LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Jewish community in northeast Kansas is planning a sacred Torah welcoming ceremony in Lawrence.
The ceremony Sunday marks the end of an effort of an expert ritual scribe to write an entire Torah, the most sacred object in Judaism. The task takes between 62 and 84 sheets of parchment, exactly 304,805 letters and months of work. One mistake voids the entire work.
The scroll will be the first written in Lawrence. A ceremony Sunday at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Lawrence will mark the completion of the Torah. It will then be taken under a canopy through the streets in a procession that will include music and dancing.
Gov. Sam Brownback issued a proclamation congratulating the Jewish community and extending best wishes for the celebration.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Budget problems in Kansas prompted Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to propose siphoning off transportation dollars to help erase projected shortfalls.
But even before then, federal data showed that Kansas had the biggest decade-long decline in per-person spending on highways of any state.
Brownback is facing bipartisan criticism for proposals to divert $858 million from highway projects through June 2017 to deal with budget problems arising after lawmakers reduced personal income taxes in 2012 and 2013 at his urging.
But data compiled by the Federal Highway Administration shows per-capital highway spending was 29 percent lower during the state’s 2013 fiscal year than in fiscal 2003 — or $490 compared with nearly $695.
Kansas ranked fifth in per-capita spending in 2003 and dropped to 28th a decade later.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man convicted for the 10th time for drunken driving has been sentenced to jail, but only for three days.
The Kansas City Star reports that Leavenworth County District Court Judge Gunnar Sunby on Friday sentenced 57-year-old Lloyd Henson of Kansas City, Kan. After three days in jail, he will spend the rest of his mandatory six-month sentence under house arrest. Prosecutors had asked for the maximum 12 months in jail.
Henson was arrested in 2011 while driving in the wrong lane on Kansas 7 with an open container of alcohol. His license had been suspended since 2006 and he had no insurance.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are considering a proposal to permit grocery stores to sell full-strength beer, wine and liquor starting in July 2018.
The bill up for debate Monday in the House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee also would permit convenience stores to sell full-strength beer starting in July 2018.
Groceries and convenience stores now can sell weaker beer known as cereal malt beverage. Only liquor stores can sell full-strength beer, wine and liquor.
The measure is backed by grocery and convenience store chains. Many liquor store owners oppose it, fearing they’ll be run out of business.
It would cap the number of retail liquor store licenses and allow store owners to transfer theirs to grocery stores in the same county starting in July 2018.
FORT RILEY, Kansas – Soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, are returning to Fort Riley following a successful
nine-month deployment to Kuwait according to a media release from the Division.
The first group of Soldiers arrived on post earlier this month, with the remaining set to redeploy in large groups in
the next few weeks. The entire brigade will return by late March.
Several thousand Soldiers from the brigade departed for Southwest Asia in
June.
During the deployment, Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, then-Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army’s chief of staff, visited the brigade’s Soldiers.
“What you’re doing here, this joint task force, is really the centerpiece,”
Hagel told the “Devil” brigade troops during his in December visit. “It is
the pivot point. It is absolutely critical to everything that happens. This
business of what you do right here is essential to make it all work, along
with the 60 coalition partners that have been assembled to degrade and
defeat ISIL.”
NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is filing a complaint against a company that makes wrist bands intended to repel insects, saying there is no evidence they work.
Online listings say the Viatek Bugband10 repels mosquitoes and other pests up to five days. The FTC says the Tennessee-based company doesn’t have reliable scientific evidence supporting those claims and calls its marketing deceptive.
Viatek did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Bugband10 could not be found on Viatek’s website but were available online at retailers including Amazon and Wal-Mart.
The FTC’s complaint names Viatek Consumer Products Group and its president, Lou Lentine. The agency says Lentine is violating an order from 2003 that involved a device that was supposed to keep insects, mice and rats away using electromagnetic waves.
TOPEKA–Kansas high school seniors have the opportunity to win up to $2500 in scholarship money to help cover the cost of tuition at a Kansas school of higher education by entering the Kansas Financial Scholars Essay Scholarship Contest. The contest is jointly sponsored by the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner (KSC) and the Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC). A total of five scholarships, ranging from $500 to the top $2500 prize, will be awarded to Kansas high school seniors.
In a three to four page essay, students are asked to profile an individual whose personal financial habits impacted the lives of others, and apply the wisdom or a lesson from that person’s life to their own future financial plans.
“Investing in the financial education of our college-aged citizens is central to our mission of equipping Kansans to grow and protect their assets,” said Securities Commissioner Josh Ney. “Through this scholarship program, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of financial prudence to the individual lives of Kansans and the future of our state.”
“We are pleased to support financial education programs that help students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to make sound financial decisions for their future. These scholarships give students the opportunity to earn money for higher education by sharing what they have learned through participation in these programs,” said Bank Commissioner Deryl Schuster.
Participation in one of the three financial literacy programs sponsored by both agencies (EverFi, the Stock Market Game or Life$marts) is a prerequisite to entering the contest. Teachers, parents or students may contact the KSC to sign up today for one of the free prerequisite programs by calling 800-232-9580 to speak with Shannon Stone, the Director of Investor Education for the KSC.
