Editorial: Disabled Kansans are waiting too long for care

Thousands of Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities are languishing on a seven-year waiting list to get services that would allow them to live independently, according to NPR. Kansas officials must address the waiting list with all possible speed, fulfilling our obligation to offer a safety net to our most vulnerable citizens.

Topeka’s renewed downtown hosts Miracle on Kansas Avenue parade

The cavalcade of first responders, business vehicles, community organizations and decked-out marchers led by a U.S. Marine Corps color guard is a familiar sight for the holidays in downtown Topeka, but this year's Miracle on Kansas Avenue parade is special, organizers said. "This represents in every way what we're trying to do," said Vince Frye, president and CEO of Downtown Topeka Inc., as he stood surrounded by thousands of revelers downtown.

Lynn Jenkins and congressional challengers differ on immigration, foreign policy, Trump

On such topics as foreign policy and immigration, clear policy disagreements separate the three candidates for Congress in the state's 2nd District. U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a Republican campaigning for a fifth term in Congress, is being challenged by Britani Potter, an Ottawa Democrat, and James Houston Bales, a Libertarian who lives in Lawrence.

Kansas Gov. Brownback wary of tax hike but won’t rule it out

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback answers a question from a reporter during a news conference, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The Republican governor is not ruling out a tax increase to help balance the state's budget, though he thinks it would be harmful with the state facing what he calls a rural recession less Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback answers a question from a reporter during a news conference, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan.

State officials approve $100,000 settlement in death of 4-year-old boy

A bipartisan council of top legislative leaders and Gov. Sam Brownback on Friday approved a $100,000 settlement inspired by a federal lawsuit against a state agency alleging culpability in child-custody decisions leading to the beating death of a 4-year-old boy. The State Finance Council voted unanimously to authorize payment to the mother of Mekhi Boone, who was killed by his father in 2013.

Dole, Kassebaum regret erosion of bipartisanship

Seated between U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins and Gov. Sam Brownback, former Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole was honored at the Combat Air Museum at Forbes Field on Thursday where a conference room used for the museum's youth education programs was renamed the Bob Dole Education Center.

Following Dallas police shootings, local leaders say relationship between police, community is strengthening

In the wake of Thursday night's shooting of law enforcement officers in Dallas, Sheriff Herman Jones discusses how law enforcement and the community should treat each other during an interview Friday afternoon at the Capital-Journal. A new wave of critiques of the relationship between police and the public emerged Friday after five Texas law enforcement officers were gunned down the previous evening at a Dallas protest against the killings by police of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana.

Advocates: $2.1 million cut to Senior Care Act will force more elderly Kansans out of homes

Panning as "penny wise and pound foolish" a recent $2.1 million cut to the state's Senior Care Act, 11 agencies that implement the program said the setback will force more elderly Kansans out of their homes and into expensive nursing facilities. "How does this make sense? This cut takes more than $2 million from a $7 million budget," said Janis DeBoer, executive director of the Kansas Association of Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities, or K4AD, during a news conference Friday.

Kansas special education students caught in school funding dispute

Services for students with disabilities are among the many things Kansas education officials must solve amid the potential threat of school closures on July 1. TOPEKA - Services for students with disabilities are among the many things Kansas education officials must solve amid the potential threat of school closures on July 1. The state's Supreme ... (more)

School closing threat spurs move to cut Kansas courts’ power

In this June 1, 2016 file photo, Kansas' Vice President of the Senate Jeff King swings the gavel down to end the 2016 legislative session at the Kansas statehouse in Topeka, Kan. King is drafting a proposed constitutional amendment to prevent Kansas courts from shutting down public schools in lawsuits over education funding.

Top Kansas education official predicts resolution to funding dispute without school closure

The state's top education official predicted Friday the Legislature and governor will resolve an impasse with the Supreme Court over education funding ahead of a deadline that could result in the closure of schools. Still, Education Commissioner Randy Watson told educators the Kansas State Department of Education will work to provide information to school districts and he acknowledged the fear among teachers and administrators.

Topeka Memorial Day events include grave marker dedication for Lincoln bodyguard

A historical group dedicated a new Topeka Cemetery grave marker Monday for John Holmes, a bodyguard for President Abraham Lincoln. The ceremony was one of several held Monday in Topeka to honor veterans, with one featuring Sen. Pat Roberts as guest speaker.

Court ruling raises possibility Kansas schools can’t open

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2016 file photo, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback speaks to the legislature in Topeka, Kan. The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday, May 27, 2016, rejected some education funding changes enacted by the Legisla... Fast moving airport security lines at the start of the Memorial Day weekend could bode well for return travelers Monday.