10 years ago
Attorneys for a Kansas judge contend recent legislation changing judicial selection in Kansas is unconstitutional. But the state argues the law is a proper exercise of longstanding legislative authority. District Judge Larry Solomon of Kingman County has been challenging a 2014 law that says judges in the 31 judicial districts in Kansas pick their chief judges, ...

10 years ago
An annual Lawrence holiday tradition will be rescheduled because of a winter storm. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that firefighters had been scheduled to rescue Santa Claus on Friday night from a downtown rooftop using a ladder truck. The rescue is part of the town's Christmas lighting celebration. But Downtown Lawrence Incorporated director Sally Zogry says that with ...

10 years ago
FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The Army has released the identities of four crew members who were killed when their helicopter crashed during a routine training exercise at Fort Hood in Texas. The Black Hawk went down about 6 p.m. Monday in the northeast portion of the sprawling military post about 60 miles north of Austin. ...

10 years ago
Freezing rain and high winds have hit Kansas, causing several accidents, including two fatalities. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for sections of central and southern Kansas through early Saturday. The weather service says up to a quarter inch of sleet and ice are forecast by Friday night. KAKE-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1PfDUVY) that several accidents ...

10 years ago
The Salina Salvation Army's Angel Tree Project begins this weekend, seeking help for over 600 area children in need. This year there are over 600 angels on the tree. Each angel represents an area child 12-years-old or younger who without a little help, might not otherwise have much of a Christmas. The angel has on it ...

10 years ago
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The governor's Christmas tree has arrived at Cedar Crest on a horse-drawn coach. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Governor Sam Brownback hopped on the high-wheel hitch wagon for the final leg of the delivery. He shouted "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Thanksgiving" after jumping from the wagon in front of the governor's mansion. Brownback ...

10 years ago
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — University students in Kansas are starting to talk about a day in the not-too-distant future when anyone over 21 who legally owns a gun will be allowed to carry it onto campuses across the state. The Wichita Eagle reported legislation passed in 2012 required concealed-carry permit holders to be allowed to carry ...

10 years ago
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — More homeless people are without a place to sleep in Wichita. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data shows that the number and percentage of homeless in Sedgwick County without shelter has roughly doubled over the past eight years. The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/1Xu71nI) reports that about 100 homeless people, or 17 ...

10 years ago
It was "organized chaos" at Applebee's in Salina Thursday, and organizers of the Salina Salvation Army Community Thanksgiving Dinner wouldn't have it any other way. The only thing on the menu was turkey, and all the trimmings. People begin lining up outside, in the cold and rain at around 10:00 in the morning, a full two ...

10 years ago
The attorney general's office wants the Kansas Supreme Court to look at how the judiciary in surrounding states works when it decides the validity of a law stripping the high court of its power to appoint chief judges. Court filings Wednesday laid out each side's arguments before the Dec. 10 hearing on the state's appeal of ...

10 years ago
The Kansas Black Leadership Council is asking the state to allow people to register to vote on Election Day. The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/1Yu0QSN) reports the proposal was included in the council's 2016 legislative agenda and is a response to the state's requirement that people provide proof of citizenship in order to register. State law requires voters to ...