But Senate President Susan Wagle, of Wichita, and Majority Leader Jim Denning, of Overland Park, both GOP conservatives, said they won’t schedule any debate until lawmakers put a proposed constitutional amendment dealing with the courts on the ballot for a statewide vote. A House committee is reviewing such a measure, to strip state courts of the power to declare the state’s total spending on public schools insufficient.

Wagle and Denning said the state cannot afford the House’s school funding plan without a tax increase within two years. They questioned whether the Supreme Court would accept the Senate committee’s plan — undercutting GOP lawmakers who pushed it — and said the legal battles forcing lawmakers to consider higher spending must end.

“We have been put in a situation where we just have to stop the train,” Wagle told reporters. “We’ve been pushed into a corner.”

Denning said: “The madness has to stop.”

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in October that the state’s current spending on public schools of more than $4 billion a year still isn’t sufficient under the state constitution, even with increases approved last year. The court says the constitution requires legislators to finance a suitable education for every child.

Kansas has been and out of education funding lawsuits for several decades, and the last one was filed in 2010 by four local school districts. The Supreme Court has issued multiple rulings forcing lawmakers to increase their spending, and GOP conservatives have sought regularly to amend the state constitution, without success. An effort by conservatives to oust four of the seven justices in the 2016 elections also failed.

Both houses must pass a constitutional amendment by two-thirds majorities to put it on the ballot. Republicans have the necessary supermajorities in both chambers, but GOP conservatives and moderates are split over an education funding amendment. Democrats strongly opposed such measures, seeing them as an attack on both the courts and public schools.

Top Democrats said it’s irresponsible for Wagle and Denning to block school funding legislation over a constitutional amendment that’s not likely to pass. The court gave the state until April 30 to report on how lawmakers fixed the problems it has identified with school funding.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, said the two Republicans were having a “temper tantrum” and acting like “school-yard bullies.”

“That sounds child-like, you know, ‘I’m going to pick up my ball and go home,'” said House Minority Leader Jim Ward, a Wichita Democrat. “You don’t get to do that when you’re under a court order.”

The House Judiciary Committee had a hearing Tuesday on a proposed constitutional amendment and was expected to vote on it Wednesday.

A coalition of business groups is backing the measure. Supporters argued that checking the courts’ power over school funding will protect spending elsewhere in state government and lessen the pressure for tax increases.

And at least a few Republicans voted for the House’s education funding plan primarily because, as conservative GOP Rep. Kyle Hoffman, of Coldwater, said, “We have a coalition willing to look at a constitutional amendment.”

In the House, Majority Leader Don Hineman, a moderate Dighton Republican, shrugged off Senate GOP leaders’ ultimatum.

“We have to work this out,” Hineman said. “We have an April 30 deadline to answer the court, and my expectation is that we will.”

Lesher has four previous convictions for drugs, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Zhang-photo USDA

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Chinese national who lived in Manhattan, Kansas, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiring to steal proprietary rice seeds developed in the U.S. and giving them to visitors from China.

Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that 51-year-old Weiqiang Zhang was sentenced for two counts of conspiracy and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. He was convicted in February 2017.

Zhang was a rice breeder for Ventria Bioscience in Junction City, Kansas, which developed genetically engineered rice for therapeutic and medical fields.

Prosecutors said Zhang stored hundreds of seeds from Ventria at his home. In 2013, Zhang toured facilities in the Midwest with officials from a crop research institute in China. Federal officials found Ventria seeds in the visitors’ luggage as they prepared to return to China.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer signed a bill granting National Guard members free, full college tuition in response to a dwindling number of recruits.

The new law will take effect in July after Colyer signed it Wednesday, but legislators still need to allocate funding for the program.

Bill author and Republican Rep. Diana Dierks of Salina said the Guard has shrunk by 16 percent over the last 10 years.

She said offering to cover the entire tuition expense may increase the appeal of joining the branch and bolster recruitment. The Guard previously would cover only a portion of tuition costs.

Dierks in the Army, Air Force and other branches of the military, it is known that the Kansas National Guard has had more difficulty recruiting.

