KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A new hiking and biking trail is opening on a Kansas River levee in Kansas City, Kansas.
photo Brian McKiernan
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, says a grand opening ceremony for the Armourdale Hike and Bike Route-Island View Loop is planned for Saturday morning.
The initial levee trail spans 1.3 miles.
Mayor Mark Holland said in a news release that encouraging residents to walk, run and ride on trails is “key to the health and wellbeing of Wyandotte Countians.”
Representatives from the National League of Cities also will attend the event.
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Secretary of State Jason Kander says he wants to reduce fees for companies doing business in Missouri.
Kander says his goal is to do away with many of the numerous different fees charged to businesses and instead charge only a processing fee for most filings with his office. Kander said he wants to make Missouri’s fees among the lowest nationally.
Missouri’s fees currently range from $7 to register a name for a business to $155 for a company based in another state or foreign country to apply to do business in Missouri.
The Democratic secretary of state said he will be working on the business-fee legislation with Republican state Sen. Wayne Wallingford, of Cape Girardeau. The proposal would be considered during the 2015 legislative session.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new Kansas commission tasked with looking for efficiencies within the state’s public school system begins a two-day meeting Thursday at the Statehouse.
A draft recommendation prepared for consideration by the K-12 Student Performance and Efficiency Commission shows the panel is considering a host of proposals. One calls for offering school districts incentives to consolidate. Another proposal calls for overhauling how teachers are paid.
Legislators created the K-12 Student Performance and Efficiency commission this year, tying it to a proposal increasing aid to poor school districts by $129 million.
Members include superintendents, former state senators, principals and the president of a conservative think tank.
Information about early childhood development grants available through the “Race to the Top” program.
By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
TOPEKA — Gov. Sam Brownback is not ready to support the Kansas Children’s Cabinet in an attempt to win a federal grant aimed at bolstering early childhood education.
The governor’s decision to withhold support for the grant application was explained to members of Children’s Cabinet in a memo last week from Janice Smith, the group’s executive director.
Smith wrote that on Sept. 11, Brownback administration officials let her know that it would be “unwise to move forward” in applying for a Preschool Development Grant without first conferring with the Kansas Legislature.
The news halted the application process because grant proposals are due in four weeks; the Legislature reconvenes Jan. 12, 2015.
The governor’s office, Smith said, encouraged the Cabinet to instead measure legislators’ interest in 2015 so that “if another round of grants is announced,” their willingness to support an application would be known in advance.
The application process also requires a letter of support from the governor’s office, which, Smith indicated, would not be forthcoming.
The Children’s Cabinet applied for the early childhood grant in 2010 but did not receive any funds.
Smith on Tuesday said administration officials also expressed concerns about not having enough time to put together the level of interagency collaboration needed to submit a “strong, competitive proposal” and not knowing how much money the state would have to commit to spending if it were awarded one of the grants.
She called the decision the prerogative of the governor’s office.
Eileen Hawley, a spokesperson for Brownback, said the governor did not tell the Children’s Cabinet not to apply for one of the grants. Instead, she wrote in an email, his office had noted: “Any application for the grant would require a significant funding commitment and since the power of the purse lies with the Legislature, we believe it is important that the Legislature be involved in such a discussion.”
The level of funding to which the state would need to commit was not spelled out in the grant application. In fact, the application specifically said that no cost sharing or matching is required. However, it said applicants that can obtain matching funds “may be awarded additional points.”
The Children’s Cabinet is a 15-member board charged with advising lawmakers on how best to spend monies generated by the state’s master settlement agreement with the nation’s tobacco companies – roughly $50 million annually – on early childhood development programs.
Cabinet members also oversee the administration of several grant programs.
If Kansas were to apply, it would be in competition with 35 other states for grants totaling $160 million a year for up to four years.
Kansas’ possible share of the pie: Up to $15 million a year for four years. The money would be spent on expanding and enhancing preschool programs throughout the state.
The grants are part of a $640 million initiative within Race to the Top, a $4.35 billion education reform package introduced by President Obama in 2009.
News of the governor’s decision disappointed some child advocates.