Essays will be accepted from Feb. 16, 2015 through April 1, 2015. To learn more about participating in the Financial Scholars Essay Scholarship Contest, visit www.ksc.ks.gov, www.osbckansas.org, or send an email to Shannon.Stone@ksc.ks.gov.
TOPEKA –– Fraudulent emails are being sent to Kansans claiming to be from the “State Attorney Office,” and threatening arrest, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt reported today.
The attorney general’s office has been made aware that these emails are circulating, and advises Kansans that these are fraudulent. The email contains an attachment with an “Arrest Warrant” listing three charges. The email tells the recipient that their social security number has been put “on hold” until the matter is resolved, and threatens that the recipient will be responsible for the cost of the lawsuit. The email gives a phone number the recipient can call to resolve the matter, where the scam artist will likely ask for payment.
“These emails are a pure scam,” Schmidt said. “Anyone who receives these emails should delete them immediately. Under no circumstance does our office send arrest warrants by email. By no means should anyone call the phone number listed in this email or send money to these scam artists to get out of the so-called ‘arrest warrant.’”
Kansans should report these scams to the attorney general’s office by calling (800) 432-2310 or on the attorney general’s consumer protection website at www.InYourCornerKansas.org.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas school boards would have the power to tell teachers “take it or leave it” in salary negotiations under a bill endorsed by a state House panel.
The House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee approved the bill Friday, sending it to the House floor for further debate.
The bill would allow individual teachers to negotiate outside of the normal collective bargaining structure and also would give school boards the ability to refuse to negotiate with any teachers’ group.
Republican Rep. Marvin Kleeb of Overland Park said school boards would be unlikely to issue ultimatums, and the bill would be beneficial to the state’s best teachers.
But Mark Desetti, a lobbyist for the state’s largest teacher’s union, said the bill was designed to make it easier to cut teachers’ salaries.
TOPEKA — Lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on a bill that would allow public employees to carry concealed handguns while on the job outside of their offices.
Senate Bill 65 would amend the concealed carry law to prohibit public employers from restricting their employees from carrying concealed handguns in or out of office buildings, or in company- or privately-owned vehicles. The bill defines public employers as any state, county, or city agency that employs one or more people.
Testifying in favor of the bill in front of the Senate Federal and State Affairs committee, Sen. Forrest Knox (R-Altoona) said public employees should be trusted to provide their own security.
“The logic is that we should not deny the right of somebody to provide for their own security unless we’re providing that security and you’re pretty hard-pressed to provide that for state, county, and city employees while they’re out on the job,” Knox said.
Patricia Stoneking, president of the Kansas State Rifle Association, said the problem is that some municipal employers allow their staffs to carry concealed weapons in the office but impose policies prohibiting concealed carry in public or while driving.
“We’re only asking to extend to public employees what has already been extended to private employees in the private sector,” Stoneking said.
At the end of Stoneking’s testimony, Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D-Wichita) asked Knox for his thoughts on the motivation behind the legislation.
Knox replied, “It’s always a pleasure to talk to you Senator. I must say, if I was in your home I think I would want to have a gun. That is to say, you need to view this from the public employee’s point of view and their protection.”
“Senator Knox, I don’t know how I should have taken your comment,” Faust-Goudeau said. “I think we should be concerned for all people in the state of Kansas.”
“I apologize. If I could apologize, Mr. Chairman, for not being entirely serious,” Knox said. “But I am serious about this. We need to be concerned about everybody’s safety. It’s why I advocate for concealed carry as opposed to open carry.”
Eric Smith, legal counsel for the League of Kansas Municipalities, opposed the bill.
“Municipalities should maintain the authority to regulate their employees concerning the carrying of weapons,” Smith said. “We understand that the right to bear arms is a constitutional right. At the same time, as an employer, a city has certain duties and obligations.”
Mike Taylor, public relations director for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, said the legislature too often ignores the rights of local control as defined in the Kansas Constitution’s Home Rule amendment.
“This bill is an unwarranted intrusion into local control and meddles with our ability to operate our workplace,” Taylor said. “Too many Kansas legislators rail against the federal government imposing unwanted policies on the state, but then turn around and do the same thing to local governments.”
Mark Tallman, associate executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB), gave neutral testimony and suggested a change to the bill’s language to specifically exclude school districts from the mandate.
“If it is not the intent to exclude districts, KASB would oppose the bill,” Tallman said. “We are concerned school districts could not get liability insurance if employees are allowed to carry concealed weapons in the course of their employment.”
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt wrote in a fiscal note attached to the bill that concealed carry amendments result in numerous requests for legal opinions by his office.
“If the number of these requests continues to grow, the Office may need an additional attorney to handle the increased volume of opinion requests,” he wrote.
Committee Chair Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer (R-Grinnell) said the committee will work more on the bill in the next two weeks.
Austin Fisher is a University of Kansas senior from Lawrence majoring in journalism.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Jewish community in northeast Kansas is planning a sacred Torah welcoming ceremony in Lawrence.
