SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas officials are questioning whether a state law meant to exempt school districts from some education regulations is just another layer of red tape.

A 2013 Kansas law allows school districts to be excluded from certain rules involving public education if they present plans to improve student achievement. The Coalition of Innovative School Districts met Tuesday.

The Salina Journal reports coalition members discussed how districts should notify the group and government agencies of regulations they wanted to be exempted from.

But some members questioned whether the law meant to give a blanket exemption to any district, or whether each exemption needed separate approval.

According to a Kansas newspaper, the state is about to become actively involved in the sex-toy business, selling thousands of them at auction to make good on tens of thousands of dollars in state taxes owed by the owner. The Topeka Capital Journal reported that a private auction firm is selling the sex toys online at the direction of the Kansas Department of Revenue.

According to the newspaper, online shoppers for adult DVDs, novelty items, clothing and other products can “participate in a bonanza shopping experience.”

The owner, Larry Minkoff, was doing business under the Bang label.  But the newspaper reports he resisted requests from the Kansas Department of Revenue for payment of $163,986 in state taxes. It’s unclear how much he still owes the state, because those precise records are not open to the public.

Agents took action in July to seize business inventory at outlets in Topeka, Wichita, Junction City and Kansas City, Kan., under Minkoff’s control. 

The newspaper reported that the merchandise was released back to Minkoff as part of a negotiated arrangement. He subsequently entered into a contract to sell the holdings at public auction and apply the money toward payment of taxes owed the state of Kansas. The contract is with equip-bid.com auction company.

Political opponents of Republican Governor Sam Brownback were quick to pounce.  In a news release,  Kansas Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley said “Brownback is so desperate to fill the massive hole in the state budget caused by his reckless income tax cuts that the state of Kansas is now in the porn business.”

“The Kansas Department of Revenue must be working overtime turning over every rock to find funds to make next week’s revenue numbers look better than they really are,” Hensley said.

ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer

Some lenders are preparing to reissue credit or debit cards to customers to head off possible losses following the breach of customer data at Home Depot.

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback on Wednesday announced the appointment of Douglas P. Witteman to the 4th District Court of the State of Kansas. Witteman will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Thomas H. Sachse on the court.

Witteman resides in LeRoy, Kansas and currently serves as the Coffey County Attorney. He received his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1991.

The 4th District Court includes Anderson, Coffey, Franklin, and Osage counties.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence man has pleaded guilty to embezzling about $1 million from his company and business partners over a 10-year period.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says 55-year-old Mark Elzea agreed to pay restitution under terms of the plea he entered Wednesday in federal court.

Elzea was the controller and part-owner of a Lawrence janitorial and cleaning equipment business called Pur-O-Zone. He admitted that he began stealing from the company and his three business partners in 2004.

The crime was discovered earlier this year when a vendor contacted one of the co-owners about not receiving a check. Prosecutors said the partners then discovered numerous unauthorized checks that Elzea had written to a credit card company.

Elzea faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The sentencing is set for Dec. 19.

BRANDON BAILEY, AP Technology Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple has stopped providing an update to its new iOS 8 mobile operating software, following complaints that the update interferes with users’ ability to make phone calls.

The iOS 8.0.1 update released Wednesday morning was intended to fix some earlier glitches in the new software for iPhones and iPads that Apple released last week.

But along with blocking calls, some users have also complained the update interferes with Apple’s Touch ID system, which lets people unlock their phones with their fingerprint.

Apple says it’s pulling back the update as it investigates the reports. The company says it plans to issue advice to users “as quickly as we can.”

Meantime, users are still able to the upgrade older phones to last week’s version of iOS 8.

PINE CITY, Minn. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say a Pine County man accused of skipping a custody hearing and taking his two minor children without permission has been arrested in Kansas.

KARE-TV reports the 44-year-old father was pulled over in Kansas Wednesday morning for a minor traffic violation. He was arrested after an officer ran his license and discovered he’s wanted in Minnesota.

The man’s 12-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter were in the vehicle as well as two of his adult children. Pine County Sheriff Robin Cole says the younger children thought they were on vacation and didn’t know authorities were looking for them.

BELOIT, Kan. (AP) — AGCO Corporation officials say the company plans to lay off a total of 111 workers at its plants in Beloit and Hesston.

A statement from the corporate office in Georgia says the Hesston plant is in a second phase of job cuts, with 72 layoffs this week. Twenty-four jobs were cut in August. The Beloit plant will lose 39 hourly jobs.

The Hesston plant makes hay and harvesting products, while the Beloit plant produces mostly tillage tools.

The company said in a statement that the layoffs were the result of the cyclical nature of the agriculture economy.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka police have found a woman’s body while detaining a man who was running around his neighborhood naked.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that neighbors called police Wednesday morning to report that the nude man was covered in blood and yelling as he ran up and down the street.

Police Lt. Chuck Haggard says it took several police officers to subdue the man and authorities eventually had to use a stun gun. The man was taken in an ambulance to a hospital for medical treatment.

The woman’s body was found at the top of a wooden wheelchair ramp leading to a home. Neighbors said the man lived with the woman.

A young girl was found uninjured at the scene and was placed in protective custody.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The lawyer for a disgruntled Kansas Democratic voter says he’s considering his options as he faces a delay in getting a court to hear his lawsuit to force the party to name a new U.S. Senate nominee.

Attorney Tom Haney said Tuesday that voter David Orel of Kansas City, Kansas, was surprised by a state Supreme Court decision sending Orel’s petition to Shawnee County District Court.

Orel filed the petition last week after the Supreme Court allowed Democrat Chad Taylor to have his name removed from the Nov. 4 ballot in the race against Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.

The Supreme Court said Tuesday more evidence must be gathered in Orel’s lawsuit.

Taylor’s move was seen as helping independent candidate Greg Orman and putting the Kansas race in the national spotlight.