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

BRADY RUGAN, 20, Manhattan, INTERFERE LEO;OBSTR/RESIST/OPPOSE MIS WARRAN1T LIQUOR;PURCH/CONSUMP 18-20YRS – 1ST CONV 1 DISPLAY FAKE/REVOKED/SUSPENDED DL; Bond $1300

Stepney has a conviction for the Kansas Offender Registration Act, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

DAVID LANDON SHEPHERD, 19, Manhattan, DUI; 1ST CONV; COMPETENT EVIDENCE OF BLOOD/; Bond $750

JONATHAN EVERETT GRAHAM, 37, Salina, CRIMINAL THREAT; CAUSE TERRORPHONE HARASSMENT;CALL TO ABUSE/HARASS; Bond $3000

JOSEPH JAMES STEPNEY, 39, Manhattan, Failure to Appear, Exceptionally Cleared

CHANDLER WAYNE LADNER, 22, Holton, Failure to Appear, Jackson County Sheriff

CITATION REPORT

ISAIAH HARRIS, 20, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2100 BLK BROWNING AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:35 PM.

CENON GALUPAR, 24, JUNCTION CITY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2800 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY10:01 PM.

DYLAN STOCKMAN, 20, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2800 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY10:49 AM.

VIVICA RAMIREZ, 19, FT RILEY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2900 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY11:16 PM.

JESSICA DAVIS, 27, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 1400 BLK ANDERSON AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE IN POSSESSION (19-193) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:29 PM.

JESSICA DAVIS, 27, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 1400 BLK ANDERSON AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:29 PM.

ZAVIER HOBSON II, 22, JUNCTION CITY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 700 BLK N 12TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR VEHICLE TAGS-EXPIRE/ILLEGBLE (19-198) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:06 PM.

KIAN NGUYEN, 22, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2300 BLK TUTTLE CREEK BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE IN POSSESSION (19-193) AND FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON APRIL 4, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY12:57 AM.

SAVANNAH SCHOLL, 23, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 300 BLK N 4TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY (8-47) ON APRIL 2, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:42 PM.

JASON BECK JR, 29, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT LARAMIE ST & N 8TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR FTY RIGHT OF WAY STOP/YIELD (159) ON APRIL 2, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:55 AM.

REBECCA FITZGERALD, 29, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2900 BLK KIMBALL AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY12:44 PM.

SHELBY HERNDON, 24, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT CLAFLIN RD & N SETH CHILD RD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:07 PM.

ANDREA MEYER, 39, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2900 BLK KIMBALL AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:26 PM.

LISA HAMER, 33, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2800 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:35 PM.

MARK NEWCOMER, 24, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2800 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 2, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:55 PM.

Manhattan, Kan. – The Flint Hills Discovery Center (FHDC) will host its Annual Membership Drive from April 2-May 31, 2018.

An annual membership is equated to the price of three regular admissions.  Membership allows visitors unlimited access for a year to the Discovery Center’s traveling exhibits, immersive theater, prairie playscape and permanent exhibits.

Members of the FHDC also receive the following benefits:

• One year of unlimited access to the FHDC & admission to select events
• Program & event discounts
• Invites to Members-Only Events
• ASTC Travel Passport Program–visit participating museums and institutions for a discounted or free admission to places like Science City at Union Station, the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, and hundreds more.
• 10% discount on Gift Store items
• Monthly Discoveries E-Newsletter

All members—whether new or those who renew—during the drive will be entered for a chance to win a Flint Hills Gift Basket.

To learn more about membership at the Flint Hills Discovery Center, visit www.flinthillsdiscovery.org/membership, call 785-587-2726 or visit 315 S. 3rd St. in Manhattan.

Thursday night Increasing clouds, with a low around 35. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Friday A chance of rain and snow before 1pm, then snow likely. Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 27 by 5pm. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Warm today…Enjoy! Cold Weekend…Snow with 1-3 inches Friday. Lesser amounts Sunday. #kswx pic.twitter.com/zUHZwGyugP

— NWS Topeka (@NWSTopeka) April 5, 2018

Friday Night A 30 percent chance of snow before 1am. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 12. North wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

SaturdaySunny, with a high near 36. North wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Saturday Night A 30 percent chance of snow after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.

Sunday A chance of snow and freezing rain before 10am, then a chance of rain and snow between 10am and 11am, then a chance of rain after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

TOPEKA— One person was injured in an accident Wednesday in Shawnee County,

The accident scene in Topeka-photo courtesy WIBW TV

Just before 9:30p.m., first responders were dispatched to the 5300 Block of S. Topeka Boulevard in reference to a vehicle, pedestrian accident, according to Sheriff Herman Jones.

MANHATTAN- Fire crews responded to a fire in an apartment complex at  704 Dondee Drive Thursday night in Manhattan.

Photo courtesy Manhattan fire department

Crews quickly extinguished the kitchen fire, according to a media release.  One person was treated at the scene for a minor injury, according to the fire department. The Red Cross is assisting one resident displaced due to the fire.