“Kansas, with the help of the Children’s Cabinet and their multiple partners – KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research, the state Department of Education, the Department for Children and Families, Child Care Aware of Kansas, and the Kansas Head Start Association – would have made a dynamite team for putting together a quality and competitive application for bringing additional resources into Kansas,” Erick Vaughn, executive director at the Kansas Head Start Association, wrote in an email.
“Kansas’ chances would have been good if we’d applied,” he said.
Vaughn said it is unlikely that an additional round of grants will be available after 2015.
“It is not clear if states will be given this opportunity again, which makes Gov. Brownback’s decision to not apply that much more disappointing,” he said. “This means Kansas will stay in place while other states take advantage of this funding opportunity and make advancements in increasing the number of quality preschool experiences for at-risk children.”
Amanda Adkins, chair of the Children’s Cabinet, did not respond to emails seeking comment.
Earlier this month, Brownback’s office notified Jonathan Freiden, a member of the Children’s Cabinet, that he would not be appointed to a second four-year term.
Freiden attributed the decision to his criticism of Brownback for proposing to eliminate the state’s Early Head Start programs, diverting tobacco revenues to the state general fund and using federal anti-poverty monies to underwrite an administration plan for improving fourth-grade reading scores.
Hawley disagreed, saying the appointment decision was driven by the governor’s wanting to “engage as many Kansans as possible” in the work of various state commissions.
Freiden said the decision not to apply for a Race to the Top grant was part of election-year politics.
“This is about the governor and his people not wanting to risk being seen taking money from Washington and touching Obama at a time when they’re running against someone they’re painting as an Obama liberal,” he said. “They’re putting politics above kids.”
Freiden is referring to Paul Davis, Brownback’s Democratic challenger in the November general election.
KANSAS CITY (AP) – A 41-year-old Texas man admits traveling to Missouri to have sex with two minor sisters whose supposed father – an undercover detective – he met online.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City says John Paul Christian of San Marcos pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to two counts of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and one count of traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sex.
Prosecutors say Christian agreed to pay a man he thought was the father of two girls, ages 11 and 15, $400 to have sex with the girls.
He was arrested March 1 in Kansas City after getting out of a taxi at a home where he thought the man and his daughters lived.
SPRINGFIELD (AP) – It’s official: Enrollment is at an all-time high at Missouri State University.
The university says fall enrollment is 24,489, topping the previous record of 23,838 set last fall. Enrollment on the main campus in Springfield also reached a new high with 22,385 students.
The university says the Springfield campus includes students from every Missouri county, 49 states and 88 countries.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run homer, Nori Aoki kept up his tear at the plate and the Kansas City Royals roughed up Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale in a 6-2 victory Wednesday night that kept the pressure on Detroit in the AL Central.
The first-place Tigers led the Royals by 1 1/2 games at the start of the night.
Alcides Escobar also homered for a Royals offense that had been scuffling for weeks, and Aoki went 3 for 4 to finish with 11 hits in the series. Yordano Ventura (13-10) allowed three hits and two walks over seven innings, the lone run off him coming on a sacrifice fly.
Meanwhile, Sale (12-4) was cuffed for a season-high five earned runs on nine hits over five innings. It was arguably the three-time All-Star’s worst start since Aug. 23, 2013, when he gave up eight runs over seven innings in a loss to the Rangers.
The White Sox loaded the bases with nobody out in the third inning, and Adam Eaton staked them to a lead with his sacrifice fly. But Ventura calmly struck out the next two batters to get out of trouble, and then kept Chicago guessing with a blazing fastball all night.
It didn’t take Kansas City long to take the lead for good.
In the bottom of the third, Escobar and Aoki hit back-to-back singles before Cain sent a pitch over the left-field wall. The three-run homer was the first allowed by Sale on a 0-2 count in his career — 164 appearances and nearly 670 batters over parts of five seasons.
Escobar added his solo shot with two outs in the fourth. His third homer of the season and first since May 11 landed in almost the exact same spot as Cain’s home run.
Aoki doubled in the first inning, singled in the third and fourth and walked in the sixth, earning a standing ovation. His 11 hits against the White Sox broke the Royals record for a three-game series that had been shared by George Brett (1982) and Willie Wilson (1980).
