WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A hearing on whether to approve a domestic protection from abuse order against Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle has been postponed.
The attorney representing Randle’s ex-girlfriend told The Wichita Eagle Thursday’s scheduled hearing was delayed for three weeks.
The delay comes as the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office considers whether to file criminal charges against Randle.
Dalia Jacobs, the mother of Randle’s son, told investigators that during a Feb. 3 altercation at a Wichita hotel Randle brandished a gun and broke a car window while they argued.
His attorney has said Randle did not threaten the woman or show a gun at any time.
Randle, a member of the Dallas Cowboys, was arrested after a small amount of marijuana was found in his hotel room but those charges were dropped.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Wal-Mart is spending $1 billion to make changes to how it pays and trains U.S. hourly workers.
As part of its biggest investment in worker training and pay ever, Wal-Mart tells The Associated Press that within the next six months it will give raises to about 500,000 workers. That’s nearly 40 percent of its 1.3 million U.S. employees.
Wal-Mart follows other retailers that have boosted hourly pay recently, but because it’s the nation’s largest private employer, the impact of its move will be more closely watched.
In addition to raises, Wal-Mart said it plans to make changes to how workers are scheduled and add training programs for sales staff so that employees can more easily map out their future at the company.
Also today, Wal-Mart reported a 12 percent increase in profit for the fourth quarter as sale for the critical holiday shopping season perked up amid lower gas prices and an improving economy.
But the company said its plays to improve pay and training will hurt profits in the short run.
The world’s largest retailer has struggled for two years with sluggish sales.
TOPEKA – The process Kansas uses to form its state energy plan could change with the implementation of House Bill 2233.
In the House Energy and Environment Committee hearing Wednesday, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) testified in favor of the bill while the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) testified against it.
In order to eliminate pollution from power plants, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a Clean Power Plan in June 2014. While the plan will not be finalized until August 2015, it gives states one year to submit a State Implementation Plan indicating their compliance with the EPA’s goals and regulations. If a state fails to submit an energy plan within the deadline, the EPA will issue a Federal Implementation Plan instead.
KDHE’s Tom Gross said the process outlined in HB 2233 for developing a plan would make it difficult for Kansas to meet the one-year deadline.
“We have 365 days to get a plan submitted to the EPA and the KCC has a 300-day window in the middle of it, and we have a 60-day public comment period and then a hearing and response to comments,” Gross said. “With that, we’re in the negative. We’re in the red and we have zero days to prepare a plan.”
This 300-day window outlined in the bill allows the KCC to review the KDHE’s draft of the state energy plan, and the KCC must give approval before anything is submitted to the EPA.
Rep. Annie Kuether (D- Topeka) said her main concern with HB 2233 is that the KCC has too much control in the process.
“I’m really concerned with what I deem is pretty much an overreach and getting in the middle of what KDHE needs to do when they feel free and how they feel free to do it,” Kuether said. “You’re giving KCC a little more power and oversight of another agency, which is not their purview, and I think it’s a bad balance.”
KCC Commissioner Pat Apple said the bill provides a clear path for how Kansas should move forward.
“If we’re trying to come up with a state implementation plan that’s going to meld the next 50 years of energy policy, wouldn’t we be better off to have… (the best) information as we can as far as cost and reliability?” Apple said. “House Bill 2233 does that. We think that it’s the right thing to do for Kansas.”
Opponents and proponents of the bill present at the hearing agreed that missing the one-year deadline and having a Federal Implementation Plan in place would be detrimental to the state. Dorothy Barnett, who spoke on behalf of Kansans for Clean Energy, said missing the deadline is one of the reasons she is opposed to the bill.
“We are concerned that by adding this level of legislation we are going to subject Kansas to a Federal Implementation Plan and limit our ability to work on a state level,” Barnett said. “Stakeholders are nearly unanimous in their desire to avoid a Federal Implementation Plan.”
Committee Chair Rep. Dennis Hedke (R-Wichita) said although the KCC and the KDHE had different opinions at the hearing, the two organizations will advance the committee’s discussions and be ready to move forward when the committee meets next Wednesday.
“We’ve got good professionals here,” Hedke said. “Both the KCC and KDHE are loaded with highly qualified expertise, so I do believe that both of them actually want to get legislation built so that the EPA doesn’t have that overreach without some kind of preparation on our side.”
Alyssa Scott is a University of Kansas junior from Wichita majoring in journalism and French.
Following Tuesday’s announcement of the misuse of funds by some within the St. Joseph School District that may total more than $40 million, Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, is calling on the attorney general to bring appropriate charges against those responsible.