The fire caused an estimated $20,000 damage and was caused due to unattended cooking, according to the media release.

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

JONAH STONE WEBBER, 21, Manhattan, DUI; 1ST CONV; COMPETENT EVIDENCE OF BLOOD/;Bond $750

Hill has three previous convictions for Aggravated Assault, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections

AARON LEE LEWIS, 23, Manhattan, Probation Violation; $348

JAYCE ADAM SCHOMAKER, 21, Wamego, DRIVING WHILE SUSPENDED; 3RD OR + DRIVING WHILE HABITUAL VIOLATOR; Bond $4000

RICK JAMES HILL, 33, Junction City, Probation Violation; Bond $2500

KENNETH MICHAEL LEWIS, Pea Ridge, AR., DRIVING WHILE SUSPENDED; 1ST CONVICTION; Bond $500

CITATION REPORT

MORGAN FABRE, 19, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT LEAVENWORTH ST & TUTTLE CREEK BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR DRIVE IN VIOLATION OF RESTRICTIONS (19-195) AND FOR NO DRIVERS LICENSE (19-192) ON MARCH 26, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 3 PM.

NEIL TRAINOR, 21, FT RILEY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2900 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 4, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY10:22 PM.

BRAYDEN STRINE, 22, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 800 BLK N 9TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) AND FOR TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS (7-32) ON APRIL 2, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY12:20 PM.

GREYSON WOOD, 21, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 200 BLK LEAVENWORTH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY (8-47) ON MARCH 26, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:01 PM.

ALISON ROGERS, 39, AUBURN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT PIERRE ST & S 4TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR CELL PHONE-TEXTING VIOL (14-126.2) ON APRIL 4, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 AM.

ERICA BUCHANAN, 28, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 1200 BLK BLUEMONT AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR VEHICLE TAGS-EXPIRE/ILLEGBLE (19-198) AND FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON APRIL 4, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:20 PM.

ISAAC FERGUSON, 18, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 700 BLK BLUEMONT AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON APRIL 4, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:53 AM.

MITCHELL MASILIONIS, 20, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 1127 MORO ST; TUBBYS BAR AND GRILL IN MANHATTAN FOR POSSESSION OR CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL BY MINOR (4-3(B)) ON APRIL 5, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY12:16 AM.

STAN WRIGHT, 20, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT N 17TH ST & FAIRCHILD AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR IMPROPER BACKING (14-117) ON APRIL 2, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:50 PM.

BRADLEY SMITH, 43, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 2517 BROOK LN IN MANHATTAN FOR DISCHARGE OF WEAPON/CITY LIMIT (22-67) ON APRIL 4, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY10:47 AM.

K-Statesports.com

MANHATTAN, Kan. – As part of its commitment to enhancing the experience of all K-State students, K-State Athletics, in conjunction with the Student Governing Association, has announced that it will end its annual receipt of student privilege fees beginning in 2018-19, one year earlier than originally scheduled.

The legislation, which was recently approved by student senate, immediately reduces to zero allocations to Athletics from its scheduled $200,000 in FY19, making K-State Athletics the lone athletics program in the state of Kansas and one of only eight in the country to operate with no direct or indirect university and student funding or state support. The department previously announced in 2015 a three-year plan to phase out the funding by FY20.

SGA’s tradition of financial support for intercollegiate athletics currently manifests itself in an FY18 allocation of $350,000, which in turn is used to defray a large portion of the $1.1 million in wages that K-State Athletics pays to student workers (graduate assistants, parking lot attendants, ushers, etc.,) each year.

“The phasing out of the student privilege fee is a key decision and step as we continue to build a strong partnership with our Student Governing Association and all of our students,” Athletics Director Gene Taylor said. “The fees originally scheduled to be allocated to Athletics next year will allow SGA to fund other student organizations. Students will continue to have the opportunity to invest in K-State Athletics through their annual purchase of student football and men’s basketball passes at a price level that has not increased since 2009, and we appreciate their support in making our student sections one of the best in all of college athletics.”

“SGA is eager to continue our strong partnership with K-State Athletics as we work to provide students, alumni, and fans the best experience possible,” said SGA President Jack Ayres. “Phasing out the funding that traditionally has gone to Athletics will now be put back into the students and is a decision that will greatly enhance the entire University. We are excited for our continued partnership with Athletics and the initiatives and projects that lie ahead.”