It was also the first time a Kansas City player had three hits in three straight games since Mike Sweeney accomplished the feat from July 8-10, 2005, according to STATS.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: DH-1B Paul Konerko, out since breaking his left hand on Sept. 2, will likely return this weekend in Tampa Bay. “Give him a couple of at-bats and if he’s up for it he can probably DH one of those games and see how it feels,” manager Robin Ventura said.
Royals: INF Christian Colon (broken middle finger) was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Sept. 7. There was no word on whether the Royals are adding another player to the roster.
UP NEXT
White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana (8-10, 3.30 ERA) starts Friday night’s opener in Tampa Bay.
Royals: LHP Jason Vargas (11-9, 3.41) tries to bounce back from a loss to Boston in the opener of a crucial three-game series against the Tigers on Friday night.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright posted his 19th win, pitching a shutout Wednesday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 to hold their 2 1/2-game edge in the NL Central.
Wainwright (19-9) worked around seven hits and tied for the major league lead in wins and shutouts.
St. Louis has won four of five and kept its advantage over second-place Pittsburgh. Milwaukee dropped 2 1/2 games behind the Pirates for the second NL wild-card spot.
Mike Fiers (6-3) held the Cardinals hitless until Wainwright singled up the middle with two outs in the sixth. It was Fiers’ first start since beaning Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton last week, ending his season.
Wainwright struck out seven and walked two in his ninth career shutout. He has thrown three shutouts this year, matching Detroit’s Rick Porcello and Miami’s Henderson Alvarez for most in the majors.
Wainwright and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw are atop the majors in wins.
This was the Cardinals’ 21st shutout of the season, their most since 1968 when Bob Gibson and the rest of the staff had 30.
Fiers gave up one earned run and three hits in seven innings.
The Cardinals broke through in the seventh. After hit a drive that went about 3 feet wide of the foul pole, Matt Holliday walked with one out and reached third on Matt Adams’ single, continuing home when Gold Glove center fielder Carlos Gomez slipped and mishandled the hit for an error.
Jhonny Peralta singled home Adams.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha, whose last start was skipped after he struggled in his return from a shoulder injury, is scheduled to start Saturday against Cincinnati. In two starts this month, he pitched seven innings and had a 7.71 ERA. Wacha threw his third bullpen session since his last start on Wednesday and did enough to convince manager Mike Matheny he was ready.
UP NEXT
Brewers: Kyle Lohse (12-9, 3.81 ERA) pitches Thursday night against the Cardinals. He has lost five of his past six decisions, including twice to St. Louis. In those two losses, in which he lasted four innings both times, Lohse gave up 14 runs on 13 hits, including four homers.
Cardinals: Shelby Miller (10-9, 3.75) has given up one earned run over 20 innings in three starts this month. He has won his past two decisions, following four consecutive no decisions. Miller won both of his starts against Milwaukee this season, giving up four runs in 12 innings.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Independent Kansas Senate candidate Greg Orman acknowledges having a modest business tie to a former Goldman Sachs board member convicted of insider trading.
Orman said Wednesday during a news conference that Rajat Gupta is a friend and that he won’t abandon a friend who’s made a mistake.
Orman is touting his business experience as he seeks to unseat three-term Republican incumbent Pat Roberts. The race is competitive, making Kansas an unexpected battleground in the fight for control of the Senate.
Orman said he has an investment of less than $50,000 in a company involving Gupta. Orman was not more specific.
Online business records show he and Gupta each own more than 5 percent of Exemplar Wealth Management of Olathe. Gupta’s conviction was in 2012.
BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer
PAUL ELIAS, AP Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook says it temporarily restored hundreds of deleted profiles of self-described drag queens and others, but declined to change a policy requiring account holders to use their real names rather than drag names such as Lil Ms. Hot Mess and Sister Roma.
The company restored the names Wednesday after it met with several drag queens and a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who object to Facebook’s policy. The drag queens say requiring them and others to disclose their real names is unfair and could put jobs, relationships and health at risk.
Facebook said it will keep the accounts active for two weeks so people can decide whether to provide their real names.
Several drag queens and Supervisor David Campos said at a news conference at San Francisco City Hall that they are disappointed that Facebook didn’t change its policy after the two sides met for about an hour Wednesday. Campos said Facebook has agreed to another meeting.