State Auditor Tom Schweich released an audit of the district, which gave it a poor rating, the only public school district receiving that ranking since 2001.
The district allegedly gave more than $25 million in unauthorized or improper stipends to administrators since 2001; however, the total may be as much as $40 million, though that number is hard to determine due to a lack of documentation before 2001. The audit also brought to light that the district promoted some employees without proper degrees, used school funds for unreasonable purchases, held improper closed meetings and mismanaged investments.
“I would like to call on the attorney general to closely examine the documents the auditor has complied and bring charges against those responsible for the mishandling of the funds within the St. Joseph Public Schools,” Sen. Rob Schaaf said. ”This money was entrusted to certain staff and members of the school board to help provide a quality education for our students by the most qualified professionals. These actions are illegal and greatly disturbing.”
Additionally, Sen. Schaaf is calling for the governor’s office and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to demand the school district return misappropriated overpayment of state aid received in Fiscal Year 2013 and Fiscal Year 2014 when inaccurately reporting summer school attendance. This resulted in an overpayment of approximately $3.5 million.
In all, the auditor had 17 areas of concern with the completed audit.
MANHATTAN, Kan. -The Rock Creek Mustangs recently played against Riley County Falcons in a nail biter, Kansas Mid-East League 8th grade semi-final game. The video starts with Rock Creek trailing Riley County, 26-25. After a layup following an in-bounds by Rock Creek, the basketball lands on the back of the rim, and Riley County wins.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) seeks volunteers to help with pallid sturgeon collection on the Missouri River near St. Joseph. The pallid sturgeon is a primitive fish that swam when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. They are an endangered species. MDC biologists are doing fish population studies on the river, and any wild pallid sturgeon collected are taken to fish hatcheries and provide brood stock for spawning. Hatchery-reared pallids will be released in the river.
Volunteers will help MDC staff set and run trotlines used for sampling and to collect mature fish for pallid restoration efforts.
On a typical collection day, participants will meet at a boat ramp. The workday usually is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Chores include baiting hooks with nightcrawlers, setting and pulling trotlines, and handling fish. Participants will need to bring their own water bottle, rain gear, water shoes or knee boots, and lunch. MDC will provide lifejackets, gloves, drinking water, sunscreen, a free t-shirt and a fun day on the river.
The fish collection will embark March 23 to April 15 at the French Bottom boat access in St. Joseph, and from March 30 to April 15 at the Nodaway Island boat ramp north of St. Joseph. There will be no sampling during Easter weekend April 4-5.
Field work is based on weather and river conditions, so day-to-day cancellations may happen. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
TONGANOXIE, Kan. (AP) — Police say a male driver was found dead inside a burning pickup truck in Leavenworth County.
Tongonoxie officials said witnesses reported two vehicles were speeding down a county road early Thursday when the truck driver lost control and it slammed into concrete highway pillars. The truck burst into flames and the man was dead when emergency crews arrived.
The second car left the scene. Police do not have a description and are asking the public for help locating the driver.
The man was from Tonganoxie but his name has not been released.
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An investigation that began with a traffic stop in Utah led to a federal indictment in Kansas City, Kan., Wednesday charging five people with drug trafficking according to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Ana Claudia Rodriguez-Rodriguez, 39; Sergio Lopez, 41; Migel Lopez-Lopez, 22; Daniel Rivera, 32; and Andres Marquez, 22, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Rodriguez-Rodriguez was stopped by the Utah Highway Patrol Jan. 21, 2015, driving a red 1991 Jeep Cherokee. Troopers found approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine in the car. Investigators determined that she was headed to the Kansas City area to deliver the drugs. In Kansas City, Kan., officers set up a sting operation and arrested the other defendants when they attempted to take delivery of the drugs.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The Utah Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Derick Allen Spicer, 34, is charged with failing to register as required by the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The crime is alleged to have occurred Dec. 12, 2014.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Martin is prosecuting.
Andrew J. Denning, 23, Wichita, Kan., and Tyler W. Lewis, 22, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of distributing marijuana and one count each of unlawfully possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 3, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the marijuana count and a penalty of not less than five years on the gun charges. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The state of Kansas plans to change the way it notifies motorists that they need to renew vehicle tags.
Residents will receive postcards, rather than letters, from the Kansas Division of Vehicles. The move is designed to save the state money.
The Hutchinson News reports the state estimates the change will save nearly $562,000 a year.
Reno County Treasurer Jan Hull says the state is giving counties the option to send the traditional letters. But Hull estimated that would cost her county $35,000 a year, so she will use the state’s postcards.
