10 years ago
Scientists warn the Southwest and Central Plains could face "megadroughts" during the second half of this century. And they could last for decades. The scientists write in a study in the journal Science Advances that global warming will lead to "unprecedented drought conditions" -- the worst in more than 1,000 years. The study is based on current ...

10 years ago
The leader of a Kansas commune that lived off the life insurance payouts of its dead members has taken the stand in his own defense. Fifty-five year old Daniel Perez testified Thursday about his time in Texas where he met the woman he is now accused of killing. He is charged with first-degree premeditated murder in ...

10 years ago
Police locate and arrest a Salina man for an alleged assault that happened last October. Captain Mike Sweeney tells KSAL News that 32-year-old Charles Bates, Jr. is being charged with aggravated assault and damage to property after an argument between acquaintances turned violent at about 1am on October 17, 2014. Police say Bates threatened two women in ...

10 years ago
Though there was no Powerball jackpot winner in Kansas, if you have a ticket, don't throw it away before you check it. According to the Kansas Lottery there was a $1,000,000 winning ticket sold in Kansas, and also a $10,000 winning ticket. The $564 million Powerball jackpot in the Wednesday night drawing will be split among ...

10 years ago
The Kansas attorney general's office told a state board that it didn't have enough lawyers to provide routine legal advice to the board. In response, the Kansas Underground Utility Notification Board says it will seek free outside legal advice. Spokeswoman Jennifer Rapp says attorney general's office would represent the board in a specific legal matter, such as ...

10 years ago
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback's administration is proposing to revise hiring, layoff and termination policies for Kansas government workers and possibly eliminate longevity bonuses for 17,500 employees. The state Department of Administration on Wednesday described the initiatives modernizing state policies. One proposal that requires the Legislature's approval would give state agencies broader authority to hire employees into non-civil ...

10 years ago
The Kansas Board of Regents has appointed a committee to study how legalization of same-sex marriage could affect state universities. Regent Fred Logan said Wednesday he expects the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a ruling that will "at a minimum" require states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Or he says the court could ...

10 years ago
An autopsy report shows the 39-year-old driver in an August traffic accident that killed him and his teenage passenger had a blood-alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports James Ford Bowen of Paxico and his passenger, 16-year-old Matthew Robert Allen of Topeka, died of blunt force injuries. Police say they were ...

10 years ago
Newly released emails obtained by The Topeka Capital-Journal show the governor's administration informed two lobbyists about budget proposals weeks earlier than previously disclosed. The emails showed they were included on a Dec. 6 email thread. President Kent Glasscock of Kansas State University Institute for Commercialization also was included. The newspaper made an open records request to the ...

10 years ago
Kansas lawmakers are considering changing the way state Supreme Court justices are selected, but lawyers say the move would politicize the court. The House Judicial Committee conducted a hearing Wednesday on two measures that would amend the Kansas Constitution. One change would select Supreme Court justices in partisan elections, while the other would allow the governor ...

10 years ago
A traffic stop leads to drug charges for a Salina man. Police arrested 19-year-old Cooper Hammersmith after officers found marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a 9mm handgun which he was sitting on in the vehicle. Police report Hammersmith was initially stopped for rolling through a stop sign in the 500 block of W. Grand at about 10:45pm Tuesday. Police ...