K-State Athletics and the Student Governing Association have a long history of working together to advance and improve the Wildcat experience for all students and the community.  For example, a movement led by K-State students was a major factor in getting state approval and support to build Ahearn Field House in the 1940s and 1950s, while SGA provided $1 million, over half of the original cost, for the initial construction of Bill Snyder Family Stadium in 1968.  Later SGA helped drive the reconstruction of Nichols Hall, and in the 1980s, student fees, along with private gifts, helped build Bramlage Coliseum, which almost 30 years later provides one of the best home court atmospheres in all of college basketball.

K-State’s annual student fees are established and governed by the SGA’s Privilege Fee committee and Student Senate. K-State students have personally paid, through their fees, for many of the university’s facilities, including funding the original Student Union (and new massive new renovation and upgrade) and Recreation Complex as well as vital services like the university counseling center, health services and other programs.

This announcement comes on the heels of the department’s phasing out and elimination of more than $2.6 million of direct and indirect University funding, not counting the student fee allocation. Thanks to the generosity of Wildcat donors and fans, the growth of Big 12 Conference revenues and careful fiscal management, the department was able to eliminate this funding source, enabling these dollars to be reinvested into critical academic needs across campus.

The department also directly supports the K-State Marching Band’s annual operating budget of $200,000, while it also contributed more than $6.5 million this past year in total payments to the University base budget for tuition and fees and annual institutional support fees.

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

ANDREA LANAE PARRISH, 31, Manhattan, DUI; 1ST CONV; COMPETENT EVIDENCE OF BLOOD; Bond $750

Colbert has three previous convictions for theft and one forgery conviction, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections

YSIDORO ARGUELLO MARTINEZ, 48, Manhattan, DUI; Held without Bond

KERON DAVON COLBERT, 23, Junction City, Failure to Appear, Probation Violation (3x); Total Bond $30,000

JEFFREY ALAN HUGHES, 45, Manhattan, Probation Violation; Bond $5000

3:39 p.m. TOMMIE BAGGETT, 18, Manhattan, Failure to Appear; Bond $45

10:40 a.m. TOMMIE BAGGETT, 18, Manhattan, RAPE; INTERCOURSE W/O CONSENT AND FORCE AGG CRIM SODOMY; PERSON/ANIMAL BY FORCE AGGRAVATED ROBBERYRAPE; INTERCOURSE W/O CONSENT AND FORCE ATT AGGRAVATED BURGLARYAGG BATTERY;WEAPON CAUSE GRT BODY HARM RAPE; INTERCOURSE W/O CONSENT AND FORCE AGGRAVATED BURGLARYAGG BATTERY;WEAPON CAUSE GRT BODY HARM; Bond $100,000

 

The new Kansas licence plate is flat rather than embossed.

TOPEKA—License plates for newly registered cars in Kansas are undergoing a makeover.

The new plates will carry the same designs currently offered, but will be flat instead of embossed. Additionally, new plates will be delivered directly to the vehicle owner in the updated process.

“This project completely modernizes the way the state of Kansas produces and delivers license plates,” Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. said. “The old process has been in place since the first license plate was created by the state in 1913, so it is long overdue for streamlining. My administration is prioritizing providing more effective service for Kansans at the best price.”

The transition to the new process will be complete on August 1. To prepare for that date, the Department of Revenue will stop accepting new orders for personalized plates effective April 27. Personalized plate service will resume under the new process on August 1 with faster, on-site approval of the requested personalized combination.

Under the new process, any customer purchasing a new plate will place an order at the county motor vehicle office. The customer will leave the office with a 30 day temporary license tag and their registration sticker. Meanwhile, the permanent plate will be “printed” on demand by KDOR’s vendor, Center Industries. The permanent plate will arrive at the customer’s home in 10-14 business days, at which time the customer will affix the registration sticker received at the office to the new plate and attach it to the car.

“This new process will eliminate the millions of dollars’ worth of license plate inventory that sits in county offices across the state and often goes unused,” Revenue Secretary Sam Williams said. “Plus, personalized plate customers will no longer have to go back in to the office to pick up their new plate when it’s produced. The new system offers more convenience for customers.”

Customers will have the chance to provide an email address or mobile phone to receive alerts when their plate is ordered and shipped. The shipment notice will include a link to track the status of the package to know when to expect it at home.

The process will only apply to new orders for plates. There is no need for current plate holders to order a replacement because of the updated system. Typically, new plates are ordered after a car is purchased and there is no plate to transfer, when a plate is lost, damaged, or stolen, or if the customer orders a personalized combination.

Other states with flat plates include Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas.